12. Francis⁴ King (Pieter De³ Coninck, Pieter De², Francois De¹) (#3776) was born Saint Anna Ter Muiden, Zeeland Prov., Netherlands 1676. Francis died 1753 New Castle Co., Delaware, at 77 years of age.

He married twice. He married ? Vandegrift Abt 1715. (? Vandegrift is #3777.) ? was the daughter of Leendert Vandegrift and Styntje Elsworth. from Susan Musser Minch

Name could be Ford.

He married Christian Vandegrift Abt 1719. (Christian Vandegrift is #4437.) Christian was born Abt 1697. Christian was the daughter of Leendert Vandegrift and Styntje Elsworth. Christian died Bef 24 Dec 1778 St. George Hundred, New Castle Co., Delaware, at approximately 81 years of age. from Susan Musser Minch

from "HISTORY OF THE KING FAMILY FLANDERS TO AMERICA" Chapter 11 Christian Vandegrift is thought to be the 2nd wife of Francis King. And the mother of his youngest 7 children. His first wife is thought to be her sister, name unknown. She was born in the late 1690's, married Francis King 1710's. They lived in New Castle County, Delaware area. She was the step mother to the older 2 children, and mother to 7. Four of these children and grand children married sons of her brother, Christopher's son, Leonard Vandegrift. Christiana died in St. Georges Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, prior to the 24 December 1778, probate of her will written 16, August 1765, in New Castle County, Delaware.

from Susan Musser Minch

From "THE HISTORY OF THE KING FAMILY FLANDERS TO AMERICA, 1300 - 1980" Baptized November 8, 1676; Father: Pieter de Coning Mother: Anna Colet Witnesses: Joris Goverts and Elisabet Verstraat (Note: Francois de Coninck = Francis King later died prior to 7, May 1753, in New Castle County, Delaware, leaving several thousand descendants by 1980).

Francis King, was a son of Pieter de Coninck / Peter King and his wife Anna Calet, immigrants to America. Francis was born in the Netherlands less that three years before the family came to the New World, settling in northern Delaware by 1681. Baptismal records of the Reformed Dutch Church at the village of Saint Anna Ter Muiden in Zeeland Province of the Netherlands, give his baptism on 8, November 1676, as follows: "Francois, the child of Pieter de Coning and Anna Colet." Francis King's actual date of birth would have been a few days prior to this. He died prior to 7, May 1753, when a copy of his will was recorded in New Castle County, Delaware. His will was written 31, Aug 1745.

Francis King apparently was named for his maternal Grandfather, Francois Calet, and/or his paternal great grandfather, Francois de Conninck. Both had died before his birth.

As a young child of 3 years, he would have remembered little about the ship voyage to America in 1679. Undoubted, as a small child, being confined for 6 to 12 weeks on a ship, under the watchful eyes of his parents, would have been frustrating. Equally, his later childhood spent in the religious colony of the Labadists, at the Bohemia Manor in Cecil County, Maryland, also must have seemed confining. Perhaps it was a relief to him when the family abandoned the Labadist settlement when he was a teenager (or younger) in favor of living in nearby New Castle County, Delaware. Their settlement north of present day Odessa, Delaware, by the mid-1690's was the area where Francis spent the rest of his life.

With the death of his father, in 1695, and the remarriage of his mother the following year to Marinus De Witt, Francis King came under the influence of a step-father. Yet this relationship apparently was an agreeable one for Francis, as he honored his step-father by naming his first child for him, using his real fathers name for a younger son. Indeed it is likely that Marinus De Witt had been a family friends for several years, and perhaps had lived at the Labadist Colony. (Note: during this period it was customary and expected, that all but the oldest widowed people would remarry -- being particularly true for women who might not have any economic means to live alone.)

Prior to 14, May 1705, there are no known records in America pertaining to Francis King. It is only on this latter date, that Francis King (listed as Francois Koning) is first mentioned in New Castle County, Delaware records. On that day, Francis witnessed three deeds for land being sold to his brothers.

