Magnolia_Plantation_Derry_Louisiana.jpg

Magnolia Plantation, Derry, Louisiana

Privacy Level: Open (White)
Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Natchitoches, Louisiana, United Statesmap
Surnames/tags: slavery Louisiana Lecomte
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Index of Plantations

Magnolia Plantation is a former cotton plantation near the town of Derry in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001, significant as one of the most intact 19th-century plantation complexes in the nation (has slave cabins, outbuildings and period technology). [1]

The first owner of the land was Jean Baptiste LeComte, and his son Ambroise Lecomte II had the first structures built.

By 1860, Ambrose II owned multiple properties of over 6,000 acres. Cotton and other crops were cultivated and harvested by 275 enslaved persons housed in 70 cabins. [2] According to one of his account journals held at the Prudhomme Collection at UNC Wilson Library, Ambroise Lecomte had the following plantations: Magnolia, Shallow Lake, Vienna, Cape Hope, Spanish Lake and Lancoucou vachery.

Two of Ambrose and Julia’s daughters married into the Hertzog family, another prominent French Creole planter family. Ambrose gave part of Magnolia to his daughter Atala Lecomte and son-in-law Matthew Hertzog in 1852, and they assumed the management of the plantation.

After emancipation, many descendants remained on the property, until around the 1950's. [3]

Contents

1820 Census

In 1820, a total of 96 enslaved were enumerated. [4]

1840 Census

In 1840, a total of 160 enslaved were enumerated. [5]

1850 Slave Schedule

NOTE In this record, the enumerator recorded the number of enslaved of the same age on one line. Therefore, the number of enslaved IS NOT 34 as was transcribed, but rather 184. Also, the name on the schedule was poorly transcribed. [6]

Name:Ambr Lewinte
Residence Date:1850
Residence Place:Natchitoches, Louisiana
Number of Enslaved People:184
All Enslaved People:
GenderAgeNumber
Male851
Male753
Male601
Male572
Male512
Male479
Male3511
Male3015
Male207
Male155
Male126
Male84
Male59
Male27
Male14
Male451
Male201
Male112
Female802
Female702
Female554
Female484
Female3510
Female3012
Female279
Female206
Female157
Female1010
Female57
Female45
Female212
Female401
Female201
Female81

1860 (?) Account Journal of Ambrose Lecomte

"The following pages are the slave listings from pages 37 - 51 in Ambrose Lecomte's account journal found in folder 164 Series 3.1.2 of the Prudhomme Collection at UNC Wilson Library. The original pages contained the listings for Magnolia Plantation, Shallow Lake Plantation, Vienna Plantation, Cape Hope, Spanish Lake and Lancoucou Vachery. A vachery is a tract of landused specifically for grazing cattle."

Research Notes The accounts listed below are for Magnolia Plantation only. The accounts are most likely for 1860 since there are births in 1855 and deaths in 1859. However, on the copy of the handwritten record for female slaves (partial list), the year noted in the upper left corner is 1852. However, deaths are recorded as occurring in 1853 and 1854.

Another complication is the age category. If a person is listed as 23 year old, do we assume that s/he was born in 1837 (1860 minus 23) or, is that the age in 1845 when their estimated worth was established? For those who have death dates, it is easier to document their year of birth. **For the profiles' records, I chose to subtract the age listed from 1860.

The female slaves named below is a partial list since the first name on the list is Melia followed by names in ABC order. Male slaves begin with "Ambrose" and continue in ABC order.

These records were shared with me (Gina Jarvi) by a descendant of one of Lecomte's slaves on Ancestry, Jahrod Pender.

Magnolia Plantation: Adult Males
NAMESMALE SLAVESAGEESTIMATION IN 1845DEATHNOTES
AmbroseMulatto boy36750
AdamsNegro boy28650
AugusteNegro boy384001847
AugustNegro boy237501847Drowned
AzinosMulatto boy27500
AzinorNegro boy22450
AlbertNegro boy29700
BaptisteNegro boy47900
BarthelemyMulatto boy17250July 1851Cholera
BillNegro boy25700July 30 1851Cholera
Charles NatchitochesNegro boy27700Jan 19 1855Pleurisy
CiriaqueMulatto boy25500
ChouchouteMulatto boy26550
CupidonMulatto boy36750
Charles (Blacksmith)Negro boy23550
CheniteNegro boy26700August 1850
GeorgesNegro boy30700
Gros JoeNegro boy44900
Grand MulateMulatto boy23650
Grand LouisMulatto boy42750
Grand FrancoisNegro boy62101847
HenryNegro boy26750
HonoréMulatto boy21June 4 1859Drowned
JosephMulatto boy24600
Joseph DestinMulatto boy52400
Joseph LavingeMulatto boy34750May 1850
JefryNegro boy44700
John SmithNegro boy450June 20 1855
John DavisNegro boy34550
Joy GaspariteNegro boy494001846
Joe AnglaisNegro boy29700
JohnNegro boy9125Sept 30 1849Drowned
JamesNegro boy380
James FilsNegro boy120
Jacques CyrianNegro boy2810
Louis PetitMulatto boy27700
Louis Ginon (Commander)Mulatto boy66350
Moses CarpenterMulatto boy40800
Ned (big)Negro boy26700
Ned (Little Coon)18Sept 29 1856Burnt in the press
PrudemesNegro boy10150
PaulinMulatto boy23500
Raphael Negro boy10150
TirenceNegro boy25700
TonyNegro boy26600
Thomas CarpenterNegro boy46700Cholera
UrsinMulatto boy29750
VictorienMulatto boy27750
ValsinMulatto boy30
WilliamNegro boy42700
Warren CarpenterNegro boy23Bought in N.O. 1852 for $2000


