USA > New Jersey > Memorial cyclopedia of New Jersey, Volume III > Part 10
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5, 1743, in New York, a distinguished patriot during the Revolution, died at St. Croix, West Indies, in 1800, buried on Peter's Rest Plantation. His wife, Anna de Nully, born at St. Croix, West Indies, died there November, 1784, buried at St. Peter's Rest. She was descended from Bertrand de Nully, Count de Nully, of de Nully sur Marme, planter of Martinique, father of Bertrand Pierre de Nully, a planter of St. Croix, West Indies, where he died in 1778. His wife, Catherine (Heylager) de Nully, born at St. Croix, died there October 12, 1799, was a daugh- ter of General Pierre Heylager, born in Denmark, chamberlain to Christian V., appointed governor-general of Danish West Indies in 1733, died in St. Croix. Catherine Cruger, daughter of Nicholas and Anna (de Nully) Cruger, became the wife of William Bard. as previously noted. They were the parents of Susan Bard, wife of Ferdinand Sands, as previously noted. 3
Arthur Sandys was born in New York City at the family home, corner of Broad- way and Bleecker street, September 27, 1837, died at his home, 35 North Lincoln avenue, Washington, Warren county, New Jersey, July 21, 1914. He was the son of Ferdinand Sands, who died when his son was two years of age (see ante).
Arthur Sandys, so early orphaned, was reared by his grandparents, William and Catherine Bard, at their home, No. 2 College place, New York City. There they resided until Arthur was fiftcen years of age, when they moved to a beautiful home on Staten Island, New York. He was largely educated under private tutors, his principal instructor be- ing Professor Joseph Karge, afterward professor of languages at Princeton Col- lege and often called the "ornament" of Princeton. From private tutors he was sent abroad to complete his education, and he spent several years in study at
Florence, Italy, and Berne, Switzerland. In Florence he took special courses in architecture and carving, arts in which he excelled, particularly as a draughtsman. After his return to the United States he was in the employ of the United States government, then contructing forts at the entrance to the Mississippi river, and when his work there was finished, con- tinued in the government service at Phil- adelphia, where he resided for some time. He was also engaged as draughtsman and superintendent by private parties, but never devoted himself exclusively to busi- ness. He traveled extensively at home and abroad and gave a great deal of time to reading, study and literary pursuits. He resided in Philadelphia, Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Trenton New Jersey, and elsewhere, as places at- tracted him, finally, in 1908, settling in Washington, New Jersey, where he died. He was a thorough gentleman, courteous, genial and gentle in manner, very ap- prochable, with all the graces of mind and character of a student and scholar. He was a member of the Episcopal church, serving as vestryman and warden. While books of biography and history were his favorites in literature, he was widely read and informed on all subjects coming with- in the bounds of a liberal education, in- cluding the languages. His favorite sport was boating, of which he was inordi- nately fond. Kindness and consideration marked his intercourse with his fellow- men, and he possessed many warm per- sonal friends. When a young man he tried to enlist as a private in the Union army, but owing to a defect in hearing was rejected. He then secured appoint- ment as assistant paymaster, serving until the war closed. In Washington, New Jersey, he took a deep interest in public affairs, aided materially in the founding of the public library and made his pres- ence felt for good in many ways.
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Mr. Sandys married (first) in 1868, Miriam Moase, of Staten Island, New York. He married (second) September 5, 1911, Etta Medlyn, daughter of Wil- liam and Eliza (Winn) Medlyn, of Mas- sachusetts birth, but English parentage. Mrs. Sandys survives her husband, a resident of Washington, New Jersey.
(The de Normandie Line).
Through his mother, Susan (Bard) Sands, wife of Ferdinand Sands, Arthur Sandys traced descent from Andre de Normandie of ancient and noble lineage, son of a distinguished father, brother of one whose proved abilities were valued by princes ; and himself a diplomat chosen and long employed by reason of his own merit, a man of exalted character and worth. This Andre de Normandie founded the branch of the family in the United States from which sprang Susan (Bard) Sands, a descendant of Marie de Nor- mandie, second child of Andre de Nor- mandie, who married Peter Bard, son of Colonel Peter Bard, of Burlington, New Jersey.
The de Normandie family history is ex- haustively treated in "Annals of de Nor- mandie," a work collated, translated and explained by Arthur Sandys and printed at Cambridge by the Riverside Press in 1891. In that work descent is traced to Laurent de Normandie, eldest son and heir of Jean de Normandie and grandson of Guillaume de Normandie.
