Joseph Lavoir de Repiton

The Repitons were French Roman Catholics who were also Protestant sympathizers. Their support of Protestantism led them to flee their homeland, and they landed on the island of Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic). With the onset of the Great Insurrection there, the Repitons moved again, landing in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1810. There, they settled into Virginia society and purchased what is now called the Greenhow-Repiton House. Other members of the same family are represented in this museum’s collection of miniatures, including Mr. and Mrs. William Lamb, painted by an unidentified artist [see 1980.126.4 and 1980.126.5], and William Wilson, painted by George Catlin [see 1980.126.1].