Emancipation of Melite Gradenigo; St. Landry Par., Louisiana
Submitter: Linda Alexander 
Date: 17 Mar 2001


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State of Louisiana
Parish of St Landry

This day the eighteenth of July in the year One Thousand eight hundred and
thirty nine, personally came and appeared before me George King parish Judge
and Ex officia notary Public in and for said parish Joseph Gradenigo free
person of color of said parish who declared and confirmed that at the
probate sale of the succession in community between the heirs and & legal
representation of the late Joseph Gradenigo decd & of Adelaide Lemelle f.w.c.
decd made on the twentieth day of December eight hundred & thirty three
there was adjudicated to him the said appeared a mulatress slave named
Melite then aged about seven years for the price of three hundred dollars on
the express condition that the same Melite should have and enjoy her liberty
from the state of said sale and be duly enfranchised as soon as the laws of
this state would permit as will appear by referance to the proces [sic]
verbal of said sale Lot no 81. The said Joseph Gradenigo further declares
that the aforesaid Melite had always been recognized as the natural child of
his decd brother Francois Gradenigo decd in consideration of which all the
heirs of said Joseph & Adelaide deceased by common accord permitted said
Melite to be adjudicated to him the said appearer at the aforesaid price
which was that of her estimation as will appear by referance to Lot No 43 of
the Inventory of said succession upon the express terms & considerations
aforesaid that the heirs & representative of heirs of said Adelaide Lemelle
that is to say Eme Gradenigo wife of Edmond Donato, Edmond Donato
representing Valmont Gradengio whose interset in said succession he has
purchased, Severin Gradenigo, Kreps Gradenigo, and the said Joseph
Gradenigo, contributed to the payment of the aforesaid price of the said
Melite when the same become (??) by voluntary contributions. The said Joseph
further declares that the said Melite has continued under his care,
protection & guardianship enjoying her liberty & freedom as fully as though
duly emancipated ever since the date of the aforesaid sale & the confines &
acknowledges that he has not now nor has he ever had since said sale any
right, title, or interest in or to said Melite or to her services and in
consideration of the premises, he promises & obliges himself his heirs & in
favor of the aforesaid heirs & representatives of Joseph Gradenigo &
Adelaide Lemelle deceased as well as in favor of the said Melite, to
emancipate & enfranchise the said Melite in due form of law as said Joseph
contracted in relation to the said Melite all of which are now repeated &
acknowledged the remaining heirs of said Adelaide Lemelle decd have also
appeared before me the aforesaid Notary & accept as they have heretofore
accepted the obligation of said Joseph Gradenigo to emancipate the said
Melite in due form of law recognising the following act to set forth truly &
correctly the aggreement & stipulations entered into at the term of said
sale in relation to said Melite they further acknowledge that they have not
now nor have they ever had any right or title to said Melite or to her
services and if any such they ever had they now formally abandon them as
they abandoned them in fact and verbally at the date of the aforesaid
probate sale. In witness wherefor the said parties have hereunto signed at
Opelousas the day & year first above written before me the aforesaid Judge &
Notary in presence of ________________ & ________________ competent
witnesses
Witness B Debaillon, "signed" Joseph Gradenigo, Eme Gradenigo, Severin
Gradenigo, Kreps Gradenigo