The DeWolf family (also spelled D’Wolf or DeWolfe) is a prominent Canadian and American family that traces its roots to Balthazar DeWolf. The family's lineage can be traced back to Balthazar DeWolf, who was born in 1620 in the Netherlands and later immigrated to North America.
The DeWolf family played a significant role in the early colonial history of North America, particularly in the regions of New England and the Atlantic Canadian provinces. They were involved in various industries, including shipping, trade, and later, the slave trade.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, certain individuals from the DeWolf family rose to prominence as slave traders and held plantations in the Caribbean. They were deeply involved in the transatlantic slave trade, accumulating significant wealth from this enterprise.
In recent times, numerous descendants of the DeWolf family have been actively involved in confronting their ancestors' history of slave trading through their participation in documentaries, authoring books, and engaging in public discussions, these family members have openly addressed their family's past involvement in the slave trade.
Balthazar DeWolf
Balthazar DeWolf (d. about 1696)[1] is first mentioned in the records of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1656.[2] He married a woman named Alice by 1646, it is not known where.[3] Some believe she was Alice Peck, born on 26 February 1625, in Liddington, Rutland, England, a daughter of William Peck and Elizabeth Holt.[4] They had at least five children.[5] After 1668 they settled in Lyme, Connecticut.[6][7]
It is thought that Balthazar DeWolf was from the Livonian branch of DeWolfs, which is an offshoot of the Saxon branch.[8] However, that is only one of the most commonly cited versions, others mentioning that Balthazar DeWolf was a Huguenot, or Pole, or Russian, or Jew, or Dutch, or German.[5] There is a high possibility that DeWolf was English or educated in England as he and his children only married to other English settlers, which was very common at the time.
Abdi (or Abda) Dolph (1743 – ), m. Mary Coleman; changed the spelling of his last name from DeWolf to Dolph; forefather of Joseph N. Dolph and Cyrus A. Dolph
Prudence DeWolf
Benjamin DeWolf (1675–1734), m. Susannah Douglas
Simeon DeWolf (1713/19 – 1780/85), m. Parnell Kirtland, emigrated to Nova Scotia
Elizabeth DeWolf (1742 – ), m. William Andrews
Hon. Benjamin DeWolf (1744–1819), m. Rachel Otis (1741–1807), daughter of Nathaniel Kirtland and Phoebe (Marvin) DeWolf; forefather of Eliza Amelia Gore (1829–1916), for twenty-eight years Lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria.
John DeWolf ( – 1812), m. 1. Susanna Hatch; 2. Elizabeth Graham
James DeWolf (1762–1834), m. 1. Keturah Calkin; 2. Nancy Lawrence; 3. Jane Parker
Charles DeWolf (1765 – ), m. Sabra Harding; 2. Sarah Miner
Lucy DeWolf, m. Jonathan Wilson
Edward DeWolf
Stephen DeWolf ( – 1711), m. Elizabeth
Gideon DeWolf
Stephen DeWolf
Charles DeWolf
Simon DeWolf (~1648 – 1695), m. Sarah Lay
Simon DeWolf (1682/82 – 1707)
Sarah DeWolf (1685 – )
John DeWolf (1687 – ), died unmarried
Josiah DeWolf (1689–1767), m. 1. Anna Waterman; 2. Abigail (Comstock) Lord
Phoebe DeWolf (1691/92 – ), m. Joseph Mather
Daniel DeWolf (1693–1715), m. Phoebe Marvin, who m. Nathaniel Kirtland
Jabez DeWolf
Stephen DeWolf (1652–1702), m. 1. Sarah Terry; 2. Hannah Jones
Jehiel DeWolf 2nd (1727/31 – 1798), m. Phoebe Cobb; emigrated to Nova Scotia
Phoebe DeWolf, m. Ezekiel Comstock
Jehiel DeWolf (1755 – ), m. 1. Elizabeth Martin; 2. Anna Witter
Margaret DeWolf, m. 1. Samuel Witter; 2. James Brown
Oliver DeWolf, m. Amy Bishop
Daniel DeWolf, m. Lydia Kirtland Harris
Jerusha DeWolf, m. Peter Martin
Eunice DeWolf, m. Caleb Forsyth
Lydia DeWolf, m. 1. Samuel Starr; 2. Cyrus Peck; 3. Moses Stevens; with Samuel they are great-grandparents of Rev. Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton.
