#52Ancestors, Week 31, Oldest

Oldest what ? or oldest who ?

I thought about “oldest child” but that would be me and didn’t feel right. So instead, I looked to see who was born the longest time ago – the “oldest” person in my tree.

The “actual” oldest person I found that I have added to the tree was Elizabeth Delebere 1338-1428 who is really only in my tree by association. Her husband was Oliver St John 1346-1437. Their grandson Oliver reputedly married Margaret Beauchamp when she was about 14. She later married John Beaufort and then Lionel de Welles. The only child from her second marriage was Margaret Beaufort; the Red Queen (if you are a Philippa Gregory fan) – mother to Henry VII.  Anyway, one of the descendants of the first marriage (to Oliver St John) is a direct ancestor of my mother’s first cousin on her mother’s line. Confused ?

The next eldest people are Christophe Du Prie 1570-1657 and his wife Marie Boutelie 1570-? I am fairly confident that they are my 11xgreat grandparents in my mother’s paternal line. I don’t know too much about them. But I am pretty sure they were Huguenot refugees who left France seeking refuge in Spitalfields, London and becoming part of the silk industry there.

They were from Valenciennes, in the north of France, close to what is now the Belgian border. Valenciennes was known for its wool, fine linens and lace. It was also a religious hotspot and for many years under Spanish rule. The 16^th century was a time of turmoil religiously. Protestantism was challenging the Catholic church in Europe and in Britain. Protestants attacked Catholics, and were massacred in retaliation; there were up to EIGHT civil wars between 1562-1598.  Some sources estimate that the Huguenot population in France fell from 2 million to 856, 000 between 1562 and the mid-1660’s.

Christophe and Marie left France in the early 1600s after the Edict of Nantes was issued in 1598. This edict reaffirmed Roman Catholicism as the state religion in France but granted Protestants equality and a degree of religious and political freedom. Although initially enforcement of the Edict alleviated the persecution and pressure to leave France, it became more irregular over time with life becoming so intolerable that many fled the country.

The “strangers” were welcomed to London and permitted to worship by thirteen year old Edward VI (coincidentally a descendant of Margaret Beaufort – above) who as a Protestant himself supported the reformation in Europe and saw the need to provide for the refugees fleeing to London. He granted a Royal Charter in 1550 giving them this freedom. Anyone who knows their English history will know that the pendulum swung back after Edward’s death and the persecution began again in their new homeland under the rule of Mary Tudor, until her sister Elizabeth I assumed the throne.

Christophe and Marie’s first child Daniel was born in Valenciennes in 1598, but their subsequent children all appear to have been born and baptised in London in one of the French Protestant Churches in Spitalfields.

Over time the spelling of their name changed, becoming Dupree by the mid-late 1600’s when their great grandson married. Many of their descendants were still recorded as weavers in the mid 1700’s and still living close to Spitalfields.

Maybe I should try my hand at lacemaking – it could still be in my DNA.

#52Stories, Week 41, What were the faith and religious traditions of your ancestors ? How did those traditions influence the course of their lives and by extension, your life today ?

One thing about family history research – you get to read all sorts of church records. In English, often badly written. In Latin, trying to remember those lessons from college (Latin is a language as dead as dead can be, first it killed the Romans and now it’s killing me) In French, same thing.

So faith and religious traditions of my ancestors ?

Originally I guess they were Pagan. Eventually they'd all have been Catholic – who wouldn’t be ? The desire to stay alive was probably a big influencer for that choice. Then came the reformation – and for the same reasons that they hadn’t dared to stray from the path before – they switched.

Some though were Protestant in defiance of the “norm”. They were Huguenots, persecuted in France and Belgium and exiled themselves to England from the mid 1500’s. They settled in the Spitalfields area of London and carried on their trade as silk weavers, attending L’Église Protestante Française on Threadneedle Street.

Eventually though all branches on the tree seem to have become members of the established church – the Church of England.

Over time some left, following other protestant evangelists, but many still bound to the established church for ceremonies. Inspired by alternative ideals they joined the Salvation Army, the Latter Day Saints or becoming Methodist, Primitive Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist.

Some were heavily involved with the faith that they chose and followed.

Henry James, great great great grandfather was a lay preacher at his Primitive Methodist chapel in Dudley.

John Daniels, brother of my great great grandmother left Wiltshire with his family to settle in Utah. His eldest daughter Mary married Jesse Gardiner in 1873. He had returned from Utah with other Elders in 1872 to preach the gospel on the Bristol Conference. Mary later contested his will after their marriage was declared illegal when the church changed its stance on polygamous marriage.

Julius Horskins, first cousin of my great grandfather joined the Salvation Army after attending meetings near his home in Notting Hill as a 12 year old. He went on to work in the West Indies, Costa Rica, India, South Africa and became Commissioner of Australia and New Zealand.

Thomas Morrison, first cousin of my grandmother, born in New Zealand to immigrant parents. Joined the Mormon church and sailed with fellow congregationalists to San Francisco and travelled to Utah where he raised his families and established a well known business - Morrisons Pies.

Violet Timms, sister of my grandmother, joined the Baptist Church and trained as a missionary to serve in India.