Charles Comeau (abt. 1738 - 1805)

Born about 1738 in Chipoudy, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Husband of Anastasie Savoie — married about 1765 in Opelousas, Louisiana

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1805 at about age 67 in St Landry Parish, Louisiana, Orleans Territory, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Acadians Project WikiTree [send private message], Louisiana Families Project WikiTree [send private message], and Cynthia Gerbig [send private message]

Charles Comeau is an Acadian. Join: Acadians Project Discuss: ACADIA

Charles Comeau lived in Louisiana. Join: Louisiana Families Project Discuss: louisiana

Biography

CHARLES COMEAU is on the Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana, on Plaque 2 Right. Listed with him is Anastasie Savoie, his wife.^[1][2]

Charles Comeau, born c.1738 in Acadie, was a son of Jean Comeau (1704) and Brigitte Savoie.^[3]

During le grand dérangement, he was counted on the "List of Refugee Acadian Households at Camp Espérance on the Miramichi, 1756-1757."^[4] From there, he was imprisoned at Halifax, Nova Scotia Colony.^[5]

Charles Comeau migrated from Acadie, Nouvelle-France to Louisiana.

Charles married Anastasie Savoie about 1766 in Louisiana.^[3]

His known children:

1. Charles Antoine Comeau (about 1767–1830)
2. Pierre Comeau (about 1768–1810)
3. Marie Dorothée Comeau (1771–1834)
4. Emelie Humile Comeau (about 1773–1801)
5. Susanne Josette Comeau (about 1776–1814)
6. Auguste Augustin Comeau (about 1779–1829)
7. Jean Baptiste Comeaux (1781–1847)

In 1771 he was counted on the census of the Opelousas Post, Louisiana with his wife and two sons.^[6] In 1774 he was counted again in Opelousas, and by then they had four children.^[7]

He served in 1777 as a fuselier in the Spanish Louisiana Opelousas Militia as a member of the Galvez Expedition during the U.S. Revolutionary War.^[8][9][10] In 1777 his family was again counted on the census in Opelousas, Louisiana, with five children and one slave.^[11] He was sued in court by Pierre Richard in 1783.^[12]

When he was counted on the census of Opelousas in 1785, he and his wife had nine children and four slaves,^[13]

Probate: 20 March 1805 Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana^[14]

Estate of Charles Commeau The value of the estate of Charles Comeaux appeared to be inventoried at $9,191.60.^[15][16]

According to an unidentified source, on his life in Louisiana:

He was identified in the 1766 census of the Opelousas district as a resident of the Acadian settlement. His household included one unidentified woman. Signed with his mark (he was illiterate) an unconditional oath of allegiance to Spain at the Opelousas District, December 16, 1769. Identified in ecclesiastical records as a resident of the Opelousas District, April 9, 1771. With other Acadian settlers, he petitioned Governor Luis de Unzaga to intervene with Jacques Courtableau's widow, who was challenging their land titles, June 3, 1773. The petitioners maintained that they had been settled on the "Coteaux de la grande Prairie" by the late Jacques Courtableau. Governors Aubry and Ulloa had assured them that their titles were valid. If the widow was allowed to strip them of their lands, they would have lost years of hard work.

The October 25, 1774 census of the Opelousas District indicated that his household included the following persons: Charles Comeau, his wife, four unidentified children. The family owned fifty cows, eight horses or mules and twenty pigs.

The 1788 census of Opelousas District indicates that he was the head of a household that included two boys, one young woman, one older man and two girls. He owned six slaves, 643 cows fifteen horses and a tract of land with fifty arpents (acres) frontage. the census indicates that he and his family resided in the Bellevue area of the Opelousas district.

In the 1796 census, he was the head of the household that included one boy aged 1 - 15, two men aged 15 or older and one woman aged 15+. He ownsed one slave boy aged 1 - 15, two slave girls aged 1-15. He was still a resident of the Bellevue Area. He is listed as a fusilier in the April 15, 1776 and June 8, 1777 muster rolls of the Opelousas District Militia.

