William Provost
Encyclopedia
William Provost (fl.
1556–1607) was a Protestant
and a merchant who lived in Antwerp, then a city in the Netherlands
. William's descendants settled in New Amsterdam
(now known as New York
(city)) in the early 1600s; he had famous descendants and relatives in North American
history; and many North Americans can trace their lineage back to William. William and his family appear to have survived the murderous rampage of the Spanish Fury
in 1576. A romanticized version of William's life tells (incorrectly) that he was a Huguenot
that fled Paris
on the day before the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
of 1572.
name and in records, William is variously referred to as Guilliame, Ghiliam, Gulliaem, Giljaem, Gutielmus, or Willem. Provost is also spelt Provoost, Provoest, or the French form of Prévost.
The St Walburgis' Catholic Church (known as Sint Walburgis Kerk in Antwerp) no longer exists.
William Provost and his second wife, Maeijken Stevens, may have fled Antwerp in 1576 at the time of the Spanish Fury
. However, this has not been confirmed. Indeed there are records for William Provost’s family in Antwerp up to 1584 (although no supporting evidence is given in that reference). Perhaps they fled and then returned. At some time William Provost and his family seem to have moved to nearby Middleburg in the Province of Zeeland
. Unfortunately Middleburg's archives were destroyed during World War II
.
William Provost moved to Amsterdam
around 1605 and he was still alive in 1607 when his daughter Katherina married. William's will, written in 1606, lists three of his children: Elijsabeth (deceased but whose child was alive), Katherina, and Wilhelmus.
There are two major historical references that document the romanticized version of William's life:
These references tell the story that William lived in Paris
and was warned by a Colonel in the King's army about the impending St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
. It is then reported that William fled to Holland with his fiancee, escaping the massacre. William was also described as "... a person of distinction and eminence ..." and "noble blood".
This version of William's life lists his children as Johannes, David, Wilhelmes, Elias, and Benjamin. Johannes was actually Wilhelmus, the father of David who emigrated to New Amsterdam
(now known as New York
(city)) in 1624 (see below).
There seems to have been some confusion regarding William Provost's story that was handed down to the following generations. Perhaps the story that William Provost was warned by a Colonel in the army and fled is correct ... only that it occurred in Antwerp prior to the Spanish Fury
. Some of the descendants of William Provost may have incorrectly linked this event with the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
in Paris.
The accurate version of William's life was determined by genealogist Hendrik O Slok, as he felt that the early history of William Provost "... has remained shrouded and vague ...".
William married Maria Karreman in 1556, William and Maria had:
William married Maeijken Stevens in 1564, William and Maeijken had (all baptised at St Walburgis' Catholic Church, Antwerp):
The genealogy of some of William's descendants, that lived mainly in the New York area, is documented to at least 1895.
. However, that William was a brother of the two has not been confirmed. Descendants of this side of the family are:
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1556–1607) was a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and a merchant who lived in Antwerp, then a city in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. William's descendants settled in New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
(now known as New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(city)) in the early 1600s; he had famous descendants and relatives in North American
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
history; and many North Americans can trace their lineage back to William. William and his family appear to have survived the murderous rampage of the Spanish Fury
Sack of Antwerp
The sack of Antwerp or the Spanish Fury at Antwerp was an episode of the Eighty Years' War.On 4 November 1576, Spanish tercios began the sack of Antwerp, leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, which was the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The...
in 1576. A romanticized version of William's life tells (incorrectly) that he was a Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
that fled Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on the day before the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
of 1572.
Name variants
William Provost is his anglicizedAnglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
name and in records, William is variously referred to as Guilliame, Ghiliam, Gulliaem, Giljaem, Gutielmus, or Willem. Provost is also spelt Provoost, Provoest, or the French form of Prévost.
The life of William Provost
William Provost "... was a merchant, and resided in the business quarter of [Antwerp]. He and his wife belonged to the then secret Protestant movement, and it seems that they attended the underground Reformed Church named "De Brabantsche Olijfbergh" [The Brabant's Mount of Olives], but to avoid the Inquisition, they, as was the custom with most Protestants in this region and time period, had their children baptized in the Roman Catholic Church of St Walburgis in their neighbourhood." (Confirmation, with minor additions and corrections, is presented in .)The St Walburgis' Catholic Church (known as Sint Walburgis Kerk in Antwerp) no longer exists.
William Provost and his second wife, Maeijken Stevens, may have fled Antwerp in 1576 at the time of the Spanish Fury
Sack of Antwerp
The sack of Antwerp or the Spanish Fury at Antwerp was an episode of the Eighty Years' War.On 4 November 1576, Spanish tercios began the sack of Antwerp, leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, which was the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The...
. However, this has not been confirmed. Indeed there are records for William Provost’s family in Antwerp up to 1584 (although no supporting evidence is given in that reference). Perhaps they fled and then returned. At some time William Provost and his family seem to have moved to nearby Middleburg in the Province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
. Unfortunately Middleburg's archives were destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
William Provost moved to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
around 1605 and he was still alive in 1607 when his daughter Katherina married. William's will, written in 1606, lists three of his children: Elijsabeth (deceased but whose child was alive), Katherina, and Wilhelmus.
