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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sleepy Hollow

This is a view of the cemetery of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. It was taken by a visitor who posted it on the Friends of the Old Dutch Burying Gorund website.

The church, which you can see in the background of the photo, was built in 1697 in what was then called Phillips Burgh. It is now located in Tarrytown, New York, north of New York City on the east bank of the Hudson river. Sleepy hollow was made famous by Washington Irving, who is buried in this cemetery [The Legend of Sleepy Hollow].
From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a high German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his pow-wows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions; stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols.

The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head.
Phillips Burgh was settled in the late 1600s, mostly by Dutch settlers from New York (New Amsterdam). The original Dutch colony was lost to the English in the Second Anglo-Dutch war, which ended in 1667 and the Dutch territory was permanently ceded to England after the Third Anglo-Dutch war ending in 1674.

One group of settlers were not Dutch but Canadian. The David sibship consisted of Carel David, David David, Angelica David, Mathys David, Margaret David, and Daniel David. They were born in Laval, Quebec (Canada) and moved to New York with their parents Guillaume David and Marie (Armand)1 David. As the children reached adulthood they migrated north to become farmers in Phillips Burgh and they joined the Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow.

The David family was originally from France and their ancestors can be traced back to Julien David of St. Etienne who was born about 1200. By the time they emigrated to Canada they were Hugenots.2

I am directly descended from Margaret David who married a French soldier named Pierre Montras (Montrose). They moved to Kingston, New York, just up the river from Phillips Burgh. That's where their daughter Margaret Montras was born in 1691. Pierre died in 1703 leaving Margaret with several children who she farmed out to her brothers and sisters in Phillips Burgh. Many of the Montras (Montrose) children also joined the Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow.

Margaret Montras was probably living with her uncle Carel Davids (name change) when she met and married Harmen Harmse, the son of the Dutch settler Capt. Jan Harmse and his wife Aeltje (Abrahams) Harmse. Jan Harmse was an elder in the Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. We can trace Aeltje Abrahams' ancestors (and mine) back to 1555 in Holland.

When Harman married Margaret Montras he took her name as his surname and became known as Harmen Montras. Their fourth child, Peter (Petrus) Montras, was baptized on March 6, 1715 in the Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. He is my great- great- great- great- great- great-grandfather. Peter's descendants changed their last name to Montrose or Montross.

Harmen Montras and his wife Margaret Montras are almost certainly buried in the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow cemetery in unmarked graves and so are Harmen's parents Jan Harmse and Aeltje. That's four direct ancestors of mine. Part of the house built by Jan Harmse is still standing in Irvington, New York.


1. The maiden name of Guillaume David's wife Marie is not known for certain. It was probably "Harmens" or some variant of that name. She appears to be from New Holland, possibly Manhattan. She was NOT a french "filles à marier" or a "filles du Roi."

2. There is no evidence to support a connection between Guillaume David and the David line in France. In fact, there's no evidence to support the clam that David was French.

51 comments :

Anonymous said...

So, Larry, you're the latest reincarnation of the Headless Horseman?

Seriously, it's cool to be able to trace family that way. My mother-in-law has been working for years to trace her own and my father-in-law's families and has made some fascinating discoveries.

leslie canuck said...

Hi Larry,

My family is also descended from Margaret Davids and Pierre Montras, through their daughter Margaret, b. June 25, 1691. I'd be keen to find out about Aeltje Abrahams' forbears- we only have the names of his parents (Abraham Ryck and Grietje Hendricks, right?)

best
Leslie

leslie canuck said...

Sorry, that should be "her" parents.

Larry Moran said...

Aeltje's parents are Grietje Harmensen (Hendricks) (1616 - ) and Abraham Rijcken (Ryck) van Lent (1618 - 1689). They were married in the Netherlands, probably near Lent. Abraham settled in New Amsterdam in 1638 on land that was probably purchased by Grietje's father Hendrick Harmenson van Lent who had gone over earlier from Lent.

I think Grietje's mother was Tryntje Herxer.

Abraham's father is often listed as Jacob Deryck. Jacob's father was Captain Jacob Simons De Ryck and Captain Jacob's father was Melchoir De Ryck, born in 1555.

