APPENDICES

Acadians Who Found Refuge in Louisiana, February 1764-early 1800s

SONNIER

[SAWN-yay, SAHN-yay]

ACADIA

Louis Saulnier, a sailor born in France in c1663, came to Acadia by c1684, the year he married Louise Bastineau dit Peltier at Grand Pré.  Louis died in c1730, in his late 60s, probably at Minas.  He and Louise had 14 children, including five sons, most if not all of them born at Minas, who created families of their own.  Five of their daughters married into the Boudrot, Boisseau dit Blondin, Lapierre, Oudy, and Hébert families. 

Oldest son Jacques, born in c1685, married Anne, daughter of Jean Hébert and Marie-Anne Doucet, probably at Minas in c1724.  They left the Minas Basin and settled at Petitcoudiac in the trois-rivières area west of Chignecto, perhaps to escape British authority in Nova Scotia.  According to genealogist Bona Arsenault, between 1724 and 1732, Anne gave Jacques three children, three sons and a daughter.  Other sources give them two more daughters born probaby at Petitcoudiac.  Their daughters married into the Babin and Cormier families, and two of them emigrated to Louisiana from Halifax.

Marcel, born in c1691, married Élisabeth, or Isabelle, daughter of Vincent Breau and Marie Bourg, at Grand-Pré in November 1710.  They remained at Minas, where they raised six children, including two sons who married into the Vincent, Trahan, Collongues, and Lalande families.  Three of Marcel and Élisabeth's daughters married into the Hébert, Labauve, and Semer families. 

René, born in the 1690s, married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Jean-Charles Trahan and Marie Boudrot, at Grand-Pré in October 1714.  They, too, remained at Minas and raised six children, including four sons who married into the de Lavoie, Boudrot, Maillet, and Aucoin families.  One of René and Marie-Josèphe's daughters married into the Maillet family.  René died probably at Minas in c1739.

Pierre, born in the 1690s, married Madeleine, daughter of Jean Comeau le jeune and Catherine Babin, probably at Minas in c1716.  They settled at Petitcoudiac. 

Youngest son Étienne, born in c1702, married first to Jeanne, daughter of Abraham Comeau and Marguerite Pitre, probably at Minas in c1729, and then to Anne, daughter of Jérôme Darois and Marie Gareau, at Beaubassin, Chignecto, in June 1740.  They followed Étienne's older brothers Jacques and Pierre to Petitcoudiac. 

[For more of this family in pre- and post-disperal Acadia and Canada, see Book Three]

In 1755, descendants of Louis Saulnier could be found at Minas, Petitcoudiac in the trois-rivières area west of Chignecto, and on Île St.-Jean.

~

In early 1752, Jean Sonier, a 21-year-old fisherman from Tremuzon, Diocese of St.-Brieux, Brittany, France, was counted at Lorembec, Île Royale, today's Cape Breton Island. 

LE GRAND DÉRANGEMENT

[For the family's travails during the Great Upheaval, see Book Six]

LOUISIANA:  WESTERN SETTLEMENTS

Saulniers were among the earliest Acadians to seek refuge in Louisiana.  Seven of them came to Louisiana from Halifax via Cap-Français, St.-Domingue, in 1765 and settled in the Opelousas District, west of the Atchafalaya Basin.  They were, in fact, the largest Acadian family that settled there at the time: 

Françoise Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 34, came with husband Pierre Thibodeau, age 41, and four children, ages 13 to 3.  They settled on Prairie Bellevue.  Françoise died in St. Landry Parish in June 1811, a widow; the priest who recorded her burial said that Francoise was age 84 when she died; she probably was closer to 80. 

Madeleine Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 18, Francoise's sister, came with brother Joseph, age 9.  Madeleine married Joseph, son French Creole François Chrétien, at Opelousas probably in the late 1760s.  They settled near Grand Coteau and created one of the largest plantations in the area.  Madeleine died at Opelousas in April 1800, in her early 50s.  Brother Joseph also married and settled on nearby Bellevue Prairie. 

Sylvain Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 29, perhaps half-brother of Françoise, Joseph, and Madeleine, came with half-brother Olivier, age 13.  Sylvain married and settled on Prairie Bellevue.  Olivier remained a bachelor. 

Marguerite Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age unrecorded, came with husband Joseph Cormier of Chignecto, age 25, a year-old daughter, and Joseph's younger brother Michel.  Marguerite was pregnant when she reached New Orleans and gave birth to twin daughters probably at Opelousas.  They settled on Prairie Bellevue, where Marguerite died by 1771, when her husband was listed in an Opelousas census as a widower.

Charles-Jean Saulnier, name unrecorded, came alone. 

Descendants of Sylvain SONNIER (c1736-1801; Louis)

Sylvain, elder son of probably Étienne Saulnier and his first wife Jeanne Comeau, born probably at Petitcoudiac in c1736, escaped the British roundup at Chignecto in 1755 and found refuge on the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore.  He and his family ended up as prisoners of war in Nova Scotia in the early 1760s.  British officials counted his family at Halifax in August 1763.  Sylvain came to Louisiana from Halifax via Cap-Française, French St.-Domingue, in 1765, still a bachelor, with a younger half-brother, and followed his kinsmen to the Opelousas District, where he married Madeleine, daughter of fellow Acadians Charles Bourg and Anne Boudrot of Île St.-Jean, in the late 1760s.  They settled on Prairie Bellevue south of the present city of Opelousas.  Their daughters married into the Comeaux, Dugas, Martin, Missonnier, and Thibodeaux families.  Sylvain was one of the 11 Opelousas settlers who petitioned Spanish Governor Ulloa in March 1768 for assistance (oxen and plows) to grow wheat in the district.  In 1771, he owned 43 head of cattle and 15 horses on 6 arpents of land without title.  In 1774, he was running 120 head of cattle with eight horses and mules and owned 30 swine.  In 1777, his herd had increased to 150 head, and he owned 2 slaves, 11 horses, and 45 hogs.  By 1788, he owned 8 slaves, 300 head of cattle, and 34 horses on 32 arpents of land.  The number of his slaves had increased to 11 by 1796.  Sylvain, père died at Opelousas in January 1801, in his mid-60s.  Most of his seven sons created families of their own and settled in St. Landry and Lafayette parishes.  His oldest son's line was especially prolific. 

1

Oldest son Sylvain, fils, born at Opelousas in February 1771, married Émilie, called Humile, Humilde, and Mélite, daughter of fellow Acadians Charles Comeaux and Anastasie Savoie, at Opelousas in May 1789.  Their son Sylvain III had been born at Opelousas in April 1789 but died at age 5 in January 1796, Joseph dit Cadz was born in August 1792, Louis dit Valière in August 1797, and Gilbert was baptized, age unrecorded, in October 1800.  They also had sons named Joseph le jeune and another Sylvain III.  Sylvain, fils remarried to Judith, daughter of Italian Donat Bello and his Creole wife Susanne Moreau, at Opelousas in December 1802.  Their son Donat was baptized at the Opelousas church, St. Landry Parish, age 5, in February 1808, Valéry at age 4 in February 1808, a child, perhaps a son, name unrecorded, died 10 days after its birth in March 1806, Don or Jean Louis was born in March 1808, Bélisle, also called William B., was baptized at age 9 months in September 1812, Florian or Floriant was born in April 1814, and Léandre in February 1837.  Sylvain, fils's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in October 1821.  He died "at the home of Charles Saunier [probably his younger brother]" in Lafayette Parish in September 1829; the priest who recorded the burial said that Sylvain was age 63 when he died; he was 58.  Nine of his 11 sons by both of his wives created families of their own. 

1a

Joseph dit Cadz, by his father's first wife, married Marie Adeline, called Julienne, Juliette, and Zéline, daughter of fellow Acadian Joseph dit Mines Guidry and Scholastique Hébert of Bayou Vermilion, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in February 1811.  They settled on the Vermilion.  Their son Charles Émile was born in February 1815, Joseph, fils in June 1818, Eusèbe dit Cadet prematurely in November 1822 but died at age 3 1/2 in June 1826, Jean was born in December 1826, Sosthène in October 1830, and Edward, Eduard, or Edval in May 1836.  Their daughters married Guidry cousins. 

Joseph, fils married Carmélite or Camille, daughter of fellow Acadian Leufroi Boudreaux and Marie Hébert, at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, in February 1837.  Their son Joseph III died in Lafayette Parish at age 12 days in June 1838, Sevènne was born in December 1842, and a child, name and age unrecorded, died in September 1847. 

Charles Émile married Carmélite, daughter of fellow Acadian Ursin Hébert and Marguerite Richard, at the Vermilionville church in August 1838.  Their son Ursin Théodule, called Théodule, was born in Lafayette Parish in February 1840, Aurelien in February 1841, Adrien near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in March 1852, and Joseph in Lafayette Parish in February 1854. 

Théodule married Marie Coralie, called Coralie, daughter of fellow Acadians Firmin Breaux and Cléorine Richard and widow of Valérien Breause, in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in January 1866, and sanctified the marriage at the Church Point church, then in St. Landry but now in Acadia Parish, in July 1869. 

Jean, also called John, may have married French Creole Émelie Fontenot at the Grand Coteau church, St. Landry Parish, in January 1849.  Their son Ignace was born in Lafayette Parish in August 1856.  They were living near Church Point by the early 1860s. 

Sosthène may have married Célestine Natalie, called Natalie, Broussard, in the late 1840s and lived near Grand Coteau before moving to Bayou Queue de Tortue by the early 1850s.  Their son Joseph Adras was born near Grand Coteau in July 1852, a child, name unrecorded, died at age 2 1/2 in December 1855, and another child, name and age unrecorded, died in Lafayette Parish in July 1858. 

Edward/Edval married Marie Célestine, called Célestine, daughter of fellow Acadian Alexandre Cormier and his Creole wife Susanne Ledoux, at the Church Point church in July 1869.  They settled on the prairie between Church Point and Vermilionville.  Their son Antoine was born in December 1868. 

1b

Louis dit Valière, by his father's first wife, married Denise, daughter of French Creole Pierre Carrière of St. John the Baptist Parish on the Upper German Coast and Marie Louise Vivarene of Illinois, at the Opelousas church, St. Landry Parish, in February 1816.  They settled at Bois de Mallet.  Their son Louis, fils was born in November 1816 but died the following March, Sylvain le jeune was born in February 1822, and Valérien in April 1834.  They also had sons named Aurelien and Adrien.  Their daughters married Derbonne and Sonnier cousins.  Louis's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in March 1862; he would have been age 65 that year. 

Aurelien married first cousin Émeline, called Meline, daughter of French Creole Michel Derbonne and his Acadian wife Melite Sonnier, at the Opelousas church in January 1848.  Their son Dutil, also called Agelus and Angelus, was born in St. Landry Parish in October 1851.  Aurelien's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in October 1865. 

