General Notes

Arms: Or, Three Wolves heads, erased sable borne on the breast of an Imperial double-headed eagle, sable-beaked, or, a Coronet of Baron of the Empire.

Crest: Out of a Ducal Coronet, a Demi-Wolf, gules, holding in the dexter paw a fleur-de-lis, or.

Motto: Vincit qui Patitur (He conquers who endures)

The De Wolfs belong to the oldest aristocracy of Flanders, Saxony and Livonia (the Baltic Provinces of Russia). According to legend, the origin of the name de Wolf is practically the same in every country. According to family tradition in Belgium, Frederick de Wolf's first known ancestor, Louis de Saint-Etienne, of the French noble family of that name, was one of King Charles the Fifth's attendants on a hunting expedition. During the chase, a wolf cub crossed the King's path; Charles threw his lance at the cub, mortally wounding it, and breaking the weapon against a tree. An enormous she-wolf, seeing her offspring wounded, rushed from the forest upon the King, who had nothing but a hunting knife to defend himself with. Louis de Saint-Etienne rushed between the wolf and the King and dispatched it with his sword, thus saving the King's life. As a reward, the King Knighted Louis, who from this time was called de Loup, and was ancestor of the noble French family of that name. His grandson, Emile de Loup, accompanied the Princess Mathilda to Germany at the time of her marriage. Emile de Loup became a great favorite at the Saxon Court and had the title of Baron conferred on him in 1427. He then changed his name from French to German and was known afterwards as de Wolf. It was his direct descendant, Maximillian de Wolf who founded the Belgium branch of the family.

The original family name was DeWOLF. This name is undoubtedly of Continental origin. William DeWOLF is mentioned among the followers of William the Conqueror in 1066, and the DeWOLF family appears in English history from that time. Burke's complete armory gives the DeWOLF coat of arms, showing that the family is, and has been, for many years an English family.

The DeWOLF's have been prominent in Germany. Also, Frederick Baron DeWOLF was in 1517 chosen commissioner of the House of Saxe to settle boundaries of various principalities of the Imperial Diet. This branch was from the French nobility. Related to the French DeWOLF's were the Prussian nobles of the same name.

In Holland, Baron Joseph DeWOLF was an Admiral in the Dutch service, and afterward Captain General of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies.

In England, Joseph DeWOLF was a member of Parliament. His son, Sir Drummond DeWOLF, was a member of Parliament, and Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Turkey, and High Commissioner to Egypt.

That Balthazar DeWOLF was English appears from his penmanship, which is clearly used by educated Englishmen, and from the family names which are all English. It is also seen in the fact that his children intermarried with those of the best families of the English settlers. A thing which would have been impossible had he not been of English origin.

The first record of Balthazar is at Wethersfield, CT in 1656-64. In 1668 he and his three sons, Edward, Simon and Stephen are recorded as members of the training band at Lyme. There is also a record that one Nicholas Jennings was indicted for witchcraft in "causing the death of the wife of Regnold Marvin and a child of Balthasar de Wolf."

He owned property in Lyme & Saybrook very early in the history of the colony.The first mention of his name is found in the Hartford court records in 1656. He was in Weathersfield, CT (probably on a temporary visit) and was arrested for smoking on the street. The court fined him... and as tradition has it ... he paid his fine, lit his pipe & went out ! He was also a member of the local militia.

He lived in Wethersfield, CT in 1664, & then moved to Lyme, CT in 1668. He became a member of the town train band in 1678 (along with sons Edward, Simon & Stephen).