| 60. | Jean Louis Fontenot was born on 18 Dec 1686 in France; died on 29 Oct 1755 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Notes:
Jean Louis “Colin” Fonteneau was a Sergeant in the French Colonial Marines. He served at Fort Toulouse 1730-1755. He was born on Dec.18, 1686 in Poitiers, France and died on Oct. 29, 1755 at Fort Toulouse. He is supposed to be the progenitor of all Fontenots in North America.
Jean Louis dit Colon Fonteneau - Louise Angelique Henry
Jean Louis dit Colon FONTENEAU was born 18 Dec 1686 in Poitiers, France and was baptized in Saint Jean de Montierneuf Church of the same town. By 1720, Jean Louis was a Sergeant serving in French military and on the ship named the “Drommadaire” heading for the new world for an assignment in the colonies. He arrived through the portat Mobile bay which was the French military headquarters and seat of government for the Louisiana Territory and was assigned to Fort Condenear Mobile. During his stay in Fort Conde, he met and married a young widow named Marie Louise Henrique (Henry) and they married on 8 Feb 1725/26 in Mobile. Sometime after his marriage to Marie, Jean Louis was assigned to Fort Toulouse, which in the present day is located in Elmore County, Wetumpka, Alabama at the junction of two rivers, the Coosa and Tallapoosa.
Jean and Marie had twelve children, 8 sons and 4 daughters, and they were all born at Fort Toulouse. Their sons joined the marines and married daughters of other marines and their daughters married sons of marines and they lived near the Fort. Family names for the spouses were Doucet, Brignac, LaGrange, Lobell and Berthelot. Jean Louis died in October 1755 at the age of 68 and was buried in the Fort cemetery but the location of his remains is unknown.
Sometime after the signing of the treaty which ended the French and Indian War, Jean Louis’ living sons, daughters, and Widow Marie Louise moved from the Fort and settled in the vicinity of present day Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana. All present day Fonteneau’s (Fontenot) in this country are direct descendants of these early settlers.
The eulogy, written and delivered by Merrick “Sonny” Fontenot, at the gathering in October 1998 reads:
Jean-Louis, the third child of Joachim Fonteneau and Marie Jeanne Pradeau, was born in Poitiers, France in 1686. We don’t know much about his life before he boarded the ship “Drommadaire” as a Colonial Marine in 1720 in route to the New World at the age of 34. To our knowledge, he never returned to his native France to see his family again. He entered the Port of Mobile, the French military headquarters, and was probably assigned to the garrison at Fort Louisin Mobile. There, he met a young widow, Marie Louise Henrique, and married her in February 1726. She was 26 and he was 40 years old. This union would produce many thousands of descendants who would make countless contributions to their adopted country. They defended the country in every war since and became statesmen, soldiers, farmers, cattlemen, wealthy land owners, bankers, sailors, marines, engineers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, musicians, journalists, authors, artists, and many other occupations too numerous to list at this time. I’m sure that there were a few unsavory characters in there as well.
Jean-Louis, or “Colin” as he was called, died in October of 1755 and was laid to rest in this very cemetery. It is not hard to imagine his grieving family gathering here to pay their last respects on that day so many years ago. About 8 years later, his family was forced to leave Fort Toulouse to seek a new life in unfamiliar lands west of the Mississippi River; except for the widow Marie Louise, Fort Toulouse was the only home they had ever known. The family never returned to their origin - until last year [1997] when we held our first reunion.
Children of Jean Louis and Louis Fonteneau:
Louise Fonteneau - Born about 1726 to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. Died 15 December 1814 in Louisiana.
Philippe dit St. Philippe Fonteneau - Born 21 August 1727 at the post, to Louis & Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763. Married on 7 May 1747 to Marie-Nicole Brignac, daughter of soldier Simon Brignac.
Marie Fonteneau - Born about 1729 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. Married Jean dit La Tulipe Lagrange a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763.
Jean dit Jean Fonteneau - Born 1 January 1729 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until 1758. He married Maraie Francoise Lagrange, daughter of soldier (Jean)-Henri Lagrange, and had 8 children. Died in 1776 in Louisiana.
Jean-Louis dit Debonaire Fonteneau - Born 27 February 1730 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763. Married about 1760 to Marie-Francoise Doucet (daughter of soldier Pierre Doucet & Marie-Francoise Pagot) and had 3 sons. Died 8 October 1813 in Louisiana.
Joseph dit Bel Aire Fonteneau - Born 27 February 1730 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763. Detached in Mobile June 1760. About 1760 married Marie-Joseph-Jeanne Brignac (daughter of soldier Simon Brignac & Marie Turpin) and had 7 children. Died 15 October 1790 in Louisiana.
Jean-Baptise Fonteneau - Born about 1731 at the post, to Louis & Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until 15 September 1763. Before 1763 he married Marie-Louise Lagrange (daughter of soldier (Jean)-Henri Lagrange) and had 5 children. Died 4 October 1805 in Louisiana.
Pierre dit Bellevue Fonteneau - Born about 1727 at the post, to Louis & Louise Fonteneau. Joined Marines 1/1/1743. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763. In 1755 married Louise Doucet and had 7 children. Died 15 September 1811 in Louisiana.
Marie-Louise Fonteneau - Born about 1741 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. Married Simon-Pierre dit St Pierre Brignac a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until November 1763. Detached to Mobile in 1760.
Francois dit La Douceur Fonteneau - Born about 1743 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until 1758. Died in a hospital at Mobile 16 January 1759. Not married.
Henri Bellvue Fonteneau - Born about 1733 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. He was a Fusilier at the post from prior to 1756 until 15 September 1763. Married in about 1770 to Marie-Louise Doucet (daughter of soldier Pierre Doucet & Marie-Francoise Pagot) and had 9 children. Died 14 September 1813 in Louisiana.
Marie-Therese Fonteneau - Born about 1746 at the post, to Louis and Louise Fonteneau. She married Jean-Baptiste dit La Tulipe Lobel a soldier and King’s Interpreter at the post from prior to 1756 until July 1760.
Source: Brasenhill Genealogy, http://www.brasenhill.com/jean-louis-fonteneau/, 26 Oct 2008.
Birth:
Poitiers
Died:
Fort Toulouse
Jean married Louise Angelique Henry on 8 Feb 1725/26 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Louise was born about 1700 in Bretagne, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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Hollier & Dufilho Family History
1845 - 
