Marriage: Marriage Contract of Pierre Ballio I and Marie Anne Cheltre Source: Document #1290 Natchitoches Parish Courthouse, Natchitoches La. Submitted by: Gaytha Thompson ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** PIERRE BALLIO I AND MARIE ANNE CHELETRE Marriage Contract May 11, 1778 Before me, Jean Louis Borme, Captain of the Company of Militia of the Post of Natchitoches, commanding officer in the absence of Mr De Mezieres, preforming the function of notary and public writer because of the lack of these in this region, and in the presence of Messrs. Jean Baptiste Roujot and Paul Bouet Lafitte, witnesses before my court and living in this locality, were personally present Mr. Pierre Bailliot, widower of his first wedding of the late Catherine Poisot, native of Negrepelisse, province of Quercy in France, parish of St. Anne, son of Jean Baillot and Catherine Lafon, his father and mother, on one side; and Miss Marie Anne Cheletre, legitimate daughter of Michel Cheletre and Ann Barbe Paummieu native of Des Allemands, province of Louisiana, parish of St. Charles. Which parties, with the advice and consent of their parents and friends, in the absence of the former: that is to say, for Mr. P. Baillot, Messrs. Jocob Lambre and Pierre Badin, his friends, who live in this region. And for the said young lady, the future bride, Messrs. Marin Grillet and Jean Baptiste Laberry, friends of the bride to be, make, between them the promises, donations, and to her covenants and conventions of marriage that follow: That is to say that the above mentioned Mr. Pierre Baillio and Miss Marie Anne Cheletre promise to take each other in the faith and law of marriage before our mother, the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman church, as soon as it will be possible to do so and as soon as one of the parties will require the other so to do. The said future husband and wife will hold their property in common from the day of the celebration of the future marriage and not otherwise. The said husband to be declares that his property consists of the sum that will revert to him from the amount of the inventory made after the death of the late Catherin, his wife, on the 24 of Last January, which will be determined by the division which will be made of the said property with his children of the first marriage. The property of the said bride to be consists of the sum of two thousand livres which she has brought along and which the said husband to be recognizes, having received from her girlhood gains and savings, which sum will remain her property as well as whatever may come to her by succession, donation or otherwise from her lineage. The said husband and wife to be will not be held responsible for each other's debts created before the said marriage to be; these will be paid by the one who will have contracted the, without the other's being held responsible for them. And for the good and sincere friendship that the husband to be has said that he has for his future bride, and to give her proof of it, he makes to her, by, these presents, a pure simple donation, in the best form that a donation inter vivos can be made, with all the requisite and necessary formalities and guarantees, of one tenth of this wealth, so that the bride to be may take and receive it from the least encumbered of his property in case of the death of the husband to be without children and enjoy it by usufruct only during her lifetime so that this tenth part then reverts to the heirs of the said husband to be; it being understood and agreed that the said wife to be or her heirs will be able to claim as their rights only the clauses set forth in the present contract, and the tenth part of the property of the said husband to be by usufruct; and the said husband to be swore by God, our Lord, and by the sign of the Cross as is usual, that he will uphold firmly the contents of the present contract as well as the donation that he made to the said young lady, his wife to be, which he promises not to revoke by testament or in any other manner expressed or secret. If he did so, he consents, nevertheless that it be effective, as if approving it and confirming it, and as if it conformity with what the law prescribes; and as security for the present contract, he binds his present property and property that he may later acquire, he gives power to the judiciary of His Majesty to know his business and compel him to execute it; as though having things adjudicated, renouncing to the laws of privilege which could be favorable to him. All that has been accepted above by the said bride to be, as well as the donation contained therein for which she tanks the said husband to be; she promises on her part to ask nothing more of the said husband to be or his family than the donation when it will become effective and the contents of the present contract. The children of the said husband to be by his first marriage shall be fed, supported, raised, and instructed in the Catholic, apostolic and Roma religion; they shall be sent to school, and they will be taught trades, the whole at the expense of the said community to be, without any reduction on the amount of their property, until each of them shall have reached the age of 18 years, if the said community lasts that long. Done as passed at Natchitoches at my house on the day and year above indicated in the presence of the parents and friends and of the two witnesses of my court here above named, who signed; and that I, the above named commandant, knowing the parties: Signed Bailliot Badin Laberry Grillte Marianne Cheletre Bouit Laffitte Poifol Michel Cheletre Marque Ordrde Fracques Lambre Borme Roujot The records of the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Natchitoches show that Pierre Baillio and Marie Anne Schelet were married there on May 11, 1778. The following is a certificate of their marriage from the pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church. The records of this church, Volume 2, show that Pedro Bailliot, son (legitimate of Juan Bailliot and Catalina LaFont, married Marie Anna Schelet (marie was born at Des Allemands, on the bankds of the Mississippi), dauther (legititmate of Miguel Schelet and Anna Barbara Pomieux, on the 11th of May (once de Maio), 1778, with the Rev. Luis de Quintanillo (also spelled Quintinella), Cap., official witness. All of the names were recorded in Spanish as in accord with orders of the Spanish government.