Francis King's use of the older Dutch version of his name on these deeds is interesting, in light of his three brothers use of the English versions of their names. The mixing of both English and the Dutch spellings of the same names is probably one result of the diverse cultural atmosphere of northern Delaware at this period in history. Both English and Dutch peoples were settling in large numbers in New Castle County, Delaware in the late 1600's and early 1700's; while earlier many Swedes, Finns and other Europeans had settled in this region. This resulted in a constant mixture of their cultures. Yet as the English held legal control over the region after 1667, Dutch people and others were required to have their legal documents written in English - with English names frequently sustituted for non English ones.

There are 6 deeds recorded in New Castle County, Delaware involving land bought and sold by Francis King.

On 10, May 1711, Francis King, along with others, purchased ... one acre of land on which to build a church. It was the site of present day "Old Drwyers Presbyterian Church" located about a mile north of Odessa, Delaware. Just north of the church site, was land owned by Francis King and his residence may well have been within view of the church. As early as 1708, Presbyterians in the area had come togather as a congregation, and by 1711, their first church building became a reality. The initial structure was of wood, which in 1773 was torn down and replaced by the existing 44 foot by 56 foot brick church. Today, it still stands, surrounded by a cemetery in which over 100 descendants of Francis King are buried. Probably Francis King and his two wives and most of his children are buried there, but with their graves today in the "unknown sections" of the cemetery, closest to the church (the earliest standing stones date back to the 1770's) The two-story church structure with it's upper gallery was built originally to house the slaves of congregation members, it remains today as one of the recognized historical landmarks of northern Delaware.

Francis King was married twice, and had nine children to live to adulthood. His first marriage occurred perhaps two or more years prior to 24, January 1716, as on that date he was listed by Charles Ford in his will.

It is thought that Francis married two different daughters of Leonard Vandergrift, and his wife Christina Elsworth. Francis King's oldest Daughter Hannah (or Johannah) is thought to have married a Haughey. This rather unusual surname, (probably Irish) is found with several spellings including "Haughawout" which like "Haughey" can be pronounced to fhyme with the name "Joey". Similarly, the name "Haughhead" can be pronounced to rhyme with "Joey" if a quasi-french pronunciation is used. If Francis did marry two different sisters, this would have kept with the frequent customs during this period of marrying a sister of a deceased wife (or brother of a deceased husband). The theory that both of Francis King's wives were Vandegrift seems possible (according the "THE KING FAMILY..." book, page 269). This theory is still being researched. From a deed quoted in the "THE KING FAMILY ..." it is assumed that the 9 children of Francis King were by 2 wives with the oldest 2 children, Marinus and Hannah (Johannah) Kings, by his first wife. Francis King's 2nd wife was Christian Vandegrift, is presumed to be the mother of the 7 younger children.

Francis King and ? Vandegrift had the following children:

+ 15 i. Johannah⁵ King was born Bef Jan 1715/16.

16 ii. Marinus King (#4438) was born Bef 1716. Marinus died Bef 18 Nov 1747 at approximately 31 years of age. He married ? Williams. (? Williams is #4439.)

Francis King and Christian Vandegrift had the following children:

17 iii. Francis King (#4440) was born Abt 1720. Francis died Bef 09 Dec 1794 at approximately 74 years of age. He married Ann ?. (Ann ? is #4441.)

+ 18 iv. Peter King was born Abt 1720.

19 v. Leonard King (#4443) was born Abt 1721.

20 vi. Christian King (#4444) was born Abt 1725. Christian died Bef 27 Apr 1776 at approximately 50 years of age.

21 vii. Catherine King (#4445) was born Abt 1730. Catherine died Bef 22 May 1799 at approximately 68 years of age.

22 viii. Rebecca King (#4446) was born Abt 1738. Rebecca died 17 Aug 1803 at 65 years of age.

23 ix. Ann King (#4447) was born Abt 1742. Ann died 10 May 1793 at 50 years of age.

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