Francois Cesar Boutte (1751 - 1827)

Born 13 Nov 1751 in Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama

Ancestors

Husband of Marie Therese DeGruy — married 12 Jul 1778 in St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1827 at age 75 in Plaquemine, Iberville Parish, Louisiana, USA

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Biography

The following is from "La Famille Boutte" by Timothy McCroskey, 1993, found in St. Martinville, LA public library GEN 929.2. The will of Francois Cesar Boutte is just one of many interesting items on the Boutte family found in this work. By Rob Peterson, 2012 Jan 30.

The following is the english (sic) translation of the last testament of Francois Cezard Boutte.

1. 158. FRANCOIS CEZAR SOUTTE, PERE, DEC. - 8

OCT. 1827. DECEDENT'S SUCCESSION IN THE PARISH OF IBERVILLE, LA., EST. #320, SHOWS THAT HE DIED 3 SEPT. 1827 AT THE RESIDENCE OF HIS SON- IN-LAW, CHARLES MEYER, IN IBERVILLE PARISH. SEALS WERE PLACED ON DECEDENT'S PERSONAL EFFECTS THERE TWO DAYS LATER BY JOHN A. HAASE, JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR IBERVILLE PARISH, AND CHARLES MEYER WAS APPOINTED THEIR GUARDIAN. INVENTORY WAS TAKEN OF DECEDENT'S PROPERTY IN THAT PARISH BY JOHN DUTTON, JUDGE. HIS WILL WAS PROBATED IN IBERVILLE PARISH 25 SEPT. 1827. IT WAS TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY VIRGINIA KOENIG OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA, LAFAYETTE, LA., AND IS GIVEN IN FULL HEREWITH.

THIS IS MY WILL

I, THE UNDERSIGNED, FRANCOIS CESAR BOUTTE, INHABITANT OF THE PARISH OF ST. MARY, IN THE COUNTY OF ATTAKAPAS;

CONSIDERING MY ADVANCED AGE AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE LENGTH OF THIS LIFE, BEING AT THIS MOMENT WEAK IN BODY, WITHOUT HOWEVER BEING ILL, BUT WELL IN MIND, JUDGMENT AND UNDERSTANDING, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS PRUDENT NOT TO WAIT TO THE LAST MOMENT TO PUT MY AFFAIRS IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO AVOID DISPUTES WHICH COULD ARISE CONCERNING MY INHERITANCE;

CONSEQUENTLY, I HAD ONE OF MY FRIENDS COME WHOM I ASKED T0 WRITE WHAT I DICTATED FOR MY WILL, JUST AS IT FOLLOWS;

I WISH AND ORDER THAT AFTER MY DEATH ALL MY LEGITIMATE DEBTS BE FIRSTLY PAID AND SETTLED FROM THE PROCEEDS OF MY INHERITANCE AND INDEPENDENTLY OF WHAT I OWE TO MR. AGRICOLE FUSELIER, BY AGREE- MENTS. I WISH AND ORDER THAT ALL WHICH HE WILL BE ABLE TO CLAIM AS BEING DUE TO HIM FROM ME, FOR NO MATTER WHAT REASON, BE EXACTLY PAID;

ITEM. WHEREAS THE SLAVES WHICH I POSSESS COULD NOT BE CONVENIENTLY DIVIDED AMONG MY HEIRS, BY REASON THAT SOME ARE WORTH MORE THAN OTHERS, AND THAT THIS DIVISION COULD BE A CAUSE FOR DISPUTES, AND PERHAPS EVEN FOR LANSUITS AMONG MY HEIRS; THIS IS WHAT I WISH TO AVOID; CONSEQUENTLY, I WISH AND ORDER THAT ALL SLAVES WHICH BELONG TO ME ON THE DAY OF MY DEATH, WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF THE NEGRESS AND THE LITTLE MULATTO OF WHOM I SHALL SPEAK LATER ON, BE SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION, UNDER THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT THE STATE OF MY AFFAIRS WILL ALLOW; AND THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE OF THE SAID SLAVES DIVIDED AMONG MY HEIRS, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER NOTED IN MY WILL.

ITEM. I WISH AND ORDER THAT THE REMAINDER OF MY POSSESSIONS WHICH WILL BELONG TO ME ON THE DAY OF MY DEATH WHICH I SHALL NOT HAVE OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF, BE BY THIS WILL OR BY FORMER ACTS NOT CONTRARY TO THE DISPOSITIONS CONTAINED IN THE PRESENT WILL, BE DIVIDED AMONG MY HEIRS, IF THE DIVISION IS PRACTICABLE, IF NOT SOLD [LINE MISSING].

