Jean Louis Fontenot (1686 - 1755)

Born 18 Dec 1686 in Montierneuf, Poitiers, St-Germain, Motierneuf, France

Ancestors

Husband of Marie Louise Angelique Henry — married 8 Feb 1726 in Mobile, Alabama, Louisiana, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

Died 29 Oct 1755 at age 68 in Ft. Toulouse de Alibamons, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France

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Biography

A little history:

"Between 1717 and 1763, the French built three forts in succession as the relentless Coosa River washed the first two away. As French soldiers brought their families here, they built some of the very first farms in what is now Alabama around Fort Toulouse. The sons of these families grew up to be French soldiers during the 46 years of the fort’s existence.

"Sons and daughters of French soldiers married, creating large extended families within the Fort Toulouse garrison. The largest family was that of the Fontenot's, who raised 12 children at a farmstead next to Fort Toulouse. Many French soldier descendants visit the park today."^[1]

In 1763 West Florida Territory was transferred to England. Many French families of the Alabama-Mississippi Gulf Coast area emigrated to Louisiana, particularly to St. Landry Parish.

"The progenitor of the Louisiana Fontenots was Louis Fontenot dit Colon and his wife Louise Angelique Henry.

"Louis was about 34 years old when he arrived in Louisiana. At the time of his marriage, he was in the company of Monsieur de la Tour. Various military rolls indicate that Louis served at Mobile, Post des Alibamns (Fort Toulouse) and at Fort Tombekbe. It was at Fort Toulouse that Louis Fontenot died in 1755.

"Louis and Louise had twelve children, and all but one of the seven sons of this marriage migrated to the Opelousas area. The lone son was Jean Louis dit Cadet. He and his wife Marie Francoise LaGrange elected to settle along the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. One of Jean Louis’ sons, Louis “dit Grand Louis” later joined the Fontenot relatives in Opelousas where he married Marie Fontenot, his first cousin, in 1786."^[2]

Immigration: 1720, Alabama ^[3]

Sergeant Military Service, 1726, Mobile, Alabama^[4]

Biography

Sources

1. ↑ Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson Park; Website is sponsored by Friends of the Forts Foundation]
2. ↑ [http://www.claitors.com/veach/cajunsv3n33.htm Damon Veach, Cajuns, Creoles, Pirates and Planters
3. ↑ Title: "Fort Toulouse - 1755: Personalities"; Repository: Name: Internet;

   Text: Arrived in 1720 on the ship Dromadaire, he was a "Sergent" at the post of Fort Toulouse, near Montgomery, Alabama.

4. ↑ Title: “Louisiana Troops - 1720-1770”. Compiled and translated from the French by Winston De Ville from document number AD, D2C, 54:1, Library of Congress; Published 1965, Reprinted 1999, Clearfield, Baltimore, Maryland; copy in possession of Jacqueline Girouard; non-paginated, alphabatized under "F"

   Jean Louis Fonteneau Died at Alibamons October 29, 1755, company of Grandchamp.

See Also

• Title: Gulf Coast Colonials, A compendium of French Families in Early Eighteenth Century Louisiana, Author: Winston De Ville; Clearfield Company, Inc. 1968;

Louis Fontenot dit Colin, son of Joachim Fontenot and Jeanne Prido; native of Poitiers, parish of St. Germain; sergeant in De La Tour's company; sergeant in Merveilleux's company; married 8 February 1726; p. 38

Louise Henry - Daughter of Mathurin Henry and Louise de Perigo; native of Port Louis, parish of Blauet (Blavet?); widow of La Bogne (?)

Philippe - born 21 August 1727. (Note: On this record the mother is listed as Louise Perigot.)

Jean - Born 1 January 1729, fils naturel et legitime. (Note: On this record the mother is listed as Louise Perigot.)

Jean Louis - Born 27 February 1730. (Note: On this record the mother is listed as Louise Henry.)

Note: One Francois Fontenot, creole and soldier at Alibamons, was buried 16 Januray 1759.)

