Three unusual members of the family have been included in this chapter: Daniel 1644-1719 'le beau Chevalier', John 1729-1788 the Card and Samuel 1748-1805 the Philanthropist. Samuel was John's oldest son. Daniel was John's grand-uncle, i.e. his grandfather John's brother.

Daniel de la Force, le beau chevalier

Daniel was born in 1644 to Jean de la Force and Judith de Boucqoi (link to the family tree page). Jean, Claude and Abraham were his brothers and Judith his sister He was born either in Calais or in neighbouring Guisne and came to England as a young man and became intimately connected with the Huguenot counts and nobles fighting for England against the Catholic armies of France. He was particularly linked with two eminent nobles: de Duras and de Miremont from 1662 onwards.

It is tempting to believe the comment in Huguenot Society Proceedings No.17 page 446, which states "Daniel Laforce 1686-89, another resident of St. James, is recorded as burying a child at St. James Church. He was probably a relative of Duchesse de La Force, also buried at St. James", but that was not the case.

Daniel quickly joined the French emigre' army and became a captain of a Troop of Horse in Ireland. Later he was made secretary to the first Earl of Feversham who was the inefficient Commander in Chief of the British Army in the 1680s. In 1672 Feversham went to Paris with Peace Papers between Charles II and Louis XIV. Feversham's personal name was Lewis/Louis de Duras, a Huguenot Count and nephew of Marshall Turenne, who lived close to Daniel in Soho Square. In 1688 King James took the advice of his French General Feversham/de Duras and resolved to fall back on London and the Thames. Daniel was also for a time in 1687 until 3rd January 1688 a Major-General with Marquis de Miremont's regiment, when it was disbanded. De Miremont (or De Mauriac) came from the Haute Auvergne and were neighbours of the De La Forces and possibly intermarried. In 1701 De Miremont was put on trial in effect for embezzling state funds. "Appellant first brought a bill against the Marquis and his agent Monsieur de La Force as well as against Respondent, whether the troops were well supplied with equipment - received 1000L from King James to raise troop of 59 men but only obtained 36". The faithful Daniel made various Town Depositions in July 1699 and again in 1709. In 1706 the La force regiment under De Miremont had fought at the disaster of the Almanza. It is clear that the Huguenot commanders possessed courage, elan, but perhaps not skills in either administration or military tactics!

In 1694 three other members of the family were noted in the War Office records as serving officers in the Irish campaign: Pierre du Foussat was a lieutenant in the Comte de Martins' Regiment of Foot, the Sieur du Fosset (possibly Daniel's son) was lieutenant in the Marquis de Miremont's Regiment of French Dragoons, and Francis de La Force was a Captain in Colonel Robert Byer Leys' Regiment of Horse.

In 1687 Daniel was granted a Royal Warrant and Bounty for services in Ireland from Windsor Castle. On 9th September 1689 he obtained a pass to go to Holland and also visited his family in Calais. On 20th November 1712 he got another Royal Warrant from Windsor Castle to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland "nominated a pension of 3 shillings a day to Daniel de la Force who has served long in public employment and is now reduced to low circumstances having lost a son in her majesty's service". Later on he received a pension of 45 guineas for services in Ireland

Daniel was also a friend of Lord and Lady Arlington, Secretary of State from 1665. In 1699 The Vice Chamberlain Sir John Coke notes a list of lodgings at Somerset House in Fleet Street, St. Clemence Danes' parish.

Feversham was Chamberlain to the Queen and Henry Killigrew was page of the Bedchamber. King Charles II walked frequently in Arlington Gardens and inevitably Daniel would have met the King before Charles death in 1685.

In 1680 aged 36 he married Catherine Coseri, his second wife, and son Daniel was born in June the same year. Charles D'fforce was baptised 15th December 1687, St. James Piccadilly, to Daniel and Catherine. It may have been Charles who was killed in action before 1712, as the Daniel born about 1680 (died 2nd May 1716 St. Edmunds, Lombard Street) married Susanna (names given as Delaforce, Deforce, lafosle, laforce) St. Martins in the Fields. Daniel was born in 1705, Anne 1707, Margaret 1708, Mary 1710 and another Daniel in 1712; the first presumably having died in infancy.

Daniel twice wrote to the King, Charles II, in 1677 and 17th December 1683. "Petition praying an order to the Minister at the French Court to endeavour to obtain leave for the petitioner's brother, a merchant in Calais, who desires to settle in his Majesty's dominions to transport himself and with his estate accordingly." A copy was sent to Lord Preston State Papers Domestic CAR 11 435 No.59.

He died in August 1719 aged 75 and left his estate to Katherine, his widow.

Nearly all of the information about Daniel comes from published State Papers and Chancelry Proceedings viewed at then PRO in Chancery Lane.

Samuel Delaforce - the Philanthropist

The Delaforce Educational Foundation - Southwark

Samuel Delaforce 1749-1805 was the eldest son of John the Musicaner of St. Botolphs, Bishopsgate (and Elizabeth Delaforce,). See this link to the family tree. His Guild and that of his son Samuel, was the Carpenters, of which he was made Free on 4th September 1770 and he became a skilled cabinet maker. In 1770 he married Elizabeth Fleurriet from a well-known Weaver family, at St Saviours, Southwark. Like his father John, Samuel had several commercial interests: pawnbroking, mainly in connection with his grandfather's Golden Ball in Bishopsgate; stockbroking; and possibly commodity broking like his father. In fact in partnership with Samuel Robinson, auctioneer, of Christchurch, Surrey - both putting up bonds for £500 in 1793 (a large sum in those days), he must have made a lot of money. (His estate was however less than £17,500). He conducted his stockbroking business from his own coffee shop, the Magdalene in Southwark.

He owned many houses in Southwark, on Blackfriars Road, also No.25 Queen Street, Park and also Ratcliffe Highway in Stepney. (Ref. PROB 10-3729 XP001388 Dec.1805). On his death on 10th November 1805 he left £3,000 each to Samuel and John, his sons and £3,000 to his wife Elizabeth which reverted on her death to St. George the Martyr Church, Southwark. His will is quite specific and is shown below.

Delaforce's Charity - St. George the Martyr, Southwark

Samuel Delaforce, by will dated 10 November 1805 gave to his wife Elizabeth, the interest of £3000 3 per cents for life; after her death, £500 for instructing poor children in reading in the Poor House of St. George, Southwark for ever. The interest of £1,000 for the nourishment of poor people in a poor, weak, sickly way in the poor house of St. George Southwark for ever. The interest of £500 for the support & education of poor boys and girls in the Charity Schools of said Parish. The interest of £1,000 to be given away yearly to such poor decayed families as had lived as good housekeepers, and had borne a good character and were then of the Parish of St. George, to each family two bushels of coal, 5/- in money, and a quartern loaf which were to be distributed yearly by the churchwardens & overseers at their discretion for ever. The Testators widow is still living.

1879 20 October. Transferred to 3000 New Consols, Divs £82-10. Trustees Robert Drewitt Hilton, Alexander Hawkins, Thomas Emary & James Chubb.

There is no doubt that Samuel and Elizabeth were deeply attached and committed to help the Southwark poor. Samuel was buried in the crypt at St. George the Martyr.

The Rector wrote in April 1981 "The Samuel Delaforce Educational Fund is administered from the Town Hall (Southwark) taken over at the time when the Borough Councils were established at the turn of the century. I know of a number of grants made to assist local children."

Information about Samuel came from Parish Registers, Wills, John Harvard Library, Brokers Guild, and the IGI Index.