EDWARD DEVOTION

Devotion1895

• General Notes
  • EDWARD DE VAUTION] DEVOTION was born in 1621 in LA Rochelle, France.
    
    He died on 23 Jul 1685 in Brookline, Norfolk, Mass. USA
    
    He was buried on 24 Jul 1685 in Brookline, Mass.
    
    
    He was the first Representative of this family in America, and was born about 1621, of
    
    French Huguenot parentage. He joined the church at Brookline, Mass. March 16, 1645.and settled in Roxbury, Mass. Mary his wife, and his son Edward were baptized Feb. 25, 1649.
    
    [The only Huguenot active Church in the U.S.1997 that could be found was in Charleston, SC. and a archives was also there] He executed his last will Sept. 25, 1685. It was evident that his name so distinctively English in its orthography, must have undergone some transformation either in England before he came to America or after he arrived in New England either in the spelling or by modification of some kind. Such transformations were frequent of occurrence, not only among the early Dutch settlers in America but also among the French Huguenot refugees. Gov. Edward Winslow, himself a passenger on the Mayflower, afterwards Governor of Plymouth Colony, and its earliest historian, tells us of the Dutch, French, and Walloon members of the church how "their non-Anglican names were corrupted into English forms such as Cuthbertson for Godbertson, Delano for De-la-Noye," and many others. [See Baird's " The Huguenot Emigration to America, Vol. 1, page 282}. It is known that the Devotion family came originally from La Rochelle France.
    
    Miss Emma C. King, of Xenia, Ohio, who in 1895 while traveling from Paris to La Rochelle for the sole purpose of obtaining information relative to the ancestors of the Devotion family, furnished to Mr. Harvey J. King as the result of her investigation, transcripts from official records which leave no doubt that the name Edward Devotion prior to his coming to New England was written "de Vaution" and was then changed only by Anglicizing the spelling the pronunciation remaining unchanged. The transcripts in question were obtained through Louis M Meachinct de Richellese who is accredited in recent literature as the Rochelle historian. They are supplemented by numerous references to historical data relative to the family contained in "Archives Nationale " and " La France Protestante" This family is a native of La Beauce It produced several branches, one of which was located in Poltou at the end of the 15th century; from the latter sprang several small branches all of which seem now extinct in France. The Verified fillation in Vol. 15 of Cherin in the national library at Paris, Dept. of Manuscripts Says This family belonged to the reformed Church before 1585.
    
    " Coat of Arms; La Barre de Vaution, de la Guessonniere L"arggent'a une bande,
    
    [Alias barre] d'azure, charge de [3] trols coquilles d'or, accompagnee de 2 merlettes de sable,
    
    I'une en chef I' autre en point." "First branch De Vaution, de-la-Guessonniere" 1- Jean de la Barre, Esquire, Lord of Vaueernard [native of Dourdan, diocese of Chartres] was the younger son of Jean, Lord de Rinville, and of Marie de Maris. He was an archer on the Guard of the King. He married at the Venerie de Couhe on Oct. 12, 1492, Jeanne Poispaille [or Poupaille] daughter of Peter, Esquire and of Roberta d'Amaury. [She received for her marriage portion the fief of Balut, Champagne St. Hilaire] From that marriage were born 1st Jacques [who follows] 2nd Louis, etc. [several others are listed]
    
    2- Jacques De La Barre, Esquire Lord of Valenfray, married April 12, 1527, Nicole, daughter of Magdelon Mallevault, Esquire, from which marriage were born, 1st Francois, Louis, etc.
    
    3-Francois De La Barre, Esquire, Lord de la Barre et De Vaution. He obtained a judicial confirmation of his nobility in 1584, and again in 1598. Upon exhibiting his titles tracing back as far as 1492. He had married on Oct. 24, 1578 Marie Landry, daughter of late Esquire ord de Sault, and of Junienne de Puyvert. By this marriage he had, 1st. Pierre etc.
    
