(Will entirely in French)
English translation follows

1e – Je déclare la négresse nommée Félicité libre dès le moment de mon décès en reconnaissance de ses bons services.

2e – Je lègue à Noémi de Tonnancourt, ma jeune quarteronne nommée Élisabethe, bien entendu qu’ell restera avec sa grand maman jusqu’à l’âge de 16 ans pour apprendre à travailler;

déclare en outre que la dite quarteronne sera libre à l’âge de 30 ans si elle est encore esclave à cette époque, ses enfants si elle en a avant ce temps appartiendront de droit à la dite Noémi qui ne pourra se refuser à les rendre libres aussi, si la mère ou quelqu’autre en faisant l’acquisition.

Je déclare même être dans ce moment en situation de la placer [Élisabethe] pour sa liberté, si elle réussit, le produit sera en faveur de de Tonnancourt.

3e – Je lègue à ma nièce Lise GARRIGUES Flaujeac mon nègre Raphaël à condition qu’il lui soit permis de se trouve un maître qui lui convienne en outre ou éxigera de son travail journellement que six escalins par jour de travail.

7e – Il m’est dû par Baptiste K. [KERLÉGAND], homme de couleur [libre], cent piastres avec intérêt de se —- hypothéqué.

10e – Félicité aura le droit d’esclaver tout ce qui est ce elle et à Élisabethe de plus. Je leur donne tous les ustencilles de ménage à l’exception de deux tables, de mon lit, de mon armoire, de l’argenterie pour Mme C. GARRIGUES Flaujeac, deux couverts à fillet pour Noémi, aussi que la grande cuillère, mon linge de corps qu’elle donnera à Élisabethe, cette dernière aura le petit lit et les matelas qui sont dessus, mes chemises et mes vieilles robes, Lise G. [GARRIGUES Flaujeac] fera le partage de tout ce qui n’est pas mentionné à sa volonté.

Recensés:

Raphaël – nègre de 24 ans pour 900 piastres

Félicité – négresse de 56 ans pour 300 piastres

Élisa – quarteronne de 15 ans pour 600 piastres

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

BY CHRISTOPHE LANDRY

1st – I declare my negress named Félicité, free from the moment I die in recognition for her good services.

2nd – I bequeath to Noémi de Tonnancourt [her niece], my little quadroon named Élisabethe who clearly will remain with her grandmother [Félicité above] until she reaches the age of 16 so that she [Élisabethe] learns how to work.

I declare, further, that the said quadroon be freed at the age of 30, if she is at that time still a slave, and that her children, if she has any before that point belonging to Noémi, even if acquired by someone else, will not be denied their freedom as well.

I declare at this time even being in a position to give her [Élisabethe] her freedom. The final decision will be in favor of [Noémie] de Tonnancourt.

3rd – I bequeath to my niece Lise GARRIGUES Flaujeac my negro Raphaël, under the condition that he may choose another master who better suits him and who will request daily work [by Raphaël] for 75 cents per day of work. [the ‘escalins,’ like the ‘piastres’ is the old colonial currency and terminology used in Louisiana (and other caribbean and caribbean basin regions – one escalin = 12 1/2 cent coin, 1 piastre = 1 dollar]

7th – Baptiste K [ERLÉGAND] (Félicité’s son who was already free by that point) mortgaged 100 piastres plus interest with me.

10th – Félicité will have the right to enslave anyone she wishes, including Élisabeth.

Furthermore, I give to both of them all of my household ware, except for two tables, my bed, my armoire, my silverware.

For Madame C [Charles] GARRIGUES [Flaujeac], [I bequeath] 2 (this is some kind of silverware set), as well as the large spoon and my underwear, she shall give to Élisabethe.

Élisabeth will get the small bed and mattress, my tops and old dresses.

Lise G [GARRIGUES Flaujeac] will share the remaining items as she wishes.

———–

Noémie DE TONNANCOURT was then a minor, and her mother, Marie-Louise GUIHO de Kerlégand, widow of Charles Chevalier DE TONNANCOURT and of Joseph Louis GARRIGUES Flaujeac, did not need her services, but could use the money she was worth to put Noémie in a finishing school, convened a family meeting to figure out what to do with Élisabeth.

Three family meetings took place in 1836 and it was determined that they’d sell Élisabethe.

————

PAUL BRIANT, Parish Judge of St Martin Parish & Ex-Officio Notary Public

Monday, 23 Jan 1837 at Noon

Auctioned off Élisabethe, after 60 days of public notice, placarded at the Parish Courthouse in both French and English.

The highest bidder was Félicité, Élisabethe’s grandmother, who paid 770 piastres in cash (she had just been freed – wonder where the money came from and how she knew how auctions worked, as a slave? This is Louisiana!). Félicité offered the highest bid and won.

Paul BRIANT then transferred Élisa(bethe) over to Félicité for 770 piastres on Monday, 23 Jan 1837 at noon.

———–

Félicité DE KERLÉGAND – négresse libreEmancipates her granddaughter, Élisa, a quadroon

4 Mar 1840 at St Martinville

ENGLISH FOLLOWS BELOW

Par devant Paul Briant, Juge de Paroisse, ex officio notaire public dans et pour la Paroisse St. Martin, soussigné, et en présence des témoins ci après nommés, aussi soussignés;

Fut présente la nommée Félicité, femme de couleur libre, domiciliée en cette Paroisse.