Magnolia Plantation: Adult Females
NAMESFEMALE SLAVESAGEESTIMATION IN 1845DEATHNOTES
MeliaMulatto girl21250
MatildeMulatto girl45450
MelizaMulatto girl25450
Marsi Quinon (?)Mulatto girl47200
MadeleineMulatto girl29600
MarionetteNegro471501807
MarthaNegro29450 March 1809
OctaviaNegro12200July 21 1851(?)
PasiteNegro20550
RosalineNegro21500
RoseMulatto girl35600
Suzanne (old)Mulatto girl69109th Feb 1853
SuckyNegro4545028 April 1853
Siverine (?)Negro18200Manuel's wife
SarahNegro40750
Siliphine29500
SallyNegro6050August 19, 1850
VictorineMulatto3600Die 1854
VenueNegro20525
ZelinaNegro31600July 30, 1851Cholera

Male Children Born Since 1845

Magnolia Plantation: Male children Born since 1845
NAMESMALE CHILDRENAGE MOTHER'S NAMEYEAR BORNDEATHS
Celestin Mulatto boy 7Constance 1845
Eugene Mulatto boy 3Azilie 1849
Albin Mulatto boy 3Kijiah Dec 10 1849
Narcisse Negro boy 3Eloise Dec 1849
Edward Negro boy 1Lagross Aug 26 1851
Severin Negro boy 1Selephine Sept 28 1851
Dominique Negro boy Kate July 14 1852 July 1852
Lucien Negro boy Eloise Aug 18 1852 Oct 1852
Alexis Mulatto boy Lorenza Sept 9 1852
Emile Mulatto boy Milia Sept 13 1852
Frederick Negro boy Constance Nov 10 1852
Alexandre Mulatto boy Azilie Nov 17 1852
Marcel Negro boy Roseline March June 7 1853
Tisire Negro boy Selephine Sept 1853
Laurent Negro boy Kate Oct 14 1853
Baptiste Negro boy Helene Dec 1853
Ursine Negro boy Lorenza July 1854
X Sisorsine  ? 1855
X Kate Jan 10 Jan 13 1856
X Selephine Aug 23 1855Aug 29 1855
EmileMulatto boy Clementia Jan 31 1856
FrancisNegro boy Kate Feb 6 1858
DorsinaNegro boy Bajeks Aug 25 1858
JanvierNegro boy Eloise Oct 6 1858
NeuvilleMulatto boy Nelia Sept 4 1854
GustaveNegro boy Kate Oct 22 1859
MosesNegro boy Neiona July 12 1860

Female Children Born Since 1845

Female Children Born Since 1845
NAMESFemale ChildrenAGEMother's NameYear BornDEATHSNOTES
AmbrosineNegro girl4ZelmaFeb 1845
SuzanneNegro girl3Helene10 Nov 1849
LegidaNegro girl2ConstanceApr 185012 Dec 1855Burnt
AmiraMulatto girlHenriette2 Feb 1852
ClaraNegro girlHelene29 Mar 1852
MathildaMulatto girlClentia21 Dec 1852
AmandaMulatto girlHenriette10 Apr 1854
XConstance30 May 185431 May 1854
ArsineNegro girlHelene1854
UreneNegro girlAzalie4 Dec 1854
SuzetteNegro girlLagrosse27 Jan 1855
DeneigeMulatto girlEloise 17 Apr 1855
JoletteMulatto girlEmilia15 Jun 1855
CharlotteMulatto girlMeliza5 Nov 1855
XMulatto girlClementineJan 1856Jan1856
ChaquiteFeb 1857
EmiliaMulatto girlClementia1 July 1858
GeorgianaMulatto girlMelia or Emilia17 Apr 1857