    4- Pierre De La Barre, Esquire lord de Vaution, Boisde Luche, [named Monsieur De VAUTION]
    
    He was twice married. First on July 4, 1607, with Louise Blanchard, daughter of Rene, Lord de Bonout, and of Anne de Beaumont, and second on July, 30, 1617, with Judith de Pellard, daughter of Nachor, Esquire, lord de Montigny, La Guessonniete, and of Judith du Petit Croix.It dose not appear that any children were born of the first marriage. By the 2nd marriage he had 1st Jean 2nd Anne, 3rd Catherine, 4th Pierre, Esquire, lord de Vaution, etc. Furthur transcripts exhibit the pedigree of branches of the family located at Poitou, Anjou and La Touraine, and state that," All were of the Reformed Religion" History informs us that more than 500,000 adherents of the reformed religion became refugees from France to escape the persecutions or worse, to which all such were subjected during the greater part of the 17th century. Most of them settled in England, Holland and other European states, but many departed for North America, and as early as 1625 several Huguenot families settled in New York City, then New Amsterdam. Others founded New Rochelle. Those who fled to Massachusetts were settled in Oxford, Worcester County, but soon after removed to Boston. [See American Cyclopedia, title " Huguenots " Also Baird's The Huguenots Emigration to America]. Supplementing the forgoing data, and equally a matter of history, is the Significant fact that Edward Devotion, a French Huguenot, and the founder of a New England family settled in Brookline, which was then a part of Boston, in or prior to the year 1645, as is evidenced by the public records and also those of the Church.
    
    While the statistics thus collected do not furnish the connecting link between the de Vaution families referred to, the identity of the names seems to be fairly demonstrated and that they were of one and the same lineage IC certainly rendered extremely probable. In this connection it is interesting to notice the fact that not only has the de Vaution family become extinct in France, as above stated by M. Louise M. Meschinet de Richemond, but while there are now living many lineal descendants of Edwaed Devotion who bear the names of those who became the husbands of daughters who inherited it, not one male descendant bearing the name is now living to perpetuate it and it must soon become extinct. The last John L. Devotion of Norwich, CT. was the last male representative of the name. His widow and daughters now [1898] reside in the City of New York. As a well deserved tribute to the memory of the six generations who inherited the name of Edward Devotion, a name which soon will survive as a memory. It may fittingly be added that many of the sons who bore the name were prominent in their day and generation in the legal profession, the Judiciary and the pulpit, and of daughters several became wives or mothers of men distinguished as statesmen, jurists and educators. Prominent among them were two daughters of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion [1714- 1771] Martha who in 1761 became the wife of Samuel Huntingdon, afterwards Governor of CT. and President of the Continental Congress, and Hannah who in 1764 became the wife of Rev Joseph Huntington and later the mother of Samuel Huntington, Governor of Ohio, and Frances the wife of Rev. Dr. Griffin, President of Williams College. The old Devotion House [from historical sketches of Brookline by H.F. Woods]
    
    " Next west of the Seawall estate [on Harvard Street] is situated what has been in modern times known as the Bapcock farm, but in Judge Seawall's day was the property of John Devotion". The house is a curious old relic of former times and the beautiful elms which shade it were no doubt set out by the hands of an ancient owner, whose devotion to the interests of his church and town suggests the idea that a similar characteristic in his ancestry may have earned for the family its very uncommon name. The town of Brookline has built [1907] upon adjoining land a fine primary and kindergarten school, known as "the Edward Devotion School" and it owns the old house. The town is soon to build a Grammar school on the site and " The Isaac Gearner Chapter, D.A.R. is to present a petition to the town to save the old house and to remove it to a position nearby.
    
    Mr. Harvy J King, compiled from official records at Brookline, Roxbury Mass. and Suffield, CT in his Book, The portions relative to Edward and John also appear in full in Savages Genealogical Dictionary of the first settlers of New England and it is there added relative of John Devotion [1659-1733] He left a good estate and his son Rev. Ebenezer [Harvard College 1707; ordained June 28,1710 minister at Suffield, born in Brookline was father of Ebenezer, Yale collage 1732
    
    He was married to MARY CURTIS (daughter of WILLIAM CURTIS and SARAH ELIOT) in 1644 in Nazeing, Essex, England.
    
    MARY CURTIS was born on 11 Mar 1622 in Nazing, Essex, England.
    
    She was christened on 11 Mar 1622 in Nazing, Essex, England.
    
    She was baptized on 25 Feb 1649 in Brookline, Mass.
    
    She died on 19 Dec 1713 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass. USA. She was buried on 20 Dec 1713.
    