Angelus died in St. Landry Parish in January 1867.  The Opelousas priest who recorded the burial said that Angelus died "at age 16 yrs." he was 15 1/2.  His succession, calling him Agelus, "a minor," was filed at the Opelousas courthouse the following April.  One wonders why a minor would need a succession.  Did his family line die with him? 

Adrien married Unibonne, also called Oniléone, daughter of French Creole Jean Baptiste Lebleu and widow of Martin Daigle, at the Grand Coteau church, St. Landry Parish, in August 1862; Unibonne's mother was a Lejeune.  They settled near Church Point.  Their son Colombe was born in January 1866. 

1c

Sylvain III, by his father's first wife, took up with Joséphine dite Josette, daughter of Joseph Poiré or Poiret, also called Bello, Beller, Chevalier, and Manac, in the 1810s, and sanctified the union at the Opelousas church in June 1839.  Their son Sylvain IV was born in St. Landry Parish in February 1818, and Carlos le jeune in August 1821.  Their daughters married into the Carrière, Derbonne, Miller, Rivière, and Sabadie or Savadie families.  Sylvain III's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in October 1851. 

Sylvain IV married first cousin Marie Louise, called Louise, 17-year-old daughter of Louis dit Valière Sonnier and Denise Carrière, his uncle and aunt, at the Opelousas church in January 1837.  Their son Valérien Sylvain or Sylvain Valérien was born in St. Landry Parish in January 1840, Carlos le jeune in August 1847, and Joseph Unique in August 1862.  Wife's Marie Louise's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in December 1866; she would have been age 46 that year.  Sylvain IV likely remarried to Marie Ozea, daughter of Sylvain Benoit and Joséphine Belles, at the Eunice church, St. Landry Parish, in September 1869. 

Sylvain Valérien, called Sylvain V. by the recording clerk, married French Creole Valentine Ygnace Fontenot in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in May 1863.  Their son Arthur Frange was born in St. Landry Parish in December 1865.  Sylvain Valérien, called Valérien by both the recording clerk and the recording priest, remarried to Joséphine, daughter of Joel Kinny and Clementine LeBoeuf, in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in March 1866, and sanctified the marriage at the Church Point church in April. 

1d

Donat, by his father's second wife, married cousin Émilie, Émilite, Carmélite or Mélite Françoise, daughter of Spanish Creole François Casanueva and his Italian Creole wife Brigitte Bello, at the Opelousas church in August 1824.  Their son Donat, fils was born in St. Landry Parish in January 1837, and Jean in July 1842.  Their daughter married into the Miller family. 

Donat, fils married French Creole Flavie Lacase probably in St. Landry Parish in the late 1850s or early 1860s.  They settled between Ville Platte and Eunice. Their son Valérien was born in November 1861, Donat III in August 1864, and Donatien in January 1870. 

1e

Valéry, by his father's second wife, married Arthémise, "natural" daughter of Pierre Carrière and Jacente Carrière, at the Opelousas church in October 1824.  Their son Valéry, fils was born in St. Landry Parish in October 1829, Paulin in June 1831, Don or Jean Louis Valéry near Grand Coteau in January 1838, and Sylvain le jeune in April 1841.  Their daughters married into the Lacase and Moreau families. 

Valéry, fils may have married cousin Zelima Sonnier in the late 1840s, place unrecorded. 

Don Louis married Zéolide, daughter of French Creoles François Ignace Fontenot and Lucie Derouen, at the Opelousas church in February 1861.

Paulin married Marie Gimber, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Olivier Jemes was born in St. Landry Parish in March 1862. 

1f

Gilbert, by his father's first wife, married Louise Céleste, daughter of fellow Acadians Joseph Babin and Anastasie Melançon, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in February 1826.  Their son Joseph Vileor was baptized at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, age 5 months, less 8 days, in October 1829.  Gilbert remarried to Madeleine Élise, called Élise, daughter of fellow Acadians Valentin Landry and Céleste Bourgeois and widow of Alexandre Breaux, at the St. Martinville church in July 1838.  Their son François Alcide, called Alcide, was born in St. Martin Parish in April 1839 but died at age 1 1/2 in August 1840, Gustave or Augustave was born in December 1840 but died at age 4 1/2 in September 1845, and Charles Numa, called Numa, was born in September 1843 but died at age 2 in October 1847. 

Joseph Vileor, by his father's first wife, married Mathilde, daughter of Spanish Creole Joseph Castille and his Acadian wife Céleste LeBlanc, at the Breaux Bridge church, St. Martin Parish, in July 1849.  Their son Joseph Hertel was born near Breaux Bridge in June 1850, and Jean Derneville in March 1852.  Joseph Vileor remarried to Anglo American Emérante McBride in the 1850s, place unrecorded.  Their son Joseph W. was born in Lafayette Parish in January 1859, and Gustave in February 1860. 

1g

Don Louis, by his father's second wife, married Carmélite, called Émilite and Mélite, daughter of French Creole Urbin Carrière and Émilite Lacase, at the Opelousas church in November 1827.  Their child, name unrecorded, died "as a newborn" in St. Landry Parish in April 1831, and Don or Jean Louis, fils was born in October 1837 but may have died in St. Martin Parish at age 12 in October 1849.  Their daughters married into the Charlot, Doguet, and McDaniel families.  Don Louis's succession was filed at the Opelousas courthouse in December 1854; he would have been age 46 that year. 

1h

Bélisle, by his father's second wife, married Rosaline, 18-year-old daughter of Anglo American William McKay and his Creole wife Françoise Carrière, at the Opelousas church in July 1834, and remarried to Éloise or Louise, 19-year-old daughter of French Creole Michel Lacase and Éloise Carrière, at the Opelousas church in April 1839.  Their son Charles Bélisle, called Bélisle, fils, was born in St. Landry Parish in January 1846, and Bélisaire in May 1862. 

Bélisle, fils, by his father's second wife, married Clémentine, daughter of Pierre Mouille and Félicité Durio, at the Eunice church, St. Landry Parish, in September 1870. 

1i

Floriant, by his father's second wife, married 17-year-old Sephalie, Sephalide, or Syphalide, another daughter of Ursin Carrière and Émilite Lacase, at the Opelousas church in July 1834.  Their son Octave was born in St. Landry Parish in October 1837, Gerand in August 1854, and Étienne in March 1861.  Their daughter married into the François family. 

Octave married Julienne, Juliana, or Julie, daughter of Jean Louis Miller and Zuline Bello, at the Opelousas church in April 1861.  Their son Octave, fils was born in St. Landry Parish in January 1865.  

2

Joseph, born at Opelousas in April 1776, probably died young. 

3

Étienne, baptized at Opelousas, age unrecorded, in August 1779, died at age 1 in August 1780. 

4

Charles, baptized at Opelousas, age 4 1/2 months, in August 1781, took up with Sophie Bello, perhaps a sister of his older brother Sylvain, fils's second wife, in St. Landry Parish in the early 1800s.  Their "natural son" Charles, fils was born at Opelousas in April 1805 but died at age 14 in July 1819, and Sylvain le jeune was born in December 1807.  Their daughters married into the Richard and Winkler families.  Charles died in Lafayette Parish in September 1853; the Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Charles died "at age 65 yrs."; he was closer to 72.  Except for its blood, did his family line survive? 

5

Leufroi, also called Godefroi, born at Opelousas in May 1788, married Marie Céleste Carmélite, called Carmélite, daughter of fellow Acadian Charles Comeaux, fils and Perpétué Broussard of Côte Gelée, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in January 1809.  They settled at Côte Gelée and Grand Prairie in what became Lafayette Parish.  Their son Leufroi, fils was born in October 1811, Éloi le jeune in August 1813, Charles in August 1815, Félix in January 1821, Valéry le jeune in January 1824, Sosthène was baptized at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, age 2 1/2 months, in February 1827 but died at age 16 in October 1842, Jacques Euclide, called Euclide, was born in August 1829, Sevigne was baptized at age 1 in July 1834 but died at age 1 1/2 in March 1835, and Alfred was baptized at age 3 months in July 1837.  Their daughter married into the Chiasson and Richard families.  Leufroi died in Lafayette Parish in December 1848; the Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Leufroi died "at age 65 yrs."; he was 60. 

5a

Éloi le jeune married Marie Basilise, called Basilise, daughter of fellow Acadian Pierre Landry and Françoise Landry, at the Vermilionville church in April 1834.  Their son Pierre Edgar, called Edgar, was baptized at the Vermilionville church, age 2 months, in April 1835, Jean Hopar or perhaps Azenor at age 6 months in February 1837, Charles le jeune was born in January 1839, Olivier in July 1846, and Euclides in May 1849.  Their daughter married into the Bellaire family. 

Edgar married Amelia or Emelia Fabre probably in Lafayette Parish in the late 1850s.  They settled near Youngsville.  Their son Leufroi le jeune was born in May 1859.  Edgar's succession was filed at the Vermilionville church in February 1870; he would have been age 35 that year. 

Charles le jeune may have married Elizabeth Bellaire at the Abbeville church, Vermilion Parish, in January 1861.  They settled on the lower Vermilion.  Their son Albert was born in April 1867. 

Olivier married Léontine, also called Cléontine, daughter of Treville Fabre and his Acadian wife Clémentine Broussard, at the Youngsville church, Lafayette Parish, in April 1868.  They also settled on the lower Vermilion.  Their son Cléobule was born in January 1869, and Edgar le jeune in November 1870. 

Jean Azenor, perhaps Jean Hopar, married Marie Julia Coulard, place and date unrecorded, and settled near Patoutville, now Lydia, Iberia Parish, by the late 1860s. 

5b

Leufroi, fils married Françoise Aureline, called Aureline, daughter of fellow Acadian Alexandre Landry and Marie Brasseaux, at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, in October 1834.  Their son Symphorien was baptized at the Vermilionville church, age 18 months, in May 1840, and Guillaume was born in December 1848.  Their daughter married into the Comeaux family. 

5c

Jacques Euclide married Eugénie Besida, Lesida, or Resida, daughter of fellow Acadians Éloi Landry and Marie Berthilde Landry, at the Vermilionville church in May 1853.  They settled probably near Carencro.  Their child, name unrecorded, died "shortly after birth" in June 1856, son Leufroi le jeune was born in November 1861, and Éloi in December 1866. 

5d

Alfred married Marie, Marine, or Maxine Frederick, place and date unrecorded.  They settled on the prairie between Vermilionville and Church Point.  Their child, name unrecorded, died "age a few day[sic]" in February 1858, son Leufroi le jeune was born in November 1858, Augustave in August 1863, Valéry in September 1864, Jacques le jeune in February 1867, and Albert in July 1869. 

6

Éloi, born probably at Opelousas in c1791, died in Lafayette Parish in July 1836, age 45.  Did he marry?   

