Eleventh Generation

1150. Joseph RABALAIS I was born about 1736 in (Pointe Coupée Parish), Louisiana, USA.²⁵¹ On 20 December 1771 in (Pointe Coupée Parish), Louisiana, USA, Joseph filed a document indicating that the wanted to put his affairs in order due to the fact that his wife was deceased and he had minor children. According to the document, he had 8 slave, 8 arpents of land plus a house with galleries, storehouse and indigoterie (apparatus for making indigo) valued at 2600 livres. The total value of his assets was 11,657 livres.¹²⁸⁵ It appears that Joseph had, at least, two land grants ceded to him by the Spanish Government. A 1811 land survey for the claim of Cyprien Lacour stated that the land was originally part of land conceded to Joseph Rabalais by an order of survey on 2 July 1777. On the other hand, a land claim for Guillaume Gauthier stated that Gauthier's claim was part of a tract of land ceded to Joseph Rabalais by an order of survey dated 3 June 1788. Is it, therefore, possible that there were 2 sections of land ceded by the Spanish Government to Joseph? On the other hand, the 1811 claim filed by Joseph's son, Jean Baptiste, states that his father had occupied the land since 1784. The Lacour and Gauthier surveys, however, mention actual dates which likely came from Spanish records as opposed to a statement made by Jean Baptiste to accompany his land claim. He appeared in the census in 1785 at Avoyelles Post in (Avoyelles Parish), Louisiana, USA with his second wife, Elizabeth Malbert, and their two children. The couple had 15 slaves and farmed 30 arpents of land. In addition, they had 150 cattle, 12 horses and 40 hogs. He likely died after 3 June 1788. On a 20 February 1811 land claim survey for Guillaume Gauthier (Joseph's son-in-law) mentioned above, it is stated that Guillaume's land was part of an order of survey in favor of Joseph Rabalais for 15 arpents front by the depth of 40 dated 3 June 1788 which would seem to indicate that Joseph was still alive at this time. It is unknown, however, if he moved to Avoyelles before his death although this is possibly the case since a burial record has not been located for him. After the death of Joseph, the estate went into succession. According to "Commentaries on some Avoyelles Families", on 26 March 1791, the succession was approved by the Governor. It provided that Joseph's widow, Elizabeth Malbert, would receive 4634 piastres, the four children of his first marriage to Anne Boftz would receive 937 piastres each, and the three children of his marriage to Malbert would receive 357 piastres each. This was after payment of debts of the succession which included 5332 piastres due Julien Poydras. It appears that Poydras was acting for the succession for some time prior to the March 1791 settlement and, as stated in "Commentaires ...", "it must be assumed that the approval of the Governor to which Choiner [the lawyer] refers is an approval of the final settlement of the succession after all inventory was sold". However, it appears that the provisions of the initial settlement were changed via an act dated 15 October 1791 by Valerien Leblanc, the Pointe Coupee commandant, with the knowledge and consent of Julien Poydras but without the consent of the heirs. Together Leblanc and Poydras changed the settlement so that Elizabeth Malbert, Joseph's widow, received 5555 piastres and each of his seven children received 488 piastres each. The second act was witnessed by Pierre Ducote whose wife, Henriette, was a daughter of the deceased Rabalais via his first marriage. However, Pierre Ducote admitted that he was unable to read and simply signed the 15 October 1791 agreement to indicate that he had witnessed the signatures of the others. Therefore, he had no idea of the underhanded nature of the second agreement. After discovery of this fraud, the Avoyelles Commandant (who had been contacted on 17 April 1793 by three of the four children from Joseph's first marriage) sent the entire file to Baron de Carondelet, the Governor. The outcome is not known but "Commentaries ..." states that "it is believed that the total settlement of 16586 piastres does not reflect the value of the land of the estate..." thereby suggesting that someone else had attempted to pocket the value of the real estate other than the rightful heirs.⁵⁶⁰ Anne Barbe BOPFF (BOFTZ) and Joseph RABALAIS I^251,842 signed a marriage contract on 11 June 1754 in (Pointe Coupée Parish), Louisiana, USA.¹²⁸⁵ They¹²⁸⁵ were married on 16 July 1754 at St. François d’Assise Catholic Church & Cemetery in (Pointe Coupée Parish), Louisiana, USA.^1286,1287

[Note: Joseph married Elizabeth Malbert about 1781 after the death of his first wife, Anne Barbe.]

1151. Anne Barbe BOPFF (BOFTZ) was born on 31 January 1740 in (St. Charles Parish), Louisiana, USA.¹²⁸⁸ She was baptized on 31 January 1740 at Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Destrehan (St. Charles Parish), Louisiana, USA.¹²⁸⁸ She was buried on 2 November 1764 in (Pointe Coupée Parish), Louisiana, USA.¹²⁸⁹

Children were: