Gedeon Marles

  General Notes:

Gedeon Merlet was one of many Huguenots who found refuge from religious persecution in Holland during the first half of the 17th century. Under the promise of lands and aid in getting started in the New World, he with some twenty-nine other refugees came over to the New Netherlands in October, 1662, on the ship "Purmerland Church" captained by Benjamin Barentsz. With him were his wife Marguerite Martin and four minor sons, namely, Joshua, born 1647; Paul, born 1654; John born 1656; and Abraham, born 1658 also. Also accompanying him were his Uncle Phillip(Marlet) and Jeanne Martijn, a cousin to his wife.
Early in the year following his arrival, 1663, Gedeon Merlet, with six other Huguenot immigrants, joined in a petition to the Director General and the Council of New Netherlands for grants of suitable land, provision for temporary subsistence, and seed grain so that, as they stated, "the supplicants may exert their industry and zeal without obstruction in the cultivation of the land, not only for their personal benefit, but also for the welfare and good of the whole country," They also promised ultimately to fully repay the Council for such advances.
This petition, the original of which is now on file in the State Archives at Albany, was approved, and in the instance of Gedeon Merlet resulted in the assignmant of land to himself and his sons in Staten Island, much of it in the vicinity and possibly covering the site of this Church edifice. Here he lived the balance of his life, and his children grew to manhood.
The fragments of the history of this period which have come down to us,' in addition to records of land purchases and transfers, indicate that Gedeon Merlet, during the first British occupancy of New Netherlands was appointed by Governor Francis Lovelace as a constable in Stanten Island-(April 20, 1671). A little later, under the very brief re-occupancy of the Colony by the Dutch, he was appointed by Governor Coive as a magistrate (February 14, 1674). We have no record of his death, which must have occurred prior to 1683, as indicated by the Inheritance and division of his land.
Gedeon's youngest son, Abraham, married about 1677 Christence Billieu, daughter of Pierre Billieu-a Huguenot immigrant of 1661 and prominent in the early settlement of Stanten Island. Two children came from this union,<b> viz.,</b> Margaret, baptized March 31, 1678 and Abraham May 16, 1680.
We have little information as to Abraham, the youngest son of Gedeon, except that he was for a period Collector for the southern part of Stanten Island. The name of Merlet very soon lost Its French pronunciation and spelling, changing to Marlet, Marlett and Marlatt, with many other spellings.

Gedeon married Margriet Martin.