((There is so much more about the story of David desMarets and his family. He accomplished so much more that I couldn't possibly get into a few web pages. I have photo copys of the pages within the Demarest Family book, and that is where I'm getting this information. There are so many pages, that I couldn't possibly get them all into this web site. But I will finish with a few paragraphs from the pages I have. If anyone would want a copy of this information please send me an email at: [email protected]))
Upon removal to their new location in 1678 the families erected temporary log houses are barns in which they lived until the completion of their permanent homes in 1680. The house David Sr. consisted of two adjoining rooms, each with an outside Dutch-style door. Aftter David Sr. had completed this house, a mill known as the Little Mill was built and a dam constructed asross the river. Between 1686 and 1689 he removed to the west side of the Hackensack where a saw mill and larger grist mill, call the Great Mill, were built. At the time the land was granted to the desMarets family the Governor probably was aware the grant already was covered, at least in part, by a prior patent given to John Berry. The desMarets did not patent their land immidiately and later were so harrassed by other claims that they were obliged to purchase their land at least four times. After the death of David Sr. the grant was withdrawn from his heirs and a smaller tract was given them, although the final grant was of large proportions. The famous Demarest heart stone bearing the date 1696 and the initials D.M.R. was placed in the east wall of the new church known as "Church on the Green". It is said that within the four arms of the Huguenot cross a heart appears. The phrase "Jesus is the heart of God" is found many times in the literature of the ancient mystics. David desMarets lived for fifteen years after moving to New Jersey, and died in 1693 (1697?). He undoubtedly is buried in the French Burying Ground beside Marie his wife, but the exact location has not been ascertained. The family coat-of-arms is beside the altar in the French Church of St. Esprit in New York which organization is a continuation of the first French Chruch in New Amsterdam, to which the family belonged. There is also a commemorative tablet to the family in the Hugenot Church in Charleston, S. C. because of the contribution by the family toward the spread of Protestantism in America. The origianl will of David and Marie desMarets, bearing both signatures, written in French and dated Feb. 1, 1672 is preserved in the Harlem Town Records. A much shorter will, dated Aug. 26, 1689, written by David in New York, after the death of Marie, in which he designates himself "yeoman and Miller," contains the same provisions as the first, except an item giving 100 acres of land to his maid, Anna Cronk. Jean, Samuel and the heirs of David, deceased, inherited the property. The family of David Jr. passed from the Hackensack Church to the Schraalenburgh Church (Old South) when it was organized in 1724; it was nearer his home. The natural developments in the way of children, caused the family to spread out as years passed, the first to leave the home stamping grounds was Jan, son of Jean son of David the first. He moved to Tarrytown, NY then to the vicinity of St. Georges Hundred, at Appoquiminy, in what was then Pennsylvania, now Delaware. And in thime David's decendants spread all over Canada and the U.S., and in several foreign lands, so much so that to-day they are in every one of the 50 states and in almost all of the Provinces of Canada. In the process of living and moving, the Demarest name was spelled in several different ways. Not all of those in the U.S. to-day, spelling the name Demarest (or variants) are descended from David the first. Many were later migrations; some adopted the name for various reasons. The earliest records of the desMarets family go back to about the 6th century and it is understood that these records were complied by Louis the XIV of France to authenticate the lines of the nobility of France and are in Paris. The records were developed originally by Jacques Joseph de Maretz, representing the Roman Catholic, South Netherland branch, and by Louis Trip de Marez representing the Protestant, North Netherland branch in 1732. The family is recorded as having sprung from the house of the barons of Bousis, peers at Cambray, bearing in azure a cross argent.
This is only a taste of the Demarest family ancestry. This is documentation of only one Demarest family, the desMarets. I'm also pround to say that I am a decendant of David desMarets. I hope you've enjoyed these couple of pages about my mother's ancestry. The next couple of pages are a list of her granfathers starting with David desMarets.
