France and French Genealogy

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Comment by James Alfred Locke Miller Jr. on September 17, 2011 at 4:43pm

Greetings! My French ancestry. From France via Haiti with a company of French marines to Mobile, Alabama; aide Maj. Pierre Gabriel de Juzan, killed in combat against Chickasaws, in the 1730's First Battle of Ackia, Tupelo, Mississippi Military District. Kinsman killed Second Battle of Ackia, Canadian French-Italian marines, Capt. Antoine de Tonty, and aide Maj. Charles Pierre de Liette. Maj. Juzan's mother was Mme. Michelle de Liette de Juzan "of the King's cabin", Versailles, France. I do not know the parents of Michelle,  but I suspect her father and Capt. Antoine de Tonty and brothers Henri de Tonty, and Baron Alphonse de Tonty of Canada, mother Mdm. Isabella de Lietto de Tonty,  descend Capt. Augustine de Liette, captain of the guard of the Duke of Guise, at the siege of Orleans, 1563?

 

In the Pyrenees Mountains there is the village of Louvie-Juzan in the Canton of Arudy, France. Supposedly, "Juzan/Juzzan/Jussan" means small village on the side of a hill. No known connection with my Juzans, except Maj. Juzan's son "Don Pedro", was His Spanish Majesty's Indian Commissioner to Alabama, Sieur Pierre Francoise Gabrial de Juzan (DAR ally "Patriot", as he ran Spanish service agents amongst the Indians against British agents amongst the Indians), who is believed to have spoken French, Spanish, Choctaw/Chickasaw/Creek "trade language", and possibly English? My Juzans seemed to be from near Toulouse, where Maj. Juzan's brother Francois Sauveur de Juzan was "courrier du cabinet de Roy; Count Pontchartrain's messenger to the King. Brother Jacques de Juzan, "commissionaire de La Marine, was a marine supply officer (bad eyesight?) at Toulouse. Their father Sieur Pierre de Juzan, Versailles, was the intendent of estates for the Count of Pontchartrain. Maj. Juzan, earlier had service on the Swiss border. I suspect that earlier the Juzan family was Swiss, Jussen, Jussian, or German, Jessien? The Mobile, Alabama, "Juzang" branch was originally French/Native American, and later also African American. In Louisiana is the small Cajun Juzan branch. I descend via Mrs. Margaret Hollinger Russell, who 1815 wed Col. Gilbert Christian Russell, Sr., 1782-1861, of the 3d U.S. Infantry, for whom Russell County, Alabama, is named (see "Find-a-grave", Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile). Col. Russell's brother-in-law, was U.S.Senator, Col. George Washington Owen, Mayor of Mobile, who's daughter wed Adm/Gen. Raphael Semmes, of the Confederate sea-rider CSS Alabama, sunk off France. The late Gen. Luke Wm. Finley, Sr., and his cousin, Adm. Oliver Semmes, USN, descend this Juzan lineage. My favorite branch is Juzan Lake, Mississippi, inn keeper, Choctaw chief, Capt. Peter Juzan, who in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, fought the British right flank ("...powdered the alligator's behinds and fired cannon balls at the British...") from the swamp, against the British right flank.  At New Orleans before the impending Battle, Gen. Jackson indicated free American Patriots of color would be paid and rewarded (per rank) equally with other (white) Americans. After the battle won; Jackson took the Choctaw lands and removed them west; Peter Juzan was Choctaw conductor and brother William Juzan, Chickasaw conductor. My ancestor at the Battle of New Oleans was McGuiresbridge, County Fermanagh born, Ireland, John (W?) Nixon, Freemason, chief attorney for the City of New Orleans, Adj. Lt. in deJean's s1st Louisiana Militia, who fought on the far west bank until over-run by the British, when he spiked his two light canon and retreated. The two cannon and regimental flag may have ended-up in the War Trophy Room, Whitehall, England? The last wife of Don Pedro (not my line, no children Palegia's seemed to have lived beyond infancy) was Palegia Lorries de Juzan who died 1848 at her brother's Jacques Lorriens' plantation (called "Camley"?), Covington, St. Tammany Parish; I seek her grave? Can "Find-a-Grave" there help? Their French Canadan Lorriens parents home is the oldest still standing home in New Orleans at St. John's Bayou; perhaps mistakenly called the Old Spanish Customs House? My many early French-Canadian lines in Alabama and Louisiana later. Maj. de Juzan and Maj. de Liette, and Capt. Antoine de Tonty were allegedly considered for the post death, award of de La Legion di Honnour et Des Ordres de Chevalerie (Order of St. Louis?), but it was not awarded to their widows. Does the French or Canadian governments furnish tombstones or memorial stones for their marines fallen in combat on foreign fields, as the U.S. government honors it's fallen in combat? If so, if the Battle of Ackia National Park, does not permit placement, perhaps the nearest, oldest, Catholic Church cemetery might accept their memorial stones? What is the post office address of the, L'Association Des Amis Du Musee De La Marine?

