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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
976.3 Sabr
ILLINOIS HISTORY SURVEY LIBRARY
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
http://archive.org/details/recordsofattakap00sand
Records of Attakapas District, Louisiana,
1739 - 1811
Compiled By Mary Elizabeth Sanders
ACADIA
JEFFERSON DAVIS
SAINT MARTIN
ASCENSION
LAFAYETTE
SAINT JAMES
VERMILION
IBERIA
ASSUMPTION
ATTAK APAS
TO SAINT MARTIN
LAFOURCHE
SAINT MARY
ERREMONNE
1962
Records of Attakapas District, Louisiana,
1739 - 1811
Compiled By Mary Elizabeth Sanders
1962
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redit autoinica ,Sarda aproquis it promet. prendre faci marguerite martin veuve Ux Mainet sobiehat giono,a farne Legitima. Épouse d'adulte marguerite martin prometaufy. Viendra iditicino antoina .Morda prono. Legitime époux It "edit maring folesunire 'ne j'che de votre mère a faint. Iglinatolique apostoligic : In air .. le plustôt que faire ce pourat It pravises: le Delibere feras intre Pus proico être comune Fronte cribfets Condito futuro la Servediction nuptial le pouco La bonne amilie que lesdet juteuse épouse fe porte iune pour l'autre le dit juteux époux donne au deux "igansque, a ditte loueur de fou pressie marca autant que ceux qui Jeroute procréé de leuradite mariage
ALLORA
THE FIRST MARRIAGE CONTRACT
A copy of the first page of the 1767 Marriage Contract between Antonie Borda and Marguerite Martin, widow of Rainet Robicho. This Marriage Contract is of record in Original Acts Volume I, folio 3, in the St. Martin Parish Courthouse.
976 3
WWW. Hist. Sabr
To my mother and the memory of my father - both of whom always encouraged my worthy endeavors.
This edition is limited to.
200 copies of which this is No.
85 Mary E. Souders
TABLE OF CONTENTS -
FOREWORD
iv
Dr. Edwin A. Davis
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
V
Dean Harry Lewis Griffin
COMPILER'S PREFACE
.vii
BRAND BOOK FOR OPELOUSAS AND ATTAKAPAS
DISTRICTS, 1739-1888 (ST. MARTIN COUNTY,
1739-1811)
1
ST. MARTIN PARISH RECORDS.
26
ATTAKAPAS SPANISH MILITIA.
41
ATTAKAPAS MILITIA CENSUS OF 1792
46
THIRD FEDERAL CENSUS, ST. MARTIN PARISH (1810)
51
AMERICAN STATE PAPERS
57
ST. MARY PARISH 1813 TAX LIST.
91
INDEX
94
FOREWORD
The writing of local history is always a detailed, tedious and worrisome task. The sources are generally not located in central depositories or in large libraries where efficient catalog systems make researching a pleasure; in most instances they are housed in local archives and small libraries where lack of funds has not permitted the employment of trained catalogers, or in private homes where they are without benefit of chronological or subject organization. Old settled families of local areas not infrequently urge the inclusion of ancestors or relatives beyond the contributions of the individual to the history or development of the area. The sale of the completed work is never large owing to the limited nature of the subject matter and in many cases the author is forced to bear the total expense of publication. Because of these and other reasons, therefore, the historian who works in the field of local history must be a dedicated individual whose sole aim is to rescue from complete oblivion and to present in workable form archive and manuscript materials for the use of general historians or to present tight or detailed studies of small segments of state history for the enlightenment of the citizenry of a particular state or specific local community.
The printed pages which follow represent a significant achievement in local archival research, in accurate transcription, and in the editing of this type of historical material. The editor is thoroughly trained in the field, is experienced in this particular area of research, and has been impelled by strong bonds of devotion to her native state. The value of the work is obvious to all persons interested in the history of Louisiana.
