Hercule des Prez

http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/g7/p7495.htm

Des Prez in Boucher

North-west of Ath is Courtrai in Flanders, a town on the Lys associated with the Des Prez family which reached the Cape on the Schelde in 1688. Courtrai was held by the French between 1668 and 1678. ..The Des Prez party consisted of Hercule des Prez, born about the year 1645, his wife Cecile (Cecilia) Datis, some five years his junior, and six children: Hercule, Elisabeth, Jacquemine (Jacomina), Marie-Jeanne, Philippe and Francois-Jean. The place of origin of the Des Prez family is uncertain, but Athis southwest of Mons may provide a clue to the earliest beginnings of the Datis family. Later generations would certainly not have remained confined to the village from which they presumably took their name and it is interesting to find in the church registers of Oostburg in the United Provinces a reference in 1748 to the marriage there of a Marie-Catherine Dathee (sic) from the Saint-Quentin generality of Picardy.

It is, however, certain that the Des Prez family was living in the Courtrai district when the town was a French possession. The daughter Elisabeth was baptized in the Sint-Maartens church there on August 31, 1670, with Charles Loridon and Ludovica (Louise) Pittens as godparents. In the same church on July 4, 1677 Francois-Jean was christened, taking the name of his godfather Francois Loridon. The godmother on that occasion was Jeanne, or Johanna van Neste, of a family well represented in the local church registers. It is probable that, as with other French-speaking settlers from Flanders, the Des Prez party was at home in the Flemish language.

The family must also have lived at some time in Bethune in the province of Artois, since it is known that Marie-Jeanne des Prez was born there. If the date of her birth, 1675, is correct, this would indicate a temporary move there from Courtrai. It is possible that Philippe des Prez was also born in Bethune, as he gave the name Artois to his farm in the Land van Waveren. On the other hand, this could be taken to indicate that the Des Prez family had its origins in that province. It is also evident that Hercule des Prez and his wife were once resident in Lille, where Jacquemine was born. Graham Botha gives Courtrai as the birthplace of both Hercule des Prez and his son of the same name, but no confirmation of this has been discovered.

Hercule des Prez and his family were at Flushing in Zeeland by 1686, together with his wife’s brother Nicolas Datis. On August 29 of that year the two men applied to the municipal authorities to join the Sint- Jans guild of tailors without payment of the usual charges. The request points to the necessity of guild membership for obtaining remunerative employment as an artisan, as well as to the financial difficulties in which so many refugee families found themselves. It also provides evidence of the trade followed by the Cape settler, an occupation in keeping with his background in the textile centres of the north-east. The Flushing authorities were prepared to accept the applicants as paying members and to admit them to citizenship when they had taken the required oath.

The refuge in Flushing enabled Hercule des Prez and his wife to practise openly the Calvinist faith and on February 11, 1688, eight days before they sailed with their children on the Schelde, they were given an attestation of membership by the minister and elders of the Walloon church in Flushing. They had, in the words of the document, “fait ouverte profession de la Religion Reformee, et vescu avec edification au milieu de nous, frequentant les sainctes assemblies et participant au Sacrement de la saincte Cene du Seigneur”. The attestation was signed by the pastor Andre Lombard and, in the name of his colleagues, by the church elder Daniel de Groot.

… The voyage to the Cape on the Schelde brought the Des Prez and Prevost families close. Elisabeth des Prez stood godmother at the shipboard baptism of Jacob Prevost, with the ship’s captain as godfather; Philippe des Prez was later to marry Charles Prevost’s daughter Elisabeth.

• Boucher.M (1981). French speakers at the Cape: The European Background. Pretoria, UNISA. CHAPTER NINE Cape settlers V: from Flanders to Alsace on the turbulent frontier pp269-271

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GEDCOM Note

Category:Cape of Good Hope Stamouer-ProgenitorCategory:Cape_of_Good_Hope_Project_Needs_Validation
Category:Huguenot_Migration

Biography

Suffix

:: b2

Birth ===:: Date: Hercules du Preez was born about <ref name="text59">Du Preez-385 | Francois Neil du Preez, Thursday, January 30, 2014.</ref> / in 1672. <ref name="text58">Entered by Meyer-2493 | Pieter Meyer ,Apr 14, 2013.</ref>