Jean de Normandie lived and died either near Noyon, France, on one of his fiefs or in the city where it is known he held high office. He belonged to the Catholic party and John Calvin has made his personality very distinct to us by the statement in his dedication of the work "De Scandalis," that "Jean de Normandie is reported to have died of grief on account of his son's defection from the Catholic faith and flight to Geneva." Jean de Normandie
married Jacqueline Moreau, an heiress, or at least, a lady of a large landed prop- erty, who bore him two sons and two daughters. She died prior to 1540 leaving three fiefs to her eldest son, Laurent. Jean de Normandie died in the early part of 1549 and records state that he was buried with his ancestors in the chapel of Notre Dame, founded by his grandfather.
Laurent de Normandie, eldest son and heir of Jean and Jacqueline (Moreau) de Normandie, was born at or near Noyon in Picardie about 1520, died in the prime of life, August 14, 1569, one of the most in- teresting of all those distinguished men who found a refuge in Geneva during the earlier years of the Reformation. A de- scendant of the great feudal families of Champagne and Picardie, a grandson of a Seneschal of the latter province, he filled the high office of royal lieutenant of his native city, Noyon, and then surrendered his honors and estates to meet obloquy and condemnation to death for the sake of religion.
In addition to the three fiefs that came to him from his mother, he inherited the title and Seigneurie of la Motte from his father, but as his father died a few months after the conversion of his son to the Protestant faith and flight to Geneva, the Seigneure of la Motte was probably con- fiscated by the crown and as the attainer issued against Laurent de Normandie was never by pardon of the king swept from the records of the parliament of Paris, the title and estate of la Motte was not among those restored to him by Henry IV. through the good graces of the dowager Queen Navarre. He never used the title at Geneva although he was always recog. nized as "noble" and so called, as also were his descendants. Laurent de Nor- mandie made advanced studies in the law and was received a doctor. He became king's lieutenant and mayor of Noyon and served Henry II., King of France, as also
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Jeanne de'Albret, later Queen of Navarre and mother of Henry IV., of France. He married, September 3, 1540, Anne de la Vaquerie, of a noble family merged into the dukedom of St. Simon.
It is not known at what time his re- ligious convictions became fixed, but at least in 1548 his mind was settled, so abandoning all chances of advancement in his public employments he left his home and country, and followed by his wife who was suffering from an illness that later ended her life, and also by his children, he sought refuge in Geneva, arriving in October, 1548. There he was reunited with the family of Jean Calvin, whom he had long known, and in May he was admitted an inhabitant of Geneva. The circumstances of the death of his father, the death of his wife and the loss of a beloved child all during the first month of his arrival in Geneva called forth a letter of condolence and sympathy from Jean Calvin in the form of a dedica- tion to Laurent de Normandie in his cele- brated work "De Scandalis."
He purchased a house with court and garden and lived very near some of the pastors including John Calvin. He mar- ried a second wife in 1550, Anna, daugh- ter of Leon Colladon, Doctor of Civil Law, belonging to a family from Berry in France, but a short time in Geneva, and which had always held honorable rank. The marriage took place in the cathedral of St. Pierre at the morning service, Sep- tember 14, 1550, John Calvin officiating as the minister. He was offered citizenship but not until April 25, 1555, did he accept and become a citizen of Geneva, the fee having been reduced by the council "in consideration of his handsome services." He was admitted a Doctor of Laws, Octo- ber 1, 1556, but there is no record of his having practiced his profession. He be- came a member of the Council of Two Hundred, edited and published books
which he sent to be sold in France and other parts. In 1557 he asked the privi- lege of six years publication of the "Com- mentaries of Calvin on the Evangelists" also for a volume of the Epistles of St. Paul and Canonicals. Answer was given by the council that the privilege of three years would be accorded "if agreeable to Mr. Calvin."
Ry a decree of the parliament of Paris dated September 7, 1552, Laurent de Nor- inandie was condemned to be burnt alive "as guilty of having fled the Kingdom," but as he was safely lodged in Geneva, the sentence was carried out in effigy. Later the protection of those in high power reinstated him in royal favor and in the possession of his confiscated estates. In settling his affairs in France after the restitution of his estates he made several journeys back and forth. His friend, John Calvin, the reformer, made him executor of his will. Laurent de Normandie died August 14, 1569, the Geneva records stating "The body of Monsieur de Normandie was brought in dead of the plague."
