Family Stories & Legends III:

BILLIOU: The Walloon Pierre Billiou was born about 1622 in the LaBasse or Wicres region of Flanders [later Artois, France], the son of Jean/Jacq Billiou. Being of the Protestant faith, Pierre fled the Catholic-ruled Spanish territory for Leiden, Holland, The Netherlands. There he married Francoise DuBois [sister of New Paltz, NY founder Louis] in 1649. The Billious had five daughters before leaving for the Dutch colony of New Netherland in 1661. Four of the girls accompanied Pierre and Francoise to America. It is believed that the eldest, Marie, sailed to New Netherland with the DuBois family a year or so earlier.

The Billious would eventually settle on Staten Island, where Pierre was one of the original petitioners for the new settlement of Oulde Dorp [Old Town] near South Beach. In 1663, Pierre began building their house - which still stands today as part of the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House. [Dongan Hills section on Richmond Road, see photo below]  Pierre went on to acquire additional tracts of land on Staten Island, Flatbush, Long Island and New Jersey. He was active in local politics and was a strong community leader.

Marie Billiou and her husband, Arent Jansen Prall, relocated from Kingston to Staten Island about 1675.

Pierre became a widower in 1696 and remarried perhaps twice. He died in 1701, leaving behind a pioneer's legacy.

http://www.historicrichmondtown.org/treasures/structures/billiou-stillwell-perine-house