Notes for Jean Baptiste DUPREL

Notes for Jean Baptiste DUPREL

BAPTIZED: Monday MARRIED: Tuesday DIED: Saturday. Age from Baptismal to death 68 years 8 months 26 days.
RECORDS: Baptismal, Marriage, Death.
GODFATHER: Joannes Weyler vel Fridtges from Septfontaines
GODMOTHER: Anna Margareta Defran from Septfontaines
LDS FILM #0425112 Septfontaines (baptismal & marriage)
ALIAS: Joannes Baptista Fridges, Johann Weiler

Jean was a day laborer in Septfontaines Luxembourg. In his later years he was a shepheard (a hearder of animals) The first record I have for Jean / Joannes / Johann DUPREL, that a name other than FRIDGES or WEYLER was used is on his marriage record. There you will see where the priest wrote the last name as DYPERE. But if you look at the signature on the second page you will see where Jean signed it as Johann WEILLER. The date of that record is 1795 & it is in the town of Siebenborn, Septfontaines in French Most Parish records in Luxembourg started in the 1650's and continued through the year 1795 these records were usually written in Latin. The Civil Registration started in the year 1796, those records are available to the year 1880 and were usually written in French and German. The documents on WEILER, FRIDGES and DUPREL in this book have been copied from those Parish and Civil records. I did not find any records where Jean WEILER alias DUPREL used the name DUPREL until after 1795. The first clear record that I have found that he used DUPREL on is his sons Dominique birth certificate (1802)

The name DUPREL has been spelled and written many different ways on both the Civil and Parish records in Luxembourg. Below is some examples.

Dupre', Dupper, Duprez, Dupres, Dupre'l, Duprex, Duprell, Duprese, Duppre', Duprelle, du Prel, D'uprel, Duperelle, Dypere, DuPrel

The first name of Joannis or Joannes is the Latin form of John
The first name of Johannas or Johann is the German form of John
The first name of Jean is the French form of John

Anna and Jean lived in the shadow of the castle in the village of Septfontaines according to the records. They later moved into the School house also called the Shepherds house in Greisch. It is not known what year they moved from Septfontaines to Greisch, but it is known that their son Dominique died there in 1828. Greisch is a commune of Septfontaines and is only a couple of miles from there. Septfontaines is a town surrounded by hills, the church there is were people from all over the canton (district) come to get married. Especially in the 1700 and 1800's. Septfontaines got its name, from the seven fountaines / springs, that are located there. Septfontaines lies in the middle of the extensive woods of the Eisch Valley, it is dominated by a Medieval Castle. At the time of Nicolas DUPREL wedding (1830) it was written that his father Jean DUPREL, was a cowhearder (Hirt) Jean was 67 years old at that time. Both Jean DUPREL and Anna BLUM died in Greisch Luxembourg and are buried there. Their son Nicolas filled out the papers for both of their death records. Jean DUPREL died in the house called School (1836). I do not know why Jean WEYLER alias Jean DUPREL waited till until the early 1800's to use the DUPREL surname. It should be mentioned here that Jean DUPREL and some of his descendants used the last name of DUPRE' for several years. Even on Jean's death certificate (1836) his last name was written as DUPRE'. His daughters Catharina was married in 1841 using the last name of DUPRE'. And at the time of her death in 1875 was still know as DUPRE'. Catharina older brother Nicolas last name was written as DUPRE' on her marriage certificate as was her deceased father Jean DUPREL. But her brother Nicolas signed the certificate N: DUPREL not DUPRE'. Nicolas DUPREL son of Jean used the last name of DUPRE' for many years one of Nicolas sons Michel was born in 1834, his last name was written as DUPRE'. Nicolas's other son Jacque, was born in 1839 just four years later, and his name was written as DUPREL. Jean's daughter Marie DUPREL was married in 1839 that marriage certificate shows her last name as DUPREL, But when her children were born her last name was written DUPRELLE and DUPERELLE. Below is a list of different surnames that Jean DUPREL used on various records from 1767 to his death in 1836. I have found even tho the clerks wrote these different names, Jean used the WEYLER surname from his birth till the early 1800's when he started using the surname DUPREL

THE CLERKS WROTE JOANNES/JOHANN LAST NAME AS FOLLOWS

Joannes Fridges His baptismal record 1767
Joannes Weyler baptismal record Maria Kiesser
Joannes Dypere His marriage record 1795
Johann Weiler Daughter Catharina birth record 1799
Johann Weiler Daughter Catharina death record 1800
Jean Duprel Sons birth certificate Dominique 1802
Jean Dupre'l Sons Dominique death certificate 1802
Jean Duprel Sons Nicolas birth record 1805
Jean Gepper Daughter Catharina birth record 1808
Jean Gepper Sons Dominique birth certificate 1811
Jean Duprez Sons Dominique death certificate 1828
Jean Duprel Sons Nicolas military record 1830
Jean Duprel Sons Nicolas marriage certificate 1830
Jean Weiler Sons Michael 1st marriage certificate 1833
Jean Weiler Sons Michael 2nd marriage certificate 1834
Jean Dupre' His death record 1836
Jean Duprel Daughter Marie marriage certificate 1839
Jean Dupre' Wife Anna Blum death certificate 1840
Jean Dupre' Daughter Catharina Marriage certificate 1841

In 1795 the conscription of men between the ages of 20 and 25 years of age were forced into the French army. The Luxembourgers called this the tax of blood. The conscription took 9,000 of the 14,000 young men available. The Luxemburgers rebelled it was called (Kloppelkrieg) the war of the sticks the name itself is an inspiration. The French referred to l'armee des batons or la querre des paysans. But note: the Luxembourgers called it the army of Jesus Christ! Ardennes peasants, unorganized, with not much more than clubs and farm tools as weapons, presumed ot defy the mighty power of the French. Spontaneous uprisings led to attacks on village garrisons, to death, dispersal capture, trial, and execution. It was a national indignation that prompted the rebellion. It was national defeat that the inadequate little forces suffered. It was a national retribution that was exacted, a national rancor that burned in the endurance that sustained the population. The French were taxing everything. These new taxes were inposed on anything that could be identified as taxable, even doors and windows. Salt, Leather, Tabacco, Sugar, Coffee were taxed at three to five times the old rate. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 963 A.D. to 1983 Written by James Newcomer

Jean DUPREL was 27 years old in 1795. It is not known if he had a part in this. I have included it here so you will know what it was like then. The French were in control till the year 1815. I had the military records checked in France to see if there was anything on Johann / Jean DUPREL. There wasn't I will have them checked again, this time for the surname WEYLER.

Written by Richard J. Duprel Lacey, Washington (1993)