The earliest Depews appear to have come from the area near Paris, France, in the seventeenth century and were of noble origin. During that period, as elsewhere in Europe, there was a bitter struggle between the Catholics and the Protestants. In France most of the Protestants were called Huguenots (properly pronounced yu-geh-noh). They diverged from Catholic beliefs in the rejection of the Pope’s authority and in the individual’s right to interpret scriptures for himself. This placed them in conflict with both the Catholic Church and the King of France. The Huguenots advocated liberal reforms in religion and government, while the Catholics, who were in power, persecuted all who opposed them. In 1685, King Louis XIV went on the throne and began a campaign of unbearable cruelty against all Huguenots.

As a result of such intense persecution, it has been estimated by historians that by the end of the 1600s, up to 300,000 Huguenots had evaded authorities and made their way out of the country. In general, those who left France were of a superior type, many of them belonging to the nobility. They were industrious and independent, with many coming from the highly skilled artisan class. This exodus was a primary reason that French culture and artistic ability have been scattered throughout the world. Against this historical backdrop, some of the Depews were among those Huguenots who fled for religious freedom.

According to the book, The Trail of the Huguenots, by G. Elmore Reaman, Barthelmy Depew was born in 1650 and became a trusted Lieutenant in the palace guard of Louis XIV.  He retired in 1682 and married countess Susannah Lavillon. However, following his Protestant beliefs, he escaped to Germany in 1685 where he stayed for 14 years before going to England in 1699. He then sailed to America to a Huguenot settlement near Richmond,Virginia where he died in 1714.

Also, Walter (Gaultier) Depew was born in 1674, and although some researchers suspect he was a descendant of Barhelmy, to my knowledge it has not been proven. Like many other Huguenots, Walter, made his way to England about 1695 and located in Ludlow, Shropshire, where he is said to have been a soldier. That is where he died in 1728 at age 54. Walter was our Depew ancestor.