Anne Francoise Roland, Pointe Coupee Parish, La. Compiled by Cathy Lemoine Sturgell ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Anne Francoise Roland, born c1699 in Paris, France, was the daughter of Jean Baptiste Ambroise Roland and Jeanne Bonnet. Her mother apparently died at a young age upon which time her father remarried. Anne became rebelious in her teenage years possibly due to an overly-strict father and jealous stepmother. By 1719, her father had lost all patience with his headstrong daughter and had no idea as to how to deal with her. He sent a petition to De Machault, the Chief of Police in Paris reporting her behavior. She was considered what would now call a "juvenile delinquent" and, as a result, was jailed in the infamous La Salpêtrière Prison in Paris and charged with debaucheries and public prostitution. Thirza Vallois in a September 1998 issue of the Paris Kiosque writes that La Salpêtrière was originally a gunpowder factory set up in the 1600's to house "the tramps and vagabonds of Paris, its rascals and rogues, whores and cut-throats, charlatans and crooks - 40,000 in all out of a total population of 400,000!" Vallois quotes a royal edict dated 1656 that clearly states that the objective of La Salpêtrière was to "clear the streets of vice whilst providing shelter for this wretched portion of humanity" as well as "put an end to beggary and idleness, as being the source of all disorder". Conditions at La Salpêtrière apparently deteriorated dramatically after 1680, when, following a new royal edict, it became a jail for prostitutes arrested on the authority of a sealed letter from the King. Vallois writes: "Caught in the net on the streets of Paris, they were driven in carts through crowds of jeering Parisians to La Salpêtrière, where they were paired off with hardened convicts and shipped off to the New World to populate its newly conquered territories". Duc de La Rochefoucauld reported after a visit to La Salpêtrière: "Everything is in a state of neglect to a degree as inconceivable as it is distressing. All categories of madness are confounded; chained-up mad women (and there are many of them) are united with peaceful ones. The latter have to put up permanently with the horrific spectacle of the contortions and fury of their enraged inmates, which they accompany with perpetual screams, and never enjoy a moment of rest... Here there is no gentleness, no consolation, no remedy." Vallois goes on to state that Duc de La Rochefoucauld failed to mention that the building was overrun by voracious rats! (Note: La Salpêtrière is now the largest hospital in Paris and is the hospital at which Princess Diana died.) We can only assume that Anne Francoise Roland was subject to these deplorable conditions during her stay at La Salpêtrière so it is possible that she welcomed the forced deportation to the New World in June of 1719. At that time, she was deemed suitable to be sent to the islands and placed aboard the ship "La Mutine" by order of the King along with approximately 100 other women of "questionable character". Ironically, the crimes for which Anne was charged would probably be considered very minor by today's standards. According to an article that appeared in the Imperial St. Landry Genealogical & Historical Society publication (Volume IV, #2) entitled "Anne Francoise Rolland", there "never was any concrete evidence in her file to show that the charge of prostitution was valid". Shortly after her arrival in the New World, Anne married Nicolas Sarrazin. It is evident that she was married to Sarrazin as early as 8/10/1721 based on the baptismal record of Anne Francoise Desberge recorded at Mobile in which Anne Francoise Roland, wife of Sarrazin" is listed as the godmother. Anne does appear on the 1726 New Orleans Census with her husband, Nicolas. Nicolas and Anne Francoise had several children but records are sketchy. Some of the children below may not be the children of Nicolas and Anne: 1. Antoine: possibly born c1721. Later married Marie Colon in Pointe Coupee in 1747; 2. Michel: born c1728 Buried at Pointe Coupee at the age of 18 in 1746; 3. Francois: Child not confirmed. Killed by the Chickasaw Indians about 20 May 1763. A mass was said for him in July 1763 and recorded in Pointe Coupee. 