It is to be hoped that this book will serve as a stimulating force to Louisianians throughout the state for the encouragement of the writing of local history. While numerous books have been written on the general history of the state and although multitudes of monographs on specific fields of subject matter have been produced, there is indeed much which needs to be done. The complete, definitive history of Louisiana has not yet been written and will not be written until many, many spades have overturned many more areas of her rich historical earth.
Louisiana State University
Edwin Adams Davis
iv
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION
That section of Louisiana known as the Attakapas District has a history that extends over a period of more than two hundred years. Between 1720 and 1744 St. Dennis, founder of Natchitoches and commandant there, established trading posts at what are now Opelousas and St. Martinville, and maintained at each place a merchant to trade with the Indians. The post at St. Martinville thus became the administrative seat of the district and came to be known as the Post des Attakapas.
The District of Attakapas received its name from the Attakapas Indians, a fierce tribe that inhabited the area before the coming of the white man. According to tradition these Indians were cannibals and waged such cruel war against others that the neighboring tribes formed a league against them and, in a great battle near St. Martinville, completely subjugated them and reduced them to a few scattering remnants, living in miserable villages located from Bayou Teche to Texas. They are now practically extinct.
The Attakapas District included originally the present parishes of St. Martin, St. Mary, Lafayette, Vermilion and Iberia. Prior to 1765 the population consisted of a few Indians, trappers, traders and ranch owners. In 1765 Commissioner Aubry reported that he sent two hundred and thirty Acadians to the Attakapas District. These were granted lands in the district and, with other later Acadian arrivals, made up the basis of the present population, though four years later three hundred Spaniards from the Canary Islands settled near the present city of New Iberia. A census of the district taken a few years later by Governor O'Reilly gave the entire district a population of less than eight hundred.
Prior to the Spanish occupation of Louisiana the Attakapas District was governed from New Orleans, though the French officials seldom visited the district. It was not until 1768, when Spanish governor O'Reilly came into office, that any special attention was given to the Attakapas District. Under the Spanish policy of encouraging agriculture and maintaining a strong govern- ment in all parts of the territory, the small settlement and trading post at present St. Martinville was in 1769 converted into a permanent military post, and a resident commandant appointed to enforce Spanish law and keep the peace. Among those who served as commandants were Gabriel Fuselier de la Claire, Chevalier Alexandre DeClouet and Louis Charles de Blanc.
This station now became known officially as Postes des Attakapas and hence- forth all civil and military affairs of the district were administered from this post by the commandant. In addition to being leader of the militia this official also exercised powers similar to those possessed by a justice of the peace. He had jurisdiction over disputes between citizens involving amounts up to twenty dollars. He was the executive officer of the district enforcing all judgments, serving as notary and as judge in the settlement of estates. As military officer he examined all passports of strangers and allowed no one to settle in his district without a permit from the governor. In certain cases he was authorized to perform the marriage ceremony in the absence of a priest.
V
When the Louisiana territory became a possession of the United States with William C. C. Claiborne as its first governor, Congress divided the territory into two parts with that portion south of thirty-three degrees of latitude designated as the Territory of Orleans, which, with certain changes and additions became the present state of Louisiana. In 1805 Governor Claiborne's legislative council divided the Territory of Orleans into twelve counties, one of which became Attakapas County that included the territory comprising the five parishes named above. This division having become unsatisfactory to the inhabitants, the legislative council in 1807 discarded the county set up except as a unit for levying territorial taxes and representatives. At the same time the territory was divided into nineteen civil parishes. Under this act the county Attakapas became St. Martin Parish, being named after St. Martin, the fourteenth century French Bishop and Saint.
In 1811, one year before Louisiana became a state, the territorial council decreed: "The County of Attakapas shall be divided into two parishes to be called the Parish of St. Martin and the Parish of St. Mary." By act of January 17, 1823, the Louisiana legislature directed: "The Parish of St. Martin is and shall be by the present act divided and a new parish be formed out of the western part of the said parish, which shall be called and known by the name of the Parish of Lafayette." An act of 1844 cut off the southwestern part of Lafayette Parish and formed it into Vermilion Parish. Iberia Parish was created in 1868 from territory taken from St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes. Thus was the Attakapas District divided into the five present day parishes named above, with parish seats at St. Martinville, Franklin, Lafayette, Abbeville and New Iberia, respectively. All are now flourishing, modern cities.