The romanticized version of William Provost's life
There is a romanticized version of historical events that have been attributed to William. Although some aspects of this version are incorrect it is important to document this version as these events have been oft quoted by his descendants.There are two major historical references that document the romanticized version of William's life:
- A manuscript from 1724, written by William’s great great grandson David Provost (1670–1725)
- The book "Biographical and Genealogical Notes of the Provost Family from 1545 to 1895", written by a descendant Andrew J Provost
These references tell the story that William lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and was warned by a Colonel in the King's army about the impending St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
. It is then reported that William fled to Holland with his fiancee, escaping the massacre. William was also described as "... a person of distinction and eminence ..." and "noble blood".
This version of William's life lists his children as Johannes, David, Wilhelmes, Elias, and Benjamin. Johannes was actually Wilhelmus, the father of David who emigrated to New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
(now known as New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(city)) in 1624 (see below).
There seems to have been some confusion regarding William Provost's story that was handed down to the following generations. Perhaps the story that William Provost was warned by a Colonel in the army and fled is correct ... only that it occurred in Antwerp prior to the Spanish Fury
Sack of Antwerp
The sack of Antwerp or the Spanish Fury at Antwerp was an episode of the Eighty Years' War.On 4 November 1576, Spanish tercios began the sack of Antwerp, leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, which was the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The...
. Some of the descendants of William Provost may have incorrectly linked this event with the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
in Paris.
The accurate version of William's life was determined by genealogist Hendrik O Slok, as he felt that the early history of William Provost "... has remained shrouded and vague ...".
The immediate family of William Provost
The family of William Provost [Ghiliam Provoost]:William married Maria Karreman in 1556, William and Maria had:
- 1. Maijcken Provoost (ca. 1557–1584); married Hans Mertens
- 2. Elijsabeth Provoost (ca. 1559–); married Andries Jansz van der Muellen
William married Maeijken Stevens in 1564, William and Maeijken had (all baptised at St Walburgis' Catholic Church, Antwerp):
- 1. Anna Provoost (1566–)
- 2. Margareta Provoost (1567–before 1569)
- 3. Margareta Provoost (1569–)
- 4. Katherina Provoost (1570–); married Engbert Jobsz in 1607
- 5. Wilhelmus Provoost (1572–)
- 6. Sara Provoost (1573–)
- 7. Esther Provoost (1574–before 1605); married David Damman
- 8. Adam Provoost (1575–)
The genealogy of some of William's descendants, that lived mainly in the New York area, is documented to at least 1895.
Famous descendants of William Provost
- David Provoost (1611–1657), son of Wilhelmus (1572–), emigrated to New AmsterdamNew AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
(now New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) in 1624, two years before the island was purchased from the local American IndiansIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. David was a wine dealer while residing at the Heerenmarkt in AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
; commissary of provisions, tobacco inspector, laywer, and notary public at New AmsterdamNew AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
; and commander at Fort Good Hope. - Merchant and smuggler David ‘Money Ready’ Provoost (1691–1781). The 90 acre site, Louvre Farm, on the eastern side of ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, was owned by the Provoost family and had a cave where David hid his money. It was later said that David's ghost haunted the woods. A drawing of "The smuggler's tomb: David Provoost, free trader", by A H Wyant, 1875, can be viewed at the New York Public Library Digital Collection. - David ProvostDavid ProvostDavid Provost was the Mayor of New York City from 1699 to 1700.David Provost was Born in Ulster, New York, in about 1672, to Benjamin Provost, one of New Amsterdam's Dutch burghers, and Elsie Alberts Provost....
was the Mayor of New York CityMayor of New York CityThe Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
from 1699 to 1700 - Reverend Samuel ProvoostSamuel ProvoostSamuel Provoost was the third Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, as well as the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. He was consecrated as bishop of New York in 1787 with Bishop William White. He was born in New York City, of Huguenot descent, in 1742, and educated at...
(1742–1815) was the third Presiding BishopPresiding BishopThe Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
of the Episcopal Church, USA, as well as the first BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Episcopal Diocese of New YorkEpiscopal Diocese of New YorkThe Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...
Famous relatives of William Provost
It has been suggested that two of William's brother fled to SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. However, that William was a brother of the two has not been confirmed. Descendants of this side of the family are:
- Major General Augustine PrévostAugustine PrevostMajor General Augustine Prévost was a Swiss-born British soldier who served in the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence.-Seven Years War:...
(1723–1786) who was a SwissSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-born BritishKingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
soldier who served in the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence; and his son - Sir George PrévostGeorge PrevostSir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
(1767–1816) who was Lieutenant Governor of Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
(1808-1811), Governor-in-Chief of British North AmericaBritish North AmericaBritish North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
(1811-1814), and Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. He served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary WarsThe French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Open questions
- Two references suggest that William's descendants also emigrated to ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. However, this has not been confirmed. - What happened to William's son Adam (1575–)?