Francois LeSUEUR (1625 – 1671) was Alex’s 11th Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Francois LeSueur was born in 1625 in Challe Mesnil, (3 miles south of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France).  I couldn’t find Challe Mesnil, but I did find Colmesnil-Manneville, A small farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, eight miles south of Dieppe.  In the 17th century, Dieppe was the premier port of France.   At the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Dieppe lost 3,000 of its Huguenot citizens, who fled abroad.

His parents were Jean LeSEUER and Marye GRUIER. He emigrated with his sister Jeanne  to New Amsterdam on 10 Apr 1657. He settled in Flatbush, Long Island, New York in 1657.  He married Jannatie HILDEBRAND PIETERSEN, on 12 Jul 1659 in Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, New York.   He left Harlem about 1663 and went to Esopus, accompanied by his sister Jeanne, who maried Cornelis Viervant. Both she and her husband later returned to Harlem. Francois was living in 1670, but it is recorded that on Nov. 30, 1671 his widow bound out her son Willenbrand who was then 8 years old so Francois must have died in 1671 in Harlem, New York.

One repeated rumor states that Francois explored the upper reaches of the Mississippi and he was a civil engineer, but I can find no support for this claim.

Another false conclusion is that the artist Eustache Le Sueur (19 Nov 1617 – 30 Apr 1655) was Francois’ brother. Eustache, one of the founders of the French Academy of Painting, was born in Paris, where he passed his whole life.

The artist Eustache Le Sueur (1617 – 1655) was NOT Francios’ brother

Jannatie (Jannetie) Hildebrand Pietersen was born in 1639 in Amsterdam. Her parents were Hildebrand PIETERSEN and Femmetje ALBERTSE. After Francois died, she married Antoine Tilba.  Jannatie died in 1678.

Antoine Tilba

Children of Francois and Jannatie:

The name LeSueur was well established at Challe Mesnil in Terre de Caux, Normandy, France, of which, Dieppe was the capitol. For the previous century, The LeSueur’s were cloth makers of Rauen, France. “LeSueur” means “to toil”. Alternate spellings are, LeSeur, DeLachaire, LaCheer, LeJere, Lessieur, Lesier.

The LeSueurs were French Huguenots and were more accepted by the Dutch colonists than by the English.   They moved to New Haarlem in 1661 where he completed the engineering for the town of Haarlem. Due to high taxes, he moved to Esopus early in 1663 and was a soldier in the Esopus Indian War. As his health failed, he returned to New Haarlem with his family about 1670 and died the next year. His enlistment was with Capt. Pawling’s Company.

Since the seventeenth century, Huguenots have been commonly designated “French Protestants,”. By the end of the 17th century, roughly 200,000 Huguenots had been driven from France during a series of religious persecutions. They relocated primarily in England, Switzerland, the Dutch Republic, the German Electorate of Prussia, the German Palatinate, and elsewhere in Northern Europe, as well as South Africa and North America.

Francois’ brother-in-law, Cornelis Arentsen Viervant, was probably born in Lexmond, Utrecht, South Holland, Netherlands. Cornelis married Jeanne Le Sueur in 1668. Jeanne was probably born in Colmênil, Normandy, France. She came with her brother, François, from France to Manhattan in about 1657. They moved to Harlem, New York, leaving in 1662, and later in Esopus, Ulster, New York, where Jeanne married Cornelis. Afterwards, Cornelis and Jeanne moved to Harlem. Cornelis leased land at Fordham,(“ford by the hamlet”)  Bronx, New York in 1669 and 1671. Old Fordham Village is a section of Fordham that dates back to New England Colonial Days, when it was part of the Town of West Farms, Westchester County, New York. It is centered on the intersection of the Grand Concourse and Fordham Road.  Cornelis died in 1675 in Fordham, New York.

From Harlem: its origin and early annals, New York, by James Riker, 1881.

“Le Sueur was born at Challe-Mesnil or Colmenil, a small borough or market town three miles south of Dieppe. His name-taking such forms with his descendants as Leseur, Lesier, Lazear, and Lozier-was well established in Caux, and a century previous had figured among the cloth makers of Rouen.”

“JEAN GERVOE and FRANCOIS LE SUEUR went out at near the same date (as David du Four sailed for Manhattan in 1657)…Le Sueur, the Lozier ancestor, was from Colmenil, in Normandy, and was attended by his young sister Jeanne, neither being married.”

p. 209-10
“The three years allowed them (the people of Harlem settling on Montagne’s Flat) in which to pay for their lands had nearly expired, and with not a few it became a difficult problem how they should provide the 8 gl. per morgen which the government must have…It was plainly owing to the difficulty of raising this morgen-money, or morgen-gelt, as called…that a number of persons quit the town during this year (1662), to try their fortunes elsewhere; as well landholders as well others designing to become such. Of these were Coerten, De Pré, Du Four, Gervoe, and Le Sueur.”

