One hypothesis of our original US ancestor

Samuel Prevo -- Birth, immigration and marriage dates have, so far, been lost to us for this "first generation" of US members of our Prevo Family. What is known is that he was a protestant and members of the family living the United States practiced the teachings of Quakerism from at least the 1780s through the 1890s. It is quite possible; however, this was a conversion from their roots as French Camisards (French Calvinists) who emmigrated from the Souther Lozere and Gard regions of Franche near Alais and Florac.


Researchers have widely believed that Samuel Prevo-I was born in France immigrating to the British Colonies of North America at a fairly young age. It is unknown whether he was married at the time of immigration to Rachel, whose maiden name has also remained elusive. Samuel settled in the upper northwest portion of Delaware well prior to 177 when records show he and his wife, Rachel, witnessing a Will for a William Harris of nearby New Castle County. Two other Prevo Family members live within the area at this time and are likely kin to our Samuel.

Researchers tend to show both John (b: 1767) and Alexander (b: btw 1768-1770) as the first and seconds sons, respectively. This would mean that our Samuel was 16 at the time of John's birth. With this lineage is not definitive, I tend to hypothesis that these were brothers of Samuel who settled nearby and were the progenitors of their own branches of this Prevo Family. While only one son, Samuel-II can be definitively proven, it is very likely that Samuel and Rachel had at least one daughter and another son, possibly named Asel.

Samuel Prevo moved to Randolph County, North Carolina prior to 1771 and Rachel Prevo died there prior to 1788. The County records show that samuel married a second time to Kathran Savage on 12 February 1788; however, that union was short lived as Samuel's estate was probated on the 12 June 1789.

Within one-two generation of our Samuel-I's immigration to the British Colonies, Prevo families can also be traced to Spain, England, what is now Canada, Nova Scotia, and what is now the British Virgin Islands.

Several professional genealogists have claimed that the name's origin are midland English in the area of Rutland where at 16th Century ancestor held Lordship title. This almost belies their own research which also indicates that the name is a shortened version of Provost or Prevost that seems to derive from a French root.

The immigration of Prevo's around the world may be a direct result of the Edict of Fontainebleau, commonly referred to as the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Edict, penned by King Louis XIV in 1685, had very damaging results for France. While the wars of religion did not re-ignite, scattered revolts took place throughout France from 1702 through 1715. As many as 400,000 Protestants chose to leave France, most moving to Great Britain, Prussia , the Dutch Republic, Switzerland and the new French colonies in North America. This exodus deprived France of many of its most skilled and industrious individuals, who would from now on aid France's rivals in Holland and England General story and hypothesis.

Penned by Michael W. McKinney 2004 (all rights reserved)