Laquelle, en vertu de l’arrêté du Jury de Police de cette Paroisse, en date du deux Septembre Mil huit cent trente neuf, dont un extrait est ci annexé, et en vertu de l’autorisation, celle donnée par Monsieur le Juge de cette Paroisse, en date du dix huit Janvier dernier (1840), dont l’original est aussi ci annexé,

A, par ces présentes, donné la liberté et affranchi de tout esclave et servitude, la quarteronne nommée Éliza, sa petite fille, et son esclave, statu libre, tendu le droit qu’elle a sa liberté a une certaine époque; renonçant formellement et pour toujours a tous droits de propriété sur la dite Éliza, voulant que, dès à présent, elle soit libre et qu’elle jouisse de tous les droits et avantages dont sont habites à jouir les esclaves affranchis, conformément aux lois de cet Etat; s’obligeant à satisfaire, si le cas y est et à toutes les obligations imposées par la loi en pareil cas.

Dont acte; fait et passé, à St Martinville, en l’étude, l’an mil huit cent quarante, le quatrième jour du mois de Mars, en présence des Sieurs Fortuné Pibaleau et Alcibiade De Blanc, témoins qui ont signé sous le notaire, à l’égard de la comparante, ayant déclaré ni savoir écrire ni signer, elle a fait sa marque ordinaire, après lecture faite.

Félicité x sa marque M. A. DeblancFné PibaleauP.. Briant, Juge de Paroisse

—-ENGLISH

Appeared before Paul Briant, Parish Judge and ex-officio Notary Public in and for St. Martin Parish, undersigned, et in the presence of the witnesses herein after named and undersigned,

The free woman of color named Félicité, domiciled in this Parish,

Who, in virtue of the resolution of the St Martin Parish Police Jury, executed September 2, 1839, of which a copy is hitherto attached, and in virtue of the authorization obtained by the Parish Judge, dated January 18, 1840, of which an original copy is also hitherto attached,

Has given liberty and freedom from any bondage and servitude to the quadroon named Éliza, her granddaughter and statue liber slave, given the understanding that she may have her freedom at a certain time; formally renouncing forever all rights of property of the said Éliza; wishing that, effective this day forward, that she be free and that she enjoys all rights and benefits enjoyed by all emancipated slaves, according to the laws of this state; taking all measures necessary, if need be, all obligations imposed by law in that case.

Said act drafted and passed in St Martinville in the year one thousand eight hundred forty, on the fourth day of the month of March, in the presence of Lords Fortuné Pibaleau and Alcibiade De Blanc who have signed with the notary; the said Félicité neither knowing how to read or sign her name, she made her ordinary mark, after having read the current act.

Félicité x her markM. A. DeblancFné PibaleauP. Briant, Parish Judge

27 octobre, à 19:39 · J’aime ·  2 personnes

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Notes on the GUIHO de Kerlégand family & slaves

When the slave insurrections began on Saint-Domingue, he again fled with his wife and kids, and apparently a slave named Félicité.

They then appear in Frederecktown, MD in 1791, where they were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 1792.

In 1794, Héctor, a slave of Jean-René obtained his freedom from Jean-René, but Jean-René appealed to the state court of Appeals in MD and won.

On 15 Jan 1800, Jean-René obtains a 500 arpent land grant in Farmington, near Sainte-Geneviève, Missouri (Illinois Territory).

Félicité by then had 2 kids: Agathe (1798) and Raphaël (1800). Both mulâtres.

Two years later, while they were in “Nouvèle Bourbon,” Sainte-Geneviève, she had Jean Baptiste.

Jean-René, his oldest daughter, an old made, Marie Élisabeth Désirée GUIHO de Kerlégand, and two grandchildren, children of his son Louis GUIHO de Kerlégand, appear in St. Martinville around 1805.

In 1808, there he died at the home of Félicité LATIL, widow of BIENVENU de Vince (Jean-René’s granddaughter’s in-laws).

From his estate (presumably opened in Illinois), his daughter, the old made, Marie, purchases Félicité and her 3 kids for $1850 in 1810. That somehow wound up as succession archive in St Martinville, which has now disappeared. 🙂

In 1824, Baptiste, Félicité’s son appears as Jean Baptiste, alias Baptiste KERLÉGAND, purchasing a town lot in St Martinville from Marie, the old made, Marie.

That same year, in October, Marie sells to French Merchant living in St Martinville, brother of the parish priest (Michel Bernard Barrière), named Michel Félix Barrière, Jr: Agathe (26) a “mulâtresse créole” and a quarteronne daughter named Paméla (15 months).

Two years later, April 1826, Félix emancipates Agathe and two quarteronne daughters: Paméla and Marie-Louise-Clothilde.

Meanwhile, Félicité and Baptiste had been freed separately, but I cannot find that act in SM. It may be in Illinois or New Orleans.

Agathe’s oldest daughter, Élisabeth, also quarteronne, remained a slave of Marie’s, the old made, but when Élisabeth was baptized in 1827, Marie stipulated that the child was promised freedom at a later date.

Marie then dies in Aug of 1835. From her succession, Félicité purchased Élisabeth, who according to Marie’s last will and testament, wished that Élisabeth live as free – statue liber – until she reach the age of 30 to be then formally freed.

Félicité, 5 years later, in 1835, frees Élisabeth, who was then about 20 (Félicité erroneously said that she was 15).

This is the record you see above.

5 years later, Élisabeth married Jean Stéril Narcisse ROCHON and popped out 3 kids: Victor Narcisse, Jean Alphonse and Joséphine.

Joséphine is my 2nd great-grandmother, born in 1847. She married Charles Jefferson Vavasseur, a native of Convent, who before being freed by his family in Convent, knew how to read and write, sign his name and was a Merchant tailor by trade.