Cecilia d'Atis, SM/PROG - Merge alternatives

DOB from the following extract seems c1640 birthplace not known

French Speakers of the Cape - M Boucher Page 269

"North-west of Ath is Courtrai in Flanders, a town on the Lys associated with the Des Pres family which reached the Cape on the Schelde in 1688. [155] Courtrai was held by the French between 1668 and 1678. We are indebted to the researches of two South African descendants, J W du Preez [156] and more recently, M H C du Preez, [157] for much information concerning their ancestors in Europe. The Dex Prez party consisted of Hercule des Prez, born about the year 1645, his wife Cécile (Cecelia) Datis, some five years his junior, and six children: Hercule, Elizabeth, Jacquemine (Jacomina), Marie-Jeane, Philippe and François-Jean. [158] The place of origin of the Des Prez family in uncertain, but Athis sount-west of Mons may provide a clue to the earliest beginnings of the Satis family.Later generations would certainly not have remained confined to the village from which they presumably took their name and it is interesting to find in the church registers of Oostburg in the UnitedProvinces a reference in 1748 to the marriage there of a Marie-Catherine Dathée (sic) from the Saint-Quentin generality of Picardy. [159]"

There is more about the des Prez family which I can add next week - also the citations if wanted.

“SA Genealogies” vol 8, Genealogical Institute of SA, Stellenbosch, 2002” page 317 -"x Cecilia D'ATIS * Frankryk c 1650, sy was 'n ondernemende dame met sterk persoonlikheid en het 'n groot boedel gehad met o.a. 270 skape, beeste en stooketels ✝ 1720 (sy xx c. 1700 Pierre Dumont)."

Pieter Coertzen, The Huguenots of South Africa 1688-1988 (28 Wale Street, Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers Limited, 1988), p. 157 give Cecilea d'Atis born in 1650 in Courtrai, Flandre. according to http://www.e-family.co.za/ffy/g6/p6710.htm

I have been given some information that suggests that Cecilia, was actually known as Cécile Daat, born in Leiden in 1643..According to this research, her family were originally from Valenciennes, & were probably called d'Ath..The earliest ancestors I have for her, are Jean d'Ath born in 1597, & his wife Gilette Detournay...This research was done by someone who went to Belgium & France to research the family of Hercules & Cecilia...She also claimed that Hercules original family name was Hercule Despretz......

Thanks guys - June, I'm happy to wait until your children's wedding is over.

Danielle - we always appreciate your input, especially as you have had greater access to French records than us. They remain clues until we can find the reasons - but many a good mystery has been solved on less; so keep on posting the possibilities for us :-)

No source available, but I'd say 1645 would be more likely.

Actually, my Afrikaans Coertzen, is also pretty definite about the 1650 birth date. Who knows the sources, but he hasn't written circa. I'm good to take that, if everyone else agrees.

Danielle - Hercule Despretz.... is always going to be Hercule de pretzel, for me from now on, you know!! :-)

Elaine du Preez -Bell wrote the book Genealogy go my du Preez family, that is the research Danielle is talking about. She found evidence of the Daat familie and Cecilia's baptism record in the st Pietersburg church in Leiden.
Website: dupreezfamily@yahoo.com

Genealogy of my du PReez family ! Sorry

Here is the link to the website: http://genealogyofmydupreezfamily.weebly.com/my-research.html

Ansu's information is correct, regarding that source....

Sharon....Pretzel Schnetzel...What's in a name!

The information is correct. In fact I have purchased the book and the auther Elaine du Preez - Bell references to facts are well supported

Further to my replydatd8 may 2014, I must pointout that Elaine du Preez - Bell canot with certainty say where Cecile D'Athis was born, but she was baptised in St Pieterskerk, Leiden, the Netherlands as Celitje Daaton 14th July 1643. I wouild suggest you contact her for more information as she has copyright on her book and I may just be infringing on these rights

Johann - there is no copyright in information - the book needs to be cited as a reference and only if it is scanned or copied would copyright be infringed. If full quotations are taken from the book they need to be presented in inverted commas and full citation given.