Jean de Normandie, eldest son of Lau- rent de Normandie and Demoiselle Anne de la Vaquerie, was born in the city of Noyon, France, in 1544 or 1545. He arrived with his parents in Geneva near the end of 1548, and was there educated, becoming like his father a doctor of civil law and coming into the full rights of citizenship, took an active interest in all public affairs and rose rapidly to the highest offices the republic could bestow. In 1575 he entered the Council of Two Hundred, later the Council of Sixty, and in 1589 was consti- tuted the deputy from the government of Geneva to congratulate Henry IV. in his assumption of the crown of France. In 1602 the Duke of Savoy made that long contemplated attack on Geneva known in history as the Escalade. The attack was made in the night, but the Genevese, ever
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alert and well prepared, rendered the at- tempt abortive, and in 1603 Jean De Nor- mandie, on the part of Geneva, signed the treaty of Saint Julien by which Charles Emmanuel of the house of Carnigan. Duke of Savoy, surrendered all his claims and ancient rights thus relieving Geneva not only of continuous and vast expense, but also from the tension which had kept it always militant.
In 1575 Jean de Normandie marricd the demoiselle, Marie de Trie, daughter of Guillaume de Trie, Seigneur de Varennes, and from his own birth his services to the state, the reputation of his father and his illustrious alliance, his position was dis- tinguished in the highest degree. He died at Geneva full of honors, April 13, 1617, aged seventy-three years, leaving a son, Joseph, who, as the eldest among other children, became the head of the family.
Joseph de Normandie, the eldest son of Jean and Marie (de Trie) Normandie, was born in Geneva in 1576. He was named after his godfather, the Duke de la Tremouille, who as soon as Joseph was old enough made him his military secre- tary and took him abroad. He served in that capacity until his twenty-seventh year when his patron obtained for him from Henry IV., of France, the important post of Conseiller du Roi at Bourt en Bresse, which office he held until 1610 when he returned to Geneva. He was a member of the Council of Two Hundred at Geneva, the next year was a member of the Council of Twenty-five, was Secre- tary of State from 1609 to 1617 and again until 1620.
Politically and socially Joseph de Nor- mandie was well placed in the aristocratic republic of Geneva not only in the enjoy- ment of the highest offices and honors of the State, as was his father before him, but also became of his alliances. He married, in 1614, the demoiselle, Dorothe de Villains, daughter of Francois de Vil-
lains, baron d'Aubonne of a cadet branch of the ancient house of the Villains de Gand in Flanders. The mother of Doro- the was Antonia Lullin, of a family the most ancient in Geneva, whose Seign- euries and city properties occupied in 1300 are in part yet owned by its mem- bors. Joseph de Normandie died Novem- ber 14, 1625, his only surviving son, Michel, succeeding him as head of the family.
Michel de Normandie was born in Ge- neva in 1619. He was highly educated and on arriving at legal age followed the example set by his ancestors and devoted himself to public affairs, becoming one of the most distinguished men among those whose names are found in the long list of Seigneurs de Geneve. He was in public official life for fifty-five years; entering in early manhood on responsible and ex- acting employments, he gave all his time. attention and efforts to promoting the interests of the State, and ended that life full of knowledge, experience and honors. He entered the Council of Two Hundred in 1642, was auditor in 1649 and 1650, syndic every fourth year, 1667 to 1695, inclusive; member of the Council of Twenty-five continuously from 1658 until his death in 1697. In addition he em- ployed himself in the examination of the public registers and in improving the methods of carrying on the business of the several departments of the govern- ment.
Michel de Normandie married (first) April 19, 1646, the demoiselle, Anne Gre- nus, daughter of the noble Francois Gre- nus, Count of the Holy Roman Empire by creation of the Emperor Ferdinand III. His eldest son, Jacob de Normandie. was one of the leading historical figures of his day. His second son, Andre, for reasons of state became an exile to America and is the American ancestor of Arthur Sandys through his grand-
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daughter, Marie de Normandie, wife of Peter Bard, whose descendant, Susan Bard, married Ferdinand Sands in 1830.
