May 9, 1661, Pierre Bilyue left Amsterdam, Holland for New York on a Dutch Ship called the St. Jan Baptiste. He arrived August 6, 1661. He laid out the first Staten Island town (New Amsterdam). It was there that Pierre built a house (on Staten Island) in 1662, that still stands today. The house is part of the Staton Island Historical Society. One of Pierre's children worked as an overseer for Peter Styvasant's estate. There is a house in NY named "Stillwell-Perrine House" for Pierre's daughter Martha who married Captain Thomas Stillwell. The tree out the back door was planted by the Bilyeu's in 1650. Pierre was a New York land owner and magistrate there. In January 17, 1695/96, Pierre signed a pre-nuptial agreement with Gerritje (wife #2) in New York.

Pierre is listed in the Tx Society of Colonial Dames Registry. Members are:

1. 21111 Janet Marie Kimball Kelly
2. 10472 Susan Smith Kimball
3. 22696 Carole Anne Kimball

Pierre is listed in the National Huguenot Society.

Father was Thomas Bilyeu (Billiou).

On Aug. 22, 1661 Pierre, with eighteen associates, petitioned the Governor of the Province to grant them land upon which to settle on Staten Island. A majority of the petitioners later dropped out, but Billiou persevered and eventually settled there. It was he who succeeded in pacifying the Indians where others had failed and it was he who, with the assistance of the Government's surveyor, laid out the first Staten Island town. He was later appointed judicial officer of the first court, established 28 Jan. 1664; was a delegate to the General Assembly in Manhattan 10 April 1664; was appointed a Lieutenant of Militia, 14 May 1669; and was, on Aug. 25, 1673, elected Schout and Schepen (sheriff and magistrate) during the Dutch reoccupation.

He died on 6 Jan 1708 in Staten Island, Richmond, NY. Pierre Billiou's will, dated 11 Sept. 1699, was proved in Staten Island in 1702.

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Pierre Billeu emigrated to New Amsterdam in 1661. He lived on

Staten Island and was prominent in the early settlement. -------------------- baptized about 1625 at La Bassee, or Wicres, in "French Flanders" (actually Belgian territory which was then in the possession of the King of Spain but which afterwards became a part of Artois, France.)

As a result of the persecution of the Walloons (French Huguenots of the early 17th century) Pierre eventually went to Leyden, Holland, where he was married 20 April 1649 in the Walloon church to FRANCOISE DU BOIS23B (dau of Christian Du Bois Pierre registering as being of Lille, France, and she from Reims (Rheims) France.

At least four of the five children that were born to this couple in Holland were baptized in the Walloon church in Leyden before the family embarked at Amsterdam in the ship St. Jan Baptist, 9 May 1661. They arrived in New York (then known as New Amsterdam) 6 Aug. 1661. On Aug. 22 that year Pierre, with eighteen associates, petitioned the Governor of the Province to grant them land upon which to settle on Staten Island. A majority of the petitioners later dropped out, but Billiou persevered and eventually settled there. It was he who succeeded in pacifying the Indians where others had failed and it was he who, with the assistance of the Government's surveyor, laid out the first Staten Island town. He was later appointed judicial officer of the first court, established 28 Jan. 1664; was a delegate to the General Assembly in Manhattan 10 April 1664; was appointed a Lieutenant of Militia, 14 May 1669; and was, on Aug. 25, 1673, elected Schout and Schepen (sheriff and, magistrate) during the Dutch reoccupation.

Pierre Billiou married a second time to MRS. GERRITJE LAMBERTS SPIEGELAER (widow of Jan Spiegelaer.) They entered in an antenuptial agreement 17 Jan. 1695/6. In later years Pierre owned property in New Jersey as well as on Staten Island and, as seen above, his children began moving to Somerset County, around Raritan, the stronghold of the Workmans.

http://www.workmanfamily.org/histories/AndersonBook/TheBilyeus.html

http://www.toll-booth.net/bilyeu.html -------------------- PIERRE (PETER) BILLIOU, son of Thomas Bilyeu 1B , was baptized about 1625 at La Bassee, or Wicres, in "French Flanders" (actually Belgian territory which was then in the possession of the King of Spain but which afterwards became a part of Artois, France.) As a result of the persecution of the Walloons (French Huguenots of the early 17th century) Pierre eventually went to Leyden, Holland, where he was married 20 April 1649 in the Walloon church to FRANCOISE DU BOIS23B (dau of Christian Du Bois22B Pierre registering as being of Lille, France, and she from Reims (Rheims) France.

At least four of the five children that were born to this couple in Holland were baptized in the Walloon church in Leyden before the family embarked at Amsterdam in the ship St. Jan Baptist, 9 May 1661. They arrived in New York (then known as New Amsterdam) 6 Aug. 1661. On Aug. 22 that year Pierre, with eighteen associates, petitioned the Governor of the Province to grant them land upon which to settle on Staten Island. A majority of the petitioners later dropped out, but Billiou persevered and eventually settled there. It was he who succeeded in pacifying the Indians where others had failed and it was he who, with the assistance of the Government's surveyor, laid out the first Staten Island town. He was later appointed judicial officer of the first court, established 28 Jan. 1664; was a delegate to the General Assembly in Manhattan 10 April 1664; was appointed a Lieutenant of Militia, 14 May 1669; and was, on Aug. 25, 1673, elected Schout and Schepen (sheriff and, magistrate) during the Dutch reoccupation.