As we all know, on November 13, 2015, Paris was attacked by terrorists of the Isis group and over one hundred innocent people were killed. The people of France have been in my thoughts and prayers constantly since this heinous attack! I have prayed for your safety and for your peace.
Our American President, Barack Obama immediately offered promises of support to France, and reminded us that France was one of our oldest allies--of course--in the very beginning of our country, in the American Revolutionary War. We have remained close since the beginning, and I am pleased to be able to look at my family tree and find a great genealogical gift of French influence in my family.
In the very beginning of our country, my family’s ninth great
grandfather Nicholas Martiau, b. 1591 Ile-de-France, d. 1657 in Yorktown, Virginia, a French Huguenot, came to Virginia as an engineer to help build the forts to protect the settlers in Virginia. His expertise in building the palisade of the forts at Jamestown and Yorktown saved many lives. The land for his plantation which Martiau was granted, was later given for the development of the city of Yorktown. Today there is a plaque dedicated to him in Yorktown, as well as a large black granite monument, and a statue in Ile de France. I am honored to be related to this great Frenchman. He became one of the earliest ancestors of George Washington, his third great grandson!
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| Pictures by Author's family |
President George Washington (1732 – 1799)
is your 3rd great-grandson
father of President George Washington
mother of Augustine Washington Sr,
mother of Mildred Warner
mother of Mildred Reade
You are the father of Elizabeth Martiau
------------------------------------------------------------
My own relationship to Nicholas Martiau looks like this:
Nicholas Martiau (1591 – 1657)
is your 9th great-grandfather
daughter of Nicholas Martiau
son of Mary Jane Martiau
son of John Scarsbrook
daughter of Col. Henry Scarsbrook
son of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook
son of Maj. John Scarsbrook Langhorne
son of Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne
daughter of James Steptoe Langhorne
daughter of Evaline Langhorne
daughter of Katherine Steptoe Houchins
Helen Spear Youngblood Holshouser
You are the daughter of Margaret Steptoe Kerse
By the way, my mother’s family were the Kerse/Kearse family from Ireland when they first came to America in the mid 1800’s, but originally, they were the Des Cearsais family of France who fled religious persecution and settled in Ireland before coming to America.
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| Marquis De Lafayette, Wikimedia commons, Public Domain |
We have many French ancestors to be proud of and thankful for, but no story would be complete without mentioning that our fifth great grandfather, William Langhorne, 1721-1797, served as the Aide-de-Camp to Marquis De Lafayette in the American Revolutionary War! (for sure, one of our oldest allies!) Perhaps it is no accident that Lafayette chose to honor William with this post, as he himself served as Aide-de-Camp to George Washington, a descendant of Nicholas Martiau and destined to become the first President of the United States of America. As Lafayette was promoted, his own Aide-de-Camp William Langhorne, was the husband of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook, a cousin of George Washington who shared a grandfather with him -- Nicholas Martiau! It was a small world in Colonial times! (For more information see among others: ://www.raken.com/american_wealth/planter_aristocrats/langhorne2.asp )
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Although I am a typical “melting pot” American, and am proud of being related to many nationalities, right now I am focused on my French ancestors and their influences. Please join me in praying for peace and safety for the people of Paris and all of France especially at this tragic time. --Helen Y. Holshouser, heart2heartstories.com
Although I am a typical “melting pot” American, and am proud of being related to many nationalities, right now I am focused on my French ancestors and their influences. Please join me in praying for peace and safety for the people of Paris and all of France especially at this tragic time. --Helen Y. Holshouser, heart2heartstories.com
Maj. William Langhorne (1721 - 1797)
husband of 2nd great granddaughter of Nicholas Martiau
wife of Maj. William Langhorne and 2nd great granddaughter of Nicholas Martiau
father of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook, Great Grandson of Nicholas Martiau
father of Col. Henry Scarsbrook, grandson of Nicholas Martiau
mother of John Scarsbrook, daughter of Nicholas Martiau
You are the father of Mary Jane Martiau
--------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook (1721 - 1802)
is your 5th great grandmother
son of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook
son of Maj. John Scarsbrook Langhorne
son of Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne
daughter of James Steptoe (blind) Langhorne
daughter of Evelyn LeRoy (LeRouix) Langhorne
daughter of Katherine Steptoe Houchins
You are the daughter of Margaret Steptoe Kerse
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Maj. William Langhorne (1721 - 1797)
is your 5th great grandfather
son of Maj. William Langhorne
son of Maj. John Scarsbrook Langhorne
son of Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne
daughter of James Steptoe (blind) Langhorne
daughter of Evelyn LeRoy (LeRouix) Langhorne
daughter of Katherine Steptoe Houchins
Helen Spear Youngblood Holshouser
You are the daughter of Margaret Steptoe Kerse
------------------------------------------------------------
Nicholas Martiau (1591 - 1657)
is your 3rd great grandfather
daughter of Nicholas Martiau
daughter of Elizabeth Martiau
daughter of Mildred Reade
son of Mildred Warner
You are the son of Augustine Washington Sr,
------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook (1721 - 1802)
is your 3rd cousin 1x removed
father of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook
father of Col. Henry Scarsbrook
mother of John Scarsbrook
father of Mary Jane Martiau
daughter of Nicholas Martiau
daughter of Elizabeth Martiau
daughter of Mildred Reade
son of Mildred Warner
You are the son of Augustine Washington Sr,
--------------------------------------------------------
President George Washington, (1732-1799)
is your 4th cousin, 6x removed
Augustine Washington Sr, (1694 - 1743)
is your 3rd cousin 7x removed
mother of Augustine Washington Sr,
mother of Mildred Warner
mother of Mildred Reade
father of Elizabeth Martiau
daughter of Nicholas Martiau
son of Mary Jane Martiau
son of John Scarsbrook
daughter of Col. Henry Scarsbrook
son of Elizabeth Cary Scarsbrook
son of Maj. John Scarsbrook Langhorne
son of Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne
daughter of James Steptoe (blind) Langhorne
daughter of Evelyn LeRoy (LeRouix) Langhorne
daughter of Katherine Steptoe Houchins
Helen Spear Youngblood Holshouser
You are the daughter of Margaret Steptoe Kerse
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