• Love's Legacy: The Mobile Marriages Recorded in French, Transcribed, with Annotated Abstracts in English, 1724-1786 by Jacqueline Olivier Vidrine. University of Southwestern Louisiana: Lafayette, LA, 1985. Text:

p. 24

Mob. bb I:61a-1

February 8, 1726

1726

L an Mil Sept cent vingt Six et Le huit fevrier Je SouSSigné certifie avoir donné La benediction nuptiale, ayant accordé la dispense de deux bans pour des bonnes et valables raisons a Loüis fontenot fils de Joachim fontenot et de Jeane pr-do natif de poitiers paroisse de St. germain. Sergent de La compagnie d- Monsieur de La Tour et a Louise henry fille de mathurin henry et de Louise de p-igo, natif du port Louis, paroisse de blavet veuve de deffunt L-b-g-e en presence des temoins SouSSignes avec moy

fr claude preste cap. Miss. a post. cure de La mobile

Dubreüil Sindic

ollivier

alleuin

X marque de Louis fontenot

p.25

Mob. bb I:61-a-1

February 8, 1726¹

Dispensed with two banns.

Louis Fontenot,² sergeant in La Tour's company, son of Joachim Fontenot and Jeanne Prido, native of Poitiers, parish of St. Germain.³

Louise Henry, widow of L-b-g-3,⁴ daughter of Mathurin Henry and Louise de Perigo or Prigo, native of Port Louis, parish of Blavet.⁵

Witnesses signing were: (Vincent Jolin or Dourlin dit) Dubreüil, sindic, Ollivier (Philippe), Francois Alleuin or Allevin.

1. Although a space at the end of line one could have once had "dix" or "vingt" preceding "huit", the McGowan copy gives February 8 as the date.

2. Perhaps the soldier who died at Alibamons, October 29, 1755. Daniel H. Thomas, "Fort Toulouse: The French Outpost at the Alibamons on the Coosa," Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXII (1960), 221n.

3. References to the family were found in Montierneuf Parish nearby. Photocopies were a gift to this writer from Mrs. Milton P. Rider and her husband, now deceased, of New Orleans. See Jacqueline O. Vidrine and Elaine Guillory Pucheu, "The First Fontenot Families of Louisiana," Louisiana Genealogical Register, XXII (December, 1975); XXIII (March, 1976).

4. The name appears to be "La begne" or "Le beque". One Louison Henry of Port Louis lost her husband, Thomas Le Beghues, at Chapitoulas, August 2, 1721. Photograph of the original extract of deaths at the Ste. Reine Concession, in Henry C. Bezou, Metairie: A Tongue of Land to Pasture (Gretna, La., 1973). The similar names are tantalizing, but no further leads have been uncovered.

5. Blavet was given the name Port Louis during the reign of Louis XIII. Bretagne, Michelin Green Guide Series (Paris, 1965).

Acknowledgements

• Melanie Billiot

Research Notes

Children for Research purposes only; need to be verified with sources

1. Marie Louise FONTENOT b: 1726 in Mobile, Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
2. Philippe Jean Louis dit St Philippe FONTENOT b: 21 Aug 1727 in French Mobile, Fort Toulouse, Alabama c: 2 Sep 1727 in French Mobile, Fort Toulouse, Alabama
3. Henri Pierre dit Bellevue FONTENOT b: 21 Aug 1727 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
4. Jean Baptiste FONTENOT b: 1 Jan 1729 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile, Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
5. Jean-Louis dit de Bonair FONTENOT b: 27 Feb 1730 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile, Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France c: 3 Mar 1730 in Mobile, Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
6. Joseph Bellaire FONTENOT b: 1732 in French Mobile, Fort Toulouse, Alabama
7. Marie FONTENOT b: ABT 1734 in French Mobile, Fort Toulouse, Alabama
8. Francois FONTENOT b: ABT 1736 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
9. Marie Louise FONTENOT b: ABT 1741 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile Alabama, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France
10. Marie Therese Cobin FONTENOT b: 1746 in French Mobile, Fort Toulouse, Alabama