Bergetta asked what the connection was between France and the Netherlands. I humbly offer my brief history and have spent the last 6 years researching this in addition to the lifetime of general interest and family stories on both sides. Bear with me until we get to the good part! The French people were bitterly divided over which religion was the right one, much like the Republicans and Democrats of today. The Catholics believed that it was immoral to consider the King and the Pope as less than sanctioned by God and whatever either divine party asked, it was incumbent on her citizens to follow these dictates. To that end, the government followed Spain's lead and expelled Jews from the country as well as any suspected gypsies and other nonbelievers. They were faced with a growing segment of the middle class who wanted moderation and to follow the beliefs of Martin Luther and Calvin or their own more liberal brand of religion. After a history of several massacres (one of some 35,000 people in one day in one location), the battles just got bloodier and the infamous Cardinal Richelieu attempted to use diplomacy to get the Protestants on his side when that suited his purpose. Force wasn't working. This constant upheaval and frequent public executions of those who were not good Catholics or who could be accused of this if they had some lands that the King and Richelieu wanted, forced many to leave to the sanctuary of the day, the Netherlands. Many of the French went there (a few went to England or other places) and they established their own communities within the great cities (Voila! La French Quarter!). Since many were in the trade business and had no language or cultural ties to the Netherlands, it was a natural next step to follow the Dutch into the colonies they held in South America, New Amsterdam and later South Africa and Malaysia. Of course many took Dutch spouses eventually and mixed in with the group too but there was at least one community where the French elected to stay apart in this country, Kinderkamack in NJ. On my other side, my ancestor, Gilles Mandeville fled France and ended up in New Amsterdam (New York City). He became Yellas Janszen (de Mandeville). I had one ancestor with children born in four different countries! Clearly the upstart Protestants were a stubborn bunch or had lands that could help Richelieu and the King pay off the staggering debt they accumulated. Either way they threw in their lot with the Dutch and travelled here on their ships. Phyllis Reed