Beeks line: The family of David Demarest 1620-1695

 I've written about David Demarest before.  He was born in Beauchamp, Chambray, France in 1620, and lived in Middleburg in The Netherlands and Mannheim in Germany before immigrating to the colony of New York, and finally to Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  These moves were necessitated due to the family being of French Huguenot beliefs, and such families suffered persecution for many years.  The moves once the family came to America were also due to economic and societal reasons.  It was a very eventful life that David and his family lived.

I am using the spelling Demarest here, because that is the most common and modern spelling.  It can be seen in any number of configurations, including De Maree and De Marets, but let's not get too confusing.  David is most likely the son of Jean Demarest and possibly Marguerite de Herville.  (I am not convinced that this was his mother, since none of his children or grandchildren are named Marguerite, but many trees are showing her as the mother.)  He married Marie Sohier, the daughter of Francois and Marie Ernhoult Sohier, in Middleburg in 1643.  Their children were born in Middleburg, Mannheim, and finally New Amsterdam.  They had the sadness of losing several children too young, as infants and young children, yet they persevered in their life and their faith.

The first child was Jean, born in 1645 and died in 1719 in Hackensack, New Jersey, where by that time there was a thriving Huguenot community.  He married three times, but all children are with his first wife, Jacomina de Ruine, the daughter of Simon and Magdalena Van Der Straten.  Their children are David, Jan, Mary, Sarah, Simon, Rachel, Jacomina, Lea, Peter, Magdalena, and Samuel.  His second marriage is to Marritje Van Winkle, the daughter of Jacob Van Winkle and Tryntje Jacobs, and the mother of his daughter in law.  His third marriage is to Magdalena Lauren, whom I have not further identified.  I will follow this family in my next post.

The first daughter may have been Marie, who does not seem to be documented.  She was born in 1646 and probably died as in infant, but certainly before 1659.

An infant son, David, was born in 1649 and died before December of 1651. 

David was the next son, born in 1651 and died in 1691 in Kinderkamack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  He married Rachel Cresson, the daughter of Pierre and Rachel Clauss Cresson.  Their children are David, Peter, Susanna, Ragel, Jacobus, Samuel, Daniel, Lidia, and Benjamin.  

Samuel was the next son, born in 1656 and died in 1728 in Hackensack, New Jersey.  He married Maria de Ruine, the daughter of Simon and Magdalena Van Der Straten de Ruine, another case of brothers marrying sisters.  Their children are Magdalena, Jacomina, Judith Samuel, Pieter, Sara, Simon, Rachel, Susanna, and Daniel.  I will also write about this family in an upcoming post, as the Beeks family has lines through both Jean and Samuel.  

A second daughter named Marie was born in 1659 and died before May of 1662.

A third daughter Marie was born in 1662 and died before August 26, 1689.  She is not known to have married.

And finally, Daniel, the New Amsterdam baby, was born in 1666 and was killed when he was run over by a horse in January of 1672.  

As we can see, this family had many losses, perhaps more than average but certainly not unheard of.  Those who survived left large families and good memories, and even, thankfully, a reasonable amount of records.  Let's not forget this French family!