Andre de Normandie, second son of Michel and Anne (Grenus) de Norman- die, was born in Geneva in 1651, died in 1724, sixteen years after his arrival in America, and was buried in the church- yard of St. James' Church at Bristol, Pennsylvania, where his tombstone is yet to be seen. He passed his childhood and youth under the eye of his cultivated and honored father, and in his twenty-second year followed his elder brother, Jacob, into the Council of Two Hundred, enter- ing upon that career to which he, like nearly all the male members of his family, seemed to have almost a prescriptive right.
On the death of William III., of Eng- land, he left by will to his relative, Fred- erick I., King of Prussia, among other principalities and domains, the duchy of Neufchatel. The Prince of Conti, backed by the powerful influence of the King of France laid claim to the duchy on the death of William III. as did Carnigan, Sovereign Duke of Savoy, and several other powerful families of France and Germany. Frederick of Prussia deter- mined to defend his claim, and wishing to gain over the population of the duchy, consisting largely of Huguenots, to this end sent Andre de Normandie to Neuf- chatel as his confidential agent to Wil- liam III. Andre de Normandie continued in the diplomatic service of King Fred- erick, of Prussia, until at least August, 1706. His brother, Jacob, also was in the diplomatic service of Frederick, a fact which angered the Genevese, and after a series of exciting events Jacob de Nor- mandie was banished from Geneva in 1707. While there is no mention of An- dre de Normandie in the story of 1707 he must be associated with his brother in the events of that year just as his emigra-
tion to America must be attributed to his inclusion with Jacob in the resentments of the Genevese government. His long service as confidential agent to the King of Prussia in Neufchatel demanded that he possess influence, address, tact and ability and that he possessed these three qualities and stood high in the opinion of the King is well proven by an autograph letter signed "Frederick" at Berlin, May 8, 1705.
After the banishment of his elder brother, Jacob, September 13, 1707, An- dre de Normandie went to Holland, where his younger brother Jacques was living. After some stay in Amsterdam, he went to England, family tradition, with some evidence to support it, stating that in London he met William Penn. or his son, who persuaded him to go to Pennsylvania in America. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1708, a widower mourn- ing for a wife, Louise Clerc, lately de- ceased in Neufchatel, but having with him three children: Marguerite, aged twenty-two years; Jean Abram, a young man of nearly twenty ; and Jean Antoine, a lad of fourteen.
He evidently was possessed of ample means, as he obtained from the Penn pro- prietors a tract of land near Bristol on the Delaware river in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, bought land within the borough, established his sons, settled his daughter in marriage, subscribed to estab- lishing the church and parish of St. James, and lived in the best society then surrounding him. Like most other edu- cated Calvinists of French birth who came to America before the Revolution he became a communicant of the Church of England, and so brought his family within its fold. He lived for sixteen years after his arrival in America and died in 1724, aged seventy-three.
Andre de Normandie married Louise Clerc, daughter of M. Paul and Elizabeth
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(Feuillet) Clerc, of Geneva, who bore him five children, two dying in infancy.
Abram de Normandie, eldest son of Andre and Louise (Clerc) de Normandie, was born in Geneva, in 1688, and was baptized Jean Abram but discarded the "Jean" in America and was known as Abram de Normandie. He was educated in Neufchatel during the years his father was Resident Counsellor to the King of Prussia, and arrived in Philadelphia with his father and family early in 1708. He had served as one of the younger secre- taries of his father in Neufchatel and was no doubt educated for a career in public life at Geneva in keeping with the tra- ditions of his father. He was engaged as notary at Bristol, drew up official papers and became interested in public affairs. In 1719 he was elected sheriff of Bucks county, was justice of the peace for many years, in 1728 he became chief burgess of Bristol, an office he held until 1744, in 1756 was elected a member of the Provin- cial Assembly from Bucks county and was yet a member at the time of his death in 1757, at the age of sixty-nine.
