This site is home to the William Van Orden (and Julia Ann Haight) family.

William’s XVIth century Hugenot ancestor, Lord Pierre Mabille de Nevy, a land owner from the Anjou Province in the Loire River Valley, fled the Inquisition in France around the time of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, 24 August 1572, for Holland.

Pierre’s descendants adopted Naarden, Holland as their home and patronym. From there, they moved on to establish homes early in the XVIIth century in America, first on the Atlantic seaboard, then in the Catskills and Hudson River valley. As often happens in America, van Naarden became Van Orden.

The story of William and Julia Ann begins on that early American waterway...

   Van  Orden  of   Naarden,
   the  Netherlands.  Azure,
   a chevron  between  three
   towers or. Out of a ducal
   coronet a tower or.

   Motto:   Manu  forti,  by
   means  of  a  strong hand
   (with a strong hand).