Prevauste History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The surname Prevauste is a ancient French name. It was a name given to a person from Brittany who was a prefect or chief magistrate. 1 Looking back even further, we found the name was originally derived from the Old French word, "prevost", which signified someone of that title. 2

Early Origins of the Prevauste family

The surname Prevauste was first found in Brittany (French: Bretagne) where this noble family originated in ancient times.

Lords of Bonneseaux are cited in 1427 and maintained nobility of ancient extraction in 1669. The name was also found in Montreuil in the 18th century with a group of Lords from Bourgogne and a Commissioner General in the Navy. 1

François Prevost, born in 1638, son of Charles and Jeanne, was the Major of the Château Saint-Louis and Governor of Trois-Rivières. He married Geneviève Macard, daughter of Nicolas and Marguerite, in the province of Quebec on 1st August 1679. They remained together in Quebec until François passed away on 5th June 1702. 3

Early History of the Prevauste family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prevauste research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1547, 1580, 1622, 1638, 1665, 1680, 1697, 1702, 1729, 1732, 1741, 1753, 1763, 1830, 1831, 1848 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Prevauste History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prevauste Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous spelling alterations depending on the region and time it was used. The early development of the French language relied heavily on borrowing elements and grammar from other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Prevauste is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Prévost, Prévoste, Prévosts, Prévostes, Prévaust, Prévauste, Prévaustes, Prévausts, de Prévost, du Prévost and many more.

Early Notables of the Prevauste family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Louis-Constant Prévost-Paradol, journalist, Man of Letters, member of the French Academy; Françoise Prévost (c. 1680-1741), a French ballerina; François Provost (1638-1702), French-born...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prevauste Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prevauste family

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Prevauste has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Prevauste were Mr. Prevost, who settled in Carolina in 1679; John Prevost settled in Barbados in 1685; Adam Prevost settled in Virginia in 1700; Adrien Prevost, aged 24.

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print