    She is RELATION 8th G Grandmother of William M Worth.
    
    EDWARD [DE VAUTION] DEVOTION and MARY CURTIS had the following children:
    
    3 i. Edward DEVOTION was born on 21 Feb 1649 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass.
    
    He was baptized on 25 Feb 1649 in Brookline, Mass.
    
    He died before 1663 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass.
    
    +4 ii. Elizabeth DEVOTION.
    
    +5 iii. Martha DEVOTION
    
    +6 iv. Hannah DEVOTION
    
    7 v. Deborah DEVOTION was born on 17 May 1657 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass
    
    She was baptized on 17 May 1657 in Roxbury, Mass She died on 20 Oct 1683.
    
    +8 vi. JOHN DEVOTION
    
    9 vii. Sarah DEVOTION was born on 19 Jan 1662 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass
    
    She was baptized on 19 Jan 1662 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass.
    
    +10 viii. Edward DEVOTION
    
    11 ix. Thomas DEVOTION was born on 1 May 1670 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass.
    
    He was baptized on 1 May 1670 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass He died on 28 Sep 1685.
    
    
    Edward lived at that part of Boston called Muddy river, now Brookline, when he joined the church at Boston March 1645, then single. Freeman 1645.2
    SOURCE/: Joseph Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Originally published 1860.
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    SEE COMMENTS ABOUT RDWARD UNDER PICTURE OF HOUSE
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    The Edward Devotion Elementary School is a public elementary school located at 345 Harvard Street, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. The school was founded in 1894 on land bequeathed to the town by Edward Devotion (1667–1744), and is probably named for his eponymous grandfather (1621–1685)[1] the Constable for what was then Muddy River around 1650. Devotion's 17th century house [2] is preserved by the Brookline Historical Society [3] and stands amidst part of its original gardens in the school's forecourt.
    
    The school was attended by John F. Kennedy from kindergarten in 1922 to third grade.
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    JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
    This series consists of John F. Kennedy’s attendance records at the Edward Devotion School, including enrollment lists and promotion cards (one card is for Kennedy’s older brother, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.). John F. Kennedy attended the Devotion School from kindergarten in 1921 to the beginning of third grade.
     
    
    Box 1  School Register, Enrollment list
      1922: January 30-June 21
    September 11, 1922-June 1923
    September 10, 1923-June 20, 1924
    September 8, 1924-June 1925
    Promotion cards
    
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    IN MIKE WALLACE'S BOOK  WHICH EDWARD  DEVOTION WOULD THIS BE ALIVE IN REV WAR? THE GRANDSON THAT GAVE THE LAND FOR THE SCHOOL DIED IN 1744....
    More often than not, when I’ve told people that Kennedy and I went to the same elementary school and that its name was Edward Devotion, they’ve assumed it was a Catholic school, which reveals how little they know about Brookline’s glorious history.
    
    Edward Devotion was an early hero in the American Revolution. On the night Paul Revere made his legendary ride through Boston and neighboring towns, his friend and fellow patriot Devotion mounted his horse and went on a similar gallop to sound the alarm that the British were coming. The course he followed took him through Brookline. I suppose the main reason why Devotion’s ride of warning has been so overshadowed is because many years later, when Longfellow sat down to write his famous ballad, Revere happened to be the horseman he chose to immortalize.
    *********************************************Edward Devotion was a French Huguenot who had settled in Brookline by 1645. He was active in town affairs for many years, like his sons John and Edward Jr., serving as fence viewer, constable and tithing man. At his death in 1685 he left a dwelling, a barn, and one hundred and two acres situated on both sides of Harvard Street. John sold his inheritance and moved away, but Edward continued farming the family land until 1739 when, aged seventy-one, he sold his seventy-six acres to Solomon Hill. Recorded with the deed in 1740 is a bond signed by Devotion ensuring Hill of "...having and holding and...enjoying forever one certain house and barn and buildings and tracts of land and meadow in Brookline..."
    
    While it is likely that part of the old Devotion House is incorporated in the present building, stylistically a construction date of c.1740 seems more appropriate. The gambrel roof, large central chimney, projecting window cornices and pedimented doorway are typical of the Georgian period, as is the elaborately ornamented parlor.
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