Abram de Normandie married in "ye Philadelphian church," July 29, 1715, Hen- riette Elizabeth Gaudonette, the daughter of Dr. Francois Gaudonette, a practicing physician established in Bristol, Pennsyl- vania. Dr. Gaudonette was of a family which, on the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, fled into England, where Fran- cois continued already well advanced medical studies and obtained his degree of M. D. He married, in 1688, a French lady, Marie Proue, and removed to South- ampton, England, and in the summer of 1705 came to America, settling in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Both Abram de Norman- die and his wife are buried in the church- yard of St. James at Bristol, where their tombstones are to be seen. They were the parents of ten children: Francois, born in 1716, died in infancy it is believed,
as there is no further record of him to be found; Marie, born in Bristol in 1718, married, September 28, 1738, in Christ Church, Philadelphia, Peter Bard, son of the Hon. Colonel Peter Bard of Her Majesty's Regiment of Foot, member of Council, later associate judge on the Su- preme Court bench, living at Burlington, New Jersey, constituted in 1703 the seat of government for the western division of New Jersey. From this marriage of Marie de Normandie and Peter Bard came Mary Bard, who married her cous- in, Dr. Samuel Bard, LL. D., whose granddaughter, Susan Bard, in 1830 mar- ried Ferdinand Sands, and was the mother of Arthur Sandys, the author of the "An- nals of the de Normandie Family" from which the foregoing genealogical history has been compiled.
After their marriage Peter and Marie Bard settled at Mount Holly, New Jersey, where Peter and his father-in-law, Abram de Normandie, bought an iron mine. He expended a large amount of money on the property when an order came from the Privy Council of England, directing the govern- or of New Jersey to close the mine. This ruined Peter Bard and left him heavily in debt. After a struggle to retrieve his for- tunes, which lasted a number of years, the government who well knew the cause of his ruin gave him a commission as commis- sary-general of the forces about to attack the French in Canada. He took the oath in 1756 and was ordered to Fort Augusta where a strong force was posted to defend the colonies against Indian attack. After his military service he returned to Mount Holly, where he died leaving two daugh- ters. His widow, Marie, returned to Burl- ington where later she married John Hun- loke, a gentleman of a good and influential Burlington family. This marriage was neither fruitful nor of long duration, and at her death her two daughters by her first husband, Peter Bard, went to live with
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their uncle, Dr. John Bard, at Hyde Park on the Hudson, Mary, the elder, becom- ing the wife of Dr. Samuel Bard, LL. D.
William de Normandie, the third child, born 1720, became an early merchant of Charleston, South Carolina. He married in Christ Church, Philadelphia, July 25, 1745, Hannah Anderson. John Abram de Normandie, born 1721, became a physi- cian and practiced in Bristol. He mar- ried, July 3, 1745, Rebecca Bard, daughter of Colonel Peter Bard and sister of Peter Bard who married Marie de Normandie, sister of John Abram. Dr. de Normandie in 1779 went to Geneva and instituted proceedings at law and in arbitration against the de Normandie estate. He re- turned in 1790 and died in 1803. Louise de Normandie, born 1723, married Mr. Van Court, of New York City. An- drew de Normandie, born 1725, died 1726. Anthony de Normandie, the only descendant of Andre de Normandie, the emigrant, who has transmitted the name of his, family in the United States, was born in Bristol in 1726. Harriet Eliza- beth de Normandie, born in 1729, married Mr. Walton, of New York City. Daniel de Normandie, born 1731, served as en- sign with the English army against the French, and in 1756 was in the Pennsyl- vania Hospital at Philadelphia, suffering from a wound. He died in July, 1760. Sarah de Normandie. tenth and youngest child of Abram de Normandie, was born in 1733, married a young chaplain of the Revolution, Rev. Barton, and in 1791 was left a childless widow, dying in 1826 at the age of ninety-three years at the home of her nephew, Dr. Samuel Bard, at Hyde Park, New York.
There is much of historic interest in the de Normandie family record necessarily omitted, but enough is given to prove the worth of their services to state and church and the high attainments of each genera- tion. With the children of Abram de Nor- mandie the record closes.
RISK, William Henry,
Physician, Leader in Community Affairs.
From 1874 until 1913 the borough of Summit, New Jersey, was the seat of prac- tice of a Dr. Risk, brothers and contem- poraries from 1892 when Dr. James Boyd Risk joined his brother, Dr. William H. Risk, in Summit, until 1905, when the latter was called to his reward. To the memory of Dr. William H. Risk this tribute of respect is dedicated. For thirty- one years he was the good family physi- cian to countless households and between him and these households there existed that bond of affection which exists only between the family doctor and his pa- tients. He was with them in birth and in death, in joy and in sorrow, in weakness and in strength, he was the guest of honor at the wedding and a sincere mourner at the bier. His professional service, his business sagacity, his strong personality, high sense of honor and true manliness, left a deep impress upon Summit and its people, perhaps greater than any other of those who had gone before him.
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