1800 Last Will and Testament of Antoine Simien Submitted by Anthony R. Guillory ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** THIS DOCUMENT IS A TRANSCRIPT OF AN ORIGINAL COPY, WRITTEN BY PEN IN FRENCH, AND FURTHER, WAS PASSED TO ME (ADAM SEMIEN), AROUND THE YEAR 1921, BY A GREAT COUSIN (EMILE SIMIEN), THEN LIVING IN SWORD, LA. THE ORIGINAL COPY (WRITTEN IN FRENCH) WAS TRANSLATED TO THE ENGLISH BY THE THEN PASTOR OF THE MISSION, FR. ALEXIS J. LAPLANTE, S.S.J. THE ORIGINAL FRENCH COPY WAS LOANED TO A COUSIN, SIDNEY, AND NEVER RETURNED. In Opelousas, La., Sept. 4, 1800, at the request of Messr. Antoine Simien, merchant and an inhabitant of the above named locality, states that because of the death of Louis Rideau, his nearest heir, he desires to annul and revoke his will of the Twenty-fifth day of October, Seventeen Ninety One (1791), of which he dictated to Messr. Dr. Nicholas Forstall, General Commander, and Master Martin Durand, Captain of the Militia and Commander of Civic and Military activities of the above locality. We in the main time purposely went and visited the domicile of Messr. Antoine Simien, and we found him standing and in very good health, sane in mind and judgment, as he appeared to us, by his demeanor, acts and reasoning, going about patiently at his ordinary occupations. And after having expressed his conviction of the incontrovertible truth, that nothing is more certain as death and the hour of it's appearance, and for this reason, to prevent the inconveniences resulting by not ordering ones intentions whilst possessing his good sense, he wishes to dispose of the small possessions which it pleases the Divine Providence to favor him with. He has dictated to us, and we have received his present testament in presence of LOUIS CARRIERE, LOUIS LaPLANTE, JEAN GRADNEGO and PIERRE, assistant witnesses, Maniere Suivente, Savoir: IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW - TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 1st. He makes the Sign of the Holy Cross and implores the Divine Assistance by the merits of our Savior JESUS CHRIST: through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, Saint Anthony, his patron, and all the Saints of paradise, to direct his intentions according to the most san justice. 2nd. He recommend his soul to God and he supplicates him to place him among the Blessed: and in HIS great and DIVINE mercy, to pardon his sins. He wishes and intends before all things all his debts be exactly paid. And also his wrongs repaired, if any are verified by his executrix, mentioned below. He orders, that his body be inhumed and interred in the cemetery of his parish, with the greatest simplicity possible and leave to the disposition of his executrix the care of his funeral without proscription. HE DECLARES THAT HE REVOKES IN ALL IT'S POINTS AND CLAUSES HIS SAID TESTAMENT OF THE TWENTY FIFTH DAY OF OCTOBER, SEVENTEEN HUNDRED NINETY-ONE (10/25/1791), BY WHICH HE CONSTITUTED AND NAMED THE LATE LOUIS RIDEAU FOR HIS UNIVERSAL HEIR , AND OTHER MADE LEGACIES; FORBIDING RECOGNITION OF ANY AND ALL AFORENAMED: willing that they be just as null as if they never existed, and that all should refer and submit to the present will which contains his last will and deposition. HE GIVES AND WILLS TO WHOMEVER PRETENDS TO THE RIGHT OF HIS SUCCESSION, THE LEAST POSSIBLE, AND ONLY WHAT THE LAW CANNOT PREVENT HIM FROM AND FOR OBLIGATING THE VALIDITY OF THIS TESTAMENT, ACCEPTING THE HEIRESS, PAYEE ONLY, DIRECTRESS AFTER HE DECLARES THAT HE RECOGNIZE AND HOLD FOUR NATURAL MULATTO CHILDREN OF WHICH HE IS THEIR FATHER, born of MARIE A NEGRESSE of whom he has LIBERATED from slavery, was BAPTISED, FREED, and was given his NAME, CONFIDING ALL IN HER. The children are LOUIS, age eleven years (11), GEORGE, age six to seven (7), BAPTISTE, age four (4), and FRANCIS SIMIEN (1 year old), and though they are not issues of a legitimate marriage, nevertheless, they have the same entrailes, tenderness and love of a true father, and to show visible token of his affection, he declares, that he names and institutes, LOUIS, GEORGE, BAPTISTE, and FRANCIS SIMIEN, his NATURAL SONS, without excluding those who may yet be born of the said negress, MARIE, by him, and whom he will recognize as belonging to him as only and universal heir with equal shares, and without distinction to whom he give and legates by form of institution and legacy, all his wealth, generally, and without exception, movable or irremovable, which belongs to him and in whatever nature they may consist privately; be they the product of his works, industry and which come in no manner from the side of his father and mother - ETTIENNE SIMIEN and MARIE GRENIERE; because instead of receiving from them, he has helped them in their need since his activities and economy have given him the means. AND IN ORDER THAT HIS WILL BE EXECUTED IN ALL IT'S TENOR WITHOUT DEROGATING ANY OF IT'S CLAUSES, HE NAMES AS HIS EXECUTRIX OF HIS WILL THE ONE NAMED, MARIE, LIBERATED NEGRESS, THEIR MOTHER. He places all his confidence in her, and gives to her all the power necessary and as much as he can to act judiciously, either extra judiciously as she will judge most advantageous to the interest of her children; to her he beseech, that to observe: IN QUALITY AS A MOTHER, ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION, AND OF GOOD MORAL; WHICH HE TRIES TO INSPIRE THEM WITH, TO BRING THEM UP IN THE LOVE FOR WORK; SO AS TO KEEP THEM FROM THE CONTAGION OF BAD EXAMPLES, AND ESPECIALLY, FROM LAZINESS AND VICES, SO THAT FOR WANT OF CARE, THEY MAY NEVER DEPART FROM THE GOOD COMING TO THEM FROM THEIR FATHER. He demands that immediately upon his death, an inventory, estimating his possession be made of all his above said wealth; without reserve for the sake of justice, either extra judiciously, and in the presence of witnesses with assistance by person in whose capacity and probity are well known, and which shall choose to render an account to each of them of his part of heritage when he shall be of age to acquire it. THIS WAS DONE, DICTATED AND NAMED BY THE ABOVE, MR. ANTOINE SIMIEN AS COMMANDED, IN REVOKING AND ANNULLING ALL OTHER TESTAMENT, WILLS AND CODICILS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE, TO WHICH ALONE HE REFERS AS CONTAINING HIS LAST WILL AND DISPOSITION, AND WHICH HE COMMANDS TO BE EXECUTED IN ALL ITS PRINTS; AND AFTER BEING READ AND REREAD, HAVING SAID THAT IT CONFORMS TO HIS INTENTIONS: HE HAS MADE HIS MARK; NOT BEING ABLE TO SIGN WITH US AND THE UNDERSIGNED WITNESSES. WITNESSES Pierre Bertier ANTOINE SIMIEN Louis LaPlante JEAN GRADNEGO LOUIS CARRIERE MARTIN DURALDE A transcript from the French version, copy of the original, on file in my office this 14th day of March 1871. _______________________________ D&K Onezime A. Guidry