Louisiana Acadian Enumerations, 1765-1798
Not all enumerations are equal. The best ones give the names of all persons in a household, their ages, and their relationship to the head of household, as well as economic data such as arpents frontage on a river or bayou, types and numbers of animals, amounts and types of crops in storage, and numbers, even genders, of slaves. Some enumerations give only the names of the heads of households and state only that the head of household has a wife and so many children. Only rarely do such enumerations give ages as well. Sometimes economic data include only arpents frontage, or only the number of slaves, or only a general descriptor such as "animals." Below are symbols I use to designate for each enumeration what is, and what is not, included in the enumeration. The sources cited are only the English-language versions of these enumerations which I have added to my personal library or which I have found on the Internet. I have not looked at the original enumerations in the various French and Spanish archives, nor have I perused the microfilm copies of many of these enumerations in the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I have also included links to Acadian settlements in Louisiana that take you to short histories of each settlement.
Symbols:
| aa | ages given for all persons in a household | ml | militia list as well as general census | sl | slaves numbers given |
| ah | ages given only for head of household | na | names given for all persons in a household | xa | no exact ages given |
| ed | economic data given: animals, food, arpents | nh | names given only for head of household |
Settlement Histories
(present-day parishes that existed in 1861 are in parenthesis; hyperlinks on the
abbreviations take you to brief histories of each settlement):
|
Ascension |
Lafourche (Lafourche, Terrebonne) |
Pointe Coupée |
|||
|
Assumption |
Natchitoches (Natchitoches) |
SB | San Bernardo (St. Bernard) | ||
|
Attakapas (St. Martin, St. Mary, Lafayette, Vermilion) |
San Luìs de Natchez (Concordia) |
St.-Gabriel d'Iberville (Iberville) |
|||
|
Bayou des Écores (East Baton Rouge, West Feliciana) |
New Orleans (Orleans) |
St.-Jacques de Cabanocé (St. James) |
|||
|
Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge) |
Opelousas (St. Landry, Calcasieu) |
New Orleans, 1765-67
| Date | Description | Source(s) |
| Apr 1765 | List of Acadians in Joseph BROUSSARD dit Beausoleil party who exchanged Canadian card money in New Orleans, Feb-Apr 1765 ... nh | <thecajuns.com/cardmoney.htm> |
| Jul 1767 | "List of Acadians who are in the city in the month of July 1767"... xa, na | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 426-27 |
Cabanocé/St.-Jacques, 1766-88
| Apr 1766 | Lists of the inhabitants of the Coast of Cabahannocer in VERRET's and JUDICE's Companies of militia, "List of inhabitants established on the right [west] bank of the Mississippi River from the habitation of Jacques CANTRELLE to Bayou Lafourche," & "List of the inhabitants on the left [east] bank of the river from the habitation of Joseph HÉBERT to the village of the Alibamon Indians" ... aa, na, ed, sl, ml | Bourgeois, Cabanocey, 161-70; Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 114-19, 201-14 |
| Sep 1769 | "State of the Acadian inhabitants established on both banks of the Mississippi from the habitation of Jacques CANTRELLE and that of Joseph HÉBERT to the environs of --'l'isle aux mases [marais]'" ... aa, na, ed | Bourgeois, Cabanocey, 173-79; Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 440-85 |
| Jan 1777 | "General census of the habitants who are established throughout the Parish of Saint Jacques a Cabahan-noces on the two banks of the river ..." aa, na | De Ville, St. James Census, 1777 |
| Mar 1779 | "Census of the rice and corn that are found in the barns of the inhabitants established in the Parish of Saint Jacques at Cabahnnoces ..." xa, nh, ed, sl | De Ville, Acadian Coast, 1779, 11-27 |
| Aug 1788 | "Report on the amounts of corn which are necessary for the subsistence of the newly arrived Acadian families from France [in the Cabahannocee District] who have suffered loses of their crops during the flooding of the Mississippi River" ... xa, nh, ed | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 528 |
Attakapas, 1766-89
| Apr 1766 | "Census and list of militiamen and Acadian householders recently established at the Atakapas ..." xa, nh, ml | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 124-25 |
| Dec 1769 | "The Attakapas General Census" ... aa, na, ed | Arceneaux, D. J., Attakapas Post in 1769, 15-25 |
| 1771 | "Recensement des Atakapas fait en 1771" ... aa, nh, ed, sl | De Ville, Attakapas Post Census, 1771 |
| Jan 1773 | "Roster of the [Male] Inhabitants of Atakapas, from 14 [years old] to the age of 50" xa, ml | Stanley LeBlanc PDF |
| Jun 1774 | "List of the Company of Militiamen of Attakapas, Formed 20 June 1774" xa, ml | Stanley LeBlanc PDF; Griffin, Attakapas Country, 218-19 |