Olivier SONNIER (c1752-?; Louis)

Olivier, son of probably Étienne Saulnier and his second wife Anne Darois, born probably at Petitcoudiac in c1752, escaped the British roundup at Chignecto in 1755 and was taken to the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore.  He and his family ended up at prisoners of war in Nova Scotia in the early 1760s.  British officials counted his family at Halifax in August 1763.  He came to Louisiana from Halifax via Cap-Française in 1765 with older brother Sylvain and followed him to the Opelousas District.  Olivier's succession was filed at what became the Opelousas courthouse in August 1775, though a census at Opelousas in May 1777 counted him as a bachelor who owned no slaves, 15 head of cattle, and four horses.  Olivier does not seem to have married. 

Descendants of Joseph SONNIER (c1756-1820; Louis)

Joseph, son of Étienne Saulnier and his second wife Anne Darois, brother of Sylvain and Olivier, was born in greater Acadia in c1756 at the beginning of the exile.  He and his family found refuge on the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore but ended up as prisoners of war in Nova Scotia in the early 1760s.  British officials counted them at Halifax in August 1763.  Joseph came to Louisiana in 1765 with an older sister and followed her to the Opelousas prairies.  Spanish officials counted him at Opelousas in 1771 with the family of sister Françoise, wife of Pierre Thibodeaux.  By 1774, he was a young bachelor living alone; he owned five head of cattle and three horses and mules.  He married Marie, daughter of fellow Acadians Olivier Thibodeaux, and Madekeine Broussard, at Attakapas in January 1779.  They settled on Prairie Bellevue, south of present-day Opelousas.  In 1788, Joseph owned 10 head of cattle and 30 horses on 13 arpents of land at Bellevue.  In the early 1800s, he and Marie lived at Grand Prairie, now downtown Lafayette; at La Butte, between Lafayette and Breaux Bridge; on upper Bayou Vermilion; and then at Carencro, at the northern edge of the old Attakapas District.  Their daughters married into the Chiasson, Constantin, Dugas, and Guilbert families.  Joseph, père died at Carencro in October 1820; the priest who recorded the burial said that Joseph was age 60 when he died, but he was closer to 64.  Most of his six sons created families of their own and settled in St. Martin and Lafayette parishes. 

1

Oldest son Joseph dit Padillau, also called Joseph, fils, baptized at Opelousas, age 6 months, in August 1781, married Marguerite, daughter of fellow Acadians Louis Arceneaux and Anne Breaux of St. James Parish, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in November 1818.  They settled at Carencro.  Their son Joseph Rosémond, called Rosémond, was born in August 1819 but died at age 11 months in July 1820, a child, name and age unrecorded, died in Lafayette Parish in August 1823, and Achille or Alcide was baptized at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, age unrecorded, in August 1825.  Joseph, fils died probably at Carencro in September 1829, age 49, a widower; his successions were filed at the Vermilionville courthouse later that month. 

Alcide, as he was called by the recording priest, married Marguerite Cléonide or Cléonise, daughter of Joseph Allegre and his Acadian wife Marie Denise Cormier, at the St. Martinville church in May 1842.  Their son Joseph le jeune was born in St. Martin Parish in October 1845, and Omar or Aymar, also called Ernest, near Breaux Bridge in February 1849.  Alcide's succession was filed at the St. Martinville courthouse in April 1849; he would have been in his mid-20s that year. 

Joseph le jeune married Julie, daughter of fellow Acadians Duclise Broussard and Célestine Broussard, at the Breaux Bridge church, St. Martin Parish, in February 1868.  Their son Alcide was born near Breaux Bridge in January 1869. 

Aymar, called Eymar by the recording priest, married cousin Aline, daughter of fellow Acadian Théogène Melançon and his Creole wife Cléophine Allegre, at the St. Martinville church in December 1869. 

2

Jean-Baptiste, called Baptiste, born at Attakapas in March 1785, married Marie Clémence, called Clémence, daughter of fellow Acadians Joseph Athanase Breaux and Marie Catherine Arseneaux of Carencro, at the St. Martinville church in February 1810.  They settled at Prairie Basse near Carencro.  Their son Hippolyte Bienvenu or Bienvenu Hippolyte was born in March 1813, Joseph Théodule, called Théodule, in April 1817, Jean dit Euclide in June 1819, Pierre Mortimer in May 1822, Cyprien in August 1824, Sylvestre Lucain died at age 7 days in November 1826, and Simon Eugène, called Eugène, was born posthumously in January 1828.  Their daughters married into the Breaux and Guidry families.  Jean Baptiste died probably at Carencro in November 1827, age 42. 

2a

Jean dit Euclide died in Lafayette Parish in May 1838, age 18, and did not marry. 

2b

Théodule married Marie Valsaine or Valsène, daughter of fellow Acadian Augustin Leger and his Creole wife Merante Meche, at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, in April 1842.  They settled near Carencro.  Their son Augustin Ernest was born in September 1844, Joseph Honoré in September 1849, and Jules in June 1853 but died at age 9 in November 1862.  Their daughters married into the Colligan or Collogan, Fale or Fall, and Richard families. 

2c

Hippolyte Bienvenu married Angélique, daughter of French Canadian Joseph Primeaux and widow of ____ Newman, at the Grand Coteau church, St. Landry Parish, in July 1847.  The priest noted in the marriage record that Angélique's first husband was "an unbaptized American," and that "She was in danger of death and was living with this man [Hippolyte] for 5 years."  Their son Théodule le jeune was born near Grand Coteau in February 1845 but died at age 7 1/2 in November 1852, Hippolyte, fils was born in February 1847, and Joseph Alexandre in April 1851.  Their daughter may have married into the Domingue family.  Hippolyte remarried to Spanish Creole Carmélite Dominguez, widow of Éloi Mouton, in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in November 1854. 

Hippolyte, fils may have married Louisa Brisco, Briscoe, or Briscau, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Hippolyte Bienvenu le jeune was born near Grand Coteau in November 1866, and Onésime in February 1868 but died "at age 7 days." 

2d

Cyprien married cousin Céleste Anathalie or Nathalie, daughter of fellow Acadians Julien Comeaux and Céleste Breaux, at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, in November 1849.  Their child, name unrecorded, died in Lafayette Parish 3 days after its birth in October 1850, Joseph Clairfait was born near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in January 1852, and a child, name and age unrecorded, died in May 1853.  Cyprien remarried to Élisabeth, daughter of Anglo Creole John Caruthers or Credeur and his Acadian wife Adélaïde Hébert and widow of Oscar Chiasson, at the Vermilionville church in March 1864.  Their son Marc was born in Lafayette Parish in October 1865, and Euchariste in March 1867.  Cyprien died in Lafayette Parish in September 1870; the Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Cyprien died "at age 45 yrs." he was 46; his succession was filed at the Vermilionville courthouse in October. 

2e

Eugène married Marie Euzèide or Merida, daughter of fellow Acadians Pierre Rosémond Breaux and Calixte Arceneaux, at the Vermilionville church in October 1855.  Their son, name unrecorded, died in Lafayette Parish "shortly after birth" in September 1856, a child, name unrecorded, died at age 7 months in June 1858, and Alexandre Adam was born in July 1859.  Eugène remarried to Euphrosine, daughter of fellow Acadians Rosémond Mouton and Estelle Comeaux, at the Vermilionville church in February 1868. 

2f

Pierre Mortimer's succession was filed at the Vermilionville courthouse in December 1865.  He would have been age 43 that year.  Did he marry? 

3

Placide, born probably at Opelousas in c1789, married Anastasie, daughter of fellow Acadians Augustin Dugas and Marie Duhon of La Butte, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in February 1813.  They settled at La Butte and Grand Prairie.  Their son Joseph Léonard was born in June 1818, Gédéon in August 1820, Jean died a day after his birth in June 1825, François died at age 3 weeks in August 1826, and a child, name unrecorded, died 2 hours after its birth in August 1827.  Their daughters married into the Cart, Hernandez, and Trahan families.  Placide died in Lafayette Parish in April 1835, age 46. 

3a

Joseph Léonard married Céleste or Célestine, 18-year-old daughter of fellow Acadians Antoine Hébert and Céleste Trahan, at the Opelousas church, St. Landry Parish, in June 1837.  Their son Placide le jeune was born in St. Landry Parish in March 1845, and Pierre near Grand Coteau in December 1859.  Their daughters married into the Breaux and Trahan families. 

Placide le jeune married Odalie, daughter of French Creole Firmar, perhaps Firmin, Fuselier, at the Church Point church, then in St. Landry but now in Acadia Parish, in February 1868.  They settled on the prairie between Church Point and Eunice. 

3b

Gédéon married Célestine, 15-year-old daughter of Anglo American William Berwick and his Acadian wife Céleste Lejeune, at the Opelousas church in June 1839.  Their son Gédéon, fils was born in St. Landry Parish in April 1843, and Valentin in November 1848.  Their daughter married into the Breaux family.  Gédéon remarried to Joséphine, daughter of fellow Acadians Joseph Doucet and Carmelite Richard, at the Grand Coteau church, St. Landry Parish, in June 1856. 

Gédéon, fils married Adélaïde dite Délaïde, daughter of fellow Acadian Onésime LeBlanc and Adélaïde Landry, in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in November 1867, and sanctified the marriage at the Church Point church in April 1869.  They settled on the prairie between Church Point and Grand Coteau.  Their son Joseph Alceus was born in February 1869, and Adam Jean in November 1870. 

4

Alexandre, baptized at Opelousas, age unrecorded, in July 1790, died "at his parents' home" at La Butte in January 1809.  He was only 18 years old and probably did not marry. 

5

Pierre, born probably at Opelousas in the early 1790s, married Marie Adélaïde, called Adélaïde, daughter of fellow Acadian Amand Dugas and Geneviève Robichaux of La Butte, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in October 1813.  They settled at La Butte and then at Grand Prairie, now downtown Lafayette.  Their son, name unrecorded, died at age 1 month in November 1816, Pierre Hermas or Darmas, called Darmas, was born in May 1822, Jean Moléon in May 1824 but died at age 4 1/2 in March 1829, Narcisse was baptized at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, age 2 months, in May 1827 but died at age 2 in March 1829, Joseph le jeune was born in June 1829 but died at age 1 1/2 in September 1830, Norbert was baptized at age 4 months in March 1831, Maximilien was born in February 1833, Treville died at age 3 months in August 1834, and a child, name and age unrecorded, died "at La Grande Prairie" in May 1842.  Pierre died in Lafayette Parish in November 1850; the Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Pierre died "at age 70 yrs." 