Here are some websites: LENT. RIKER

However, these ancestors are almost certainly wrong as pointed out by Edgar Alan Nutt on his website The Rikers. He has found evidence that Abraham Rijcken van Lent is, indeed, from Lent.

As you probably know, Abraham is the ancestor of many Rikers, and Rickers in America and also of many with the surname Lent.

Abraham purchased Hewlitt's Island in the East River. It later became known as Riker's Island.

James Kelly said...

I also am a descendant in the same line you describe, down to Margaret Montras and Harmon Harmse. However, it was their son Jacob Montras (brother of Peter) and his heirs from which I further descend, to his son Jacob, then eventually down the line through Robert , James , then Silas Montross, to Horatio, (my great grandfather), to his daughter, (my grandmother) Anna Elizabette Montross, to her son, Earl Kelly, (my father ) to me. I am listed in the Montross Family History book, in err as a baby girl. I drove past the cemetery but plan to visit it soon.
Sincerely,
Your cousin, James Kelly

Anonymous said...

Larry,
My family line comes down from David David in Westchester.I have tried to contact you via e-mail
with no success Ellen

Mary Obert said...

I also trace my ancestry back to Guillaume and Marie but not through any of the children that moved to NY with them. I am descended from his oldest Jacques who remained in Canada when the family moved. I still find it interesting to learn about other branches of the family. We're all a part of the same "tree".

Larry Moran said...

Mary Obert says,

I am descended from his oldest Jacques who remained in Canada when the family moved.

It's difficult to sort out the children of Guillaume David and Marie Arnault-Armand. There are 14 children in my list. They are (in order of birth): Jacques, Pierre, Anne, Rene, Marguerite (Margaret) Madelaine, Marie-Anne, Ursala, Carel, David, Mathys, Marie-Angelique, Angelica (Engeltje), and Daniel.

Do you agree?

Mary Obert said...

I have 10 on my list using about 4 different sources. Jacques 1657 Anne 1659 Marguerite 1661 Marie Anne 1663 Madeleine1666 Charles 1672 David
1675 Marie Angelique 1678and Rene and Pierre - no dates. If the others were born after the move to NY I may not have found them.

Clark Edmond said...

Yes Guillaume's son Jacques (1657-1708) remained in Quebec when his father and mother (and some siblings) relocated to New York (just as this article says).
Jacques is my 8th Great grand-father.

Clark Callear
clark@callear.org

Mary Obert said...

Jacques (m.Catherine Lussier) is my 7th great grandfather. My line after Jacques is Jacques(son), Jean-Baptiste,Louis-Basile, Fleury, Ferdinand-Conon, Jean Ludger, Olier Joseph, Olier Ludger (my father). Do we share any others down the line?

JLight said...

I am aslo a decendant of Pierre Montras. In addition I also have John Alden and Priscilla Mullins on the same side of my family. I would appreciate any information you have of the montras (montross) Family. Please E-mail me with the info @ johnlight13gmail.com. Thanks

Kathy G. said...

Hello cousins, I am in the 9th generation in the book: Montross: A family history; Pierre Montras and his descendants, a record of 300 years of the Montras, Montross, Montrose, Montress family in the United States and Canada. Kathy Little

Gary David said...

My grandfather always talked about how many Davids there were but I had NO idea! My grandson Nicholas David is the 25th generation of Davids all the way to Julien 1175. My path is Jacques 1657 through Jacque A. 1693 through Jean Baptiste 1724 then, in the late 1800, the migration went down to Massachusetts. My wife and I, along with my daughter's and son's family are now in Maine. Working our way back up? I left that to my grandson!

Gary David said...

Larry, You have some really interesting stuff here! One of my favorite stories, when I was a kid, was Icabod Crane and Sleepy Hollow. I actually never realized it was an actual place. I'll have to add it to my Bucket List for places to visit.

-a distant cousin, Gary David

Rob said...

Larry I too am a descendant of the Montras/Davids through the Bloom Evertson line.

Has anyone had any success in making the formal linkage of this mythical ancestry with the Montrose Marquises (Graham) of Scotland?

Larry Moran said...

Rob asks,

Has anyone had any success in making the formal linkage of this mythical ancestry with the Montrose Marquises (Graham) of Scotland?

