Information from Enoch3000@aol.com AWT #12399
MICHAEL DEVOE: When the Revolutionary War broke out, Michael
joined the American forces. He was taken
prisoner by the British at his home in New Paltz, New York. We learn from a deposition he made two years
later before the War Committee, which is preserved in full, that he was
captured by a certain Captain Clark, belonging to the enemy, who at the point
of a fire lock, forced him aboard an enemy boat. There he was questioned and threatened, and
taken to New York and put on board a man-of-war vessel, of fifty guns.
He complained for
want of clothes, being an old man of 60 years of age; and was sent ashore to
General Jones, who asked his name. Just
at that moment, a woman interposed with a complaint against a soldier. Michael
DeVoe took the opportunity and escaped to the house of Andrew Loshe, behind the
college, where he stayed for four days.
He exchanged clothes with the said Loshe, got a canoe and rowed down the
river. About twelve 0'clock the same
night he landed and traveled through the mountains to the public road, until he
was challenged by a Continental officer, and found himself safe in American
hands.
Michael's father
was Peter DeVoer. His father was Jean or
John Dufour or Devoor, who was the son
of David Du Four.
DAVID DU FOUR: Michael's great grandfather, David Du Four,
was a Huguenot refugee.
The Huguenot exiles fled from religious persecution. David was from Belgium and France. (Native of
Belgium). In the Genealogical Library is
a History of Harlem, New York, on page 99 as follows:
"David Du Four, a native of Mons, in Hainault in
Belgium, upon this place being threatened by the successes of the French Army
in the Walloon districts, retired with others of his family to Sedan in France
and afterwards to Amsterdam, Holland, where Du Four, though fitted by education
for a better position, became a drayman.
Left by the death of his wife, Marie Boulen, with a young child, Jean
born during their stay in Sedan, he found another companion in Jeanne Frans, to
whom he married July 10, 1657. That same
year with his new wife and his little son (Jean called John in America)
aforesaid, he sailed for Manhattan Island in New York."
In time the
spelling of the surname changed from DuFour to Devoor and some now write it De
Voe. David Du Four was an original
proprietor at Harlem. In 1668, as he was
passing up the East River in a canoe with his child Anthony, a drunken sailor
in another boat discharged his gun, which wounded little Anthony. The child died in about a week.
WILL OF DAVID DU FOUR: David's original will was written in
Dutch in1671, and is still preserved. He
left a son Jean, born in Sedan of David's first wife. Jean or John married in 1676 a girl from
Leyden, Holland, and they had twelve children.
All 12 shared equally in his estate, Peter DeVoer being one of the 12,
the father of Michael DeVoe.
From Kney55@aol.com AWT # 13982, dated 16 Jan 1999, received
Feb 2000.
PETER DEVOER, son of
John Devoer and Jannetje Van Isselsteyn, was born in 1685. He married Annatje Bisset, at or near Albany,
N.Y. Children: George, Anna, Michael, Roelof, Margarite, Jacob, and John.
" At an
early period Peter became a boatman, and afterwards Captain of a Sloop from
Albany to New York, carrying freight and passengers." (Genealogy of the De
Vaux Family) (A5A22), pp. 20-27)
From Kney55@aol.com AWT
file # 12982, dated 16 Jan 1999, received Feb 2000
JOHN DEVOOR, born during his fathers sojourn at Sedan,
married in 1676, a Leyden girl, Jannetje, Daughter of Jan Willems Van
Isselsten, otherwise called Jan of Leyden.
He bought a farm at Bloomingdale, where he died, leaving a widow
Mary. She was daughter of Capt. PETER
VAN WOGLUM, of Albany. The twelve
children of John Senior were all by his first wife, and all living 24 July
1717, when being sick, he made his will; it was proved 13 April 1724, after his
youngest child became of age. These
children who shared equally in his estate were: Maria, John, Margaret, David,
Peter, Rachel, Adriana, Jannetje, Elizabeth, Teunis, William, and Abraham. (Ibid., p. 409-410)
The will of John De
Voor, the father is recorded in Liber 9. p. 454. A printed abstract follows: "In the name of God Amen,. July 24,
1717, I John Devoer, of New York, Yeoman, being at present sick and weak. All my lands and real estate in New York or
New Jersey, with the wagon and utensils of husbandry, are to be sold within
three months ‘ at Publick vendue,' and the money to be paid into the hands of
Johanes Jansen, Esq., and Philip Minthrope, whom I make executors. I give to my eldest son John, 3 pounds for
his birthright, and after that he shall share with the rest. I direct that my daughter, Rachel Devoer,
shall have from my executors ‘ one English shilling, wherewith I cut her off
and utterly debar her for her undutifulness, from demanding any more'. I leave to sons Peter, David, William,
Teunis, and Abraham, each a milk cow. To
my William and Teunis, each 2 pounds 10 s.
To my daughter Ariantie, wife of Jacobus Montanye, one cow. To my daughter, Elizabeth Devoer, my painted
cupboard. My executors are to punctually
observe all the articles contained in a certain indenture made before my last
marriage, between Peter Van Weglum, my wife, and myself. I leave my wife Mary one quarter of the
winter wheat and rye. I leave all the
rest to my children, John, David, William, Teunis, Peter, Abraham, Greetie,
wife of Teunis pier, Araintje, wife of Jacobus Montanye, Jannetje, wife of
Andrew Bisset, and Elizabeth, and the children of my daughter Mary, wife of
Gerill Roelofsen. Witnesses, Geraldes
Comfort, Jan Van Hoorne, Maximus Roelofsen.
Proved 13 April 1724. (
Collections, New York Historical Society, 1893: Abstracts of wills, Vol. 11,
1708-1728, pp. 287-288)
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