5a

Darmas married cousin Julie or Julienne, daughter of fellow Acadian Célestin Dugas and Julie Chiasson, at the Vermilionville church in April 1840.  Their son Placide le jeune was born  probably in Lafayette Parish in c1847, a child, name and age unrecorded, died in April 1852, Alfred was born in June 1853, and Pierre, fils in November 1860. 

Placide le jeune died in Lafayette Parish in November 1863, age 16.  Was his death war-related? 

5b

Norbert married cousin Zoé, daughter of fellow Acadian Pierre Anaclet Richard and Carmélite Sonnier, in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in September 1859. 

6

Youngest son Cyrille, baptized at Attakapas, age 8 months, in May 1795, married Susanne dite Susette, 16-year-old daughter of Anglo-Creole Thomas Pard or Parr and his Acadian wife Marie Melançon, at the Grand Coteau church, St. Landry Parish, in May 1822.  Their son Cyrille, fils was born in Lafayette Parish in July 1823 but died at age 2 in September 1825, Pierre le jeune was born in March 1825, Antoine, also called Éloi, in October 1826, Louis in April 1828, Siméon or Simon in February 1830, Basile, also called Baptiste, in October 1831, Joseph in June 1833 but died at age 1 in June 1834, Olivier was born in March 1835 but died at age 18 months in September 1836, Émile died, age unrecorded, in December 1835, Thomas Estel was baptized at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, age 3 months, in January 1837, Paulin was born in August 1840, Alexandre in August 1841, and Marcel in January 1844.  Cyrille died in Lafayette Parish in April 1859; the Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Cyrille died "at age 63 yrs."; his succession was filed at the Vermilionville courthouse in August. 

6a

Antoine married Sylvanie, also called Éléonie, daughter of fellow Acadian Joachim Dugas and Marguerite Broussard, at the Vermilionville church in June 1848.  Their child, name and age unrecorded, died in Lafayette Parish in August 1849, Antoine Numa was born November 1854, a child, name unrecorded, died at age 15 days in April 1860, Joachim was born April 1862, and a child, name unrecorded, died at birth in December 1869. 

6b

Louis married Émelia, called Melia, daughter of fellow Acadian Théovide Broussard and Marie Arthémise Hébert, at the Vermilionville church in August 1849.  Their son Alcides was born in Lafayette Parish in August 1850, Paul Arthur in June 1854, a child, name unrecorded, died "at age 14 days" in December 1868, and Élois in November 1870. 

6c

Basile married Philomène, daughter of François Guilbert and Émilie Begnaud, at the Vermilionville church in August 1854.  Their son Honoré was born in Lafayette Parish in December 1855, and Théophile in February 1868. 

6d

Alexandre married Marie Émelise, daughter of fellow Acadians Jean Baptiste Chiasson and Julie Dugas, at the Vermilionville church in January 1861.  Their son Cyrille Esseus was born in Lafayette Parish in April 1866, and Julien Eucharis in October 1868. 

6e

Siméon married Marie Rosalie, called Rosalie, daughter of Pierre Domingue and Marie Josèphine Hernandez and widow of Pierre A. Domingue, at the Vermilionville church in August 1861.  Their son Joseph Numa was born in Lafayette Parish in June 1862, Edgar in October 1865 but died at age 2 in November 1867, and Amédé was born in March 1870.

6f

Marcel married Marie Constance, daughter of fellow Acadians Joseph Louvière and Séraphine Delphine Broussard, at the Vermilionville church in May 1866. 

6g

Thomas Estel may have married Marcellite Riggs in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in December 1870. 

Charles-Jean SONNIER (?-; Louis, ?)

Charles-Jean Saulnier may have come to Louisiana from Halifax in 1765 and followed his kinsmen to Opelousas, where Spanish officials, calling him Carlos Juan Saunier, counted him as a member of Courtableau's Company of militia in April 1766.  He then disappears from the historical record. 

~

During the late 1760s, a Sonnier from the river moved to the western prairies and joined her siblings and cousins already there:

Anne Sonnier, widow of Basile Babin, took her children to Opelousas in the late 1760s and remarried to Michel Cormier of Chignecto, at Opelousas.  They settled on Prairie des Femmes, where Anne died in 1772 or 1773, in her early 30s.  She gave Michel two of his five sons. 

~

Twenty years after her cousins reached Louisiana, a Saulnier wife came to the colony from France in 1785.  She and her husband were among the few 1785 arrivals who settled in the Opelousas District: 

Marie-Josèphe Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 48, crossed from France on La Ville d'Archangel, the sixth of the Seven Ships, which reached New Orleans in December 1785.  With her were husband Claude Aucoin of Minas, age 57, and five children, ages 22 to 9.  They settled near Carencro.  Marie-Josèphe died by November 1788, when her husband remarried at Opelousas. 

~

During the early antebellum period, two Sonnier brothers from the river joined their cousins on the western prairies and settled on lower Bayou Teche: 

Descendants of Jean-Baptiste SONNIER, fils (c1776-; Louis, Pierre, Pierre)

Jean-Baptiste, fils, elder son of Jean-Baptiste Sonnier and Marie Roy, baptized at St.-Jacques on the river, age unrecorded, in August 1776, married Adélaïde or Adeline, daughter of fellow Acadians Come LeBlanc and Isabelle Broussard of Fausse Pointe, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in June 1813.  They settled at Fausse Pointe on lower Bayou Teche.  Their daughters married into the Broussard and Daniel families.  Two of Jean Baptiste, fils and Marie's four sons created new family lines, but only one seems to have survived. 

1

Oldest son Marcellin, born in St. Martin Parish in March 1814, married cousin Marie Azélie, called Azélie, daughter of fellow Acadians Raphaël Broussard and Modeste LeBlanc, at the St. Martinville church in August 1834.  They settled near New Iberia.  Their son Philemon was born in July 1839, and Marcellin, fils in November 1840.  Marcellin remarried to Sidalise Dubois, a Creole, not a fellow Acadian, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Joseph Adam was born in St. Martin Parish in February 1853, Jean Baptiste le jeune in September 1854 but died at age 7 in November 1861, Jean Cibley, called Cibley, was born in December 1862 but died at age 4 1/2 in September 1867, Paul Jefferson Davis, called Davis, was born in December 1864 but died at age 2 1/2 in May 1867, and Pierre Noël was born in December 1867. 

2

A son, name and age unrecorded, died "at the home of [Scotsman John] Martin, his [Jean-Baptiste, fils's] brother-in-law [husband of sister Françoise] at L'île Labbé," in St. Martin Parish in January 1818. 

3

Jean Onésime, called Onésime, born in St. Martin Parish in September 1819, married Louise, also called Marie Elisa, Cognet or Fongne, also called Saunier, at the St. Martinville church in November 1841.  Their son Jean Baptiste le jeune was born in St. Martin Parish in July 1847 but died at age 1 in October 1848.  Did the family line survive? 

4

Youngest son Jean Baptiste III, born in St. Martin Parish in September 1825, died at age 3 1/2 in March 1829. 

Descendants of Jean-L'Esprit SONNIER (1791-; Louis, Pierre, Pierre)

Jean-L'Esprit, younger son of Jean-Baptiste Sonnier and Marie Roy, born at Ascension in July 1791, married Félicité, daughter of French Creole Louis Saucier, probably in the 1820s, place unrecorded.  They, too, settled in St. Martin Parish. 

Jean, fils, perhaps also called Azenor Jean, born in St. Martin Parish in April 1828, may have married Élizabeth, daughter of Gilbert Amy and his Acadian wife Élizabeth Landry, at the St. Martinville church in February 1861, remarried to Marie Julia Coulard, place and date unrecorded, and settled near Patoutville, now Lydia, Iberia Parish, by the late 1860s.  

~

Other SONNIERs on the Western Prairies

Area church and civil records make it difficult to link many Sonniers in the western parishes with known lines of the Acadian family there.  The priests at Opelousas and Vermilionville were especially negligent in their record keeping.  One suspects that some of these outliers may have been French-Creole Songés, not Acadian Saunier/Sonniers.  One suspects also that some of the Sonniers who lived on the prairies during the post-war period were Afro Creoles once owned by members of the family.  Area church and civil records do not always reveal their ethnicity, but the record keepers sometimes provided tantalizing clues:

Widow Sonnier died in St. Landry Parish in September 1812 "at age about 60 yrs."  The Opelousas priest who recorded the burial did not give her parents' names or name her husband. 

James Sonnier married Scholastique Veprer, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Jules Edoucid was born near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in July 1839. 

Marie Sonnier, widow of Pierre Dugas, died in Lafayette Parish in October 1841.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded her burial said that Marie died "at age 96 yrs.," which gives her a birth year of c1745!  The priest did not give her parents' names.  Who was she?  No Marie Sonnier who married a Dugas appears on the Acadian Memorial's Wall of Names.  A Pierre Dugas, "spouse in a second marriage" to Marie Sonnier, died in Lafayette Parish in July 1826, age 90, which means he was born even earlier than Marie, in c1736.  This Pierre Dugas, like his second wife, also cannot be found on the Acadian Memorial's Wall of Names.  Were they French Canadians and not Acadians?  When did they come to Louisiana? 

Auguste Sonnier married Sophie Sonnier, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Sophie Marguerite was born in St. Landry Parish August 1842. 

Ysabelle, daughter of Cesinie Sonnier, born in c1842, died in St. Martin Parish, age 5, in August 1847.  Was Cesinie the girl's mother?  If so, who was her father? 

Joseph Sonnier married Céleste Pierrot, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Joseph, fils was baptized at the Opelousas church, St. Landry Parish, age 4 months, in April 1843. 

Jean Baptiste Sonnier married Marie Adeline or Adelina, called Adeline, Saucié, Socher, Socié, Socier, or Soychere, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Léonard was born near New Iberia, then in St. Martin but now in Iberia Parish, in September 1844, Jean Baptiste, fils in June 1848, Joseph in March 1862, and daughter Angelina in September 1864.  Son Azenore Jean, called a Soigné by the recording priest, married Elizabeth, daughter of Gilbert Amy and his Acadian wife Élisa Landry, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in February 1861.  Was Jean Baptiste a Sonnier?

Ernest Sonnier died near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in July 1847, age 3 1/2.  True to form, the Grand Coteau priest who recorded the boy's burial did not give the parents' names. 

Élie Sonnier, husband or widower of Augustine Dugas, died in Lafayette Parish in October 1848.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial said that Élie died "at age 65 yrs."  Who were Élie's parents?  Where is his marriage record?  Was he an Acadian? 

Narcisse Sonnier married Célestine Dugas, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Mélite was born in Lafayette Parish in November 1848.  . 

Joseph Sonnier died in St. Martin Parish in April 1851, age 6 or 7 months old.  The St. Martinville priest who recorded the boy's burial did not give the parents' names. 

Marie Aspasie Sonnier died in St. Martin Parish at age 6 months in October 1851.  The St. Martinville priest who recorded the burial, true to form, did not give the parents' names. 

