Supplementing the foregoing data, and equally a matter of history, is the significant fact that Edward Devotion, a French Huguenot, and the founder of a New England family, settled in Brookline, which was then a part of Boston, in or prior to the year 1645, as is evidenced by the public records and also those of the Church. While the statistics thus collected do not furnish the connecting link between the pedigrees of Edward Devotion and the de Vaution families referred to, the identity of the names seems to be fairly demonstrated and that they were of one and the same lineage is certainly rendered extremely probable. In this connection it is interesting to notice the fact that not only has the de Vaution family become extinct in France as above stated by M. Louis M. Meschinet de Richemond, but while there are now living many lineal descendants of Edward Devotion who bear the names of those who became the husbands of daughters who inherited it, not one male descendant bearing his name is now living to perpetuate it and it must soon become extinct. The late John L. Devotion of Norwich, Conn., was the last male representative of the name. His widow and daughters now (1898) reside in the City of New York. As a well deserved tribute to the memory of six generations who inherited the name of Edward Devotion-a name which soon will only survive as a memory-it may fittingly be added that many of the sons who bore it were prominent in their day and generation in the legal profession, the judiciary and the pulpit, and of the daughters several became the wives or mothers of men distinguished as statesmen, jurists and educators. Promiment among them were two daughters of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion (1714-1771), Martha who in 1761 became the wife of Samuel Huntingdon, afterwards Governor of Connecticut and President of the Continental Congress, and Hannah, who in 1764 became the wife of Rev. Joseph Huntington and later the mother of Samuel Huntington, Governor of Ohio, and of Frances the wife of Rev. Dr. Griffin, President of Williams College. A complete genealogy of the Devotion family would be of much interest but none has been printed. The most comprehensive of any in print is contained in "Publication No. 14" of the Brookline Publication Society, and was compiled by Mrs. Susan V. Griggs, of Brookline, Mass. "THE OLD DEVOTION HOUSE." [From Historical Sketches of Brookline by H. F. Woods.] "Next west of the Sewall estate (on Harvard Street) is situ ated what has been in modern times known as the Babcock farm, but in Judge Sewall's day was the property of John Devotion." John Devotion was a prominent citizen in Muddy River, holding various offices, and his name appears upon the petition for a separate township. Ebenezer Devotion, a son of John, became a clergyman and removed to Suffield, Connecticut. After the death of John Devotion, the house was occupied by his son Edward and Mary his wife. Edward Devotion was a public spirited citizen, and reference to the old records of the town show that he held various offices of trust for many years. The house is a curious old relic of former times and the beautiful elms which shade it were no doubt set out by the hands of the ancient owner, whose devotion to the interests of his church and town suggests the idea that a similar characteristic in his ancestry may have earned for the family its very uncom mon name. The town of Brookline has built upon adjoining land a fine primary and kindergarten school, known as "The Edward Devotion School" and it owns the old house. The town is soon to build a grammar school on the site, and "The Isaac Gardner Chapter, D. A. R." is to present a petition to the town to save the old house and to remove it to a position nearby. AMERICAN ANCESTRY. The following genealogical and statistical notes are also taken from the book of Mr. Harvey J. King, who compiled them from the official records at Brookline and Roxbury Mass., and Suffield, Connecticut. The portions relative to Edward and John Devotion appear in full also in Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, and it is there added relative to John Devotion, 1659-1733: "He left a good estate and his son Ebenezer (Harvard College 1707; ordained June 28, 1710), minister of Suffield, Conn.; born at Brookline; was father of Ebenezer Yale College 1732. Also progenitor of many other graduates of that college." FIRST GENERATION. Edward' Devotion, born of French Huguenot parentage A. D. 1621; joined the church at Brookline, Mass., March 16, 1645. Mary his wife and Edward his son were baptized there Feb. 25, 1649. He executed his last will Sept. 25, 1685. ISSUE: 2. i. Edward, b. Feb. 21, 1649. ii. Elizabeth, bapt. April 20, 1651; d. Feb. 15, 1679. V. vi. Deborah, bapt. May 17, 1657; d. 1683. vii. Sarah, bapt. Jany. 19, 1662. viii. Edward (again), bapt. July 12, 1663. ix. Thomas, bapt. May 1, 1670. SECOND GENERATION. 2 JOHN DEVOTION, (Edward1), born June 26, 1659; died married Hannah Pond. His will was executed Oct. 1732, probated Feb. 1733, and mentions his wife Hannah and also his six children. ISSUE: i. Edward. ii. EBENEZER, bapt. Oct. 18, 1684; d. April 12, 1741. 3 REV. EBENEZER DEVOTION, (John, Edward1), bapt. Oct. 18, 1684; died in Suffield April 12, 1741; married Oct. 4, 1710, Hannah Breck, daughter Capt. John Breck of Dorchester, Mass. He graduated at Harvard College 1707. He was ordained at Suffield June 28, 1710, as "Town Minister," with a salary of eighty pounds per annum and a dwelling house, and continued as such minister until his death. Ebenez. Devotion For a further account of Rev. Ebenezer Devotion see King Genealogy, Capt. Joseph King, pages 101-104 ante. ISSUE: 4 i. Hannah, b. Sept. 12, 1712; d. June 8, 1715. iii. FOURTH GENERATION. 4 HANNAH DEVOTION, (Ebenezer, John, Edward1), born in Suffield, Conn., April 24, 1716; died in Suffield, March 4, 1805; married in Suffield, June 2, 1740, Capt. Joseph3 King (James," William1). For descendants see King Genealogy, Capt. Joseph King, pages 87-105 ante. CAREE REMINGTON-KING MARY REMINGTON, born July 12, 1743; died June 24, 1788, and Lieutenant Eliphalet King, born February 6, 1743, died August 29, 1821, my patriot great-grandsire who fought at Bunker Hill and in other battles during the war of the Revolution, were married at Suffield, Connecticut, Nov. 3, 1768. She was therefore a maternal ancestor in America of the King family of Suffield in my own direct line. Mary (Remington) King was the great, great grand-daughter of Lieutenant John Remington of Newbury, Mass., 1673. He belonged, it is said, to a younger branch of a very ancient family in County York, England. It is claimed that Beatrix de Remington, Lady Prioress of the Benedictine Convent of Clementhorpe, County York, England, in 1396, was one of the early members of the same family. The Yorkshire visitation in 1665 found that the family had at that time (1665) resided there for six continuous generations. The Remington family, consisting of several branches, still continue to reside in York and Lancaster Counties, England. The arms borne by the Remingtons of Lund, County York, and the Remingtons of Crow Trees, Melling, County Lancaster, are blazoned as follows: "Barry of twelve Arg. and Az. a bend gules. Crest: A hand erect holding a broken tilting spear all ppr." The family of Broomhead Hall, Sheffield, County York, bear a modification of these arms which consists of a "barry of ten" instead of a "barry of twelve." I have been unable however to obtain any authentic data showing the relationship between those English families and our American Remingtons. JOHN1 REMINGTON, the first ancestor in America, came from Yorkshire, England, with his wife Elizabeth and son Thomas, and settled at Newbury, Mass., in 1637, and became a freeman there May 22, 1638. He removed to Rowley and on May 13, 1643, was commissioned a Lieutenant of a military company at that place. He subsequently removed to Roxbury, and reconstructed its meeting house in 1658. He became a proprietor there also and is mentioned in the records of the town as "late inhabitant of Rowley now of Roxbury." He sold lands there in 1659 and 1662. His wife Elizabeth died at Rowley October 24, 1658, and he married (2d) Rhoda, widow of John Gore, who survived him and married (3d) Edward Porter. Lieut. John |