While the territorial and political evolution of the Attakapas District is now fairly well known, there is yet much to be learned about the families that settled in this rich and populous region. Any research that will throw light on the genealogies of these pioneer families and their descendants will be most welcome, and that is what is undertaken in the following pages.
University of Southwestern Louisiana Dean Emeritus, College of Liberal Arts
Harry Lewis Griffin
vi
PREFACE
It had been a fond hope of mine for some time to do genealogical research in the Attakapas area. Since my people settled in what later became St. Mary Parish shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, I had done much research on my family at the Franklin courthouse. But I thought of the many descendants of the early settlers who are far from Louisiana, and I thought of how I might aid them.
The opportunity to do something constructive along this line came in the summer of 1961. I was then living in Lafayette, and my scope of the area had been enlarged. It occurred to me it might be helpful if the names appearing in the original sources for the whole District could be combined into one volume and indexed; then a clearer idea of those early comers could be ascertained. This is what I have done. Another volume, on St. Mary Parish settlers, is anticipat- ed.
At first I planned the volume to be inclusive through the eve of the Civil War, 1860. The material covering such a long period of time was too volumious for one book. however, so I chose the year 1811, when St. Mary Parish was created from St. Martin Parish ( the old Attakapas District), as my cut-off date. I found brands existing in the Brand Book back to 1739 - hence the dates, 1739 - 1811. Because 1813 was so close upon the heels of 1811, because the tax list of persons in St. Mary Parish in that year is so valuable and because St. Mary Parish included such a large portion of the whole area under consideration, I decided to include the 1813 tax list for St. Mary even though it post-dates the cut-off date.
Dean Griffin has indicated in the Introduction that after the Louisiana Purchase the area which is now the state of Louisiana except for the Florida Parishes was organized as the Territory of Orleans. The Territory was, in turn, divided into twelve counties, one of which was Attakapas County, comprising the current parishes of St. Martin, St. Mary, Lafayette, Vermilion, and Iberia. This large area roughly was the Attakapas District (with the Post des Attakapas) of the colonial period, and it was the Attakapas County of the American State Papers. It was also the St. Martin Parish (or Attakapas) of the 1810 Federal Census. It is this area which is embraced in this volume.
In compiling data for the book I was faced with two serious handicaps. The first and most important was a lack of knowledge of French and Spanish - the early records in the courthouse at St. Martinville being in those languages. The other was unfamiliarity with the evolution or background of French surnames. Two years of high school French enabled me to distinguish serious mistakes pertaining to the early French documents in the indexing: for instance, in one marriage contract the mother of the groom was referred to as the bride; in another, a document was indicated as being a marriage contract when it was not. But I was totally unable to read a document and distinguish what it was or what it was about.
Here let me impress upon the reader the fact that this work, especially the section on the St. Martin Parish records, is intended as a guide only. I
vii
have tried hard to avoid errors but the chances for errors to creep in, especially in the St. Martin Parish records where I had to depend almost wholly upon the extant indexes, are all too numerous.
I also ascertained that the French were not at all consistent in what they called themselves; even to the point where they completely reversed their entire names! And those "dit's"! I depended upon my own ingenuity and deciphered them as best I could. The responsibility is solely mine, what- ever the result may be.
I am reconciled to the fact that errors are probably in the book. For these I am sorry. I do believe, however, the work will be useful as a guide to descendants of both the Latin and Anglo-Saxon settlers of the early period.