Marie Azélie Sonnier married John B. Anger in a civil ceremony in St. Martin Parish in April 1853.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

Joseph Derneville Sonnier died in St. Martin Parish in November 1853, age 3.  The St. Martinville priest who recorded the boy's burial did not give the parents' names. 

Constance, probably Constant, Sonnier married French Creole Émelia Moreau in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in June 1854.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.  Daughter Marie was born in St. Landry Parish in October 1864, and Ducloise Marie, perhaps a son, near Eunice in May 1870. 

Louis Terville, Therville, or David Sonnier married Amelia or Émelie Stivens or Stevens, place and date unrecorded.  They settled near New Iberia and then at nearby Patoutville, now Lydia, Iberia Parish.  Twin sons Jean Therville and Louis Bozenville were born in February 1857, daughter Aspasie in March 1859, Amelia in September 1860, Rosalie in December 1862, son Evariste in December 1866 but died at age 2 in December 1868, and daughter Marcellite born in July 1869. 

Charles Émile Soigné, perhaps Sonnier, married Evélina, also called Anelina, Thibodeaux in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in August 1857.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.  Was Charles Émile Acadian?  Daughter Amelina was born in Lafayette Parish in October 1858. 

A succession for Célise Sonnier, wife or widow of Sifroy Ratel, was filed at the Opelousas courthouse, St. Landry Parish, in November 1859.  Who were Célise's parents?

Emelina Sonnier married Scots Creole John Aristide Martin in a civil ceremony in St. Martin Parish in July 1860.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

Carmélite Émelie Sonnier married fellow Acadian Charles, son of Pierre Anaclet Richard and Marie Carmélite Sonnier, at the Vermilionville church, Lafayette Parish, in November 1860. 

Onésime Sonnier married Lucie Fontenot, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Ernest was born in St. Landry Parish in January 1861, daughter Anestie in April 1862, and Onézima in June 1863.   

Valéry Sonnier married Octavie M. Guillory, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Athanais was born in St. Landry Parish in June 1861, and Thelisma in March 1863. 

Louis Sonnier married Meline Debondick, perhaps Bundick, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Melisa was born near Ville Platte, then in St. Landry but now in Evangeline Parish, in March 1863. 

Vinnier Sonnier married Mary Sonnier, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Edwal was born near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in March 1863. 

Émile Sonnier married Hebe White, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Edward Émile was born near New Iberia, then in St. Martin but now in Iberia Parish, in April 1863. 

Sidonie Silvain Sonnier died "at Bayou Malette," St. Landry Parish, age 10, in October 1863.  The Opleousas priest who recorded the girl's burial did not give her parents' names. 

Louise Sonnier married Jean Baptiste Derbonne or Darbonne in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in March 1864.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.  Louise, called Éloise by the recording clerk, remarried to Augustin Miller in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in April 1868.  Again, the parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.

Lorenza Sonnier married Charles Derosier, fils in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in April 1864.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.  Was she a daughter of Sylvain Sonnier IV? 

Oliva Sonnier died in Lafayette Parish, age 10, in December 1864.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial, true to form, did not give the girl's parents' names. 

Célestine Sonnier died in Lafayette Parish, age 4, in December 1864.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial did not give the girl's parents' names. 

Carmélite Sonnier died near Church Point, then in St. Landry but now in Acadia Parish, age 7 years and 4 months, in April 1865.  The priest who recorded the burial did not give the girl's parents' names. 

Anastasie Sonnier married Acadian Augustave Breaux, widow of Azélie Caruthers, in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in June 1865.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

Sevigné Sonnier married Marguerite Sonnier, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Savin was born near Church Point in December 1866. 

Frosette Sonnier died in Lafayette Parish, age 10, in April 1867.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial did not give any parents' names. 

Sylvain Sonnier married Sydalise Véronique, widow of Gerasin Lantier, in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in May 1867.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

François Sonnier married Célimène Cuvillier at the Franklin church, St. Mary Parish, in August 1867.  Neither the parish clerk nor the priest who recorded the marriage gave the couple's parents' names.  Their son Jules Duverney was born near Charenton in January 1869. 

Cyprien Sonnier married Uranie Gautreaux, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Jacques was born near Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, in April 1868. 

Éloi Sonnier married Clara Decuir, also called Ducrest, place and date unrecorded.  They settled between Church Point and Eunice.  Their son Félix was born there in November 1868, and Éloi, fils in August 1870. 

Marie Odeïde Sonnier died in Lafayette Parish, age 3 months, in January 1869.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial, true to form, did not give the girl's parents' names. 

Philemon Sonnier married Victorine Broussard, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Ophelia was born near near Patoutville, now Lydia, Iberia Parish, in June 1869, and Amelia in August 1870. 

Marguerite Sonnier married Pierre Louis in a civil ceremony in St. Landry Parish in July 1869.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

Charles Sonnier married Avelina Thibodeaux, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Donat Dupré was born in Lafayette Parish in October 1869. 

____ Sonnier married Aristide Landry in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in February 1870.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names nor the bride's given name. 

Louis Sonnier died in Lafayette Parish in April 1870.  The Vermilionville priest who recorded the burial, and who did not give any parents' names, said that Louis died "at age 9 mths." 

Charles Sonnier married Eugénie Donato, place and date unrecorded.  Twins Octave and Octavie were born near Eunice, St. Landry Parish, in June 1870. 

Irma Sonnier married Norbert Simon in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in August 1870.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

Odile Sonnier married Serrazin Mathieu in a civil ceremony in Lafayette Parish in September 1870.  The parish clerk who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names. 

LOUISIANA:  RIVER SETTLEMENTS

Six of the Saulniers who came to Louisiana from Halifax in 1765 did not go to the Opelousas prairies but settled at Cabanocé/St.-Jacques on the river above New Orleans where 20 Acadians from Georgia had settled the year before.  By the early antebellum period, however, no more Acadian Sonnier family lines remained on the river:

Marguerite Saulnier, age 40, came with husband Charles Forest of Port-Royal, age 43; five children, ages 19 to 1; and a 19-year-old niece of her husband.  By 1770, they had moved upriver to Ascension. 

Marie-Madeleine Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 47, came with husband Jean Léger of Chepoudy, age 43.  She died by April 1774, when her husband remarried at St.-Jacques; she would have been in her early 50s. 

Joseph Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 26, came with brother Jean-Baptiste, age 19; and sister Marguerite, age unrecorded.  Joseph married twice and remained at St.-Jacques.  Jean-Baptiste married and settled upriver at Ascension.  In October 1768, Marguerite married Frenchman Jean-Baptiste-Emmanuel Lescossier of Rheims at New Orleans and probably settled there.  She may have been the Marguerite Sonnier who married Nicolas Lahure or Layur, probably another Frenchman, at St.-Jacques in June 1787

Anne dite Nanette Saulnier of Petitcoudiac, age 24, widow of Basile Babin, came with two daughters, ages 5 and 3.  Anne took her children to the Opelousas District by c1769, when she remarried to Michel Cormier of Chignecto, who also had come to Louisiana in 1765. 

Descendants of Joseph SONNIER (c1739-1812; Louis, Pierre)

Joseph, elder son of Pierre Saulnier, fils and Madeleine Haché-Gallant, born probably at Petitcoudiac in c1739, escaped the British roundup in the Chignecto area in 1755 and found refuge on the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore, where he may have married.  He and his family ended up as prisoners of war in Nova Scotia in the early 1760s.  He and two of his siblings came to Louisiana from Halifax via Cap-Française, French St.-Domingue, in 1765 and settled at Cabanocé/St.-Jacques.  Spanish officials counted him with widowed sister Anne and two nieces on the left, or east, bank of the river at Cabanocé in 1766.  He married, or remarried to, Marie, daughter of fellow Acadians Pierre Landry and Marie Babin and widow of Alexis Granger, in November 1767.  They were living on the east bank of the river at Cabanocé in 1769.  Eight years later, in January 1777, Joseph was still living on the east bank of the river at St.-Jacques, but by then he was a widower.  His and Marie's daughter married into the Bourgeois family.  Joseph remarried--perhaps his third marriage--to Marie, daughter of fellow Acadians Jean-Baptiste Breaux and his first wife Élisabeth Henry and widow of Amand Richard, at St.-Jacques in August 1777.  In 1779, they owned three slaves on their holding along the river.  Their daughter married into the Lanoux family.  Joseph died in St. James Parish in December 1812; the priest who recorded the burial said that Joseph was age 82 when he died; he was closer to 72.  His older son's line did not survive.  His younger son settled on Bayou Lafourche. 

1

Older son Donat, by his father's second wife, perhaps also called Simon, baptized at St.-Jacques, age unrecorded, in July 1773, may have married Françoise, a woman whose surname has been lost to history, probably at St.-Jacques in the late 1790s or early 1800s.  Their son, name and age unrecorded, died at St.-Jacques in October 1806.  Simon's wife died the next day, age 35.  Simon himself died at St.-Jacques in April 1807; the priest who recorded the burial did not give Simon's parents' names, mention his wife, or give his age at the time of his death, but this probably was him.  Did his family line survive? 

2

Younger son Joseph-Édouard, called Édouard, from his father's third wife, baptized at St.-Jacques, age unrecorded, in May 1780, married Denise, also called Lise, daughter of fellow Acadians Jean-Charles Arceneaux and Marie-Josèphe Babin, at St.-Jacques in February 1799.  Most of their children were born in what became St. James Parish.  They moved to Bayou Lafourche in the early 1820s, creating a third center of family settlement, and were the last of the Acadian Sonniers to abandon the river settlements. 

Descendants of Jean-Baptiste SONNIER (c1746-; Louis, Pierre)

Jean-Baptiste, called Jean, younger son of Pierre Saulnier, fils and Madeleine Haché-Gallant, born probably at Petitcoudiac in c1746, escaped the British roundup in the Chignecto area in 1755 and found refuge on the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore.  He and his family ended up as prisoners of war in Nova Scotia in the early 1760s.  Jean and two of his siblings came to Louisiana from Halifax via St.-Domingue in 1765 and settled at Cabanocé/St.-Jacques.  Spanish officials counted him on the right, or west, bank of the river at Cabanocé in 1766 and on the left, or east, bank of the river there in 1769.  He married Marie, daughter of fellow Acadians Abraham Roy and his first wife Anne Aubois, at St.-Jacques in May 1773.  They were still living on the east bank of the river at St.-Jacques in 1777.  A daughter, born in August 1784, was baptized at New Orleans the following March.  They were living on upper Bayou Lafourche in the late 1780s and early 1790s, the first Acadian Sonniers to settle there, but few, if any, of their children remained on the bayou.  Their daughters married into the Cuvillier, Duval, Henrique (German Creole, not Acadian), Martin (Scots, not Acadian), and Nopper families; most of them settled on the western prairies.  Jean-Baptiste's sons, like his daughters, followed their Roy relatives to the western prairies. 

1

Older son Jean-Baptiste, fils, baptized at St.-Jacques, age unrecorded, in August 1776, married Adélaïde, daughter of fellow Acadians Come LeBlanc and Isabelle Broussard of Fausse Pointe, at the St. Martinville church, St. Martin Parish, in June 1813.  They remained on Bayou Teche. 

2

Younger son Jean-L'Esprit, born at Ascension in July 1791, married Félicité, daughter of French Creole Louis Saucier, probably in the 1820s.  They, too, settled on Bayou Teche. 

Other SONNIERs on the River

Area church and civil records make it difficult to link at least one Sonnier on the river with known Acadian lines of the family there:

Marguerite Sonnier married Nicolas Layur at St.-Jacques in June 1787.  The priest who recorded the marriage did not give the couple's parents' names.  One wonders if this was the Marguerite, sister of Jean-Baptiste and Joseph Sonnier, who married Jean-Baptiste-Emmanuel Lescossier, fils at New Orleans in October 1768 and then resettled on the Lower Acadian Coast. 

LOUISIANA:  LAFOURCHE VALLEY SETTLEMENTS

Twenty years after their cousins had reached Louisiana, two Saulnier wives came to the colony on two of the Seven Ships from France in 1785.  They chose to follow their fellow passengers to upper Bayou Lafourche. 

Marie-Marguerite Saulnier, age 40, crossed on Le St.-Rémi, the fourth of the Seven Ships, which reached New Orleans in September.  With her were husband Antoine Boutary, a Frenchman, age 50, and three sons, ages 9, 7, and infant. 

Marguerite Saulnier of Rivière-aux-Canards, age 27, crossed on Le St.-Rémi with husband Guillaume Hamon, age 24, and no children. Marguerite, perhaps a widow, died probably in Terrebonne Parish in May 1842.  The Thibodaux priest who recorded her burial said that she died "at age 96 yrs." 

~

A Sonnier from the river moved to Bayou Lafourche in the early 1820s, creating a third center of family settlement there that lasted.  After he left St. James Parish, no more Acadian Sonniers remained on the river:

Descendants of Joseph-Édouard SONNIER (c1780-1842)

Joseph-Édouard, called Édouard, younger son of Joseph Sonnier and his third wife Marie Breaux, baptized at St.-Jacques, age unrecorded, in May 1780, married Denise, also called Lise, daughter of fellow Acadians Jean-Charles Arceneaux and Marie-Josèphe Babin, at St.-Jacques in February 1799.  Most of their children were born in what became St. James Parish.  Their daughters married into the Authement and Bourg families.  Édouard moved his family to Bayou Lafourche in the early 1820s.  He died in Lafourche Interior Parish in May 1842; the Thibodaux priest who recorded the burial said that Édouard died "at age 64 to 65 yrs."; he was closer to 62.  Four of his six sons created families of their own, but at least one line did not survive. 

1

Oldest son Joseph le jeune, born at St.-Jacques in December 1802, married Marie Josette or Rosette, daughter of François Percle and Marie Triche "of St. Joseph," perhaps Baton Rouge, at the Plattenville church, Assumption Parish, in February 1827.  Their son Joseph Omère was born in Lafourche Interior Parish in August 1830 but died at age 3 in October 1833, Édouard or Jean Amédée was born in December 1832 but died at age 1 in October 1833, Zéphirin Aristide, called Aristide, was born in Ascension Parish in August 1834, and Joseph Léonidas in Lafourche Interior Parish in October 1836 but died at age 1 in December 1837.  Their daughters married into the Lasseigne and LeBlanc families. 

Aristide married Honorine, daughter of Henri Lirette and his Acadian wife Marie Breaux, at the Thibodaux church, Lafourche Interior Parish, in December 1851.  Their son Joseph Alcide, called Alcide, was born in Lafourche Interior Parish in September 1852.  Aristide died in Lafourche Parish in September 1853 "during [a] yellow fever epidemic," age 19; a "petition for tutorship" for his son was filed at the Thibodaux courthouse in July 1855, and a "family meeting" was held at the Houma courthouse, Terrebonne Parish, in March 1856.  Aristide's daughter Victorine Ernestine was born posthumously in March 1854. 

2

Jean Baptiste le jeune, born at St.-Jacques in October 1804, died at age 1 1/2 in January 1806.

3

Simon le jeune, born in St. James Parish in c1812, died near Convent, St. James Parish, at age 3 in July 1815.

4

Marcellin or Onésime, born near Convent, St. James Parish, in September 1814, married Anne Marie, daughter of Antoine Vicknair and Dolothe Cuvillier and widow of Pierre Lasseigne, at the Thibodaux church, Lafourche Interior Parish, in December 1846.  Onésime died in Lafourche Interior Parish in December 1847; the Thibodaux priest who recorded the burial said that Onésime died "at age 34 yrs."; he was 33; a "petition for administrator," in his name, was filed at the Thibodeaux courthouse in May 1848.  He and his wife had no children, or at least none appear in local church records, so his line of the family died with him. 

5

Julien or Jules, born near Convent, St. James Parish, in May 1819, married Euphrosine, another daughter of fellow Acadians Joseph Breaux and Félicité Richard, at the Thibodaux church, Lafourche Parish, in June 1855. 

6

Youngest son Jean Charles, called Charles, born near Convent, St. James Parish, in November 1821, married Marie Rosalie, called Rosalie, another daughter of Joseph Breaux and Félicité Richard, at the Thibodaux church in September 1846.  Their son Joseph Édouard Octave, called Octave, was born in Lafourche Interior Parish in November 1849, Édouard Timothée or Timothée Édouard in October 1851 but died at age 1 in December 1852, Adam Arthur was born in November 1853, and Édouard Clinton in February 1861.  Their daughter married into the Bergeron family. 

Octave married Marie Célestine, called Célestine, daughter of Zénon Roussel and Carmélite Grégoire, in a civil ceremony in Lafourche Parish in April 1869; the marriage also was registered in Terrebonne Parish.  Their son Joseph was born in Lafourche Parish in February 1870. 

NON-ACADIAN FAMILIES in LOUISIANA

Frenchmen with surnames similar to Saulnier/Sonnier lived in colonial Louisiana as early as the 1730s:

François, son of Augustin Saunier, a master cooper from Paris, and Louise Deval, married Madeleine, daughter of André Neire of Switzerland, at Old Biloxi, then a part of French Louisiana, in April 1730. 

Françoise Saunié, native of Paris, perhaps François's sister, died at New Orleans in September 1731, age unrecorded. 

Pierre Saunier, a soldier in the company of Maret, married Marie-Louise Contois, place and date unrecorded.  Their son Victor was born at New Orleans in October 1748. 

~

During the late antebellum period, settlers with similar-sounding surnames, who cannot be linked to any known Acadian line of the Sonnier family, appeared on the river and in the upper Bayou Lafourche valley.  They were perhaps what native Louisianians would have called Foreign Frenchmen: 

Auguste Saunier married Elvina Bourgeois, perhaps an Acadian, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Marie Valentine was born near Convent, St. James Parish, in August 1853, and son Eugène Camille in January 1864. 

François Sonier married Williamine Helmbolt, place and date unrecorded, and settled near Baton Rouge by the mid-1850s. 

Louis Eugène Sommé married German Creole Julie Matherne, place and date unrecorded.  Daughter Marie Angélique was born near Pierre Part, Assumption Parish, in July 1857. 

CONCLUSION

Saulniers settled early in Acadia and were among the earliest Acadians to find refuge in Louisiana.  Most of them--and all of the males who created family lines--came to Louisiana from Halifax via French St.-Domingue in 1765 on at least two expeditions.  The first settled on the Opelousas prairies, where two vigorous lines of the family emerged.  Others who came that year settled at Cabanocé/St.-Jacques on the river, later called the Acadian Coast, where two more lines began.  Three Saulnier wives came to the colony on two of the Seven Ships from France in 1785 and settled on upper Bayou Lafourche and on the prairies.  By the early antebellum period, Sonniers on the river had moved either to lower Bayou Teche or to Bayou Lafourche, where a small center of family settlement emerged.  Throughout the late colonial and antebellum periods, however, the great majority of Sonniers, most of them descended from two of the brothers from Petitcoudiac who had settled at Opelousas in 1765, lived in prairie communities from the Opelousas area down to lower Bayou Teche.  They were especially numerous at Bellevue and Grand Coteau in St. Landry Parish; at Carencro, La Butte, and Grand Prairie in Lafayette Parish; and at Fausse Pointe in St. Martin and Iberia parishes.  ...

French Sauniers, two of them from Paris, settled in Louisiana as early as the 1730s, and settlers with similar-sounding surnames lived on the river and on upper Bayou Lafourche during the late antebellum period.  Nevertheless, the great majority of the Sonniers of South Louisiana are descendants of Louis Saulnier and his sons from Minas and Petitcoudiac. ...

In Louisiana, the family's name evolved from Saulnier to Saunier and then to Sonnier, perhaps because of Spanish influence.  The family's name also is spelled Saugnier, Saulnié, Saulny, Sauniae, Saunié, Saunnier, Sogné, Sognet, Sognier, Sogny, Sognyer, Soigné, Soignée, Soignet, Soignez, Soignié, Soignier, Soinier, Solnier, Sommé, Somnier, Soné, Sonia, Sonié, Sonier, Sonné, Sonner, Sonnié, Sounier, Suanier.  These Acadians should not be confused with a French Creole family named Songé, also spelled Sogny, Songi, Songy, Sonsi, and Sonsy; and the aristocratic French Creoles named Soniat Duffosat, also spelled Sognac, Sonac, and Soniac.  [See Book Ten for the Acadian family's Louisiana "begats"]

Sources:  Arsenault, Généalogie, 1285-88, 1569-72, 2585-88; BRDR, vols. 1a(rev.), 2, 3, 4, 5 (rev.), 8, 9, 10, 11; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:107, 132; Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 402-03, 589; Hébert, D., South LA Records, vols. 1, 2, 3, 4; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, vols. 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, 2-B, 2-C, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; <islandregister.com/1752.html>; Jehn, Acadian Exiles in the Colonies, 249, 251, 307-08, 310-13, 315-20, 322; NOAR, vols. 1, 2, 4; Robichaux, Acadians in Nantes, 82; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 11-12; White, DGFA-1, 1446-51; White, DGFA-1 English, 304-05.  

Settlement Abbreviations 
(present-day civil parishes that existed in 1861 are in parentheses; hyperlinks on the abbreviations take you to brief histories of each settlement):

For a chronology of Acadian Arrivals in Louisiana, 1764-early 1800s, see Appendix.

