Jean Du Quesne was Marie (born 17th Oct. 1602), who became in 1620 the wife of James Houblon; another sister Sara (born 1608, died 1653) was married in 1636 to Isaac, son of Abraham Le Quesne, of Rouen. There were several brothers of the third Jean Du Quesne; we single out Pierre, whom we may call Peter, because he founded the English family. Peter Du Quesne (born 11th July 1609), married at Canterbury, 7th July 1636, Jeanne (or Jane) daughter of Elias Maurois of Hoplire, in the Netherlands, by Elizabeth, daughter of Laurent Des Bouveries. Their seventh son Peter (born 17th March 1645) founded the family which has anglicized the spelling of its name. The proper name Quesne is a corruption of the noun chesne or (chène, signifying an oak; and ch being often pronounced like k, this noun to an Englishman would have the sound of cane; hence arose the name, Du Cane. The above-named Peter Du Cane at the age of 30, i.e., in 1675, took to wife Jane, daughter of Alderman Richard Booth, and was the father of Richard Du Cane (born 13th Oct. 1681, died 3d Oct. 1744), M.P. for Colchester in the first parliament of George I., and a Director of the Bank of England. He married Priscilla daughter and heiress of Nehemiah Lyde, and granddaughter maternally of Colonel Thomas Reade, a famous parliamentarian soldier.
The heir of Richard and Priscilla was Peter Du Cane of Braxted Park, Essex (born 22d April 1713, died 28th March 1803), a Director of the East India Company and of the Bank of England, High Sheriff of Essex in 1744-5; he married, 27th May 1733, Mary, daughter of Henry Norris of Hackney, and was at his death represented by two sons having issue, namely, Peter, his successor (born in 1741), and Henry (born in 1748). The last-named Peter Du Cane, who died in 1822, aged 81, was, by his wife Phebe Philips, daughter of Edward Tredeugh, Esq., of Horsham (whom he had married in 1769), the father of another Peter. This Peter Du Cane of Braxted Park (born 19th August 1778, died May 1841), M.P. for Steyning, left no heirs, and the representation of the family devolved upon the descendants of his deceased uncle, Henry. Henry Du Cane had died in 1810, having married Louisa, daughter of J. C. Desmadryll, Esq., and granddaughter maternally of General Dcsborough. His three sons were —
(1.) The Rev. Henry Du Cane of the Grove, Witham (born 1786, died 1855).
(2.) Major Richard Du Cane of the 20th Light Dragoons (born 1788, died 1832).
(3.) Captain Charles Du Cane, R.N. (born 1789, died 1850).
The estate of Braxted Park is now in the possession of the heir of the third of these sons. But, following the order of birth, we may note Percy Charles Du Cane, Esq., as the heir of the first line; his sister Charlotte (born in 1835) was married in 1858 to Captain William Luard, R.N., of the Lodge, Witham.
The second line is represented by (1.) Richard Du Cane, Esq., (born in 1821), who married in 1859 Charlotte Marie, daughter of Sir John Guest, Bart, and Lady Charlotte Guest. (2.) Major Edmund Frederick Du Cane (born in 1830), Inspector-General of Military Prisons. To this line belonged Rev. Arthur Du Cane (born 1825, died 1865), Minor Canon of Wells Cathedral.
The third line is represented by Charles Du Cane, Esq., of Braxted Park (born in 1825), formerly M.P. for North Essex and a Lord of the Admiralty, now Governor of the Colony of Tasmania; he married in 1863 Hon. Georgiana Susan Copley, third daughter of Lord Lyndhurst.
Connected with the above was the refugee family of Le Thieullier, which had been cradled in Valenciennes. John Le Thieullier, merchant, died at Lewisham in 1690, aged 88, having married Jane, daughter of John de la Fortrie, merchant in London, by whom he had two sons, Sir John Le Thieullier, knight and alderman, who married Anne, daughter of Alderman Sir William Hooker; and Sir Christopher Le Thieullier, knight, alderman, and Turkey merchant, who married Jane, daughter of Peter Du Quesne. One of the children of the latter was Christopher Le Thieullier of Belmont, Middlesex, whose daughter Sarah was married to Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh, Bart., and was the mother of Sir Henry Fetherstonhaugh, his successor in the baronetcy.
There is a privately printed volume (fifty copies) which The Register attributes to Brigadier-
