We Update Often
This Website was last updated on 13 August 2011
Many hours have been put into the research and documentation
of our Family History. I hope you will benefit from the
information I present here. Any additions, corrections or
comments are welcome. Enquiries or comments can be directed to me
at this
This web site contains birth dates and other personal information
of living individuals. Most of this information has been
volunteered to the owner personally by contributors and if anyone
does not wish that their / family members information be made
publicly available or if the information about you is incorrect,
please email me. I will then correct your data or remove the data
from the website.
The du Plessis family In South Africa
The founding father of the du Plessis family in South Africa
was Jean Prieur du Plessis. He arrived in the Cape aboard the
ship Oosterlandt in April 1688. He was a French Huguenot who fled
France to Holland before coming to South Africa with the
Huguenots.
The du Plessis family name traces back to around 1200 with
Guilaume du Plessis, seigneur (lord) of Breux and seigneur of La
Vervoliere.
While the first Duke of Richelieu was a member of the du Plessis
family there is no indication that he (a celebrate clergyman) or
his brothers were direct ancestors of Jean Prieur du Plessis. In
fact, the chances are slight as the title passed to his
sister's grandson, Armand Jean de Vignerot who was given the
du Plessis de Richelieu family name and title with permission of
the king.
Jean Prieur du Plessis, founding father of the du Plessis' in
South Africa had three sons:
- Charl Prieur du Plessis (mother Magdalene Menantau) Born 18 April aboard the Oosterlandt
- Jean-Louis du Plessis (mother Magdalene Menantau)
- Pieter du Plessis (mother Maria Buisset)
He also had four daughters:
Most of the information traced relates to the descendants of Charl Prieur du Plessis. Very little is known of the descendants of Jean-Louis and Pieter.
Family Group Sheets
Should you have any additions which you want to add, please use the Family Group Sheet that I have provided to update a family groupNote that this form is a record of a family - consisting of a Husband, wife and children of a family group.
If any of the children are married, then a new family sheet should be compiled for this new family.
The Excel Worksheet contains 6 blank family sheets. The completed form should be saved to your hard drive then returned to me as an email attachment.
du Plessis coat of arms (France).