ITEM. I DECLARE THAT THE HOUSE OCCUPIED BY MADAME BARON, MY DAUGHTER, AS WELL AS A WAREHOUSE, BOTH CONSTRUCTED ON MY LAND, ARE HER LEGITIMATE PROPERTY, AND THAT I HAVE NO RIGHT TO IT, CONSIDERING THAT SHE HAD THEM BUILT AT HER OWN EXPENSE OF MATERIALS BELONGING TO HER.

ITEM. I DECLARE THAT THE NEGRO NAMED PHUEL [?] BELONGS TO THE HEIRS OF THE LATE THERESE BOUTTE, MY DAUGHTER, SPOUSE OF MR. CHARLES MEYER; THE SAID NEGRO PHUEL HAVING BEEN GIVEN BY ME AND BY MY LATE SPOUSE JOINTLY, TO THE SAID THERESE, OUR DAUGHTER, IF SHE WERE ABLE TO SAVE HIM WHEN HE WAS A YEAR OLD AND DYING; AND IF HER HEIRS POSSESS HIM NOW, THEY OWE HIM RATHER TO THE GREAT CARE THEIR LATE GRANDMOTHER TOOK OF HIM THAN TO MY GENEROSITY AND THAT OF THEIR LATE GRANDMOTHER; IN THE CASE THAT MY OTHER HEIRS WOULD CONTEST THIS TO THE CHILDREN OF MY NAMED DEAD DAUGHTER, WHICH I KNOW IS VERY FAR FROM PROBABLE, I WISH AND DECLARE THAT THE SAID NEGRO PHUEL REMAIN IN THE COMPLETE POSSESSION OF THE CHILDREN OF MY LATE DECEASED DAUGHTER, BY MAKING TO THEM A DONATION OF HIM, PURE AND SIMPLE, BOTH TO TITLE OF THE ADVANTAGES AND [HORS PART] WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THEIR RIGHTS IN MY WILL; THE VALUE OF THE SAID NEGRO WILL HAVE TO BE CHARGED TO THE THIRD OF MY GOODS OF WHICH THE LAW ALLOWS ME FREE DISPOSITION.

ITEM. I DECLARE THAT THE NEGRO PAUL SOLD BY ME TO HORTENSE BOUTTE, MY DAUGHTER, IS INDEED HER PROPERTY; THE FUNDS WITH WHICH I PAID FOR THE SAID NEGRO WHEN I GAINED POSSESSION OF HIM WERE GIVEN TO ME BY HER.

ITEM. I DECLARE THAT A CERTAIN TRACT OF LAND SITUATED IN FAUSSE POINT, AND WHICH MR. CHARLES MEYER ACQUIRED FROM MONSIEUR DUFOUCHARD BELONGS TO ME, I HAVING ACQUIRED HALF OF IT FROM THE SAID MEYER, AND HAVING PAID HIM HIS PRICE HE MADE OVER TO ME THE ACT OF PURCHASE FOR IT UNDER SIMPLE CONTRACT, WHICH HALF PORTION OF LAND I WISH AND DECLARE TO BE SOLD AND THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE DIVIDED AMONG MY HEIRS, IF THE SAID LAND IS NOT SUITABLE TO BE DIVIDED; BUT IF IT IS SUITABLE TO BE DIVIDED, I WISH AND ORDER THAT IT BE DIVIDED IN KIND.

ITEM. I DECLARE THAT DURING THE LIFETIME OF MY LATE WIFE, WE JOINTLY MADE THE DIVISIONS AMONG OUR CHILDREN OF THE LANDS WHICH BELONGED TO US; THESE DIVISIONS IN SO FAR AS NEEDED, I APPROVE AND CONFIRM AGAIN BY MY PRESENT WILL, DECLARING FORMALLY THAT I WISH AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY BE FOREVER IRREVOCABLE