I am indebted to many persons who were in a position to help me. Officials at the University of Southwestern Louisiana showed me every courtesy possible. Notably, Dr. Elmer D. Johnson, Director of Stephens Memorial Library, and Dean Thomas J. Arceneaux of the College of Agriculture, who helped me with the Brand Book. It is Dean Arceneaux to whom I am indebted for background on the Brand Book. Miss Pearl Segura, Reference Librarian at Stephens Memorial Library, helped me in so many ways; she answered numerous questions pertaining to the Brand Book and she gave me copies she previously had had typed of the militia lists from the Sons of the American Revolution Spanish records microfilm. Harry Lewis Griffin, Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts, answered questions about early history of the section, and I am indebted to him for writing the Historical Introduction.
Dr. Edwin Adams Davis, Head of the Department of History at Louisiana State University, one of my graduate professors at the University, gave me needed advice, and I am indebted to him for writing the Foreword. Mr. L. C. Landry, Jr., of New Iberia was most generous in sharing the fruits of his own efforts with me and with his time. Mr. M. A. Barras, Clerk of Court of St. Martin Parish, and his staff were very kind and helpful. I am grateful to Mr. Charles E. East of Baton Rouge, a friend for a number of years, for reading portions of the manuscript and for his helpful suggestions.
This is primarily a genealogical work; therefore, except with regard to the land claims from the American State Papers and the Federal Census of 1810, the material in this work pertains to descendants of European ancestry.
Mary Elizabeth Sanders
viii
BRAND BOOK FOR OPELOUSAS AND ATTAKAPAS
DISTRICTS, 1739-1888
Cattle raising had an early beginning in the Attakapas-Opelousas area. The eighteenth century French historian, Le Page du Pratz, tells us that the Avoyelles Indians early traded with the Spanish in Mexico, from whom they introduced horned cattle to the area .* These animals were growing wild on the Louisiana prairies by the time New Orleans was founded.
When the Acadians began to arrive in the Attakapas region, the Commandant at St. Martinville, Dauterieve, induced them to start raising cattle beginning with the domesticated descendants of the early horned cattle from Mexico which were found here. The Acadians had engaged in cattle raising in Canada, and they rapidly developed the industry here. By the time of the Louisiana Purchase it was a large industry, and brands were of necessity registered in the courthouses.
In 1824 the state of Louisiana established a Branding Commission to prevent confusion as to brands, comprised of the Attakapas and Opelousas districts solely. Branding officials were authorized to index the brands then exist- ing in the courthouses. That index was the basis of the Brand Book for Opelousas and Attakapas Districts. Future registrations were added to the book until 1888, when a second book was begun. The State Branding Commission was established in 1944 and is still in existence.
In the listing below of those persons residing in Attakapas County, or St. Martin Parish, having brands registered through the year 1811, the person's name is shown, along with the year in which the registration was made and the page in the book where the brand was registered. In cases where an arabic figure appears in parenthesis behind the page number, that figure is an indication that the name appears that number of times on the page. Thus,
Hebert, Jean-1770-4 (2)
indicates that Jean Hebert had brands registered in the year 1770 on page 4 twice. Where there is more than one page number involved, the figures are separated by commas. Where more than one year is involved, the years are separated by commas. Thus,
Hebert, Jean-1770-1, 4
indicates Jean Hebert had two brand registrations in 1770, one entered on page 1 in the Brand Book, the other on page 4; whereas,
Hebert, Jean-1770, 1791-1
indicates he had brands registered in 1770 and 1791, both appearing on page 1. Had the registrations been on different pages, they would have been shown separately.
In the book the exact date of registration is usually given. I copied only the year. The brand itself is also, of course, given in the book.
1
From the use of the words "fils" and "pere" ("son" and "father" in French), I judge the words were used more or less as we use "junior" and "senior" today. In a few cases this is also true of "grand" and "petit" ( "large" and "small"). Notations in French have been copied where they appeared pertinent. In a few instances the names at the bottom of a page were so faint as to be illegible. Frequently the handwriting was hard to determine. Spellings of names varied; I tried to group the different spellings where it seemed they belonged. Errors may have crept in, and I caution the researcher as to this.