Slaves Purchased 1853 - 1859

[7][8]

Slaves Purchased
DATE BOUGHTNAMESSEXESAGESCOSTWHERE ATNOTES
February 1853
19thOsborne GibsonNegro man221225Magnolia
19thHarris DickersonNegro man201225MagnoliaDied 1854
19thHenry DickersonNegro boy151050Magnolia
19thCharles DickersonNegro boy13900Magnolia
19thEnnais DickersonNegro boy10800Magnolia
19thEllick WashingtonNegro man181250MagnoliaDied Aug 1854
21stMatt RossNegro man221300MagnoliaDied May 1854
21stPlutarch BarnesNegro man161200
21stPatterson BellNegro boy141000
21stClark OblenisNegro boy10800MagnoliaDied March 1862 (with J. Cojins)?
March
11thWilliamNegro man251300Shallow Lake(S.J.D. Imins) (?)
16thDaniel (mad Compire)Negro boy11850Magnolia
April
4thAngeyNegro Woman36600Magnolia
4thNelsonNegro Boy15900MagnoliaAngey's son
4thWilliamNegro Boy12800MagnoliaAngey's son
4thAllenNegro Boy10700MagnoliaAngey's son
4thLandenNegro Girl6450MagnoliaAngey's daughter
4thDaveNegro Boy4450MagnoliaAngey's son
4thGreenNegro Boy18 mos100MagnoliaAngey's son
February 1854
17thJackNegro Man431600Vienna Plantation
17thCassyNegro woman451035Vienna Plantation Jack's wife and cook
17thPeytonNegro Man431500
17thPeyton Jr.Negro Boy70son of Peyton
17thNancyNegro Girl60daughter of Peyton
17thMathildaNegro Woman351110wife of Peyton, sickly
17thLomisNegro Boy11775son of Peyton
17thPrudemisMulatto Boy11805Cape HopeOrphan
March 1854
Bought at Mad. Julian Rachel's sale
21stPrudenceMulatto Woman301825
21stJanvierMulatto Boy111050son of Prudence
1855AlexanderMulatto Boy15830Cape Hope
1859MarthaMulatto Woman221800washerwoman

1860 Slave Schedule

As in the 1850 Schedule, the enumerator recorded the number of enslaved owned of the same age. Instead of 48, as was transcribed, there were 234 enslaved recorded. There is a notation that there are 70 slave houses on his property. [9]

Name: A Lecompte
Residence Date: 1860
Residence Place: Natchitoches, Louisiana
Number of Enslaved People: 234
Number of Slave houses: 70
All Enslaved People:
Gender Age#
Male 75
Male 65
Male 52
Male 62
Male 602
Male 55
Male 50
Female 53
Female 52
Female 65
Female 51
Female 70
Female 63
Female 51
Female 70
Female 60
Female 52
Female 56
Female 55
Female 45
Male 48
Female 49
Female 48
Female 47
Male 57
Male 52
Male 50
Male 53
Male 55
Male 56
Female 58
Female 65
Female 57
Female 50
Male 50
Male 55
Male 50
Male 54
Female 53
Female 49
Male 2561
Female 2545
Female 1214
Male 1214
Male 816
Female 817
Male 317
Female 39


Sources

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_Plantation_(Derry,_Louisiana)
  2. https://www.nps.gov/articles/slaverymagnolia.htm
  3. A brief ethnography of Magnolia Plantation: Planning for Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Muriel (Miki) Crespi National Park Service. 2004. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/188083144.pdf
  4. 1820 Census:"1820 United States Federal Census"
    1820 U S Census; Census Place: Natchitoches, Louisiana; Page: 99; NARA Roll: M33_31; Image: 97
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7734 #1493621 (accessed 24 November 2021)
    Ambraies Lecomt.
  5. 1840 Census:"1840 United States Federal Census"
    Year: 1840; Census Place: Natchitoches, Louisiana; Roll: 127; Page: 152; Family History Library Film: 0009689
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8057 #1306592 (accessed 24 November 2021)
    Abrise Lecomte.
  6. 1850 Census:"1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
    The National Archive in Washington DC; Washington, DC; NARA Microform Publication: M432; Title: Seventh Census Of The United States, 1850; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
    Ancestry Sharing Link Ancestry Record 8055 #90720601 (accessed 24 November 2021)
    Ambr Lewinte in Natchitoches, Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA.
  7. https://uh-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/10657/2733/WEBB-THESIS-2013.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  8. slave listings from pages 37 - 51 in Ambrose Lecomte's account journal found in folder 164 Series 3.1.2 of the Prudhomme Collection at UNC Wilson Library
  9. 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original data:United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1,438 rolls.




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Category created and added -Gina
posted by Gina (Pocock) Jarvi