Dr. Louis Debaillon

Other Events:

• Baptism: Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; St. Landry Catholic Church
• Residence: 1850, St Landry, Louisiana, USA
• Residence: 1853, St Landry, Louisiana, USA
• Residence: 1860, Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA
• Residence: 1870, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; Ward 4
• Residence: 1880, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; 7th Ward

Notes:

LOUIS DEBAILLON, M. D., Ville Platte. Dr. Louis Debaillon is a retired physician of Ville Platte. He is a native of St. Landry parish, born October 4, 1810. His father, Jean Marie Debaillon, was a native of France, born in Paris in 1783. He removed to Louisiana and located in St. Landry parish when a young man, where he became a leading citizen. He represented St. Landry parish in the Legislature for a number of terms. Before he came to America he had served in the French Navy. He became one of the most extensive and wealthy planters of St. Landry parish before his death, in 1838. The mother of Dr. Debaillon died in 1834.

Dr. Louis Debaillon is the oldest of a family of nine children. He was for five years a student of Emmetsburg College, Maryland, and subsequently pursued a course of medicine in the Medical College of Paris, from which institution he received his degree. He began his professional career in St. Landry parish, in 1836, and was engaged in active practice until 1889, when, feeling the weight of his years, he retired from his professional duties.

Dr. Debaillon was married in 1838, to Miss Amy Toledano, a native of Louisiana, born in New Orleans, 1822. They became the parents of twelve children, eight sons and four daughters. The doctor has prospered financially, and owns considerable property in St. Landry parish.

The subject's maternal grandfather, Fontenot, was one of the first settlers of St. Landry parish, and the only man at that time who spoke English. He also spoke the Indian language fluently.

Mrs. Dr. Debaillon died in this parish in 1887. She was a member of the Catholic church.

Source: William Henry Perrin, Southwest Louisiana, Biographical and Historical (New Orleans: The Gulf Publishing Company, 1891), 34. openlibrary.org.

Louis married Aimee Toledano on 31 Mar 1838 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. Aimee (daughter of Christoval Ignacio Toledano and Basilice Barbay) was born on 10 Apr 1821 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA; died on 9 Oct 1887 in Ville Platte, Evangeline, Louisiana, USA; was buried in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Ville Platte, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Cecile Anne Debaillon was born on 24 Jun 1841 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 21 Apr 1843 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA.
2. Lucile Debaillon was born on 28 Aug 1842 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 3 Jan 1926 in Grand Prairie, St Landry Parish, Louisiana, USA.
3. Basilice Debaillon was born about 1849 in St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 6 Jan 1853 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
4. Ernestine Debaillon was born on 9 Feb 1849 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died in 1887 in St Landry, Louisiana, USA.
5. Marie Antoinette Debaillon was born on 30 Dec 1850 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 5 Jul 1940 in Washington, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; was buried in St Landry Cemetery, Opelousas, Louisiana, USA.
6. Alma Debaillon was born about 1856 in St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 10 Dec 1883.
7. Armide Debaillon was born in 1859 in Louisiana, USA; died on 23 Jan 1918 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Notes:

Jean Marie DEBAILLON is a native of Paris, but since infancy lived in Dunkerque, France before moving to Louisiana.

Jean married Marie Joseph Fontenot on 14 Nov 1809 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. Marie (daughter of Louis Fontenot and Marie Josephe Fontenot) was born on 14 Dec 1792 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; died on 11 May 1834 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 28 Feb 1794, Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; St. Landry Catholic Church

Notes:

Married:
Opelousas Court House

Living married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: Between 1816 and 1820, Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA; Ave Maria Plantation or Halfway House

Notes:

Louis and Marie were first cousins. Their fathers, Jean Fontenot dit Cadet and Joseph Fontenot dit Bellaire were brothers.
Emigration: 1776, "...moved to Opelousas after his father's death, where he became a large landowner."
Property: 06 December 1786, 1400 piastres in horned-cattle, horse, jumens, and sheep

Louis married Marie Josephe Fontenot on 6 Dec 1786 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. Marie (daughter of Joseph Dit Belair Fontenot and Marie Helene Brignac) was born on 10 Mar 1757 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile, Alabama, USA; died in in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 28 Feb 1794

Other Events:

• Baptism: 2 Jan 1728/29, Fort Conde, Mobile, Alabama, USA
• Emigration: Between 1763 and 1764

Notes:

Emigration: Bet. 1763 - 1764, "...during the winter of 1763-1764 when the English took possession of the Fort, that Jean Louis dit Cadet and Marie were forced to evacuate along with other soldiers and their families. The Opelousas country was the destination of the FONTENOT (cont'd) Emigration (cont'd): girls and their families moved to the German Coast."

Jean married Marie Louise Francoise Lagrange about 1752 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Marie was born about 1737 in Fort Toulouse, Mobile, Alabama, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Marie Helene Brignac. Marie was born about 1737 in Mobile, Alabama, USA; died on 7 May 1802 in Opelousas, St Landry, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]