There is no connection. Our ancestor is Pierre Barthalmy Montarass who comes from the southwest of France in Lot et Garonne. Specifically, he lived in Marmande, about 40 km south-east of Bordeaux.

His descendants in North America Anglicized their names when they moved south to the colony of New York.

Anonymous said...

Hi Larry

I've been doing geneaolgy on my fathers ancestors for several years, and was pleased to see your site. I too come from Pierre Montarras, dit Marmande. I know the Montross Family History lists Pierre as being born about 1660, but since Pierre entered the country in 1665 as a soldier in the Regiment de Carignan that can't be possible. Do you have a birth date for him?

Gary

Larry Moran said...

I think the soldier was Pierre Barthalmy Montarass, the father of Pierre Montras. He probably brought his son and wife to Canada in 1668. The marriage contract between Pierre and Marguerite David was signed on Dec. 8, 1674 and they apparently were married by about 1683.

That seems consistent with a young man who was born about 1660 and would have been 14 years old when the marriage contract was signed.

It looks like Pierre's parent went back to France and died there in 1674. I suspect that Pierre Jr. was apprenticed to Guillaume David, his future father-in-law.

Does this make sense?

Unknown said...

Hi Larry! You mention, "We can trace Aeltje Abrahams' ancestors (and mine) back to 1555 in Holland." My sons are also decendents of this line, and I would love to have this information as I have only gotten as far as Aeltje Abrahanson b. 1653. You insight to her ancestry would be much appreciated! Thank you! Sue from Oregon :)

Larry Moran said...

Jan Harmse Van Lenneps (1658-1743) married Aeltje Abrahamson Van Lent (1653- ) in the Dutch Reform Church in New Amsterdam on Nov. 7, 1680.

Aeltje's parents were Abraham Rycken(Ryck)(Rijcken) Van Lent (1618-1689) from Lent, Nijmegan, Netherlands and Grietje Harmensen (Hendricks) (1616-1689) who is said to have been born in Manhatten (New Holland) although that's unlikely.

Her paternal grandparent were Jacob Simons DeRyck (1590-1689) and Guisbert VonRyker (1590-1640) of Reusel-de Mierden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. We almost got to visit that town last fall when we were in Belgium. Jacob's parents were also from Reusel-de Mierden. They were Carel De Ryck (Rycke) (1564- ) and Mayken Cornelius (1568- ).

Aeltje's maternal grandparents were Hendrick Harmensen (1582-1643), a very famous early settler, probably from Lent, and Catherine Tryntie Herckson (1582-1620). Catherine's father was Sibout Siboutsen Herckson (1556- ).

I couldn't find the parents of Hendrick Harmenson and that's surprising when you consider how many people are descendants.





Anonymous said...

Dear Larry,
I wonder if you have seen the marriage contract dated December 8, 1674. I have tried to find it on ancestry.com, but without success.
- Adrienne

Unknown said...

Hi Larry, After spending countless days, months and years corresponding with many helpful people, researching North America and Canada and perusing the BnF in Paris, France I have concluded that the David family, starting with Guillaume David, can go no further back then himself. There is a genealogy residing in France tying Guillaume to a Blaise Didier and on to France but I now believe, as many reputable genealogists do, that that work done can not be verified, either in Canada or France. Until new records surface the Davids of the Guillaume David/ Marie Armand family can only go back to Quebec in the 1650's. Guillaume and Claude can not be proven to be brothers of Jacques David with records available so far.

Larry Moran said...

Thanks. One reason for posting this stuff on my blog is to attract attention from people like you who know a lot more about genealogy that I do.

How would you rate the probability that Guillaume and Claude are brothers of Jacques? It seems to be to be pretty high even though it's not proven.

Anonymous said...

Very Interesting stuff. I am also a descendant, my mother was a Montress.
I am new at the genealogy of the Montras, Montross, Montress families. I started out looking for my roots from my fathers family. But when I discovered that there was a book, written by John Wilson Taylor, and that my name was in it. Well, I was hooked!

Larry Moran said...

Be careful because Taylor's book is full of mistakes.

DavidLineage said...

It's a very high probability ... they were brothers according to the PRDH in Canada and I am treating them as such. Wisconsin & Michigan are a great source of info regarding both brother's events. Suzanne Sommerville, noted genealogist in Michigan was a great help to me. On my bucket list is to visit your area, God willing!

