Nicholas de la Plaine, II

Child born in 1668 in New Amsterdam.

• signed the Petition to surrender New Netherland (1664)

Nicholas was a Huguenot, who came in 1657 from France to New York and married a daughter of Pierre Cresson, had 9 children. Nicholas father died in France at the age of 105. Huguenot Refugee, Source: Germantown Hist. Soc.

Huguenot: a member of the reformed or Calvinistic communion of France in the 16th and 17th centuries; a French Protestant. Calvinism: the doctrines and teachings of John Calvin or his followers emphasizing predestination and the sovereignty of God.

Source <Memorials of Huguenots in America>: About 1691 James De la Plaine, a son of Nicholas De la Plaine, of New York, settled in Germantown [PA]. Because of the removal of most of the Emigrant's family to Pennsylvania, a notice of him in this connection seems to be in place. Nicholas De la Plaine, who is said to be of patrician origin, fled from France to England long before the Revocation. After a brief sojourn there he came to New York [New Amsterdam], where his name appears as early as 1657. In 1658 he was married to Susanna Cresson, with whom he had a numerous family. The De la Plaine and Cresson families were Quakers.

Besides James above, four daughters of Nicholas came to Philadelphia, viz: Elizabeth the eldest daughter who had married in 1686 Casper Hoodt, in New york; Judith married in 1691 Thomas Griffith; Susanna married in 1685 Arnold Cassel, who had lately arrived from Kresheim in the Palatinate; Cejanne married in 1697 Ives Belangee. The three latter daughters were married in Philadelphia, and all of them by Friend's ceremony. James De la Plaine, son of the emigrant, and who founded the family name in Pennsylvania, was married to Hannah Cock, of Long Island, New York, in 1692. He was a prominent Friend wand influential citizen and died in 1750, in Germantown [PA]. Their children so far as known were James born 1695, married Elizabeth Shoemaker, and later Ann Jones; Nicholas born 1697, married Sarah Ong; Hannah, married to John Simpson; Mary, married to Edward Ridgeway; John, married to Sarah Johnson; Sarah, married to ? Holland; and Joshua, married to Maria ? The latter settled in Colesbrookdale, Berks County [PA}, where he died in 1788, leaving sons Joshua, John, Joseph, and James.

The ancestor of the Cresson family was Pierre Cresson, a prominent refugee of Picardy, France, who in 1640 fled to Holland, where he is said to have been gardener to the Prince of Orange. After a seventeen year sojourn in Holland he emigrated to New York. The widow of his son Jacques, with a number of children, came to Philadelphia at an early day. Solomon Cresson, son of the widow, who in 1702 was married to Anna Watson, founded the family name in Philadelphia. Conrad Cresson, whose antecedents are not known, was a resident of Colebrookdale, in Berks County, prior to 1728.

Source <Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy>: "NY Monthly Meeting ... Nicholas {DELAPLAINE} active mbr 1686 ... 1686, 6,12. Elizabeth [Delaplayne], dt Nicholas New Xork, m Caspar Holt, New York, at Thomas Lloyors House 1691, 9,12. Judith [Delaplane], Phila., Pa., m Thoraaa Griffith, Phila,, Pa,, at Phila. 1692, 4,84. James get Long Island, to m 1693, 9, S. Suaanna, Phila., Pa., m Arnold Cassell, Phila., Co., Pa., at Phila. MH"

Nicholas de la Plaine, according to his marriage record was from “Bersweer in Vranckryck.” He is supposed to have been born in 1593 and was a Huguenot refugee probably living temporarily in Holland. He was in New Amsterdam as early as 1657 for on April I4th of that year he had enough property to be granted the Small Burgher Right. By trade he was a tobacco twister. On September 1, 1658, already advanced in years, he married in the Dutch Church in New Amsterdam Susanna Cresson. She was born at Ryswyk and was the daughter of Pierre Cresson, also known as Pierre le Gardinier as he had been a gardener of the Prince of Orange. Cresson lived on Staten Island, was a soldier in the expedition against the Indians at Esopus in 1663, and was a man of considerable property as he had at least 88 acres of land on Staten Island and was able to give his daughter Susanna a marriage portion of 200 guilders. Nicholas de la Plaine died in 1697 at the age of 104 according to tradition. He was estimated as worth $3,000.
(Dommerich, Hall and allied families, edited by Louis Effingham de Forest, page 25)