Comment by James P. LaLone on August 22, 2011 at 1:36pm

Wish I could read French, this looks like it could be interesting -

GeneAnnuaire.

http://www.geneannuaire.net/

Comment by Libby McCann on June 26, 2011 at 7:07pm

I trying to find out if Jeanne Schoenberg was a lady in waiting for Queen Antoinette of France and Mistress of her Bed chamber.  Jeanne Schoenberg was a native of Lorraine she married Jean Hauser a valet to King Lois XVI.  They fled France during the french Revolution.

Comment by James P. LaLone on May 22, 2011 at 7:27am

Is anyone researching the French-Canadian CHARTIER families back in France? Thanks, Jim.

Comment by John McKinnon Gibb on April 28, 2011 at 1:50pm

Version française

 

BIRDWISA  – BOURDOISEAU ou BOURDOISANT ou BOURDOISE

 

Nous sommes les descendants d’un homme (semble-t-il d’origine française) venu s’installer en Ecosse, qui s’est marié avec une fille écossaise en mars 1882. Ils ont eu plusieurs enfants, dont les descendants habitent en Ecosse, en Angleterre, aux Etats-Unis, au Canada et en Espagne.

 

Le nom de cette personne, tel que cité dans les archives écossaises, est Gustave/Agustus Julien BIRDWISA.

 

Ce monsieur était illettré, ne sachant ni lire ni écrire. Néanmoins, des souvenirs de famille rapportent qu'il était convaincu que l’orthographe de son nom était incorrecte. Serait-t-il possible que son nom fût BOURDOISEAU ou BOURDOISANT ou BOURDOISE ? Un inconnu a placé son nom dans le «International Genealogical Index», donnant pour date de naissance 1844, en France.

 

Nous espérons que des Bourdoiseau, Bourdoisant ou Bourdoise vivant en France reconnaîtront notre ancêtre. Nous pensons que le père de Gustave s’appelait Victor et sa mère Marie Louise ou Louise. Sa mère s'est remariée après le décès de Victor, et a pris le nom de famille de son nouvel époux, Russell (?).

 

 

 

The 1911 Scottish census has just been released. It gives his first name as Agustus born in Normandy, France. The IGI gives his date of birth as 12th November 1844. Can anyone do a look up and confirm ?

 

Please forward to anyone you think may be able to help.

 

Merci, thank you.

 

johnmgibb@blueyonder.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

English version

 

BIRDWISA -- BOURDOISEAU ou BOURDOISANT ou BOURDOISE ?

We are descended from a man who settled in Scotland and married a Scottish girl in March 1882. They had numerous children whose descendants now live in Scotland, England, USA, Canada and Spain.

 

This man's name is recorded in Scottish records as Gustave/Agustus Julien BIRDWISA, but he couldn't read or write and told his children that 'Birdwisa' was not the right way to write his name.

 

Could it be that his name was really BOURDOISEAU or BOURDOISANT or BOURDOISE? Someone, we don't know who, has entered him on the International Genealogical Index as having been born in France, in 1844.

 

We hope that some modern day French people called Bourdoiseau or Bourdoisant or Bourdoise might find this group and recognise our ancestor as a member of their own family tree. Gustave's father may have been called Victor; his mother may have been called Marie Louise or Louise, and she may have remarried after Victor's death to someone with a surname similar to Russell.

Comment by Laurence Durand on March 21, 2011 at 2:36pm

Hi, I'm half French and Canadian.  My research in my maternal family is oriented toward the department of Orne, in Normandy.  So far I have the Plessis, Béchet, Baron and Faverais or Favrais.  Of course, I'm still searching for more of them.

 

Recently, I unlock the Béchet genealogy up to the twelve generation.

Comment by James P. LaLone on January 19, 2011 at 2:59pm

Madehlinne, thanks for the heads up, I will post those links to the French-Canadian Descendants here on this website. Jim.

Comment by Madehlinne on January 19, 2011 at 2:30pm

I have posted the beginnings of a French Census taken in October 1787 of Forte Vincennes (IN) and Illinois Territory.

If you're interested, visit my blog at: http://maddiesancestorsearch.blogspot.com/

Comment by Anna writes The French Gen. Blog on January 4, 2011 at 4:45am

I am not very good at self promotion, so when it was possible to vote, I forgot to tell everyone that The French Genealogy Blog was nominated to be one of the Family Tree Magazine's 2011 Best Genealogy Blogs (to be announced in May).

 

The purpose of the blog is to be a sort of how-to site in English, explaining how to research French Genealogy. I have tried to make each post informative, with lots of links to the sites explained. There are also links to every one of France's Departmental Archives websites.

 

May I ask, please, if any of you would like a particular subject covered? I do not do specific families on the blog, but areas and problems of research. I would be really grateful to know what research areas you would like covered, what problems need to be addressed, etc. I will do my best to find out about it and write about it.

 

Thank you all for any suggestions,

Anne

Comment by Duane Lang on October 18, 2010 at 8:15pm

A great database for any researcher in french genealogy is www.geneanet.org have fun exploring. Thanks, Duane

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