DavidLineage said...

Hi Larry, It's looks like it's been awhile since I've been on your blog here, wow! A lot has happened since. Like the previous response, Guillaume & Claude were in fact brothers and records do state that. Where they came from is still a mystery however but I, and others, are STILL working on it. I hope to get down there and it's highly probable that it will be this year or even this summer. Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Hello there! I appreciate all the research that everyone has already done. This is my husband's paternal grandmother's maiden name Montross, however the story gets a little muddy as we go up. According to the book, he is decended from a probable parent being Samuel Montross who they suspect died and his child was raised by his cousin Abraham. They suspect this because of changes of deeds and unnaccounted children being in his home that weren't his. He lived in Westchester I believe. Either way, I didn't​ know if perhaps more information could be found to solidify connection between Samuel Montross. We did our ancestry DNA and it indeed did link my husbands DNA with an "early settlers of NY" category and many of these names are connections. Cheers to distant relations everyone! I'm jealous, his genealogy is way cooler than mine!

Unknown said...

Still doing family history gathering.. such a task. As I dwelled into the Montross line I found a Barthelmy Montarras 1640-1674. From one source his father was James Graham 1612-1650. My questions is why was Barthelmy a Montarras and not a Graham. And it appears that he was born in France will all of the other siblings were born in Scotland. I need some help with clarification...

Larry Moran said...

This reflects the common (false) belief that the Montarras family from France is related to the Duke of Montrose in Scotland. The Dukes of Montrose are Grahams.

Unknown said...

Interesting... I too am an ancestor of Marguerite Davids and Pierre Montras. My ancestors go back to the Montmorency and Mabie branch: Leah Mabie married Peter Montross 1765. So then on thru the Montross and marriage to a McCleish a Scottish soldier who fought for the British in the Revolutionary war.. all moving to Canada.
One question regarding Marguerite Davids, I have her father as Jean Davids and mother as Esther Vincent (fur traders in Kingston), Pierre Montras was a friend of Jeans... always some confusion with families so far back...any thoughts?

Larry Moran said...

We have the marriage contract between Pierre Montras and Marguerite David and it clearly lists her father as Guillaume David and her mother as Marie Arman (now spelled Armand). (See "Ancestors and descendants of Sarah Eleanor Ladue" on Ancestry or check out my genealogy at KDRM Canada.)

The claim that her parents were Jean Davids and Esther Vincent has been conclusively disproved. It comes from "Montross: A Family History" by John Wilson Taylor.



DavidLineage said...

I'm including a disclaimer regarding Guillaume David, his wife Marie and his only brother Claude. Please read as it includes information that there has not been any proof of the David/Davids family having any connection outside of Canada/New France/New Netherlands./Users/garydavid/Desktop/Disclaimer re Guillaume David FCHS.docx.pdf

Larry Moran said...

I cannot read your disclaimer and I don't know what you are disclaiming. Are you saying that there's no proof of Guillaume Davids family in France?

DavidLineage said...

Not sure how to put the PDF here. The disclaimer lists different items that have been thought to be correct with explanations that we have determined. It was done by myself Gary David and Michel David. That is correct. There is no proof beyond Guillaume. What I posted here years ago on an earlier comment was based on a genealogy (Pravieux) that came from the Library of Paris, which I have a copy. I have done research online in France regarding it. Michel and I are trying to spread the word as to what is correct. It has no bearing on the Davids branch to Tarrytown. Is there a way I can get the PDF to you?

DavidLineage said...

This statement as to 25 generations is no longer true. There are no valid records as to the connection from Canada to France in the David tree. I have a best of 13 generations. No records as to Guillaume's birth location. Gary David

DavidLineage said...

There is no proof of Jacques dit Pontife being a brother to either Guillaume or Claude. I have hired a genealogist that bears this out. Gary David.

Larry Moran said...

Please email the PDF document to me: l.moran at utoronto.ca

DavidLineage said...

I will Larry!

DavidLineage said...

I have sent the PDF. We're welcome to any questions or discussions. Gary David

James said...

