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Notes for Francois Antoine Pitre:
Francois Antoine was one of numerous great-grandchildren of Francois Pitre, the progenitor of the St. Landry branches of the Louisiana Pitres. He was the 2nd child of eight and, like his elder brother Pierre, married at the age of 20. His wife Emelite Joubert was only 15 at the time. In the 1840 St. Landry census the couple is listed but their only son Francois Damon would be born shortly thereafter. Also included were 25 slaves who ranged from small children to middle-aged men and women. Francois was a planter like many other Pitres in the area.
In the 1850 census Francois Antoine is listed with $800 real estate, his wife, and 11-year-old Francois Damon. In 1857 Francois Damon, just after his 17th birthday, married his 2nd cousin Gadrate Pitre, who had just had her 15th birthday. She died soon thereafter.
By 1860 Francois Antoine claimed $1800 of real estate, and $13,000 personal estate, and was listed with his wife Emelite. Son Francois Damon, whose occupation is given as manager, was included with $1000 personal estate and his 2nd wife Alicia Ledoux who he married the previous year. She gave birth to 3 daughters before dying 5 years on at the age of 21. One of the girls died in infancy. A white laborer is included, as are the slaves now numbering 13.
Francois Damon was listed as a private with Co. B, 8th Louisiana Cavalry during the Civil War. He was paroled on 19th June 1865.
As mentioned elsewhere, many Pitre families are missing from the 1870 census and I can find neither the father nor son. By 1870 Francois Damon now has a 3rd wife Hermina Andrepont, who he married in 1865, and she has born him 3 children. A 4th child was born the following year but only one of the four children by Hermina survived to adulthood. Hermina also succumbs about 1872 and within the year Francois Damon has married for a 4th time. His 4th wife is Aurelia Andrepont, Hermina's younger sister.
In 1876, Francois Damon's oldest daughter Marie Alice married Cleophas Mouille, but she died a little over 2 years later on her 18th birthday. In 1879 Marie Alice's younger sister Marie Emelina married Paulin Brown. According to descendants, she committed suicide on Christmas Eve 1892.
By the 1880 census Francois Antoine & Emelite are now alone save for Louis N. Massilet age 1 who is listed as grandson, and 2 mulatto farm laborers. (I am uncertain as to the parents of Louis but the surname Massilet may be a corruption of Mouille.) Francois Damon and 4th wife Aurelia are listed with son Pierre Damon and daughter Marie Alphonsia. (Two other daughters have died in infancy.) There is also daughter Marie Emelina, husband Paulin Brown, their infant son and Paulin's brothers Philip & John, niece Teresa, and sisters Ophelia & Clementine.
Francois Antoine and wife Emelite died sometime after the 1880 census but I have as yet found no burial information.
In the 1900 census, Francois Damon and wife Aurelia are listed with their 4 youngest children, another son having died in infancy. Pierre Damon, his only surviving child by 3rd wife Hermina, is now married to Laura Chovet (a Belgian) and they have 4 children (a fifth having died in infancy). Daughter Marie Alphonsia (by Aurelia) is now married to Martin Fremont Dupre.
Francois Damon died circa 1911 and is buried in the old Opelousas Cemetery. Aurelia lived another 11 years and died in 1922 aged 75.
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Francois is 17 degrees from Robert Beheathland, 17 degrees from Bartholomew Gosnold, 14 degrees from Thomas Graves, 18 degrees from Anne Laydon, 19 degrees from Alice Longe, 17 degrees from Samuel Mathews, 19 degrees from Christopher Newport, 19 degrees from John Smith, 16 degrees from Nathaniel Tatum, 15 degrees from Temperance West, 17 degrees from Francis Wyatt and 15 degrees from Valerie Penner on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
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Categories: Louisiana Families | Opelousas, Louisiana