ITEM. WELL PENETRATED BY THIS TRUTH NEVER CONTRADICTED THAT GRATITUDE IS ONE OF THE FIRST DUTIES OF A WELL-THINKING MAN, CONSEQUENTLY IN RECOMPENSE FOR THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL NEVER-ENDING SERVICES RENDERED TO ME AND TO MY LATE WIFE BY MY NEGRESS MARIE LOUISE, MORE USUALLY KNOWN TO US BY THE NAME OF LOUISE, AND CONFORMING TO THE INTENT- TIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF MY LATE DECEASED WIFE WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT IN MY MIND, I WISH AND ORDER THAT AFTER MY DEATH, AND ONLY WITH THE DELAY NECESSARY SO THAT THE FORMALITIES ORDAINED BY THE LAW MAY BE FULFILLED, THAT THE NAMED NEGRESS LOUISE BE FREED OF ALL BONDS OF SLAVERY AND MADE CAPABLE OF ENJOYING THE FULLNESS OF LIBERTY, GIVING HER FROM THIS DAY BY MY PRESENT WILL, FULL AND ENTIRE LIBERTY BUT UNDERSTANDING NEVERTHELESS THAT SHE MAY ENJOY IT ONLY AFTER MY DEATH; TO CARRY OUT ALL THAT, I PRAY MY WILL EXECUTORS HEREAFTER NAMED, TO ACT WITH ALL NECESSARY DILIGENCE IN ORDER THAT THE SAID NEGRESS LOUISE BE FREED ACCORDING TO THE FORMS REQUIRED BY LAW; AND THAT THE EXPENSES WHICH RESULT FROM HER FREEDOM BE CHARGED TO MY ESTATE.

ITEM. I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO SAMUEL CHARLES MEYER, MY GRANDSON [THE BOY'S NAME WAS CHARLES CHRISTIAN MEYER], MY SLAVE, A SMALL MULATTO NAMED JEAN BAPTISTE, SON OF THE NEGRESS NAMED MARGUERITE, PRESENTLY ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD, IN ORDER TO BE ENJOYED, KEPT OR DISPOSED OF BY MY SAID GRANDSON, IN USUFRUCT, EFFECTIVE FROM THE DAY OF MY DEATH, APPOINTING HIM FOR THIS PURPOSE MY LEGATEE IN A PRIVATE CAPACITY, BUT IN USUFRUCT ONLY.

ITEM. I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO FRANCOIS CESAR BOUTTE [SON OF TESTATOR'S SON OF THE SAME NAME], MY GRANDSON, MY GOLD WATCH, TO ENJOY, TO KEEP AND TO DISPOSE OF WITH COMPLETE OWNERSHIP, APPOINTING HIM FOR THIS PURPOSE MY LEGATEE IN A PRIVATE CAPACITY.

ITEM. WHEREAS A LONG TIME AGO I GAVE A SILVER SOUP SPOON TO EACH OF MY TWO CHILDREN, FRANCOIS CESAR BOUTTE AND THERESE BOUTTE, AND THAT MY DAUGHTER HORTENSE BOUTTE HASN'T RECEIVED ONE OF THEM, CONSEQUENTLY, WISHING THAT THE GREATEST EQUALITY BE OBSERVED AMONG MY CHILDREN, I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO THE SAID HORTENSE THE SILVER SOUP SPOON WHIGH IS PART OF THE SILVERWARE WHICH I POSSESS PRESENTLY, AND IF THE AFOREMENTIONED SPOON NO LONGER EXISTS AT THE MOMENT OF MY DEATH, I WISH AND ORDER THAT SHE RECEIVE THE VALUE OF IT.

ITEM. l DECLARE THAT CONSEQUENTLY FOR A PORTION OF THE COMMON GOODS OF MYSELF AND MY LATE WIFE I WAS A DEBTOR TO MY SON FRANCOIS CESAR BOUTTE FOR THE SUM OF 300 PIASTRES [SPANISH DOLLAR,PIECE OF EIGHT] BUT SINCE HAVING PAID TO HIS ACCOUNT THE SUM OF 250 PIASTRES TO MR CHARLES CLIVIER, TO WHOM HE OWED IT, I ACTUALLY OWE HIM ONLY 50 PIASTRES,

ITEM. I BEG THE EXECUTORS OF MY WILL ASSISTED BY MR. PAUL BRIANT, OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, AS SOON AS IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THEM AFTER MY DEATH TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY ALL MY PAPERS IN ORDER TO SEPARATE THOSE WHICH CAN BE USEFUL FROM THOSE WHICH DO NOT SERVE THE WILL, TO DESTROY THE LATTER, AND TO MAKE AN INVENTORY AND PRESERVE THE FORMER.

