Natchitoches Parish Louisiana Archives Land Claim.....William S. Cockerville Feb 17, 1836

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deandra Norred Forrest norredinc@bellsouth.net April 19, 2010

Copy of Land Claims in the Late Neutral Territory between the Rio Hondo and Sabine 
Rivers
Opelousas Office, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana 
Transcriber’s notes are in brackets [ ]
Copy obtained from Donald W. Johnson,  1936-2004, former UsGenWeb Louisiana 
Archives contributor; Mr. Johnson obtained the copy from the Louisiana State Archives, 
Choctaw Road, Baton Rouge, LA
Transcribed by Deandra L. Norred, April 2010

No. 8  William S. Cockerville of the Parish of Natchitoches claim [copy cut off] tract of 
land containing six hundred and forty [copy cut off] acres lying on the right bank of Red 
River in di[copy cut off] about twenty two miles by land above the Low[copy cut off] 
Natchitoches in the late Neutral Territory between the Rio Hondo and the Sabine Rivers 
and [copy cut off] above by a tract of land confirmed to [copy cut off] [illegible] by act of 
Congress approved the 14th [copy cut off] in the year 1832 and below by a tract of land 
confirmed in the names of David Cole assignee of Jean Armon being No. 207 in the 
reports of the Registry and Receiver of the Land Office at Opelousas dated the [blank] 
day of in the year [blank].  This claim is founded on habitation and cultivation on and 
prior to the 22nd February 1819 by Pierre Corley (or Carle) and subsequently by the said 
Carley, and those claiming under him and was conveyed by several [illegible] 
conveyances from the said Pierre Carles to [illegible – faded] claimant the evidence of 
Benjamin Butler taken on the 17th day of February 1836 states “that he has known the 
tract of land claimed by Wm. S. Cockerville since the year 1815 and that the said tract 
has been inhabited and cultivated first by Mr. Pierre Carles and continued by those 
claiming under him up to the present times.”	 The evidence of Jean Baptiste Besson 
taken on the 4th day of January 1833 states “that prior to the year 1819 Pierre Carles did 
inhabit and cultivate a tract of land about 21 miles above the town of Natchitoches 
situated on the right bank of Red River and that the said tract of land has been inhabited 
and cultivated by the said Carles and those holding under him up to the 4th January 
1833.  The evidence of Lorin Lamatte, a free man of color taken on the 20 day of May 
1835 and the evidence of Jacques Graffe also a free man of color taken on the 22 day of 
May in the same year and thru evidence of Doctor John Sibley on the 27th day of May in 
the same year all go to establish clearly the cultivation and habitation of the tract [copy 
cut off] claimed on and prior to the 22 day of February 1819.  We are of opinion that this 
claim ought to be confirmed.