Where no dates were shown and the indication was that the brand was "probably" registered in a stated period (indicated by "prbly"), this assumption was made because the brand was entered with others of the same general period. When the word "possibly" was given (indicated by "psbly"), there was reason for a some- what weaker assumption. The designation "1800's" signifies the early years 1800 through 1811.
There were a number of markings pertaining to Brand Book entries whose mean- ings were not clear. I copied these just as they were and put a question mark in parenthesis behind them. There is repetition in the Brand Book to some extent.
*Histoire de la Louisiane. . . avec deux voyages dans le nord du Nouveaux- Mexique. . . (3 vols., 1758, Paris, DeBure, l'aine, etc.)
Note: Frequently in the Brand Book only the surname was listed. When a surname was spelled more than one way it was so indicated. For example, on page 14 the listing "Gerior, Giroir." The brand was listed merely as registered to "Gerior." Since the name was also spelled "Giroir," both spellings were shown.
2
BRAND BOOK FOR OPELOUSAS AND ATTAKAPAS DISTRICTS, 1739-1888
(St. Martin Parish, 1739-1811)
A
Name-Year-Page
Acolane, Jean-178 ?- 1
Alexandre-1760-4
Alston, William-1789-4
Andre, Madam Guillaume-1790-1,4
Ansbell (?), Jack-1789-4
Antoine-1790-1 , Domingo-1785-4 Jean-1790-5
(De) Aponte, Bernard-1787-4 De) Aquilar, Julien-1787-4
Arceneau(x), Alexandre-1789-4
Cyprien-1789-4 Pierre-1780-1, 4 Pierre fils (Ami) - 1789-1, 4
Argraw-1762-5 Argroso-1762-1
Armstrong, William Robert-1809-1
Aucoin, Claude-1789-4
B
Babin, Alexandre-1811-9, 342
Joseph-Prbly. ca. 1770-340 Joseph fils-1806-342, 344
Joseph pere-No Date-342
Julien-1811-342
Maria, widow of Claude Martin-1766-1
Babino(t), Veuve-1772-340 Veuve Grand Ls. (Louis)- 1772-342
Adelaide-1811-10, 20 Alexandre-1811-9, 20
Anasthesie (cede a Julien
Benoit son fils)-1811-10 Artimase-1811-10 Celeste-1811-9, 20
Charles-1801-10, 343
David-1793-14
David fils de Joseph-1811- 10 (2) David, father of Joseph, Jean Baptiste, and Hosite (female)-1793-342
Domingue-1811-20 Francois-1811-10 (2)
Hosite fille de David- 1802-342
Babino(t), Jean-1811-10 (2)
Jean Baptiste fils de David-1802-342 Joseph-1807-343 Joseph fils-1811-9, 10 Joseph fils de David- 1807-342 Joseph pere-1811-10
Joseph, father of David- 1811-10 (2) Julie-1811-10 (2)
Julien-1811-10 (3)
Julienne-1811-20
Margarite-1801-20, 343
Marie-1801-343
Victoire-1801-343
Balliet, John-1804-339 Banli, Michel-1810-11
Bara, Veuve-Prbly 1770-80's-339
Alexandre-Prbly 1770-80's-339 Alexandre fils-No Date-342
Alexandre pere-1772-342 (Barra)* Antoine-1778-340, 342; prbly 1770-80's-339 (Barra) Baptiste-Prbly 1770-80's-339 Baptiste fils de Hypolite- Prbly 1770-80's-340 (Barra) Emelie-Prbly 1770's-338 (Barre) Hypolite-Prbly 1770-80's-339; 1800-343 Veuve Hypolite-1800-342