The hyperlink attached to an individual's name is connected to a list of Acadian immigrants for a particular settlement and provides a different perspective on the refugee's place in family and community. 

NOTES

01.  Wall of Names, 10, calls her Anne SAULNIER veuve Basil BABIN; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2405, calls her Marie-Anne SAULNIER; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:719, her succession record, calls her Anne, widow of Michel CORMIER, & lists her 2 surviving daughters by Basil BABIN, Lizette age 12, & Marie[-Josèphe] age 9.   See also Jehn, Acadian Exiles in the Colonies, 255.

Jehn calls her Marie SULNIER in her marriage to Basil BABIN & then calls her Anne as a widow in LA. 

She probably met Michel CORMIER of the Opelousas District thru her sister Marguerite, who was married to Michel's older brother Joseph.  Anne's succession record says nothing of her son by Michel CORMIER, fils.  

02.  Not in Wall of Names.  See Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 128.

Was he a non-Acadian SAUNIER?  Was there such a thing in LA there & then?  What happened to him in LA?

03.  Wall of Names, 25, calls her Françoise SAULNIER; White, DGFA-1, 1521, her husband's profile, calls her François SAULNIER, gives her parents' names, & says she married Pierre THIBODEAU in c1751 but gives no place of marriage; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 2-A:873 (Opel. Ch.: v.1, p.117), her death/burial record, calls her Françoise SONNIER, "wid. of Pierre THIBAUDAU," says she died "at age 84 yrs.," but does not give her parents' names.    

04.  Wall of Names, 25, calls him Jean SAULNIER; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2586, says he was born in 1741; BRDR, 2:655, 678 (SJA-1, 44), his marriage record, calls him Jan SOGNIÉ, calls his wife Marie ROY, gives his & her parents' names, says both his parents were deceased at the time of the wedding, & that the witness to his marriage was ____ CANTRELLE.  See also Bourgeois, Cabanocey, 165, 178; Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche 1770-98, 20, 180; Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 117.   

His full name was Jean-Baptiste, verified by a number of primary sources.  For example, the baptismal record of daughter Marie-Marguerite, dated 25 Oct 1778, in BRDR, 2:679 (SJA-1, 58), calls him Jean-Baptiste SONNIER & his wife Marie-Anne ROY.  The marriage record of daughter Marguerite, dated 1 Aug 1798, in Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:721-22 (SM Ch.: v.4, #156), in which he is listed as a witness, also calls him Jean-Baptiste SONIER, as so does the marriage record of daughter Marie, dated  20 Aug 1800, in Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:722 (SM Ch.: v.4, #209).

The Cabanocé censuses of 1766 & 1769 disagree with Arsenault's birth date for him. 

Bourgeois, p. 161, lists him in VERRET's Company, Cabanocé Militia, but J. Voorhies, 117, followed here, places him in JUDICE's Company. 

Why do the Lafourche censuses of 1788 & 1791 show such contrasts in his wife's age & the number of their children?  His son Jean-Baptiste, fils had been born in 1776, so he was 12, not 2, in 1788.  But where were their daughters in 1788, & where was son Jean in 1791?  It's like we're looking at different families here.  Interestingly, the long title of both censuses says that the each count "ends below at Jean SAUNIER ...."

05.  Wall of Names, 25, calls him Joseph SAULNIER; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:720 (SM Ch.: v.1, p.67), one of his marriage records, calls him Joseph SONNIER, calls his wife Marie THIBAUDAU, gives his & her parents' names, calls his parents Étienne SONIER & Anne DESBOY, & says the witnesses to his marriage were Silvain SONNIER [probably his half-brother], Joseph GRANGER, & Aman THIBAUDAU; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:720 (SM Ch.:  Folio B-1), another of his marriage records, calls him Joseph SONNIER, calls his wife Marie TIBODO, gives his & her parents' names, calls his parents Chenne SONNIER & Anne DESROY, "Parishioners of Opelousas," says her parents were "Parishioners of this parish of Atakapas," & that the witnesses to his marriage were Silvein SONNIER [probably his half-brother], Joseph GRANGÉ, & Aman THIBODO; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 2-B:859 (GC Ch.: v.1, p.4, #30), his death/burial record, calls him Joseph SONNIER, père (Sr.), says he died "at Karancros (Carencro) ... at age 60 years," that he was buried next day "in the St. Charles church cemetery," but does not give his parents' names or mention a wife.  See also Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 128. 

The brochure that accompanies the Robert Dafford Mural, Acadian Memorial, St. Martinville, says that he "Arrived in Louisiana as a young boy, which is how he is depicted on the mural.  He married Marie THIBODEAU."  It also says he arrived in 1766, but his presence in the Opelousas militia census of 1766, taken in the spring, shows that he arrived in 1765.  The shipload of Acadians that reached LA in 1766 did not reach New Orleans until late Sep, & they came from MD, not Halifax. 

Despite what one of his marriage records says, there is no evidence that his parents also came to LA.  He & his siblings & half-siblings probably were orphans when they came to the colony.

06.  Wall of Names, 25, calls him Joseph SAULNIER; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2586, says he was born in 1740; Bourgeois, Cabanocey, 171, & Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 424, the record of his first LA marriage, calls him Joseph SAUNIER, calls his wife Marie LANDRY/LANDRIE, & gives no witnesses to the marriage; BRDR, 2:154, 678 (SJA-1, 41), the record of his second LA marriage, calls him Joseph SONIER (SONNIER), "widower of Mary LANDRY," calls his wife Marie BREAU, "widow of Amand RICHARD," gives no parents' names, & says the witnesses to the marriage were Jean-Baptiste GODIN, Joseph MELANZON, Paul BREAU, & Herman BREAU; BRDR, 3:800 (SJA-4, 36a), his death/burial record, calls him Joseph SONNIER, "age about 82 yrs., nat. Acadia," but does not give his parents' names or mention a wife.  See also Bourgeois, Cabanocey, 169; Jehn, Acadian Exiles in the Colonies, 251. 

Arsenault says his second wife was Marie THIBODEAUX & that they were married in c1778.  He is wrong on 2 counts:  the second LA wife was Marie BREAUX, & they were married in 1777.  The Joseph SONNIER who married Marie THIBODEAUX was the one who settled at Opelousas. 

07.  Wall of Names, 25, calls her Madeleine SAULNIER; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2586, says she was born in c1758 & married Joseph CHRÉTIEN in c1779; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:721 (Opel. Ch.: v.1, p.46), her death/burial record, calls her Mrs. Joseph CHRÉTIEN & Madeleine SOIGNE in a marginal note, but does not give her parents' names.  See also De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1777, 26. 

Contrary to Arsenault's marriage date of c1779, the Opelousas census of 1777 shows that they probably had been married years before, perhaps in the late 1760s.  Their oldest child was 10 in 1777--unless this was a daughter of his by a previous marriage, but where is the record that says he was married before?

08.  Wall of Names, 15, calls her Marguerite SAULNIER; Arsenault, Généalogie, 1570, the Chipoudy & Petitcoudiac section, does not list her among the children of her parents, nor does he give her parents' names in his listing for Joseph CORMIER in Arsenault, 2464, LA section.  However, Stephen White comes thru for us by listing her parents' names at <umoncton.ca/etudeacadiennes/centre/white/cormier.html> [sadly, no longer accessible; we'll have to wait for his DGFA-2].  

09.  Wall of Names, calls her Margueritte SAULNIER.  

10.  Wall of Names, 36 (pl. 9R), calls her Marguerite SOLNIER, & lists her with her husband & no children; Robichaux, Acadians in Nantes, 82, Family No. 155, calls her Marguerite SAULNIER, says she was born in c1758 "in the Parish of Saint-Joseph in Acadie [Rivière-aux-Canards?]," gives her parents' names, details her marriage, including her husband's parents' names, says he was born in c1761 but gives no birthplace, that he was a carpenter & a resident of St.-Martin de Chantenay at the time of their marriage, & details their voyage to LA in 1785; Hébert, D., Acadian Families in Exile 1785, 52-53, calls her Marguerite SOLNIER, sa [Guillaume HAMON's] feme, age 27, on the embarkation list, & Marguerite SAUNIER, his [Guillame HAMONT's] wife, age 27, on the complete listing, says she was in 39th Family aboard Le St.-Rémi with her husband & no children, & details her marriage, including her & her husband's parents' names, & says they were married in 1780 but gives no place of marriage; Hébert, D., South LA Records, 2:353 (Thib.Ch.: v.1, #15), her death/burial record, calls her Marguerite SAULNIER m. Guillaume HAMON, says she died "at age 96 yrs." but does not give her parents' names; Hébert, D., South LA Records, 2:353 (Houma Ct.Hse.: Succ. #200-B), her succession, calls her Marguerite SAULNIER m. William HAMMOND. 

She likely was in her early or mid-80s when she died. 

The question must be asked:  How could any Acadian have been born in a Minas settlement in 1758, 3 years after the British sent the Acadians who lived there into exile?  She probably was born on Île St.-Jean or Île Royale after her parents escaped from Minas, or, if one looks at the age given in her burial record, she was born at Minas in the late 1740s, not the late 1750s.  It's also just as likely that if she was born in c1758, it was in England, as explained below.  Moreover, if one follows that age given in her burial record, this would mean the age given for her on the passenger list of Le St.-Rémi, as well as the ages for her in the Lafourche valley censuses of 1788, 1791, 1797, & 1798, were way off. 

Was she deported to France in 1758-59?  Where did she land there?  Her family is found in none of the Robichaux studies of the Acadians at St.-Malo, Poitou, & Nantes in France.  Acadian SAUNIERs do appear in the church records of Boulogne-sur-Mer & Rochefort, however, but none are from her immediate family.  See Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 402-03.  There is the possibility that she came to France via VA & England in 1763, as did so many Acadians from Minas, which means she would have been born in England, not NS. 

It was most unusual for an Acadian couple to remain childless.  

11.  Wall of Names, 44, calls her Marie-Joseph SAULNIER.  Arsenault, Généalogie, 1570, the Chipoudy & Petitcoudiac section, calls her Marie-Josèphe [SAULNIER] & says she was born in c1734 but gives no birthplace.  Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 11, calls her Marie-Josèphe SAUNIER, does not give her parents' names, says she was born in c1738 but gives no birthplace, & says she married her husband in England in c1757.  De Ville, Acadian Church Records, 19, the record of her marriage, calls her Marie-Josèphe SAULNIER, calls her husband Claude COING, "habitant of the parish of St. Joseph aux Mines [Rivière-aux-Canards]," gives her & his parents' names, says the wedding took place in the "parishes of Petcoudian and St. Joseph aux Mines" on 17 Jun 1754, & that the witness to the marriage was Jean LEGER;

Her estimated birth year used here is based on the age given on the passenger roll of La Ville d'Archangel, not Arsenault or Robichaux.  See Hébert, D., Acadian Families in Exile 1785, 93, which also says she married her husband in c1757.  See also Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 12. 

