FelMor@aol.com wrote: > > This controversy over Marie Catherine Perriard is interesting. There is no > doubt that that was her name as she is mentioned as Amelia's mother at her > marriage and Thomas's wife in the 31 May 1828 suit filed at St Landry. She > is related to the Couvillion (Quevillion) that settled Avoyelles Parish. He > was either her uncle or great uncle I am tryng to locate the book on that > family. It could explain how she got here. > Could the Couvillon book be "To Avoyelles with the Couvillons" by Iva Septem Couvillons, published in 1966? I've seen that book at the library, and could check it again carefully if you think it is the one you're referring to. > I believe Thomas Hoffpauir was found under a rock in South Louisiana. > > Felton I got a good chuckle out of the last statement. But I'm beginning to seriously believe that Thomas just invented the name and took it, probably because there was some danger in keeping is real name. I come to that by the following "logic" (really a series of wild guesses)... Thomas was fairly successful and travelled throught the area, both buying and selling slaves on several occasions that are documented. He also was fairly successful in selling land.... and from all of the evidence he was literate.... all this, and yet he chose to record his signature as HOFFPAUER. Now that spelling is definitely not German, and anyone with a German language background tells us that the name in Germany was probably Hoffbauer, or some variation of that. so why whould he choose to write it as Hoffpauer? Now in the Opelousas area, where we first find evidence of Thomas, there was an indian term that meant "black water". This eventually became the name of the area, Opelousas, but the indian term was Oqua-Louffas. Now Thomas' name as recorded under Galvez (just before he shows up in Opelousas territory) was written Thomas Aufpan (from C. R. Churchill, 1925, Spanish Records). I can't imagine where the spelling Aufpan comes from, but if this was really our Thomas serving under Galvez, calling himself something that sounded like Aufpan, then how does that become Hoffpauer when he moves to an area that the locals refer to as Oqua-Louffas? Maybe it wasn't even our Thomas in the war under Galvez at all, but if it was, then he apparently had reason to give his name somewhat differently when he took up residence in the Opelousas territory. I know we have several linguists subscribing to the list, so I'd appreciate any comments others may have on how something written "Aufpan" in Spanish would sound, and if that would sound anything like Hoffpauer in either English or French. Charlie