Pierre Richard (abt. 1730 - 1806)

Born about 1730 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Husband of Marguerite Dugas — married about 1752 in Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Husband of Elisabeth Aucoin — married 22 Aug 1797 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, New Spain

Descendants

Died 2 May 1806 at about age 76 in St. Landry, Orleans Territory, United States

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Biography

PIERRE RICHARD is on the Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana, on Plaque 5 Right. Listed with him is his wife, Marguerite Dugas, and one child, which should be Fabien. They immigrated c.1766 to New Orleans, Louisiana with the Joseph dit Beausoleil Broussard party.^[1] He is also featured prominently in the Acadian mural in St. Martinville, Louisiana.^[2]

Pierre Richard was a son of Alexandre Richard and Marie Magdeleine Thibodeau. ^[3] He was born about 1730 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Nouvelle-France. ^[4] No baptism record with a specific date has been found.

His father moved the family from Beaubassin to Ile St. Jean (now Prince Edward Island) around 1741. ^[4]

He married Marguerite Dugas in Acadie in 1752. That same year, the young couple was counted in the La Roque census in Macpec (Malpec). No children were recorded yet. They owned one cow and a calf. Pierre hadn't had time to make a clearing on his land. ^[4]

Pierre and Marguerite Dugas and their son Fabien were imprisoned at Halifax after the deportations began; ^[3] upon their release at the war's end in 1763, they joined with other released Acadians to work towards immigrating to Louisiana, which they accomplished c.1765. The peace treaty which released them coincided with the French colony of Louisiana's being ceded to Spain; however, the Spanish welcomed the new arrivals.

Fusilier Pierre Richard served with Louisiana Militia during the American Revolution.

Pierre Richard is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A095778.

He served in the Opelousas Militia, Galvez Expedition in 1776/1777 during the Revolutionary War.^[7][8] He is listed as a fusilier in the April 15, 1776, muster roll of the Opelousas District militia unit, and again as a fuselier in the Opelousas District militia, June 8, 1777. ^[9]

His wife, Marguerite Dugas, died before 22 August 1797 in Louisiana.

Pierre married Marie Elisabeth "Isabelle" Aucoin on 22 August 1797 in Opelousas, Louisiana.^[10]

Pierre Richard died at about 78 years of age and was buried on 3 May 1806 in Opelousas, Louisiana.^[11]

Slaves

In his lifetime Pierre had been a slaveholder. Before his death in 1806, he had manumitted an enslaved infant named Celeste, who married a free man of color, Jean Baptiste Malvaux, in 1812.^[12]
Correction: Pierre Richard emancipated an infant slave named Theotiste and not Celeste. He did so at the request of Marie, the child's mother, who paid him to do so. This was the cause of the dispute in the court case. The Richard's claimed that Celeste and Theotiste were not the same woman. ALC

The children and inheritors per stirpes of the estate of Pierre Richard later filed suit against Celeste in an attempt to claim her and her free-born children as part of Pierre's estate. The case resolved in favor of Celeste, who proved her claim of manumission by Pierre Richard prior to his death. The wording of Celeste's marriage record proved she and any children born to her were free, defeating the case brought by the Richard heirs.^[13]

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 6th cousin 2x removed, and SHU, her 8th cousin. (MES and SHU are 6th cousins 2x removed.) These matches have been independently verified by via the MyHeritage Chromosome Browser. Their most-recent common ancestors are Alexandre Richard and Marie Magdelaine Thibodeau, the 7x great grandparents of Audrey Lee Crockett and 5x great grandparents of MES and 7x great grandparents of SHU.

Sources

1. ↑ The Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial, compiled by Jane G. Bulliard and the Wall of Names Committee (Opelousas, LA: Bodemuller, 2015) p. 24.
2. ↑ Acadian Memorial, St. Martinville, Louisiana, mural, "The Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana, by Robert Dafford;

   "20. Pierre Richard, [arrived] 1766, Opelousas. A constituent of Beausoleil Broussard, he married Marguerite Dugas."