Stephen DeWolf (1731 – )
Phoebe DeWolf (1731–1736)
Elijah DeWolf (1733 – ), m. Submit Wilcox
Esther DeWolf (1736–1818), m. a Wheeler
Phoebe DeWolf (1741–1742)
Lewis DeWolf (1698 – )
Edward DeWolf (1736 – ), m. Hannah Ely
Phoebe DeWolf (1701 – )
Josiah DeWolf
Mary DeWolf (1655 or 56 – 1724), m. 1. Thomas Lee (1644–1704)(died), 1676; 2. Matthew Griswold of Lyme, 1705, connecting the DeWolfs to the Griswold family
Susannah DeWolf (1664–1735), m. 1. Henry Champion, 1684; 2. John Huntley, 1709
Joseph DeWolf (probably) (1668–1719)
Rhode Island branch
The Bristol or Rhode Island branch sprang from Charles DeWolf of Guadeloupe (1695–1726), who was born in Lyme, New London, Connecticut, the son of Charles DeWolf and Prudence DeWolf. He emigrated to Guadeloupe, the French West Indies. During the 18th and 19th centuries the D'Wolfs of Rhode Island were the largest slave traders in the state.[11]
Notable members
Mark Anthony DeWolf (1726–1793) was the fourth child of Charles DeWolf, the only one who returned to America. He became the patriarch of the Bristol branch of the family; he was a merchant and slave trader.
James DeWolf (1764–1837), son of Mark Anthony DeWolf. He was one of the richest men of his time, making the majority of his fortune in the slave trade.
General George W. DeWolf (1778–1844), a grandson of Mark Anthony DeWolf. He was a slave trader and the original owner of Linden Place.
Captain John DeWolf (1779–1872), a grandson of Mark Anthony DeWolf through his son Simon DeWolf. He was also known as John DeWolf II and "Norwest John". After a maritime fur trade voyage to Alaska as captain of the ship Juno, he sold the ship to the Russian-American Company, then travelled across Siberia all way to St. Petersburg, Russia, by land, becoming the first American who crossed Asia. He captured this 1804–1807 expedition in his 1861 book A Voyage to the North Pacific and a Journey through Siberia More Than Half a Century Ago.[5]
Theodora Goujaud DeWolf Colt (1820–1901), a daughter of George DeWolf. She was a published poet. She is credited with restoring Linden Place into one of the most famous mansions in New England.[12] She was mother of LeBaron Bradford Colt and Samuel P. Colt.
Charles DeWolf Brownell (1822–1909), son of Lucia Emilia DeWolf Brownell, granddaughter of Mark Anthony DeWolf. He was an American painter, best known for his landscape views.
DeWolf avenue in Bristol, Rhode Island is named after the DeWolfs.
In total, the Bristol DeWolfs are believed to have transported more than 11,000 slaves to the United States before the African slave trade was banned in 1808.[13][14]
DeWolfs of Nova Scotia
In 1761, three of Balthazar DeWolf's descendants, Simeon, Nathan and Jehiel DeWolf, with households amounting to 19 persons immigrated to Horton Township, Nova Scotia, to settle in the Grand Pre area.[15] Evelyn M. Salisbury's genealogy published in 1892 identified the three men as cousins and it also appeared in A. W. H. Eaton's, History of Kings County,[16] despite Eaton's efforts to change some parts of Salisbury's genealogy. In 1991 the publication of Dolphs and De Wolfs[17] by Carol Stark Maginnis after extensive research of original sources, reviewing the correspondence between Rev. Eaton and Mrs. Stainsbury, and examining the research of the Lyme Study Group, concluded the men were three sons of Benjamin DeWolf Sr. (born in October 1695), who was a son of Steven and grandson of Balthazar.[18] This matches Eaton's original belief the Nova Scotia family were descendants of Steven DeWolf, which had been disregarded in Salisbury's work, and which he then unfortunately copied in his own books.
Loran DeWolf (1754 – after 1818) was a political figure in Nova Scotia.
Elisha DeWolf (1756–1837) was born in Saybrook, Connecticut. He was a son of Nathan DeWolf and served as a judge and political figure in Nova Scotia.
James Ratchford DeWolf (1787–1855) was a merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia. He was the fifth child of Elisha DeWolf.
Thomas Andrew Strange DeWolf (1795–1878) was a merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented King's County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1837 to 1848. He was the ninth child of Elisha DeWolf.
Elisha DeWolf Jr. (1801–1850) was a political figure in Nova Scotia. He was the eleventh child of Elisha DeWolf.
Dr. James Ratchford DeWolf (1818–1901) was a physician and asylum superintendent.[19] He is the eldest son of Thomas Andrew Strange DeWolf. In 1841, he graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
Rev. Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton (1849–1937) was a Protestant Episcopal clergyman, educator and scholar.[20]
Vice Admiral Harry DeWolf CBE, DSO, DSC, CD (1903–2000) was a Canadian naval officer who was famous as the first commander of HMCS Haida during the Second World War.
