Robert DePrest/DePriest, born Abt. 1665 in France; died Abt. 1710 in New Kent Co., Virginia. He married 9. Eliza Abt. 1688 in New Kent Co., Virginia.
9. Eliza, born Abt. 1670; died September 27, 1689 in New Kent Co., Virginia.Notes for Robert DePrest/DePriest:
From the Depriest Family Journal:Robert Deprest was a French Huguenot who immigrated to VA before 1689. The earliest mention of him in Virginia recoreds is in the St. Peter's Parish Vestry Book when the land of Robert Deprosse was among the property to be processed. Based on the date of immigration, he was probably among the group of Huguenots sent to the New World by the British government to quiet unrest in England over the Huguenots who had arrived from France taking prime English jobs.
When Robert arrived in Virginia, he acquired land in New Kent Co., VA. On the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls he has 354 acres of land there. In Colonial Virginia the planters (small farmers) generally had 100 to 200 acres; the gentry had 500 to thousands of acres. Obviously, in a world where a man's place in society was partially determined by the amount of land he owned, Robert was not a part of the gentry, but he was considerably better off than most of the common planters. The early records of this family are contained in the St. Peter's Parish records. When St. James' Parish was formed from St. Peter's, Robert and his family were in the new parish on land that eventually would become Hanover County. At the time of Robert's death, the family lived on or near the Pamunkey River. They were near the juncture of the present day boundaries of Hanover, New Kent and King William Counties.
Among their closest neighbors were Jerome Dumas, a fellow French Huguenot, and John Shelton, whose daughter would marry Patrick Henry. The name was spelled variously as DuPresse, DePress and DePrest. It was only in the generation of the children that it became DePriest.Robert's Huguenot heritage has always been assumed, but within the last 25 years has been proven to the satisfaction of the National Huguenot Society. He is one of about 450 out of thousands whose origins have been proven to their standards. All of Roberts descendants are eligible for membership in the Society.
Child of Robert DePrest/DePriest and Eliza is:
4 i. Guillaume (William) Depriest, born September 25, 1689 in New Kent Co., Virginia; died March 02, 1736/37 in Goochland Co., Virginia; married Judith Abt. 1725.