p. 217
“FRANÇOIS LE SUEUR, who left the town early in 1663, was the ancestor of the families of Leseur and Lozier, now mostly seated in N. Y. City and Bergen Co., N. J. François first lived in Flatbush after coming to Manhattan, and in 1659 m. Jannetie, dr. of Hildebrand Pietersen, of Amsterdam; in which year Jannetie’s brother, Pieter Hillebrands, was captured by Indians at Esopus, but this did not deter her from removing there with her thus. Before going from H. he sold some of his effects, and his wife bought “a little bed,” etc. at Sneden’s sale. Le Sueur’s sr. Jeanne went with them to Esopus, and there m. Cornelis Viervant, with whom she returned to Harlem.  Le Sueur was living in 1669, but on Nov. 30, 1671, his widow bound out her son Hillebrand, eight years old. He was engaged by the deacons in 1673 to ring the bell at 3 gl. a year. Afterward the wid. m. Antoine Tilba, and by him had chn. also…”

Francois seems to have been a tough guy
From the Court Minutes of Esopus (now Kingston, NY):

Page 278, 2 Mar 1666
Harmen Hendericks requests in a petition,…Also that Francois Le Cheer may also for the last two years assist in contributing towards the preacher’s salary,…
To which is replied: …also that Frncois Le Cheer shall assist in contributing one-third of the last two years…

Page 357, 29 Jun/9 Jul 1667
…Jannetje Hillebrants, wife of Francois LeCheer, delares having heard at the house of Henderick Martensen, he being about to depart, that Hendrick Jochemsen should have said, “Why should not Beeckman’s son watch as well as my son?” not knowing to whom Hederick Jochemsen should have said the same…

8 Nov 1667 – Schout Beeckman, Plaintiff vs. Francoys Le Schier, Defendant

Plaintiff says that defendant has behaved very badly agaianst Michiel Verbruggen, and has badly pushed and beaten him, and has hurt his ribs, on which account he has lodged a complaint, and demands a fine, in consequence of 100 gldrs. Defendant admits having beaten Michiel Verbrugge with a stick so that he fell to the ground. The hon. court orders defendant, for his insolence committed against Michiel Verbrugge, to pay a fine of 50 gldrs.

Michiel Verbrugh, Plaintiff vs. Francoys Le Schier, Defendant

Plaintiff demands payment for doctor’s fee, pain, and lost time for seven days, on account of the maltreatment committed against him without reasons. Also demands wages for having taken care of the cows, alone, for seven days at six gldrs. per day. Defendant also demands proof of his having killed Hend. Aertsen’s calf, of which plaintiff accuses him. Plaintiff says that he did not say that he killed said calf, but that he hung up the pieces of a skin. Defendant agrees to prove his assertion. Plaintiff is ordered to bring in a specified account of the doctor’s bill at the next session.

Children

1. Jannetje LOZIER (See Jan Jansen POSTMAEL‘s page)

2. Hillebrand (Willenbrand) Lozier

Hillebrand’s wife Elsie Jurians Tappan was born 1665 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. Her parents were xx.  After Hillebrand died, she married1692 in Kingston Ulster, New York to Abraham Delamater (b. 1656 in Flatbush, Long Island; d. 20 Nov 1734 in Kingston, NY.). Elsie died 3 Feb 1736 in Kingston, Ulster, New York.

3. Jan Lozier

Jan’s wife Rachel Smedes was born 26 Dec 1666 in New Amsterdam, Manhattan Island, New York. Her parents were Johannes Smedes and Elizabeth Vandershur. Rachel died 1 Oct 1686 in Kingston, Ulster, New York.

5. Nicholas (Claes) Lozier

Nicholas was baptised on June 10, 1668. His witnesses were Jacob Barentszen Kool and Marritie Simons.

Nicholas’ first wife Tryntie Slot was born 6 Aug 1671 in New York City. Her parents were Peter Jansen Slot and Marretje Jacobs Van Winkle. Tryntie died Oct 1708 in Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey.

Nicholas’ second wife Antie Banta was born 1684 in Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey. Her parents were xx. Antie died 26 Jan 1769 in Hackensack, New Jersey

Nicholas was about three years old when his father Francois died.  Nicholas was raised by his Dutch mother and her relatives who imparted Dutch customs to him.  Nicholas later took the name ‘ Lozier’ ( Dutch phonetic pronunciation of ‘Le Sueur’). When Nicholas married, he moved from Harlem to Hackensack, NJ to farm. He purchased the farm from agents of King George of England. It remained in the Lozier family until 1930. It is shown on the Erskine maps used by Gen. Geo. Washington as “Lurziers” house and “Lurziers Hill”

Nicholas was admitted to the church at Dutch Reformed Church, 4 Apr 1702. He became a deacon at Dutch Reformed Church, 1713  and elder in 1723. On 23 Dec 1730 signed for Rev. Mancius to become pastor of the church at Schraalenburg (now Dumont), New Jersey.  He left a will in 1745. He was a farmer and shoemaker.  Nicholas was a founder of the First Reformed Church in Hackensack, NJ, and purchased a farm in Teaneck, NJ, His will was probated April 8, 1761 in New Jersey.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=8696593

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/8993201/person/3814735?ssrc=

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/7436837/person/-1094072685/story/02197b51-2188-4f85-98d7-bee0e9c5a38f

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/n/William-J-Canfield-sr/GENE11-0016.html

http://www.conovergenealogy.com/ancestor-p/p133.htm#i35534

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/e/b/n/Grace–Ebneter/PDFGENE5.pdf

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dmn4211&id=I1283