Marie Madeleine Marais married Estienne Neil in 1700. They settld at Le Plessis Marle, Simodium near Franschoek, Western cape. They had 1 son, Ettienne, who died young, and four daughters. ++++++++++

Stamouers.com gives the following information --

Maria (Marie-Madeleine)* 1682 x 1700 Estienne Nel xx Pierre Taillefert xxx Pieter Boeiens (Booysen)

Demornay du Toit, on 3 February 2009 disputes this statement and provides the following evidence -

The 1713 muster rolls (Drakenstein) in the eGSSA transcription includes both

1. Steven Niel & Maria Madalena Marai 2. Pieter Talifer & Maria Marai

The same Maria Marais could not, therefore, not married to both Estienne (Steven) Niel and Pierre (Pieter) Taillefert at different times.

Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Charles Marais and Catherine Taboureaux, married Estienne Niel. Evidence of this is cited on the Ball Family History web site (under Maria Magdalena Marais) as follows:

Cape Archives, C416, Inkomende Brieven: Kamer Delft, Dec 19 1687, f.1013, in French Refugees at the Cape, C.G.Botha, Cape Town, Cape Times Ltd, 1919: Met dit schip' staen mede van hier te gaen de volgende persoonen, die om de vervolginge tegens de waere gereformeerde Religie in Vrankrijk bij ons sijn overgekomen, die nu volgens Resolutie van de vergaderingh der Heeren 17 en 't reglement aen de Caep moeten werden geplaetst en als vrije luijden tot den lantbouw en andere hantwercken gebruijkt, wij recommandeeren U : E : deselve in alles behulpsaem te wesen waer aen de Compc in 't particulier en de kercks godsdienst sal geschieden-namentlijk, Charles Marais uijt plessis in Vrankrijk, Catarina Taboureux sijn huijsvrouw, Claude Marais out 24 jaeren, Charles Marais 19 jaeren, Isaac Marais 10 laeren, Marie Marais 6 jaeren der selver kinderen

Will - Niel, Etienne and Maria Magdalena Marais - 1716, dated 13 May 1716 and filed 16 September 1716, Cape Archives, MOOC 7/1/2, 76: den vrijlandbouwer Etienne Niel oud agtenveertigh jaaren geboren in't Dauphine en Maria Magdalena Marais oud vier en dertigh jaaren geboren Hierpoix, beijde provinites van Vrankrijk, tesamen egte luijden woonende aan de Hoek van de Perdebergh, op haar plaats gent. Oranjge, den eersten compt. fris en gezond van lighaam, de tweede compt siekelijk ...

The two passages above place Marie's date of birth between 14 May 1681 and 19 Dec 1681 and, taken together, provide reasonable proof that it was the daughter of Charles Marais and Catherine Taboureaux who married Estienne Niel.

Maria Marais, daughter of Claude Marais and Marie Avice (niece of the above-mentioned Marie-Madeleine Marais) married Pierre Taillefert. Evidence of this is found in the inventory of the estate of Suzanne Gardiol (widow of Abraham de Villiers and second wife of Claude Marais) where, under "Lasten den boedels", bequests to the children from Suzanne's first marriage are listed and, following that, bequests to the children from Claude's first marriage: aan Charle en Etiene Marais over t restand hunner moeders erfportie 534:--, aan Maria Marais wed: Talifer over haar geheele moeders erfportie 917:--

A transcription of Suzanne Gardiol's inventory can be found on the TANAP web site (MOOC 8/5.51). It is also quoted on the Ball Family History web site (see Maria Marais). The same Maria Marais subsequently married Pieter Boeiens (Booyens). Again from Ball Family History (under this marriage): Den 26 10ber: Pieter Booyens van Blokziel, weduwenaar, met Maria Marais wede. van wijlen Pieter talifer (Drakenstein Baptisms and marriages CD issued by the Drakensteinse Heemkring, Paarl)