JULES BAYONNE

Jul, "les enfant de couleur libre," was born on September 17, 1844 to Fanny in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana according to the Baptismal Records of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. His father, a native of St. Domingo, Dominican Republic, was not listed on his baptismal record but was recorded on his marriage license as the late Theodore Bayonne.  He was baptized on March 16, 1845 at St.Francis of Pointe Coupee Catholic Church and sponsored by Joseph St. Cyr and Virginie Esnault. It was as if Jules had emerged to adulthood without a childhood because nothing has been found about his early life. No information about his parents has been found, whether he had siblings or not, his habits, how and where he lived as a child or his education. Jules learned to read and write, but how and when is a mystery. At the time of the 1870 census, Jules Bayon(sic), 25 years old and a child, Roland Neville, nine years old, were living in a cabin on the Parlange Plantation and working as domestic servants.

On July 26, 1870, forty days after the census was taken, Jules Bayonne and Francois Francis, a resident and farm laborer at the Parlange Plantation, purchased over 71 acres on the Grosse Tete for one thousand dollars. The property was bounded on the east by the Parlange Plantation and would undergo several sales and a division in years after the purchased. However, Jules managed to keep at least half of the acreage for the rest of his life. It is not know when he left the Parlange, but it happened sometime after 1870 and before 1880.

When the census taker visited John Randall's household in 1880 in Pointe Coupee Parish, he found Jules Bion(sic) residing there with Victorine, John's daughter, and their six-month old son, Willie. Jules was identified as son-in-law. They were working as farm laborers.

Jules Bayonne and Victorine Randall were married in 1878 and together they gave birth to ten childen. They are Jules Francois Ferdinand, Noel Fergus Theodore (my grandfather), Olympe Elizabeth, Marie Edwidge, Noermia Anita, Joseph Leo, Adele Juliene  Marie Florestine and Jean.

At the time of his burial,  Jules was 59 years old. The cause of death was not indicated nor is it known. He died intestate and was buried in St. Mary's Catholic Church Cemetery in New Roads, Louisiana.

Victorine remained in Pointe Coupee Parish and was enumerated as the head of household in the 1910 and 1920 census schedules. She was noted as a farmer on both schedules. She died on November 28, 1929 from uterus carcinoma. At the time of her death she was living in New Orleans. Victorine also died intestate.

Acknowledgement: Ms. Judy Riffel for birth record