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} LeBlanc, Ronnie-Gilles « Les Acadiens à Halifax et dans l’île Georges, 1755–1764 ». Port Acadie no 22-23 (2012) : 43–76. https://doi.org/10.7202/1014976ar p. 76 of article, image 33 of PDF

   Pierre (59) RICHARD, son of Alexiandre (18) RICHARD, married around 1752 to Marguerite DUGAS, daughter of Louis (22) DUGAS, was from Malpèque, listed in Aug 1763 with 6 in family at Halifax. Settled at Opelousas, Louisiana.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Karen Theriot Reader, "Pierre Richard,", citing "1752 Census - Île Saint-Jean, Acadia, Sieur de La Roque," Report Concerning Canadian Archives for the Year 1905, vol. II, pt. A., (Public Archives of Canada, 1905, reprint Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1994), "Sessional Paper No. 18," Includes LaRoque census, p. 156; [The original is at the Archives nationales de la France, Colonies, G1 466, No 81.

   Pierre Richard, habitant laboureur, natif à l'Accadie agé de 22 ans et il y en a 11 qu'il est dans le pays, marié avec Marguerite Dugast, native à l'Accadie agée de 17 ans. Point d'enfans n'étant mariés que depuis peu.
   Ils ont en bestiaux : une vache et sa suitte.
   Ils tiennent leur terrain verballement de Monsieur de Bonnaventure. Point de deffriché.]
   Pierre RICHARD, ploughman, native of l'Acadie, aged 22 years, he has been in the country 11 years. Married to Margueritte DUGAST, native of l'Acadie, aged 17 years.
   They have no children, being only recently married.
   In livestock they have one cow and her calf.
   They hold their land under verbal permission from Monsieur de Bonnaventure. They have made no clearing.

5. ↑ Winston DeVille, Mississippi Valley Mélange, vol. 1, (Baton Rouge, LA: Provincial Press, Claitor’s Publishing Division) p. 40;

   Piere RICHAR[sic] and wife, with 5 children, 0 slaves, 50 head of cattle, 9 horses or mules and 20 swine.

6. ↑ Winston De Ville, Southwest Louisiana Families in 1777: Census Records of Attakapas and Opelousas Posts, (Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Claitor's Publishing, 2010) p. 25, citing Papeles Procedentes de Cuba, at the General Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain; legajo 2358, folios 258 -300;

   108. Pierre RICHARD, 38;

   Marguerite DUGAT, wife, 48.

   Garcons: Fabien, 20;

   Louis, 10;

   Pierre, 9;

   Olivier, 5;

   Philippe, 3.

   Filles: Marguerite, 6.

   There were 100 cattle, 12 horses, and 20 hogs.

7. ↑ Janet Jehn, Acadian Genealogy Exchange, vol. 5, pp. 22-23;

   On lists dated 15 Apr 1776 & 7 Jun 1777, "Revue de la Compagnie de Milice des oppeloussas," (originals found in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville, Spain; PAPELES PROCEDENTES DE CUBA, 161):

   Pierre RICHARD.

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

   National DAR member #810227 Audrey Lee Crockett has service of Pierre RICHARD, Patriot #A095778. His service was in "Opelousas Militia, Galvez Expedition," found in C. Robert Churchill, S.A.R. Spanish records (Louisiana); Spanish-English War 1779-1783: index to militia lists, p. 247.

9. ↑ "Ensemble Encore, Acadian Memorial data base, https://www.acadianmemorial.org/ensemble_encore2/record_detail.php?id=435
10. ↑ Rev. Donald J. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records 1740-1900 ("SWLR"), CD #101, (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publications Division, 2001);
    • RICHARD, Pierre - of Acadia (Leandre & Marie THIBODEAUX) m. 22 Aug. 1797 Isabelle AUCOIN (Jean Baptiste AUCOIN [although record has: daughter of Jean Baptiste LEBLANC, which is in error] & Anne TRAHAN]) Wits: Cyrille THIBAUDEAU, Victor RICHARD, Jean JEANSONNE. Fr. Pedro de ZAMORA (Opel. Ch.: v.1-A, p.75).
    • AUCOIN, Isabelle (Jean Baptiste AUCOIN [however, record actually has Jean Baptiste LEBLANC, which is in error; should be Joseph AUCOIN--Jean-Baptiste LE BLANC was her 1st husband's name] & Anne TRAHAN) m. 22 Aug. 1797 Pierre RICHARD - of Acadia (Leandre & Marie THIBODEAUX) Wits: Cyrille THIBAUDEAU, Victor RICHARD, Jean JEANSONNE. Fr. Pedro de ZAMORA (Opel. Ch.: v.1-A, p.75).
11. ↑ Hebert, SWLR CD;

    RICHARD, Pierre bur. 3 May 1806 at age about 78 yrs. Fr. Louis BUHOT (Opel. Ch.: v.1, p.85).