12.  Wall of Names, 22, calls her Marie-Madeleine SAULNIER; BRDR, 1a(rev.):179 (SGA-2, 11), her baptismal record, calls her Marie-Magdelaine SONNIER, gives her parents' names, & says her godparents were Jacques SONNIER & Marie COMEAU.  

13.  Not in Wall of Names.   Robichaux, Acadians in Châtellerault, 23, Family No. 47, calls her Marie-Marguerite SAULNIER, says she was born in c1742 but gives no birthplace, does not give her parents' names, calls her husband Antoine BOUTARY, does not give his parents' names, says he was born in Sep 1729 at Querci, France, that he was a seaman & carpenter who "went to Acadia in 1756 where he married," that they married in 1756 "in Acadie," but gives no specific place of marriage, includes the death/burial record of daughter Marie-Josèphe BOUTARY, born in c1765 but gives no birthplace, died age 10 & buried 29 Jan 1775, Pouthume, Châtellerault, France, & details the family's participation in the Poitou settlement of the early 1770s; Robichaux, Acadians in Nantes, 33-34, Family No. 62, calls her Marie SAULNIER, says she was born in c1745 but gives no birthplace, does not give her parents' names, calls her husband Antoine BOUTARY, says he was born in c1735 but gives no birthplace nor his parents' names, says he was a seaman, that they married in c1768 but gives no place of marriage, includes the birth/baptismal & death/burial records of daughter Anne-Marie-Claudine BOUTARY, died age 2 & buried 2 Feb 1776, St.-Nicolas, Nantes, son Antoine BOUTARY, baptized 1 Mar 1778, St.-Martin-de-Chantenay, & son Guillaume BOUTARY, baptized 10 Apr 1785, St.-Martin-de-Chantenay, & details the family's participation in the Leigne-les-bois settlement in Poitou in the early 1770s as well as its voyage to LA in 1785; Hébert, D., Acadian Families in Exile 1785, 50-51, calls her Marie SOLNIER, sa [Antoine BOUTARI's] feme, age 37, on the embarkation list, & Marie SAUNIER, his [Antoine BOUTARY's] wife, age 37, on the complete listing, says she was in the 38th Family aboard Le St.-Rémi with her husband, Antoine BOUTARI/Antoine BOUTARY, charpentier/carpenter, age 48, & 3 sons, Auguste BOUTARY, age 9, Antoine BOUTARY, age 7, & Guillaume BOUTARY, a nursling, details her marriage, says they were married in c1756 but gives no place of marriage, that son Guillaume BOUTARY was baptized in 1785 but gives no place of baptism, & son Antoine [BOUTARY] was baptized in 1778 but gives no place of baptism.  

Her husband & their 3 sons are also not in Wall of Names, but the embarkation list of Le St.-Rémi makes it clear that they came to LA with her in 1785. 

Was her husband an Acadian?  I have not found the BOUTARY family in Arsenault or White.  However, the statement in Robichaux's study of the Acadians in Poitou, cited above--that he "went to Acadie in 1756 where he married"--qualifies him as an Acadian as defined here--that is, anyone who lived in greater Acadia before or during Le Grand Dérangement of the 1750s.  But note that in his study of the Acadians in Nantes (albeit an earlier study than the one for Poitou), Robichaux says they married in c1768.  If one accepts the 1742 birth and 1756 marriage from the Poitou study, the question must be asked:  Would an Acadian family have let their 14-year-old daughter marry a sailor?  If one accepts the 1745 birth and 1768 marriage from the Nantes study, one can conclude that she probably married Antoine in one of the French ports where her Acadian family had found refuge.  Also, her age at the time of her marriage in 1768--that is, 23--is more realistic than the age she would have been if she had married in 1756 in Acadia.  And then there is the marriage date of 1756.  Only Acadians living on Île St.-Jean & Île Royale, still in French hands, or Acadians who had fled NS to the Gulf of St. Lawrence shore, would have had an opportunity to marry "in Acadie" in 1756.  Until I find other evidence to the contrary, I will label Antoine BOUTARY a Frenchman here.  

Infant Guillaume may not have survived the crossing to LA, but brother Antoine, fils did.  He married Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Étienne HÉBERT & Marie-Madeleine BREAUX, of St.-Martin-de-Chantenay.  Antoine, fils's wife was an infant when she came to LA aboard L'Amitié in 1785.  They married on 8 Jan 1804 at Assumption.  See their marriage record in BRDR, 3:151, 419 (ASM-2, 89).  What happened to his older brother Auguste?  

14.  Wall of Names, 25, calls him Olivier SAULNIER, & lists him with Sylvain, perhaps his half-brother; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2585-86, Sylvain SAULNIER's profile in the LA section, calls him Olivier SAULNIER, says he was born in 1724, says his parents were Pierre [SAULNIER] & Madeleine COMEAUX of Petitcoudiac, that he was Sylvain's brother, says he (Olivier) never married, & that his succession record was dated 10 Aug 1775 at St.-Martinville; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:722-23 (LSAR: Opel.: 1775-25), his succession record, dated 10 Aug 1775, calls him Olivier SONNIER, "brother to Silvain SAUGNIER," but does not give his parents' names or mention a wife.  See also De Ville, Opelousas Post Census, 1771, 9; De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1777, 24; Jehn, Acadian Exiles in the Colonies, 249.

According to his baptismal record, dated 4 Jun 1724, in BRDR, 1a(rev.):179 (SGA-2, 50), Olivier, son of Pierre SONNIER & Magdaleine COMEAU, was born at Grand-Pré on 23 May 1724.  This means that Olivier, son of Pierre, would have been 41 years old when he reached LA in 1765.  Yet the Olivier SONNIER who settled at Opelousas was only 18 in 1771, when a census of the district was taken.  The Opelousas census of 1777 says that Olivier was age 25.  One could make a good case, then, that the Olivier who settled at Opelousas was not the son of Pierre SONNIER & Madeleine COMEAUX.  If he was Sylvain SONNIER's brother, he probably was a half-brother. 

Was it unusual for a succession record to be filed when the person was still alive?  According to the Opelousas census of May 1777, Olivier was still very much alive in Aug 1775.

15.  Wall of Names, 25, calls him Sylvain SAULNIER, & lists him with brother Olivier; Arsenault, Généalogie, 2585-86, calls him Sylvain SAULNIER, says he was born in c1736, says his parents were Pierre SONNIER & Madeleine COMEAUX of Petitcoudiac, that he married Madeleine BOURG in c1760 but gives no place of marriage nor her parents', lists his children as Marie-Louise, born in 1762, Gertrude in 1764, Sylvain in 1766, Catherine in 1770, Céleste in 1772, Joseph in 1776, Étienne in 1779 but died in 1781, Charles was born in 1781, & Lufroy in 1788, but gives no birthplaces, mentions brother Olivier's Aug 1775 succession record, saying Olivier apparently never married & that they shared parents, says Sylvain was living at Pointe-Coupée in 1772, & that he settled at Opelousas; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-B:663 (Opel. Ch.: v.1, p.49), his death/burial record, calls him Silvain SONNIER, but does not give his parents' names, mention a wife, or give his age at the time of his death.  See also De Ville, Opelousas Post Census, 1771, 9; De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1777, 26; Jehn, Acadian Exiles in the Colonies, 249; Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 128. 

Family historians say that Sylvain may have been the son of Étienne SONNIER & his first wife Jeanne COMEAUX instead of Pierre SONNIER & Madeleine COMEAUX, as Arsenault claims.  Unfortunately, none of the Opelousas baptismal records for Sylvain's children in Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, vol. 1-A, include any grandparents' names.  However, the succession record of Olivier SONNIER, dated 10 Aug 1775, in Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:722-23 (LSAR: Opel.: 1775-25), calls Olivier "brother of Silvain SAUGNIER."  Olivier was counted with Sylvain's family in 1771.  See De Ville, Opelousas Post Census, 1771, 9.  Since Olivier likely was a son of Étienne SONNIER & his second wife Anne DAROIS, he & Sylvain would have been half-brothers. 

If Arsenault's marriage record for Sylvain & Madeleine is wrong, which, according Wall of Names, it is, then how does one account for the ages of their children in the Opelousas censuses of 1771 & 1777, one of whom, son Joannisee, may have been born in c1763?  However, The Opelousas census of 1766 is clear that there was no one else in Sylvain's household.  Certainly Madeleine & any of their children would have been counted in that census if they had been married in c1760 &, according to Arsenault, had as many as 3 children by then.  I am following Wall of Names here. 

For the 1768 petition to Gov. ULLOA, see Brasseaux, ed., Quest for the Promised Land, 114-15.

Arsenault's having him at Pointe-Coupée in 1772 is probably a misinterpretation of church records.  See the baptismal records of son Sylvain, fils, dated 19 Apr 1771, & daughter Céleste, dated 11 Jul 1772, in BRDR, 2:678, 679 (PCP, pt. 2, 106s; PCP-2, pt. 2, 137a).  The Pointe-Coupée priest served as a missionary to the Opelousas District in the 1760s & 1770s, before Opelousas got a church of its own in 1776.  That is why the baptisms & marriages of many Opelousas residents were recorded at Pointe-Coupée, not Opelousas.  Attakapas, south of Opelousas, had a parish of its own from 1765, but the remote settlement often had no priest in the late 1760s & 1770s, so that area, too, depended on the good services of the Pointe Coupée missionaries. 

16.  Not in Wall of Names.  NOAR, 2:187, 257 (SLC, M2, 38), her marriage record, calls her Marguerite SOGNY, calls her husband Jean-Baptiste-Emanuel (Emmanuel) LESCOSSIER, "native of (*), Diocese of Rheims," gives her & his parents' names, calls her parents Pierre [SOGNY] & Madeleine HACHEZ, & says the witnesses to her marriage were ____ TOITON & ____ BRIOU. 

Y'all missed another one.  There was a SOGNY family in South LA who were not Acadians, but the parents' names of this Marguerite SOGNY gives it away--she was an Acadian SAULNIER/SONNIER, the sister of 2 Acadian immigrants from Petitcoudiac who came to LA from Halifax via St.-Domingue in 1765.  Her brothers settled at Cabanocé/St.-Jacques.  Did she follow them there, or did she remain at New Orleans? 

Was she the Marguerite SONNIER who married Nicolas LAHURE/LAHURRE/LAYUR at St.-Jacques on 18 June 1787?  See BRDR, 2:457, 679 (SJA-2, 4), which calls the bride Margarita SONE, calls the groom Nicolas LAYUR, gives no parents' names, & says the witnesses to the marriage were Miguel GODÉ & Rosalia LEROSE.  See also BRDR, 3:472-73, 812-13; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 2-A:905.

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