Thank You, Father Hebert

I am working on my Landry line.

I have spent the past four days at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Mecca for genealogist. Or maybe more accurately one of the Meccas. This place is heaven. I wish I could be locked in here (with lights on) over night.

I came here with one goal in mind...to work on my Landry line. I am probably going to use this line as my three generation kinship determination project for my certification. At least that is the plan today.

Here's the thing about doing research in Southwest Louisiana. You're going to use a set of books called Southwest Louisiana Records. It is a 46 volume set. Let me tell you about it.

Once upon a time there was a young priest with a passion for genealogy. He came to Southwest Louisiana and began transcribing / abstracting the information provided in the church records. THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.

That's all the church records. THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.

That's all the births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths in all the churches in all the Southwest Louisiana Parishes. THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT. (Parishes in Louisiana are what Counties are in the other states)

Even some of the non-Catholic churches are included and courthouse records are included to. THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.

That's 46 Volumes of records. This was his life's work. THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.

And you gotta love the entries...for example...
HEBERT, Joseph m. Francoise HEBERT. Succ. February 1810. Children: Louis, Nicolos, Andre, Alexandre, Placide, Constance, Eloise- Deceased spouse is Francois LA BAUME, Magdaleine - wife of Joseph GUILBAUT, Marie-wife of Valentin LANDRY, Frosine - wife of Agricole LEBLANC (SM Ct. Hse: Succ. #50)

Succ. means Succession Record it's like a probate and /or will.  (SM Ct. Hse is the St. Martinville Court House)

Or how about...
Adolphe LANDRY (Valentin - of la fausse pointe & Marie HEBERT) B. 12 Dec. 1804, bt, 6 April 1806  Pats: Firmin LANDRY & Thoetiste THIBAUDEAU; Mats: Joseph HEBERT & Francoise HEBERT; Spons: Joseph GUILBO & Clemence FAUSTIN. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY ( SM Ch.: v.6, #327)

Ok, let me tell you how to read that...in case you don't get it.

first you have the name of the child Adolphe Landry, then the names of his parents Valentin Landry and Marie (maiden name) Hebert. It even tells where they live...La Fausse Pointe. Then the date of birth: 12 Dec 1804 and the date of baptism (bt) 6 April 1806. Then it tells us the name of the paternal grandparents....Firmin Landry and Thoetiste (maiden name) Thibaudeau; and the maternal grandparents: Joseph Hebert and Francoise (maiden name) Hebert. Then it lists the sponsors and then the priest performing the ceremony. Last but not least we are then told where to find the original record...St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, Louisiana in Vol. 6 (of the church record books) record number 327.

THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.

In the French way...women were known all their lives by their maiden name...they did not take their husbands names legally. So all the documents you find in Louisiana if the woman has the same name as her husband it is because they are probably cousins. So in the case of Joseph Hebert and Francoise Hebert above, she was a Hebert before she married Joseph.

Don't you love French law.

And don't you love Fr. Hebert.   THANK YOU FATHER HEBERT.