> From: "Rita" <grannyharg@bellsouth.net> > Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 14:26:56 -0500 > To: ACADIAN-CAJUN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ACADIAN-CAJUN] Re: Acadians Emigrating to Louisiana Prior to April > 1766 > Resent-From: ACADIAN-CAJUN-L@rootsweb.com > Resent-Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 13:27:33 -0600 > > Roger [or anyone], > > In regards to the following paragraph of the post of Apr. 7, 2003: > > "First arrivals, before 26 February 1764: 4 families of 20 individuals > This group seems to have been exiled to Gerorgia, were in South Carolina > 23 August 1763, went to New York and sailed from there to Louisiana. Settled > in Cabannoce on the Mississippi River just above the German Coast (Verret¹s > Company)." > > Does anyone have the names of these 4 families??? Rita, Here is a repost of a message I sent in Nov. 2002 (not too much out of date). I will address Paul Leger in another post as he was not in this group. Roger A. Rozendal rogroz@swbell.net FIRST ACADIANS IN LOUISIANA The first documented Acadians to arrive in Louisiana were noted in a letter dated 6 April 1764 from D¹Abbadie (Director-General of Louisiana) to the Duke of Choisel-Stanville (Secretary of the French Navy) in Paris (Brasseaux etal ³Quest for a Promised Land" p. 16). D¹Abbadie wrote ³four Acadian families numbering twenty persons, who came here from New York during the month of February last.² From an analysis of church records, Albert J. Robichaux, Jr. identified the four families and 18 of the individuals as (Louisiana Genealogical Register, December 1985 p. 323): Jean Poirier Madeleine Richard, his wife Jean Baptiste Poirier, their son Joseph Poirier, their son Michel Poirier, of unknown relationship Jean Richard Catherine Cormier, his wife Joseph Richard, their daughter (sic) Rosalie Richard, their daughter Jean-Marie Richard, their son Jean-Baptiste Cormier Marie-Magdeleine Richard, his wife Anastasie Cormier, their daughter Marie Cormier, their daughter Marguerite Cormier, their daughter Olivier Landry Cecile Poirier, his wife Jean-Antoine Landry, their son For details of some of the pertinent church records see http://thecajuns.com/acad1764.htm of Stanley LeBlanc. It is interesting to look at the 8 April 1766 census of VERRET¹S COMPANY and see the following listing: Verret, father 1 Woman, 1 Teenage Boy, 1 Boy, 4 Slaves Ollivie Landry, 1 Woman, 1 Boy, 1 Girl Joseph Landry, 1 Man, 1 Boy Pedro Bourg, 1 Man, 1 Boy Baptista Cormie, father, 1 Woman, 3 Girls Juan Cormie, 1 Man, 1 Boy Joseph Richard, 1 Woman, 1 Boy, 1 Girl Juan Richard, 1 Man, 1 Boy Juan Richard, 1 Woman, 1 Boy, 1 Girl Juan Poirier, 1 Woman, 1 Man, 1 Boy and so on (later arrivals) This listing includes the 1764 arrivals and indicates they settled near the plantation of Nicolas Verret (near present day Lutcher at the present day boundary between St. John the Baptist and St. James Parishes), making up the first Acadian Settlement in Louisiana. The rest of those listed in the 1766 census of VERRET¹S COMPANY seem to have arrived in Louisiana in the latter part of 1765 (May & November, not with Joseph Broussard in February 1765) or to have fled from Attakapas or Opelousas in the Fall of 1765. My research indicates those listed above may be: Nicolas Verret, age 41 Marie-Josephe Cantrelle, age 33 Jacques, age 13 Louis, age 6 Olivier Landry, age 38 Cecile Poirier, age 41 (sister of Jean Poirier) Marie, age 14 (one of missing original 20) Jean-Antoine, age 5 Joseph Landry, age 16 (one of missing original 20) living with father Olivier Landry Pierre (not Michel) Poirier, orphan, age 3 (Abraham/Agnes Belliveau), cousin of Cecile & Jean Poirier, living with Olivier Landry & Cecile Poirier. Pierre Bourg, age 13, orphan, later arrival-May 1765?, living with Jean- Baptiste Cormier Jean-Charles Bourg, age 7, brother of Pierre living with Jean-Baptiste Cormier Jean-Baptiste Cormier, age 57 Madeleine Richard, age 50? (sister of Jean Richard) Anne (Marie), age 20 Marguerite, age 14 Anastasie, age 13 Jean-Baptiste Cormier, Jr, age 32 (later arrival in Louisiana with Joseph Broussard) Boy ?, both living with Jean-Baptiste Cormier, Sr. Joseph Richard, age 30 (later arrival?) (nephew of Jean Richard) Agnes Hebert, age ? Boy, age ? Marie, age 1 Jean-Marie Richard, age 21 (son of Jean Richard and living with him) Boy, age ? living with Jean Richard Jean Richard, age 47 (brother of Madeleine Richard) Catherine Cormier, age 45 Rosalie, age 10 Joseph age ?, (bpt. 26 Feb 1764 in New Orleans) Jean Poirier, age 33 (brother of Cecile Poirier) Madeleine Richard, age 24 (daughter Jean/Catherine Cormier) Jean-Baptiste, age 6 Francois 1 (born after arrival) (Joseph b. 12 Jun 1762 bpt. 26 Feb 1764 in New Orleans is not in 1766 census-died?) I have some details on the above, if anyone is interested. More on the trek of the 1764 Acadians to Louisiana in the next post. Roger A. Rozendal rogroz@swbell.net