4. Francoise: Child not confirmed. There is a Francoise listed on Anne Francoise Roland's marriage contract to her third husband. 5. Pierre: Child not confirmed. There is a burial record in New Orleans dated 1731 for a 3-year old child named "Pierre Sarasin". 6. Nicolas: In the 1730 "List of Those Persons Who Were Baptized in the Parish of New Orleans", there is a baptism dated 1/15/1730 for a Nicolas Roland, son of Anne Roland. He died shortly thereafter and was buried on 2/5/1730. I suspect that this child was the s/o Nicolas Sarrazin who was obviously deceased by this time. It is unclear when or where Nicolas Sarrazin died but it is suggested that he died in the later part of 1729 or 1730 based on the fact that a "Nicolas Roland", son of Anne Francoise Roland was born on 1/15/1730 and buried on 2/5/1730 in New Orleans. Interestingly, Anne Francoise Roland married her second husband, Gabriel Laurent Bordelon only fifteen days after the death of her son. Their marriage on 2/20/1730 was recorded at New Orleans. Although unconfirmed, it appears that Anne and Gabriel moved to Natchez shortly after their marriage where Anne gave birth to their son, Nicolas Bordelon. In 1732, they were, again, living in New Orleans. There is a "Madame Bordelon" listed on the January 1732 Census of the Inhabitants of New Orleans/Chartres Street. She is listed as having 4 children and 2 negroes. The homeowner is listed as "Bordelon" but resident is listed as "Madame Bordelon". This seems to suggest that husband Gabriel was already deceased. However, she is not listed as a widow on the document. Gabriel and Anne's second son, Antoine was born in New Orleans c1733 so it is possible that he was born after his father's death. Although Anne's marriage to Gabriel was brief, it produced two sons who became the progneitors of the Bordelon family in Pointe Coupee and Avoyelles. Anne married for the third time to Jean Stephan dit Roquancourt. The marriage took place on 2/22/1737 in Pointe Coupee Parish. A synopsis of their marriage contract: Marriage contract of Jean Stefant, son of Jean Sefant and of the deceased Rose Abricon?), a native of the Parish of Casnor, Bishopric of Cornouaille 22 February 1737 Anne Francoise Rolland, widow in a first Nuptial with Nicolas Sarrazin, and in a second with Laurent Bordelon, a native of Paris, Parish of St. Germain, daughter of Jean Baptiste Rolland and of Jeanne Bonnet. And in lieu of his deceased parents, signing for Jean Stefant, Pierre Germain, a resident of Pointe Coupee, and Sieur Gilles Dumas called Lampelard, his friends. And for the Dame Widow Sarrazin, Sieur Aubert, Major of this Colony and Sieur J. Larche. A promise this marriage to be solemnized in the Holy Roman Apostolic Catholic Church. Provisions made for the following children until they have reached age of eighteen years, and that they shall be raised in the Holy Roman Apostolic Catholic Religion Antoine, Francois, Michel, Francoise and Nicolas Antoine Bordelon. Signing: Jean Stefant, An(?) Francoise, Larche, Dumas, Hugault, mark of (x) Germain, Henry, Notary. Also witnessing: Jean Estefant called Roquancour, a resident of Pointe Coupee. Anne and Jean had, at least, two children: 1. Perrine who married Nicolas Degrande De La Mathe in 1757. She is probably the child listed in a 1742 baptism record as "Petronille". 2. Anne, baptized in 1738 in Pointe Coupee, married Jacques Desautels in 1755. Anne and Jean appeared in the 1745 Pointe Coupee Census: 1745 Census of Pointe Coupee, Louisiana - Jean Stephan, called Rocancourt - Age 47 Anne Francoise Rolland, his wife - Age 46 Nicolas Bordelon - Age 15 Antoine Bordelon - Age 12 Anne and Perine Rocancourt, their daughters 7 & 4 years - Slaves - 2 Black men, 2 Black women, 1 Black boy, 1 Black girl Horses - 2; Cattle - 11; Muskets - 4; Powder - 4; Lead & Balls - 8; Corn - 60; Beans - 4; Tobacco - 4; Land Cultivated - 28 Anne Francoise died and was buried on 1/8/1758 in Pointe Coupee. Her husband, Jean, died in 1776 and was also buried in Pointe Coupee.