James DeWolfe (b. 1949) is a former political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Pictou East in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2006 as a Progressive Conservative.
Legacy
Wolfville, Nova Scotia was renamed after the DeWolf family. Elisha DeWolf, Jr. was the postmaster of the community when the postal district name became official on August 13, 1830, replacing prior names including Mud Creek and Upper Horton. It was suggested the change was out of respect for his namesake father, Elisha DeWolf.[21]
Other DeWolfs
Delos DeWolf (1811–1882), a prominent citizen of Oswego, New York, United States, a politician and a banker.
Calvin DeWolf (1815–1899), a prominent lawyer and the first secretary of the Illinois chapter of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Joseph N. Dolph (1835–1897) was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon.
^Torrey, Clarence A., U.S., New England Marriages before 1700, p. 218
^Anderson, Mary Audentia Smith, 1872–1963. (1929). Ancestry and posterity of Joseph Smith and Emma Hale, with little sketches of their immigrant ancestors, all of whom came to America between the years 1620 and 1685, and settled in the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. [Herald Pub. House]. p. 191.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Torrey, Clarence A., U.S., New England Marriages before 1700, p. 218
^ abcdeSalisbury, Edward Elbridge, 1814–1901 (1892). Family histories and genealogies A series of genealogical and biographical monographs on the families of MacCurdy, Mitchell, Lord, Lynde, Digby, Newdigate, Hoo, Willoughby, Griswold, Wolcott, Pitkin, Ogden, Johnson, Diodati, Lee and Marvin, and notes on the families of Buchanan, Parmelee, Boardman, Lay, Locke, Cole, De Wolf, Drake, Bond and Swayne, Dunbar and Clarke, and a notice of Chief Justice Morrison Remick Waite. With twenty-nine pedigree-charts and two charts of combined descents. Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. pp. 125–135.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Lineage book of the National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America. National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America. 1916. p. 41.
^ abPerry, Calbraith B. (Calbraith Bourn), 1846–1914, "Charles DWolf of Guadaloupe, his ancestors and descendants. Being a complete genealogy of the "Rhode Island DWolfs," the descendants of Simon De Wolf, with their common descent from Balthasar de Wolf, of Lyme, Conn. (1668)." 1902
^Salisbury, Edward Elbridge, 1814–1901. (1892). Family histories and genealogies A series of genealogical and biographical monographs on the families of MacCurdy, Mitchell, Lord, Lynde, Digby, Newdigate, Hoo, Willoughby, Griswold, Wolcott, Pitkin, Ogden, Johnson, Diodati, Lee and Marvin, and notes on the families of Buchanan, Parmelee, Boardman, Lay, Locke, Cole, De Wolf, Drake, Bond and Swayne, Dunbar and Clarke, and a notice of Chief Justice Morrison Remick Waite. With twenty-nine pedigree-charts and two charts of combined descents. [Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor].{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Whittemore, Henry (1967). Genealogical guide to the first settlers of America : with a brief history of those of the first generation and references to the various local histories and other sources of information where additional date may be found. Genealogical Pub. Co. p. 147.
^ abEaton, Arthur Wentworth Hamilton, 1849–1937. (1895). The Elmwood Eatons. p. 23.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Rev. Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton, M.A., D.C.L. (1910). The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia, Heart of the Acadian Land, Giving a Sketch of the French and Their Expulsion: And a History of the New England Planters who Came in Their Stead, with Many Genealogies, 1604–1910. Salem Press Company. pp. 629–638.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Maginnis, Carol Stark (1991). Dolphs and De Wolfs. Lakeside Park, Ky: Richard Dolph. pp. 276–278.
^Maginnis, Carol Stark. "Nova Scotia". Welcome to Dolphs and Dewolfs – archived 2003 version. Archived from the original on June 22, 2003. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
^Davison, James Doyle (1985). Mud Creek: The Story of The Town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Wolfville Historical Society. p. 31. ISBN0-9691719-0-0.
^The tinctures of the blazon below are taken from the hatchings found in the previous version of the file, as found in the file's history in Wikimedia Commons. That image was taken from the book "Charles DWolf of Guadaloupe, his ancestors and descendants. Being a complete genealogy of the "Rhode Island DWolfs," the descendants of Simon De Wolf, with their common descent from Balthasar de Wolf, of Lyme, Conn. (1668).", 1902 by Calbraith B. Perry.
^This does not mean the family held a Barony or the title of Baron in the Empire, it could simply be a stylistic choice by an American family member, where there are no real rules on heraldry.