Jan Harmse’s original house still stands in Irvington, NY.
It was for sale some years back as part of a larger estate.
Later known during the Revolution as the Odell Tavern, harboring British troops.
I read somewhere that 5 year old Jan during Kuifer’s ( spelling) War was captured by Native Americans.
Also, one of our Dutch ancestors who made tomahawks was killed during an attack in Newtown NY.
Ironically , my brother went to Newtown High School . I went to a Riker family gathering at the Riker house some years back. His daughter Aeltje Abrahamson Van lent was my great great etc grandmother. Her son was Harmen Jansen who married Margaret Montras , uniting the French and Dutch lines. While their son Peter was your ancestor , it was son Jacob Montras who was my great etc grandfather. His son, also Jacob, fought in the Revolution for the American side and is buried in Oneida Lake Cemetery . Jacob’s grandson, James Montross , was married to Rebecca Utter, my great etc grandparents. HER father , William Utter, was with Washington’s Troops and in the War of 1812. So i guess I could be a Son of the Revolution, twice over .😊

Anonymous said...

Wow it's so nice to see so many distant cousins. As a 38 year old I may one of the younger here but my family have been working together on our genealogy. And have managed to go quite far back through a few lines. I am a direct decendant of Pierre and Marguerite and a search of where Jan harmse was buried led me here. I love you all family. Good health to you all

Donna Murphy said...

Hi all! I realize I’m late to the party here but have recently traced my lineage back to Pierre Montras and I am very excited to explore this line of the family! My connection begins with Letitia Montross (1769-1835) who married John H. Lent (1767-1841).

One thing I would like to discuss further is Pierre’s supposed date of birth about 1660, which some seem to claim. This can’t be accurate if he was truly a soldier in the Carignan-Salieres regiment as a 1660 birthdate would have him being only five years old when the group was sent to Canada in 1665. Does anyone have more insight on this?

I hope to generate some interest here to get the conversation going again! Thank you!

Donna Murphy

Larry Moran said...

@Donna Murphy

We know that the marriage contract was signed in 1674 and it lists Barthelemy as his father. He arrived in Canada as a soldier in 1665. If we assume that he was 17 in 1665 then he was born in 1638 and he was 36 years old when he married Marguerite David.

Some people think that Pierre might have been a drummer boy or some younger member of the regiment and some think that he might even have come over with his father. The 1660 birthdate seems more in line with the marriage because he would only have been 24 years old.

I think he was a soldier when he arrived in Canada so I go with the (approximately) 1638 birth date. This is also consistent with the fact that both of his parents were dead in 1674 - they were probably born before 1618.

Donna Murphy said...

Hi Larry,

Thank you so much for your quick reply! I really appreciate it! This has certainly helped to clear things up a bit. Just to double check the math, Pierre would have been born around 1648 (not 1638) if he was 17 years old in 1665. I also tend to lean towards him being a soldier upon his arrival in Canada as well.

I’m not familiar with marriage customs of the day, but am I correct in understanding that a marriage contract was a legal document for the marriage to take place at a future date? Is there an actual marriage certificate?

Also, am I correct in understanding that anyone with lineage to the Scottish Dukes of Montrose are not at all related to Pierre and his family? From what I researched, Montrose is a place name in Scotland, not a last name, for the Dukes.

I am very careful to get things right when working on my family history. Although by no means an expert, some mistakes are so blatantly wrong and when people keep perpetuating them it just makes it worse (and definitely more confusing).

Thanks so much! I will be certain to share any new information I uncover.

Donna Murphy



Larry Moran said...

@Donna Murphy

Thanks for the date correction. I've changed it to about 1645 on Ancestry.

The marriage contract was signed on Dec. 8, 1674 and they were married in Sorel (Quebec) in 1674. This seems like a very short time between the contract and the marriage.

see "Ancestors and Descendants of Sarah Eleanor Ladue (p. 113)"
https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/G003918.pdf

There is no connection between the Scottish Montrose family and Pierre Montarras. It's certain that Pierre was born in Marmande in Garonne, France (SE of Bordeaux). Some of his descendants changed the name to Montross or Montrose.

Larry Moran said...

@Donna Murphy

I forgot to mention that a lot of data on Pierre and his descendants comes from "Montross: A Family History" by John Wilson Taylor in 1958.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/4485?availability=Family%20History%20Library

This is a very unreliable history. Taylor thinks that Pierre was born in 1660 and came to Canada in 1680. He married Marguerite David in 1688, according to Taylor. His false history of the David family permeates the data on Ancestry and elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for all of this great information! Establishing a connection to Pierre Montras has been one of my most exciting family discoveries!