ITEM- l NAME AS EXECUTORS OF THE PRESENT WILL MESSIEURS FREDERICK PELLERIN, CHARLES OLIVIER, AND AGRICOLE FUSELIER, WHOM I ASK TO BE WILLING TO SHOW ME THIS LAST PROOF OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP; AUTHORIZING THEM TO ACT JOINTLY AND SEPARATELY, THAT IS TO SAY, SEPARATELY IN THE CASE WHEN TWO OF THEM COULD NOT OR WOULD NOT ACT, THEN THE ONE OF THE THREE WHO WOULD REMAIN WOULD ACT ALONE, WHILE CONSULTING WITH MY TWO FRIENDS, MESSIEURS SOLANGE SOREL AND PAUL BRIANT.

ITEM. I REVOKE ALL WILLS AND CODICILS WHICH I MADE BEFORE THE PRESENT ONE, TO WHICH ALONE I WILL ASSIGN MY FINAL WISHES.

PREPARED IN SAINT MARY PARISH, AT MY HOME, IN 1826 THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF THE MDNTH OF MAY, AND I HAVE HERE SIGNED WITH THE GENTLEMEN LOUIS DEBLANC, CLAUDE FRILOT, ANDRE GAUFFREAU, VINCENT ARNAUD, AND HUGUES DEBLAND, ALL FIVE RESIDENTS OF THIS PARISH, AS WITNESSES REQUIRED BY ME IN CONFORMITY WITH THE LAW, AFTER HAVING DECLARED TO THEM THAT THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS MY LAST WISHES, THAT I HAD NOT PREPARED IN THEIR PRESENCE; AND AFTER THE READING OF IT HAD BEEN DONE TO THEM AS WELL AS TO MYSELF, BY SIEUR ANDRE GAUFFRAU, ONE OF THE WITTNESSES, OF ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE PRESENT ACT.

/S/ FRANCOIS CESAR BOUTTE

LOUIS DEBLANC, FILS

CLAUDE FRILOT

A. GAUFFRAU

V. ARNAUD

HUGUES DEBLANC.

Sources

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62255764&ref=acom

http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.boutte/172.2/mb.ashx

Francois Cezar Boutte, Sr., son of (Andre) Claude dit la Lime Boutte and Marie Anne Josephe Francoise Beaulieu Bodin, was born 13 November 1751 at Fort Conde, Mobile, West Florida Territory (Alabama). Francois married Marie Therese Francoise Verloin DeGruis 12 July 1778 at Poste des Attakapas (St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana), Spanish Louisiana. Marie Therese, daughter of Antoine DeGruis and Marie Aufrere, was born about 1753 at Fort Kaskaskia (Kaskaskia, Randolph, Illinois), French Louisiana. They had at least three children.

The Treaty of Paris in 1763 forced many of the French, including the Bouttes, to leave Mobile and move to New Orleans. The Boutte family lived at 12 St. Ann Street.

25 January 1770 Census, New Orleans Census – Francois Cezar and his brothers, Jean Claude and Antoine were listed in the Spanish Militia of New Orleans.

By 1774- 77, Francois migrated to Attakapas District with his father and family. The Bouttes never broke the ties to the New Orleans area. Francois and his brothers traveled back and forth from Attakapas to New Orleans. (Attakapas Gazette)

1 May 1777 Spanish Records. Spanish- English War 1779- 1783. Patriot listed on the roster of “La Compagine de Milice des Attakapas.” (compiled by C. Robert Churchill) (Attakapas Gazette)

Francois Cezar was a merchant. He owned and operated a store in Opelousas and later in life, around 1820, owned a store in Donaldsonville. His brother, Antoine, owned and operated a general merchandising store and warehouse in the Attakapas. They ran these store and warehouses with the help of their third brother Phillippe.

Their two other brothers, Louis Hilaire and Antoine in New Orleans owned a blacksmith shop. Also, Louis Hilaire was a building contractor. These two brothers owned the Isle of Barataria at the same time Jean LaFitte ran his operation from this Isle. It was implied that Francois Cezar, Sr. and his brother sold the contraband seized by LaFitte from their stores and warehouses.

Marie Therese died 13 September 1818 in New Iberia, St. Martin (Iberia), Louisiana and was laid to rest at St. Martin of Tours, St. Martinville.

Francois Cezar died 3 September 1827 in Iberville Parish at the home of his son-in-law, Charles Samuel Meyer and was laid to rest at St. Martin of Tours, St. Martinville. (Family Search, Attakapas Gazette, SW LA Records by Rev. Donald Hebert, Wikipedia)