He was the defendant in a civil suit brought by Pierre Richard in the Opelousas District , December 20, 1783. He was able to sign his name on his son Auguste's marriage contract February 18, 1797.^{[citation needed]}

Charles Comeaux was buried on 19 Aug 1805 at age about 60 years at the St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana. His succession was held at the Courthouse in Opelousas on 20 March 1805.^[17][18]

DNA

Paternal and Maternal relationships are both confident based on a triangulated group on MyHeritageDNA who share a 12.7 cM segment on chromosome 5, consisting of Audrey Lee Crockett and MES, her 7th cousin 1x removed, and RT, her 8th cousin 1x removed. (MES and RT are 7th cousins 2x removed.) These matches have been independently verified by via the MyHeritage Chromosome Browser. Their most-recent common ancestors are Jean Comeau and Brigitte Savoie, the 7x great grandparents of Audrey Lee Crockett and 6x great grandparents of MES and 8x great grandparents of RT.

Sources

1. ↑ The Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial, Wall of Names Committee; Jane G. Bulliard, Chair, eds., (Opelousas, LA: Bodemuller, 2015) p. 14.
2. ↑ "Life Lines," "Ensemble Encore", Acadian Memorial Foundation,Database of Acadian Immigrants to Louisiana, Entry for Charles Comeau.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Karen Theriot Reader, Charles Comeau, citing
   • Ronnie-Gilles LeBlanc, "Liste des familles et individus qui ont demeuré à Halifax entre 1759 et 1764 x entre 1759 et 1764;"

   1. 165 - Charles COMEAU, son of Jean COMEAU.

   • Stephen A. White, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Acadiennes 1715 à 1780 (Moncton, NB: Centre d'Études Acadiennes, draft version);

   SAVOIE no. 6 g - Charles COMEAU, son of Jean COMEAU & Brigitte SAVOIE, married around 1765 to Anastasie SAVOIE, daughter of Paul SAVOIE & Judith MICHEL.

4. ↑ Census of 1756-1757: Ronnie-Gilles LeBlanc, "List of Refugee Acadian Households at Camp Espérance on the Miramichi, 1756-1757," English trans. by John Estano DeRoche;

   Charles COMEAU, son of Jean COMEAU married around 1765 to Anastasie SAVOIE, daughter of Paul SAVOIE, from Chipoudie, settled at Attakapas and Opelousas, Louisiana.

5. ↑ Census: 12 Aug 1763 Halifax: Ronnie-Gilles Le Blanc, "List of Acadian Families & Individuals at Halifax between 1759 & 1764," English trans. by John Estano DeRoche (2013) p. 10;

   Charles COMEAU, son of Jean COMEAU married around 1765 to Anastasie SAVOIE, daughter of Paul SAVOIE, from Shepody, NOT listed on 1763 census, settled at Opelousas, Louisiana.

6. ↑ Census 1771, Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana: Winston De Ville, Opelousas Post: The Census of 1771, (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publishing, 2010) p. 10;

   Charles COMO, 29;

   Pierre SAVOYE, 26;

   wife of Charles COMO, 27;

   one son, 4;

   one son, 2.

   There were 19 cattle, 7 horses, on 6 arpents without title.

7. ↑ Census, 8 Nov 1774 Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana: Winston De Ville Mississippi Valley Mélange: A collection of notes and documents for the genealogy and history of the Province of Louisiana and the territory of Orleans, vol. 1, (Baton Rouge, LA: Provincial Press, Claitor’s Publishing Division) p. 40;

   Charle COMMAU and wife, with 4 children, 0 slaves, 50 head of cattle, 8 horses or mules and 20 swine.

8. ↑ Military: DAR Patriot Index, "COMEAUX, CHARLES, Ancestor #: A024697,"

   Service: LOUISIANA Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE

   Birth: CIRCA 1740 CANADA

   Death: BURIED 8-19-1805 OPELOUSAS POST LOUISIANA

   Service Source: CHURCHILL, SPANISH RECS, P 247

   Service Description: 1) OPELOUSAS MILITIA, GALVEZ EXPEDITION

   RESIDENCE 1) City: OPELOUSAS POST - District: LA - State: SPANISH AMERICA
9. ↑ Revolutionary War Military Service: Winston de Ville,Louisiana Soldiers in the American Revolution, (Baton Rouge, LA: Provincial Press, 1991);

   Charles Comeaux is listed as a fuselier in the Opelousas District militia, June 8, 1777. His name is rendered as Charles Comau in the 1777 list. Charles participated in the Battle of Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779 and was under the command of Governor Bernardo de Galvez. He also participated in Governor de Galvez's campaigns against the British held forts in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.

