THE Forefathers of the De Voe Family in America were found to be French Protestants, who with the many thousands early became known as Huguenots, all of whom were particularly obnoxious to the Roman Catholic authorities in France, especially to the infamous Catharine of Medicis, who persuaded her son, King Charles IX. of France, to massacre all the Protestants in the kingdom; and that detestable prince sent orders to the governors of the different provinces to put all the Huguenots to death in their respective districts. Some of them obeyed, but others immortalized their names by a spirited refusal. The Viscount d�Orthe, Governor of Bayonne, wrote to the court that �the King had many brave soldiers in that garrison, but not a single executioner.�

�Sire,� answered another Catholic governor, who will ever be dear to humanity, �I have too much respect for your Majesty not to persuade myself that the order I have received must be forged: but if�God forbid!�it should be really your Majesty�s order, I have too much respect for your Majesty to obey it.�

The �Massacre of St. Bartholomew,� as it was named, began on Sunday morning, August 24, 1572, and continued eight days, with scarce any intermission, when more than five thousand were slain. Old and young, male and female, rich and poor, all who were Huguenots, or sus pected of favoring their principles, were mercilessly slaughtered.

After some twenty years of unsettled government, Henry IV was found on the throne as a Protestant king; which lasted but a few- short years, when public policy led him to abjure Protestantism in 1593. This act naturally displeased the Protestants, when Henry, to conciliate this portion of his subjects, issued the celebrated Edict of Nautes in x 8, by which the Protestants were granted a perfect toleration of their religion, and full security both in person and property. After Henry�s death the Huguenots became disappointed; the Edict of Nantes was flagrantly and repeatedly violated, which led them to resolve to defend themselves from continued insults and oppression. An assembly of their leaders was held at Rochelle, when it was resolved, unless their wrongs should be redressed, they would throw off the yoke of France and erect a republic on the model of the Dutch. A war was the consequence under Louis XIV, when the Huguenots were so formidable that the Icing was obliged. to bold a treaty and confirm the �Edict of Nantes,� al though it proved an insecure peace. The Huguenots were afterwards attacked and besieged in Rochelle, where they bore all the horrors of a fierce siege and famine, by which more than two-thirds of the inhabitants had fallen victims, and those which were left in 16a9 became wholly at the mercy of their enemies.

After this period the Protestants were gradually deprived of a great many of their rights as citizens, and then again followed persecutions of a most unbearable character, to which was added the prohibition of their leaving the king dom. These numerous afflictions led thousands to expatriate themselves when opportunity offered.

Among the suffering Protestants the de Veaux family, or portions of them, had prepared themselves for flight; and when a favorable opportunity appeared they left their country and their home for ever.

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