Hypolite, father of Baptiste- Prbly 1770-80's-340 Jean-Prbly 1770's-338 (Barre) Julie-Prbly 1770's-338 (Barre) Julien-1772-340; prbly 1770-80's- 339
Valery-Prbly 1770-80's-339; no date-342
Vinceun-1772-340
Veuve Vinceun-Prbly 1770-80's- 340
Barrier(e), Pere cure Bernard-1799- 345; 1807-343 Michel Bernard-1807-22
Batin, Ls. (Louis)-Prbly 1800's-339
Baulay (?), Louis-Prbly 1800's-339 Bautin, Joseph-Prbly 1800's-339 Paul-Prbly 1800's-339
Bauvier, Francois-No Date-342 Beau, Jean fils de Marchall-Prbly 1800's-339 *Also "No Date-342"
3
Beau, Marchall, father of Jean- Prbly 1800's-339 Beaulieu (or n), Amable-Prbly 1770's-338 Beausoleil, Francois-1767-340 Mann (?)-1770-340 Begnenot, Francois fils-Psbly 1802-342
Francois pere-Psbly 1802-342 Francois, father of Jean-Psbly 1802-342
Jean fils de Francois- Psbly 1802-342
John Ls. (Louis) (son of Francois or Jean fils de Francois?)-Psbly 1802-342
Narcisse-Psbly 1802-342
Bejeau, Bijeon, Bijot, Augustin fils (Bijot)-1779-340; prbly 1770-80's-339, 340 Augustin pere (Bijot) -No Date-342 Aurellein (Bijot)-1805-342 Poponne (Bijeon)-1805-339
Bell, Robert-1770-21 Bellataro, Antonio-1780-340
Jamacio-Prbly 1770-80's-
340
Benidick, Charles-1808-9 Robert-1808-9
Benoi(s)t, Madam Veuve-1804-10 Armand-1811-9
Auguste, Augustin-1798- 20, 345
Charles-1805-11 Denis-1805-11 Edmond-1811-20 Eloi-1801-341, 343; no date-341
Eloi, father of Francois- No Date-341; prbly 1800's-341 Francois-1805-11 Francois fils d'Eloi-No
Date-341; prbly 1800's-341 Isabelle-1794-344 Jean Baptiste-1805-11,
344
Jean Charles-1805-11 Joseph-1793-344; 1805-11,
344
Julien (cede by Anasthesie Babinot)-1811-10 Michel-1797-21; 1809-9 Nivier-1798-20 Simon-1798-20 St. Clair-1810-11 (2)
Berard pere-Prbly ca. 1770-340 Archille-1797-344
Baptiste-Prbly late 1700's-341 Baptiste, father of Jean Baptiste-Prbly late 1700's-341 Camille-1797-344 Jean pere-1767-22 Jean Baptiste fils de Baptiste- Prbly late 1700's-341 Beraud, Thomas-1810-9, 21 Bernard, Adelaide-1799-343;1799 (?) (Date torn off)-10; 1801-21, 343 Alexandre-1801-21 Doralis-1801-343
Edouard-1801-21, 343
Eloi-1811-10
Francois-1781-340; 1793-344; 1811-11 Francois fils de Jean-1793-10 Francois Broussard Olidon (with Jean Bernard) -1805-20 Heloise-1801-343
Hervillian-1811-11
Hiliare Nelson-1782-22 Jean (with Francois Broussard Olidon Bernard)-1805-20 Jean fils-1770-21 Jean pere-1811-10 Jean, father of Francois-1793-
10
Jean Louis-1782-22; 1793-10
Joseph-1793-10, 344
Joseph Gideon-1782-22
Lefroy-1793-10
Marcilite-1811-11
Marie-1799 (?) (Date torn off)- 10
Michel-1761-340
Michel Barriet-1799-22
Oscar-1799-21
Pierre-1806-10
I I 1
Pierre Hervillien-1805-20, 344
! 1 i
Senvant-1806-10
1
Tensette-1811-11
Triville-1806-10
Ursin-1799-343;1799 (?) (Date torn off)-10 Zelie (?)-1811-11
Bertin, Dantelly-Prbly 1770-80's-339
Julie-Prbly 1770-80's-339 Sostine-Prbly 1770-80's-339
Bertrand, Alexis-1808-9, 341
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