Surname Saturday: LEGERE from Acadia to La.

Today we have my LEGERE line - my main Cajun line, from my paternal grandmother, Elia Légère Hall, pictured below. Corrections, additions, and questions welcomed; this is a work in progress. Numbers refer to ahnentafel (pedigree chart) numbering. Sources available; e-mail me at hallroots **at** sbcglobal **dot** net.

Elia Légère, c. 1905, photographer unknown, probably photographed in Lafayette, La. Scanned photo owned by the Hall family, La., slightly edited by Liz Hall Morgan.

1. Liz HALL MORGAN - me.

2. Dad HALL.

3. Mom STEVENSON.

4. Robert Bunyan HALL. Born on 18 Mar (1877?) near Richmond, VA? Or possibly in Newton, Baker Co., GA? Robert died in Sulphur, Calcasieu, LA, on 20 Nov 1952. Buried c. 22 Nov 1952 in Sulphur, Calcasieu, LA (Roselawn Cemetery). (He married a Corrie or Connie or Carrie WILLIAMS and a Jessie [last name unknown] bef. Oct. 1918.)

On 26 Oct 1918 in Carencro?, Lafayette Parish, LA, he married:

5. Elia LÉGÈRE. Born on 18 Sep 1889 in Ossun, Lafayette, LA. Elia died in Sulphur, Calcasieu, LA, on 18 Sep 1956. Buried in Sep 1956 in Sulphur, Calcasieu, LA (Roselawn Cemetery).

10. Constant LÉGÈRE. Born on 26 Oct 1837 in Opelousas, St. Landry, LA. Constant died in Rayne, Acadia, LA, on 19 May 1923. Buried in Carencro, Lafayette, LA (St. Peter Catholic Church Cemetery).

Constant married: 1. Estelle BABINEAUX; 2. Eudalie/Udalie or Idalie LANDRY; and 3. Marie Irma GUIDRY, all of whom died.

On 23 Feb 1889, in Carencro, Lafayette, LA, he married (his fourth wife):

11. Marie Octavie “Tavie” McBRIDE. Born on 31 Jan 1859 in Opelousas?, St. Landry, LA (to William McBRIDE and Melasie HOLLIER). “Tavie” died in Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, on 29 Mar 1946. Buried in Carencro, Lafayette, LA (St. Peter Catholic Church Cemetery; buried as "Mrs. Constant Legere." Her first husband, who died, was Cyprien STEMMANN.)

20. Hypolite Paul LÉGÈRE. Born on 10 Jan 1803 in St. Martinville, St. Martin, LA. Hypolite Paul died in Grand Coteau?, St. Landry, LA, on 29 Nov 1861. Buried in Grand Coteau, St. Landry, LA (St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery?)

On 20 Nov 1821 in Grand Coteau, St. Landry, LA, he married:

21. Marcellite LEBERT. Born on 15 Feb 1805 in of St. Martinville, St. Martin, LA (to Pierre Jean Joseph Joachin LEBERT and Marie Rose HEBERT). Marcellite died 29 Aug 1844? in Grand Coteau?, St. Landry, LA. (St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery?)

40. Paul LÉGÈRE. Born abt 1758 in CT? (family sent there in 1755 from Acadia) Also said to be "of NY." Paul died on 11 Mar 1818 in Grand Coteau, St. Landry, LA. Buried on 12 Mar 1818 in Opelousas, St. Landry, LA (St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery?). On 28 Jul 1789 in St. Martinville, St. Martin, LA, he married:

41. Marie Constance POTIER. Born abt 1769, "of" Havre de Grace, Seine-Maritime, Normandie, FRANCE (to Pierre POITIER and Anne Marie BERNARD). Marie Constance died on 10 Jan 1844 in Grand Coteau?, St. Landry, LA. Buried in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, LA (St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery?).

80. François LÉGER. Born on 14 Oct 1714 in Port Royal, ACADIA.

On 25 May 1739 in Port Royal, ACADIA, he married:

81. Madeleine COMEAU. Born on 4 Sep 1720 in Port Royal, ACADIA (to Abraham COMEAU and Marguerite PITRE).

160. Jacques LÉGER dit [called] “La Rosette.” Born c. 1663. Jacques died on 27 Mar 1751 in Port Royal, ACADIA. Buried on 28 Mar 1751 in Port Royal, ACADIA.

Before the 1693 Acadian census, in Port Royal, ACADIA, he married:

161. Madeleine TRAHAN. Born in c. 1678 in Port Royal, ACADIA (to Guillaume TRAHAN and Madeleine BRUN). Madeleine died on 8 Dec 1742 in Port Royal, ACADIA. Buried on 9 Dec 1742 in Port Royal, ACADIA.

"Friend of Friends" Friday: Slave records

Note: My "Friend of Friends Friday" theme was inspired by the essay posted by Sandra Taliaferro here.

My U.S. roots are mostly Southern.  And some of my ancestors were slave owners.  It's not a pretty fact, but it's true. While I can't change history, I can help descendants of slaves find their roots by posting the information I have. 

Thanks to recent blog posts by Sandra of "I Never Knew My Father" and Luckie at "Our Georgia Roots", I feel I should go ahead and post whatever small amounts of info I might find--whether beautifully researched and explained or not--especially info from primary sources.  I hope this might someday reunite a seeking descendant with their ancestor(s).

So, here's what I have so far:

DAVIS in Louisiana:
The probate record of Mary Ratcliff (Ratliff) Davis, wife of John Davis (my 4th-great grandparents), dated 19 Oct. 1836 in Catahoula Parish, La., lists the following slaves:

"1 negro man--Jack, one woman--Hannah, children Marie, Walker, Betsy"

These notes come via my mom and don't include the whole probate file, so I don't know at this point what happened to Jack, Hannah, and the children, but I may have more notes in files inherited from a cousin.  I have not really worked the Davis family yet.  (I'm still working on organizing some files I have and will post if I come across more info.)

 

Excerpt of photocopied estate inventory listing slaves owned by Paul Légère, Sept. 1822, Opelousas District, St. Landry Parish, La.  Photocopy owned by Liz Hall Morgan.

LEGERE in Louisiana:
Paul Légère (Legere, Leger) (my great-great-great grandfather), had no slaves in the 1796 census for Opelousas District in Louisiana (according to the Acadian Memorial and Acadians in Gray web sites), but his estate inventory of Sept. 1822 in St. Landry Parish, La., lists the following slaves:

"a negro man named Sam aged about twenty two years"
"a mulato [sic] woman named Mary aged about twenty one years with her child a girl named Susanne about eighteen months old"

Paul's widow, Marie Constance Potier (Potie) Légère, bought the slaves from her husband's estate.  She died in Jan. 1844 in the same parish.  I don't have her estate record, so I don't [yet] know what happened to Sam, Mary and Susanne.  Southwest Louisiana Records by Rev. Donald Hebert could also have records of them in a volume (vol. 33) partially devoted to Catholic church records for slaves.

CARRIERE, LANGLOIS in New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL:
I also have assorted notes on the Carrière (Carriere, Carrier--Joseph and daughter Françoise) and Langlois (Augustin and son Antoine, who married Françoise Carrière) families of colonial Mobile and New Orleans (early 1700s), but I am trying to organize that info, and will post it in a coherent form in the future. Most of it is from secondary sources, with some estate info that was posted on a now-defunct web site.

Meanwhile, I hope these tidbits will be of help to someone.