The Laroe (La Roux) Family, still numerous in Bergen County, are descended from Jaques la Roux, who was born in 1657. Mr. Riker in his “History of Harlem” says of him: “From his name and affiliation with the French refugees we conclude he was himself French, though Vander Vin usually carefully writes his surname the first two or three times el Roey, and finally adopts the form of El Roe. As he must have had warrant for this, probably Jaques was of mixed blood, Spanish and Walloon. He is always called by Vander Vin ‘Jaco,’ a juvenile form of his name used by the Walloons. He was at New Harlem as early as 1673, a young man and unmarried. Probably he had then been here but a short time. In 1677 he joined the Dutch Church at New Amsterdam, but early the next year accompanied the Demarest family to their settlement on the upper Hackensack River. At Hackensack he married Hendricke Tennis Helling (Helms), and by her had issue Peter, Henry, Samuel, Samuel, Abraham, and John.” On the decline of the French church at New Bridge, “which he must have helped to form,” says Riker, he joined the church at Hackensack, April 5, 1696. The same year he, with the emigrant Lozier and others, purchased of the Indians the “Old Hook,” patent, containing 1,300 acres on the west side of the Hackensack in Washington Township. The title to this tract was defective and was not made good until April, 1704, after his death. He was known as “Siques La Roux.” Upon his death his children inherited his property, married, and reared large families, the descendants of whom spread rapidly over Bergen County. They are still numerous.
Source: Harvey, Cornelius Burnham, Editor; Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, New York: The New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900.