Events ===:: Between 1690 and 1724, 54 Huguenots signed documents. These signatures were published by Graham Botha in his book The French Refugees at the Cape and includes those of De_Berault-1|Louis de Berault, Simond-19|Pierre Simond, Delporte-2|Jacques Delporte, Durand-69|Jean Durand, De_Savoye-15|Jacques de Savoye, Nortier-10|Jacques Nourtier,Gauch-1|André Gauch, Rétif-13|François Retif, Néel-502|Guillaume Néel, Roux-42|Paul Roux, Hùgo-118|Daniel Hùgo, Sénéchal-4|David Senecal, Du_Plessis-144|Jean Prieur du Plessis, Du_Toit-133|Guillaume du Toit, Du_Toit-82|François du Toit, Le_Roux-124|Jean le Roux (or Le_Roux-132|Jean le Roux de Normandie?), Therond-1|Jacques Therond, Des_Prez-17|Hercules des Prez, De_Villiers-208|Abraham de Villiers, Gardiol-28|Jean Gardiol, De_Villiers-114|Jacques de Villiers, De_Villiers-198|Pierre de Villiers, Taillefert-2|Isaac Taillefert (or Taillefer-164|Isaac Taillefer-164)), Taillefert-8|Jean Taillefert, Garde-13|Jean Gardé, Marais-159|Claude Marais, Bruére-6|Estienne Bruére, Des_Ruelles-9|Daniel des Ruelles, Rousseau-476|Pierre Rousseau, Pineau-51|Jacques Pinard, Cronier-51|Estienne Cronje, Malan-49|Jacques Malan, Le_Roux-205|Gabriel le Roux, Du_Buisson-5|David du Buisson, Nortier-9|Daniel Nourtier, Niel-8|Estienne Niel, Fouche-22|Philippe Fouché, Le_Grand-23|Gideon le Grand, Cronje-25|Pierre Cronjé, Couvret-21|Paul Couvret,Le_Febvre-26|Paul le Febvre, De_Gournay-61|Salomon de Gournay, Vivier-39|Pierre Vivier, Jourdan-22|Pierre Jourdan, Viret-6|Estienne Viret, Costeux-3|Esaias Engelbert Caucheteux and Du_Buis-15|Jean de Buijs. <ref>Entered by Meyer-2493|Pieter Meyer 25 April, 2013. Source: Colin Graham Botha, The French Refugees at the Cape (Cape Town: Cape Times Limited, 1921), p. 74. Also see Geni.com > French Huguenots who emigrated to South Africa. </ref> These signatures were almost certainly also some of those of the 240 burghers who signed the petition headed by Tas-2|Adam Tas <ref>Also see: Robertson, Delia. The First Fifty Years Project. http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/ Page: Adam Tas & Tas, Dagboek (eds. Leo Fouché, A.J. Böeseken, vert. J.P. Smuts). Van Riebeeck-Vereniging, Kaapstad 1970 2011 dbnl / erven Leo Fouché / A.J. Böeseken / J. Smuts. Seen and entered by Van der Walt-440|Philip van der Walt Apr 3, 2017.</ref> against corruption and cronyism by the Government of Vander_Stel-6|Willem Adriaan van der stel. <ref> Vander_Stel-6|Willem Adriaan van der stel succeeded his father, Van_der_Stel-28|Simon van der Stel, as Governor of the Cape in 1699; Willem van der Stel abused his official position to corner an over-supplied market in farm produce. Van der Stel was jealous ofTas-2|Adam Tas's wealth and easy going life, and in 1706 he used his legal powers to arrest and imprison him. Tas became a Stellenboschlegend when he had this petition drawn up against incumbent Governor W.A. van der Stel and other farming officials. Tas and his fellow freeburghers were protesting against the corruption and extravagant lifestyle of Van der Stel and the fact that abuse of power by officials ledto unfair competition with burghers. The Tas petition was submitted to the Lords Seventeen, the governing body of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam. The petition was rejected and on Sunday, 28 February 1706 Magistrate Starrenburg arrested Adam Tas. From documents in the desk of Tas, Van der Stel established the nature of complaints against him and also the names of the dissatisfied burghers. Though several more burghers were arrested and punished, they were victorious at the end, when the Lords Seventeen in October 1706 categorically prohibited officials to own land or to trade. His wife Van_Braackell-1|Elizabeth van Brakel tried hard to get him released; when Adam Taswas finally freed after thirteen months, he named his farm 'Libertas' (liberty). Van der Stel was recalled to the Netherlands in 1707. Sources: http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/adam-tas-arrested; http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SOUTH-AFRICA/2005-05/... (seen and added by Van der Walt-440|Philip van der Walt with the kind help of Kruger-4160|Maria Labuschagne on Apr 3, 2017.)</ref>

:: Hercule (1672 - 9 May 1721): Member of "Hof van Landdrost en Heemraad van Stellenbosch", captain of the "Burgher Kavallerie". Refuses to appear in court for his opposition against Governor Willem Adriaan vander Stel. He is sentenced in his absence to five year in exile in Mauritius and a fine of £41 13s 4d. Certified incapable ever to hold a public or military position. Arrested on February 4, 1707. Released together with Adam Tas and other "burgers" shortly before departure to Mauritius. Sign his name as "des Pres". Married to:

1. Marie le Febre (Fevre) (1651-1701). 1 son and 1 daughter.# Cornelia Villion (Viljoen).<ref>Sources: Geni.com Hercules des Pres of Courtrai; Website The first Du Preez's in South Africa seen and enteredby Chapman-5484 | Evan Snyman Sept 13, 2014.</ref>

Death ===:: Date: Hercules Du Preez passed away in <ref name="text58">Entered by Meyer-2493 | Pieter Meyer , Apr 14, 2013.</ref><ref name="text59">Du Preez-385 | Francois Neil du Preez, Thursday, January 30, 2014.</ref> / [on] 9 MAY 1721<ref>May 5, 2013 by Vermaak-85 | Dina Vermaak.</ref>

Sources

* WikiTree profile Du Preez-73 created through the import of wikitree upload.ged on Jul 19, 2012 by Klopper-13 | Arrie Klopper. User ID:EE10DFD9F308154990DABDB2A37CACCE81AA : Prior to import, this record was last changed 29 Sep 2010.

GEDCOM Note

GEDCOM Source

@R1200312375@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=106302622&pi...

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Geni.com profile links for the leaders of the movement that had Willem Adriaan VAN DER STEL removed as Governor of the Cape

Adam TAS [Adam TAS, SV/PROG]

Jakobus VAN DER HEIDEN [Jacobus van der Heijde, SV/PROG]

Pieter VAN DER BIJL [Pieter Gerhard van der Bijl / Byl]

Guilliam DU TOIT [Guillaume du Toit, SV/PROG 1]

Hercules DU PREEZ (he wrote his name as DES PRES) [Hercule des Prez]

(Bygevoeg deur Y. DROST op 9 JUL 2022)

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Geni.com Profile link for Willem Adriaan VAN DER STEL

[Willem Adriaan van der Stel "Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony"]

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