I hope you are enjoying this holiday season and all best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

Donna Murphy

Anonymous said...

Records accessed today (3-3-2024) from the PRDH UMontreal database (long considered the gold standard for Quebec genealogy) state that Claude David and Guillaume David are brothers. There is no such similar mention in the Individual Record for Jacques David Pontife. Jacques' record differs from those of Claude and Guillaume in other ways as well -- which seem to mean that the PRDH does not recognise Jacques to be a sibling of Claude and Guillaume.

For Jacques, his Indiviual Record (# 24335) states: Father: Blaise David; Mother: Flavie Morel; Birth: about 1631 notre-dame de bracquemont, archev. rouen, normandie, (ar dieppe, seine-maritime) which means he was born in Dieppe and baptised at the Notre-Dame de Bracquemont church in the archdiocese of Rouen in Normandy. Jacques' first marriage was 29-Aug-1662 in Château-Richer at La-Visitation-de-Notre-Dame church to Marie Granderie Grandin, daughter of Claude Grandin and Jeanne Toussaint.

The Individual Record for Guillaume David (# 24380) states Status: Immigrant, Died outside of Quebec. His birth place is "France indeterminee, (i.e unknown) with no parents listed. His first marriage was Before 1657 to Marie Herman. It includes a note to "see" a NY Gene. and Biog. record 122-4 and 123-1 about "The Origins of the Montross and David Families of Tarrytown."

The Individual Record for Claude David (#24361) states "Status: Immigrant." His birth place is "France interminee" with no parents listed. Death: 30-Nov-1687; Burial: 02-Dec-1687 Cap-de-la-Madeleine (Ste-Marie-Madeleine [church]). First marriage Before 1650 Place unknown, but in Quebec, with Suzanne Denoyon, daughter of Jean Denoyon and Jeanne Franchort. Note: Brother of Guillaume David husband of Marie Harmans. [Suzanne Denoyon was a Fille à Marier (Bride to Marry). The Filles à Marier arrived in Quebec in the years prior to the arrival of the Filles de Roi. Filles de Roi were financially subsidized by the French crown. The Filles à Marier were not.]

FYI: Do not misinterpret the designation of a "First marriage" to mean there was more than one. When there are subsequent marriages, they are listed as Second, Third, etc. in the individual record. None of the three men had any subsequent marriages listed in their Individual Record.

Furthermore, Fichier Origine, another respected database (free) does not have listings for any of these three men. FO delineates Quebec immigrants' ties to their families in France and their arrival and first marriage in Quebec. FO is not an exhaustive immigrant database. It does list a few others with the surname David, but none are related to these three men.

Until some research in France can determine origins for Claude and Guillaume, their family trees end with them. The U. Montreal does consider them to be brothers, perhaps due to their being witnesses at their marriages which can be accessed at Genealogie-Quebec.com, which is a subscription database. (Of course all original records are in French.) Or due to other notarial records.

Claude David is my 9th great-grandfather. A biography for him can be found at http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/david_claude_1E.html

However, I am currently researching what I believe to be a discrepancy in that biography as I have seen other reports that seem to indicate this is a conflation of two 1660 voyages to the Great Lakes. In any case, Claude did indeed go to the Great Lakes, just probably not on the one that took three years, but only one year. Claude was a fur trader and armorer, as well as a land-owner, a representative of his community before the court, and wealthy enough to be a lender.

Larry Moran said...

There's a lot of misinformation on the internet concerning the David family and their origins. It seems very likely that Guillaume and Claude were brothers and it seems likely that they were not born in France but spoke French.

That suggests Flanders and that's consistent with the idea that Guillaume's wife, Marie Harmans, could not speak French and was comfortable living in the Dutch colony. It's been suggested that Marie was a resident in the Kingston area when she met and married Guillaume and that makes sense if Guillaume was familiar with Dutch.

Michel David and Gary David wrote "Disclaimer of False Connections in the Guillaume David Family Trees" and they have done extensive research in France without finding any evidence that Guillaume and Claude were born there.