10. ↑ DAR Patriot Index, Millennium Administration, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 2003);

    National DAR member #810227 Has service of Charles Commeau, Patriot #A024697. His service was "Opelousas Militia, Galvez Expedition," found in Churchill, SPANISH RECORDS, p. 19, referencing pp. 240-242-27-318

11. ↑ Census 1777, Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana: Winston De Ville, Southwest Louisiana Families in 1777: Census Records of Attakapas and Opelousas Posts, (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publishing, Reprinted June 2010) p. 25;

    110. Charle COMAUT, 40;

    Anastasie SÇAVOIE, wife, 34.

    Garcons:

    Charle, 10;

    Pierre, 8.

    Filles:

    Dorautee, 7;

    Emmelie, 4;

    Susanne, 1.

    Slaves: 1.

    There were 100 cattle, 15 horses, and 50 hogs.

12. ↑ Legal Suit, 29 Dec 1783 Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana: Winston De Ville, Calendar of Louisiana Colonial Documents, vol. II: St. Landry Parish, (Louisiana State Archives and Records Commission, 1964; Hathi Trust digitized copy) p. 23;

    Opel:1783 #319 December 29: Pierre RICHARD vs. Charles COMMO (5 pages).

13. ↑ Census, 15 Apr 1785, Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana: Karen Theriot Reader, citing and transcribing Winston De Ville, Southwest Louisiana Families in 1785: The Spanish Census of the Posts of Attakapas and Opelousas, (Baton Rouge, LA: Provincial Press, Claitor’s Publishing Co., 2010) p. 29;

    Ch[arle]s COMAU:

    2 2 1, 0 5 1, 0 0 0, 0 0 0, 0 1 1, 1 0 1.

    [There were 2 white boys; 2 white young men; 1 white man; 5 white young women; 1 white woman. Also 1 slave young man; 1 slave man; 1 slave girl; 1 slave woman.]

14. ↑ Donald J. Hébert, Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900, compact disk #101 ("SWLR CD"), (Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 2001; reprints by Claitor's Publications)
15. ↑ Estate
    20 March 1805 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
    Estate of Charles Commeau
    March 20, 1805
    {Husband of Anastasie Savoy}
    
    31 December 1805 Administrator’s Bond
    Sylvester Mouton
    Anaclet Cormier
    
    We Sylvester Mouton and Anaclet Cormier of the County of Opelousas and Territory of Orleans acknowledge ourselves bound jointly and severally unto the government of said Territory and to its legal successor in the just sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars conditional that the said bounden Sylvester Mouton shall well and truly administer the estate and effects of Charles Commeau deceased, of which he is this day appointed administrator, in a good and faithful manner without fraud and delay.
    Acknowledged before me this thirty-first day of December at Opelousas 1805.
    Theo: Collins Judge
    
    
16. ↑ Judy Riffel, “Calendar of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, Civil Records, Volume 1, 1803-1819,” (Le Comité des Archives de la Louisiane, 1995)
    
    Opelousas: 20 March 1805
    Estate of Charles Commeau. Administrator’s bond of Sylvester Mouton and Anaclet Cormier, sale of goods at auction, and division of estate to heirs Charles Comau; Pierre Comau; Augustin Comau; Baptiste Comau; Charles Boudrau, husband of Dorothee Comau; Silvain Sonnier, representing four minor children Silvain, Joseph, Valiere, and Gilbert, children of deceased Emelie Comau; and Silvert Mouton, husband of Suzanne Comau.
17. ↑ Donald J. Hébert, Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900, compact disk #101 ("SWLR CD"), (Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 2001; reprints by Claitor's Publishing);
    • COMEAUX, Charles bur. 19 Aug. 1805 at age about 60 yrs. Fr. Louis BUHOT (Opel. Ch.: v.1, p .80).
18. ↑ Succession dated 20 Mar 1805 at Lousiana State Archives (LSAR: Opel.: 1805). Note: this predates his death, so probably a will.

See also:

• Bad link