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??? I am trying to find info on Paul Leger, son of Francois & Madeleine Comeau. He eventually married Constance Poitier. Which "group" of Acadians did he come to Louisiana with??? Spanish Census of 1777 of St. James Parish, LA: Paul Martin, 28; Paul Leger, engager, 19. Note: This entry is immediately following and entry for what I believe is Paul's sister, Marie Josèphe Leger and her spouse, Pierre Michel and their family. Any help appreciated! Thanks. Rita From: Roger Rozendal <rogroz@swbell.net> Subject: Acadians Emigrating to Louisiana Prior to April 1766 Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 19:03:45 -0500 In the Spanish Archives in ³Archivo General Indios, Audencia de Santo Domingo, Legajos 2595² is found (translated by Carl A. Brasseaux etal in ³Quest for the Promised Land² p. 54: REPORT ON PAPER MONEY HELD BY ACADIANS New Orleans, March 8, 1766 Register of sums, as from letters of exchange, card money, and drafts, as certificates and other negotiable bills, formerly used as specie by the Acadian refugees in this colony. They have delivered these papers to Mister Maxent, for shipment to his correspondent in France, whom he will instruct to seek reimbursement. To wit, From one Broussard, leader of the first group (of Acadians, February 1765) to reach this colony, composed of 58 families, the sum of 33,395 livres, 18 sols, divided unequally among said 58 families. The ledger for said amount has been sent to France as supporting evidence, attached to the papers it represents.- 33,395#18s From one Bergeron, the sum of 47,076 livres, 19 sols, 6 deniers, belonging to 73 families, some of whom arrived in June 1765, and the remainder of whom will arrive at first opportunity.- 47,076#19s6d >From one Lachausée, 27,044 livres, 7 sols, 8 deniers, belonging to 37 families, some of whom reached this colony in various ships - in August, September, October and November - and the remainder will arrive shortly.- 27,044#7s8d Total - 107,517#5s 2d Does not include several certificates whose value has not yet been determined, and were not included in the total of the foregoing ledgers. I hereby acknowledge receipt of the aforementioned sums, in the aforementioned currency, for the aforementioned purposes. At New Orleans (signed) Maxent Unfortunately, only one of these lists has been found, that of the Joseph Broussard group. In the future I plan to post information from this list. However, certain inferences can be drawn. Including the 4 families who arrived in 1764, this would indicate 172 Acadian families had arrived in Louisiana prior to the April 1766 census. >From other correspondence and information, the following can be deduced about the groups: 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). Joseph Broussard Group, before 19 February 1765: 58 families 231 individuals The members of this group were imprisoned in Halifax or Fort Edward with a few at Fort Beausejour. They sailed from Halifax in November 1764, changed ships in Santo Domingo, and sailed to Louisiana. They settled in Attakapas and Opelousas. After this group, the Spanish allowed no other Acadians to go there until after the 1766 census. Group before 4 May 1765: (25 families) 80 individuals Most in this group had been imprisoned at Halifax or Fort Edward. They were settled in Cabannoce in Judice¹s Company. Group before 13 May 1765: 48 families (168 individuals at 3.5/family) Some in this group had been in South Carolina 23 August 1763. They settled in Cabannoce mainly in Verret¹s Company. Group after 30 September 1765: 37 families (130 individuals at 3.5/family) This group is really a mixed bag and arrived in a number of ships. It includes families from New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania who had gone to settle in Santo Domingo in September 1764 (600 individuals). A lot of them were orphans, widows, and widowers, the few survivors of that disasterous climate. This group was settled in both Judice¹s and Verret¹s Companies often with relatives who had arrived earlier. >From the above, prior to the 1766 Spanish census of Louisiana it would seem 172 Acadian families made up of approximately 629 individuals arrived in Louisiana. In a future post, I will compare these numbers with the results of the 1766 census. Roger A. Rozendal rogroz@swbell.net