The Prevatt family in America was founded with the immigration of Pierre Prevatte to Manakintowne, Virginia in 1700. The Prevatt(e) family is unique in that all persons with that name in their ancestry may trace their family line of one single individual who began the Prevatt(e) family in the Americas. Unlike many other families, which have names reflected in the immigration records relating to many immigrants with the same last name, thus making the point of origin often difficult to determine, all of the Prevatt(e) cousins may establish with great accuracy their common bond.
How it all began. French Huguenots were oppressed by the government . The Saint Barthlolomew's Day Masacre in 1572 during which an estimated 50,000 Protestants where slaughtered was mere one dramatic event in reoccurring religious. wars that had existed in France for a century. Despite the provisions of the Edict of Nantes (1599) which, certain freedoms to Protestant French citizens, The Edict was of little influence in the protection of the religious freedoms of the Protestant population and was repudiated in 1685. Refuge was given to French protestants in England in the late sixteen hundreds and in 1700 a land grant in Virginia for the Huguenots opened the door to America.
PIERRE PREVATT, Approved FRENCH HUGENOT born GUINES PAS DE CALAIS, FRANCE, Circa 1680
Pierre Prevatte was a French Hugenot Refugee who left France in 1705 to escape religious persecution, along with many other Hugenot Refugees. Pierre sailed alone (without family, as per ship manifest), on September 20,1705 on the ship "Peter & Anthony" which departed from London Galley,to Jamestown, located on the River, Virginia. Daniel Pierrau, was Commander of ship. Pierre died at Manakintown, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Pierre Prevatte is the Father Peter II Prevatt who died 1767 at West Creek, Johnston County , North Carolina.
Peter II Prevatt is the father of Elizabeth Prevatt born about 1744, West Creek, Johnston County , North Carolina.(later became Craven).
Peter II relocated from Va. to Johnston County , NC about 1738 & died there in 1767.
Elizabeth Prevatt married Moses Taylor b. 1726, child of Abraham Abrim Taylor & wife Ede, of Johnston County , North Carolina.
Elizabeth Taylor b. 1761 ,the oldest Child of Moses Taylor b.1729, place not proven & Elizabeth II Prevatt of West Creek, Johnston County , North Carolina, who later settled in Warren County , Kentucky.
Elizabeth Taylor b. 1761 in Craven County, NC, married Revolutionary WarVeteran, William Beasley b. 4-25-1762 in Core Creek, Beasley Island, NC.
Variations in the spelling of the family name are: Privette, Prevatte, Preval, Prevol, Presol, Presal & others as the name was spelled according to how it was pronounced in America.
The French family name Prevatte is classified as being of occupational origin. It can be said that the most ancient and most interesting of surnames are those derived from the occupation of the original bearer. Occupational names have provided what has been described by scholars as "an inventory of the common trades of medieval Europe". Such names offer a glimpse into the daily lives of our ancestors. With regard to the surname Prevatte, it derives from the Old French term "prevot", which designates a "magistrate, steward, or head servant". Thus, we can say, that the original bearer of the surname Prevatte would have been a man of status in the community and was distinguished amongst his contemporaries as having political and social influence.
During the Middle Ages, and before the hereditary family surname system was instituted, it was a practice to adopt a second name to be able to differentiate one individual from others with the same personal name. Variants of the surname Prevatte include Prevat, Prevot, and Prevet.
One of the earliest references to this name or a variant is a record of one Jeanne Prevet, whose name is listed in documents relating to the year 1690, in Blamont, Meurthe-et-Moselle. The marriage of Marie Clemence Prevat and Jules Francois Therme, took place on the 8th of April, 1856, in La Blachere, Ardeche. Research is of course ongoing and this name may have been documented even earlier than the dates indicated above. The family name Prevatte has also been recorded in North America. We read of the birth of Avoret Prevatte, the son of Furney Prevatte, which was registered on the 13th of January 1852, in Lumberton, North Carolina.