12. ↑ Rev. Donald J. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records, Vol. 33, Supplement (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publications Division, 2001) p. 235;

    MALVAUX, Jean Baptiste negre libre (Catherine, originally libre) m. 14 July 1812 Celeste, negresse libre (Opel. Ch.: vol. 1, p.292).

13. ↑ Audrey Lee Crockett, citing St. Landry, Louisiana Court Case #970, Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana, dated April 27, 1825; (The following information was provided by Audrey Lee Crockett, who did the original research.) [Audrey's note: This is a transcription of a few pages of a court case of the Pierre Richard, Sr. and Marguerite Dugas family. It was a suit brought by the Richard descendants against a slave woman named Celeste. The Richard family was claiming she was a slave and that they were therefore entitled to own her and her children. This court case documents the legitimate and only children of Pierre Richard, Sr. and Marguerite Dugas. If the children were deceased, then the grandchildren of Pierre Richard and Marguerite Dugas were represented per stirpes ("by the root," meaning the children of the deceased would receive their deceased parent's share).]

    PIERRE RICHARD & MARGUERITE DUGAT

    Court Case #970 dated April 27, 1825

    To the honorable Seth Lewis, Judge of the Fifth District Court in and for the parish of St. Landry

    The petition of LOUIS RICHARD, OLIVIER RICHARD, PHILLIPPE RICHARD, FRANCOIS RICHARD, MARGUERITE RICHARD wife of JOHN BOURQUE who authorizes this suit, all of the parish of St. Landry, in their own right as the legitimate children of PIERRE RICHARD & MARGUERITE DUGAT, both deceased at the parish of St. Landry.

    Of ANCELET RICHARD, PHILLIPPE RICHARD, LOUIS RICHARD, LIZI RICHARD wife MOISE HEBERT who authorizes this suit all of the parish of Lafayette legitimate children of PIERRE RICHARD deceased, and representing him in the succession of his deceased father and mother the aforesaid PIERRE RICHARD and his wife MARGUERITE DUGAT.

    Of URSIN HEBERT of the parish of Lafayette natural tutor of URSIN HEBERT, fils, JOSEPH HEBERT, GIDEON HEBERT, LOVINSKI HEBERT, CAROLINE and URANIE HEBERT, minors under the age of puberty, and his children by his deceased wife MARGUERITE RICHARD, and representing her in the succession of the aforesaid PIERRE RICHARD and MARGUERITE DUGAT his deceased wife and grandfather and grandmother of the said MARGUERITE RICHARD, deceased.

    Of PIERRE RICHARD, EUPHROSINE RICHARD, JOSEPH RICHARD, JEAN RICHARD AUGUSTINE RICHARD wife JOSEPH LAVERNE who authorizes this suit all of the parish of St. Landry and LENILE RICHARD of the parish of Lafayette legitimate children of FABIEN RICHARD deceased and representing him in the succession of his deceased father and mother PIERRE RICHARD and MARGUERITE DUGAT.

    Of NOEL VASSEUR of the parish of St. Landry, natural tutor of LOUIS VASSEUR, CELISE VASSEUR, JEAN VASSEUR, LUGERE VASSEUR, LISAS VASSEUR and ISRAEL VASSEUR, minors under the age of puberty and his children by his deceased wife ANGELIQUE RICHARD, and representing her in the succession of her grandfather and grandmother the aforesaid PIERRE RICHARD and MARGUERITE DUGAT his wife deceased as aforesaid.

    Of ARSENE THIBODEAUX wife of HYPPOLITE THIBODEAUX of the parish of St. Landry who authorizes this suit in right of her deceased mother FRANCOISE RICHARD, and representing her in the succession of her grandfather and grandmother, the aforesaid PIERRE RICHARD and his wife MARGUERITE DUGAT deceased as aforesaid.

    With respect represents that your petitioners are the legal heirs and representatives of the aforesaid PIERRE RICHARD and his wife MARGUERITE DUGAT deceased as aforesaid, and that as such they are entitled to the property belonging to their succession, and particularly that in the said capacities they are the legal owners and proprietors of a certain negro woman named CELESTE about twenty eight years of age, and a slave for life, and her children JEAN LOUIS a negro boy about twelve, CADET a negro boy about ten years of age, SOSTHENE a negro boy about eight years of age, VALIERE a negro boy about six years of age, CELESTINE a negro girl about three years.