Pierre S. du Pont IV

Birth Name: Pierre Samuel du Pont IV

Date of Birth: January 22, 1935

Place of Birth: Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.

Date of Death: May 8, 2021

Place of Death: Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, French, German, as well as 1/64th Ashkenazi Jewish, distant Welsh

Pierre S. du Pont IV, also known as Pete du Pont, was an American businessperson, lawyer, and politician. A Republican, he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware, from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977, and the 68th Governor of Delaware, from January 18, 1977 to January 15, 1985.

He was a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1988.

Pierre was the son of Jane (Holcomb) and Pierre Samuel du Pont III. He was married to Elise Ravenel Wood, until his death, with whom he had four children, including businessperson Ben duPont.

Pierre’s patrilineal line can be traced to his great-great-great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, who was born, c. 1739, in Paris, France, the son of Samuel du Pont and Anne Alexandrine de Montchanin. He was a writer, economist, publisher, and government official, who moved to the U.S. during the French Revolution in the 1790s, along with his sons, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, a chemist and industrialist, and Victor Marie du Pont, a diplomat, politician, and businessperson. Their mother was Nicole-Charlotte Marie-Louise le Dée de Rencourt.

Éleuthère was the Governor’s great-great-great-grandfather. He founded the family company, DuPont, a conglomerate, in 1802, as a gunpowder mill. Victor Marie du Pont began the other du Pont line in the U.S., with sons, politician and manufacturer Charles I. du Pont, and rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, Samuel Francis Du Pont, who captured San Diego in the Mexican-American War. They were the Governor’s first cousins, four times removed.

Pierre’s paternal grandfather was of largely French and German descent, along with 1/16th Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Pierre’s three other grandparents were of mostly Colonial American [English] ancestry.

Pierre’s paternal grandfather was Lammot du Pont II (the son of Lammot du Pont I and Mary Belin). Pierre’s grandfather Lammot was born in Delaware, and was head of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company for 22 years. Pierre’s great-uncle, Pierre S. du Pont, was an entrepreneur, businessperson, and philanthropist, who was President of General Motors, from 1920 to 1923, and the developer of Longwood Gardens. Pierre’s great-grandfather Lammot, a chemist, was born in Delaware, the son of Alfred V. du Pont (Alfred Victor Philadelphe du Pont), a prominent chemist and industrialist, who was born in Paris, France, and of Margaretta Elizabeth Lammot/La Motte. Pierre’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Delaware, and was the daughter of Henry Hedrick Belin and Isabella d’Andelot; Mary was of French, German, and 1/8th Ashkenazi Jewish, descent, as her own great-grandfather, Moses Holmberg/Homberg, is described in most references as a German Jew.

Pierre’s paternal grandmother was Natalie Driver Wilson (the daughter of Andrew Gray Wilson and Natalie Green Driver). Pierre’s grandmother Natalie was born in Delaware. Andrew was the son of Elijah Wilson and Anne Gray. Pierre’s great-grandmother Natalie was the daughter of Joshua Edmondson Driver and Mary Jemima Merritt.

Pierre’s maternal grandfather was Frederick Wainwright Holcomb (the son of Henry A./Harry Alonzo Holcomb and Mary Ellet/Ellett Wainwright). Frederick was born in Chile, to American parents, from Connecticut. Henry was the son of Frederick Alonzo Holcomb and Mary Ann Rogers. Pierre’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of James Ellet Wainwright and Mary Delaney.

Pierre’s maternal grandmother was Dorothy Doolittle (the daughter of Edgar Jared Doolittle and Martha Warner Couch). Dorothy was born in Connecticut. Edgar was the son of The Rev. Edgar Jared Doolittle and Jane Elizabeth Sage. Martha was the daughter of George Couch and Mary Warner.

Sources: Family history of Pierre S. du Point IV – https://archive.org

Genealogy of Pierre S. du Pont IV – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Pierre’s father (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Pierre’s maternal grandfather, Frederick Wainwright Holcomb (focusing on his own mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Pierre S. du Pont IV (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://www.laurenandtristan.net

Genealogy of Pierre’s mother (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Pierre’s maternal grandmother, Dorothy Doolittle, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org