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Side by side with a Dutch Protestant Church there was a Walloon or French Protestant Church at Sandwich in the early years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. To this French Church there came from Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in 1568, Laurens des Bouveries (born 1542), a master silk-weaver, and his wife (née Barbara Van den Hove, native of Frankfort-on-the-Maine). He (as we are informed at a later date) was a native of St. Gain, in Melantois, i.e., as the moderns express it, of Sainghin, near Lille. No church registers survive; but in his History of Foreign Refugees, Mr Burn has described an account-book “de l’eglise de Sandeuuyt Francoise” from 1568 to 1571, in which Laurens des Bouveryes gets credit for a gift to the poor of twenty shill ings, being the proceeds of a sale of baize [ad cause de bayes p luy vendues ici pour le droiet des pouvres]. In October 1571 he subscribed a shilling for the poor, Jan des Bouveries giving eightpence. This was a calamitous year; the plague had visited Sandwich, and the refugees erected a wooden hospital. Soon afterwards it seems to have been decided by the French congregation to leave Sandwich, its members having been invited to other English towns. Laurens des Bouveries removed to Canterbury, perhaps in 1574, when the mayor and magistrates of that city granted manufacturing and trading privileges to the strangers coming over for refuge, “with like liberty as those of Sandwidge.”

In the surviving French register of Canterbury, which begins with the year 1581, we find him in 1592 as a sponsor at the baptism of Lea, daughter of the pasteur Samuel Le Chevallier; again, in 1594, at the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth (Mrs Maurois), who is described as “native de Zandwish.” On the 26th November of the latter year he, as a widower, married Catherine Pipelart, native of Perone, in Melantois, widow of Michael Castel.

The good refugee had three daughters — Elizabeth (Mrs Maurois), Jeanne (Mrs De la Tombe), and Lea (Mrs De la Fortrie). He had five sons — (1) Edward (of whom presently); (2) Jacob, minister of Heilighorn, in Holland, who married Catherine, daughter of John Lethieullier; he is registered as a godfather (by proxy) at Canterbury in 1621; (3) Valentine (unmarried); (4) Samuel (married); and (5) Jaques (married). [Jaques Desbouveries was a resident in Canterbury in 1618.]

Edward, the founder of the present English family, removed to London; he is officially returned in 161 8 as a resident in Broad Street, thus: “Edward Le Bouuere, born in Canterbury, his parents straungers;” he died in 1625. He was the father of Sir Edward Desbouverie, knight, who was knighted on board a ship 19th March 1684 (1685 new style?). Sir Edward was a wealthy Turkey merchant of London (born 1621, died 1694); he married Anne, daughter of Jacob de la Forterie, of London, merchant, and had seven sons and four daughters. Of the daughters — (1) Jane married John de l’Eau, of London, merchant; (2) Jane, married Sir Philip Boteler, of Teston, Kent, baronet; (3) Mary; and (4) Elizabeth, both died unmarried. The sons were — (1) William, (2), Edward, (3) Jacob, (4) Peter, (5) Daniel, (6) John, and (7) Christopher. Of these, the third (born in 1659) M.P. for Hythe, acquired a considerable estate at Folkestone, and died 2d September 1722; the seventh was Sir Christopher Desbouverie, knight, (born 1671, died 1733), of whom and of his descendants I shall speak in a separate section. Returning to the father of this large family, Sir Edward Desbouverie, knight, I note that he died at his seat at Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire, 2d April 1694.

For several generations each head of this family obtained a step in worldly rank. The above-named Sir Edward was knighted by James II. His eldest son, William (born in 1657), who had been elected Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England on 2d April 1707, was created a baronet 19th February 1714 (n.s.). Sir William was twice married — first, to Mary, daughter of John Edwards, Esq., of London; and secondly, to Anne, only child of David Urry, Esq., of London, and granddaughter of John Urry, of Millplace, in the Isle of Wight. His surviving children were of the second marriage. The first and second sons were successively heads of the family, and his elder daughter Jane was the wife of John Allen Pusey, Esq. of Pusey, in Berkshire; a son (Christopher) and a daughter (Anne) died unmarried. He died in