| Oct 1774 | "Atakapas general census" ... xa, nh, ed, sl | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 280-82 |
| May 1777 | "General census of the posts of Attakapas and Oppeloussas" ... aa, na, ed, sl | De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1777, 7-16 |
| May 1777 | "List of the Review of the Company of Militia of Attakapas of 1 May 1777" xa, ml | Stanley LeBlanc PDF; Griffin, Attakapas Country, 223-24 |
| Apr 1781 | "General census and status of receipts relative to the needs of the church of Attacapas ..." xa, nh, ed | Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, 1-A:820-27 |
| Apr 1785 | "The Spanish census of the posts of Attakapas and Opelousas" ... aa, nh, sl | De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1785, 1-15, 32 |
| Aug 1789 | "List of the militiamen at the post of the Attakapas in the year 1789" ... xa, nh, ml | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 416-18 |
Opelousas, 1766-96
| [Apr] 1766 | COURTABLAU's company of militia, including "Allibamont and the Coast of the Old Opelousas" ... xa, nh, sl, ml | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 126-28 [Acadians on p. 128] |
| 1771 | "Recensement des Opeloussas fait en 1771" ... aa, nh, ed, sl | De Ville, Opelousas Post Census, 1771 |
| Oct 1774 | "The census of Opelousas Post ..." xa, nh, ed, sl | De Ville, Mississippi Valley Mélange, 1:38-42 |
| Apr 1776 | "Members of the Opelousas Militia Company, April 15, 1776, at Company Review" ... nh | Griffin, Attakapas Country, 220-21 |
| May 1777 | "General census of the posts of Attakapas and Oppeloussas" ... aa, na, ed, sl | De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1777, 16-28 |
| Jun 1777 | "Names of the Opelousas Militia Company, Record June 8, 1777, at a Company Review" ... nh, ml | Griffin, Attakapas Country, 221-23 |
| Apr 1785 | "The Spanish census of the posts of Attakapas and Opelousas" ... aa, nh, sl | De Ville, Southwest LA Families, 1785, 16-32 |
| 1788 | "Opelousas Post general census ..." xa, nh, ed, sl | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 320-43 |
| 1788 | "Members of the Opelousas Militia 1788" ... nh, ah, ml | Griffin, Attakapas Country, 224, 225-26 |
| Jul 1789 | "Militia rolls for the Opelousas Post, July 30, 1789" ... xa, nh, ml | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 412-15 |
| May 1796 | "Opelousas general census ..." xa, nh, sl | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 344-65 |
St.-Gabriel d'Iberville, 1767-77
| Aug 1767 | "Document concerning the first Acadians to arrive in this province in the year 1767," also "Acadians who settled at St. Gabriel in the Year 1767," & "List of Acadian families who came to Louisiana to be established in the Year 1767" ... aa, na | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 428-34 |
| Mar 1777 | "General census of the District of Yberville, from Manchak to the Iles au Marais of both banks of the river" ... aa, nh, ed, sl | De Ville, St. Gabriel Census, 1777 |
| Mar 1777 | "List of the Company of Militia of the Coast of Iberville, Parish of St.-Gabriel, 6 March 1777" ah, ml | Stanley LeBlanc PDF |
| Jul 1777 | "List of the First Company of the Militia of the District of Iberville, 13 July 1777" ah, ml | Stanley LeBlanc PDF |
San Luìs de Natchez, 1768
| Feb 1768 | "Acadian families who came to Louisiana and were going to settle at St. Louis de Natchez in the Year 1768" & "Distribution of land to the Acadians who are going to settle at St. Louis de Natchez" ... aa, na, ed | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 435-39 |
Ascension (Lafourche des Chitimachas), 1770-79
| Aug 1770 | "Status of the Acadian inhabitants of the Parish of Ascension beginning on the right bank of the river at Jean JEANSONNE and on the other side at the Widow LACHANCE and ending at the upper tip of the Isle aux Marais" ... aa, na, ed | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 1-8 |
| Apr 1777 | "General census of the inhabitants of the district of the Parish of Ascension of Lafourche des Chetimachas, which begins on the right bank of the river beginning below at Basil PREJEAN and ending above at the tip of the Isle aux Marais; and on the left bank, at Sieur Maurice CANOEE formerly the village of the Houmas and ending above at Francois BABIN opposite the tip of the above mentioned isle ..." aa, na, ed, sl | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 9-19 |
| Jul 1779 | Roster of militia company from "la Fourche" commanded by Louis JUDICE ... xa, nh, ml | De Ville, Acadian Coast, 1779, 28-30 |
| Aug 1779 | Roster of militia company of La Fourche des Chetimachas commanded by Louis JUDICE ... xa, nh, ml | De Ville, Acadian Coast, 1779, 31-33 |
| 1779 | Roster of militia company of La Fourche des Tchetimachas commanded by Nicolas VERRET ... xa, nh, ml | De Ville, Acadian Coast, 1779, 34-36 |
| Sep 1779 | "List of inhabitants of La Fourche des Chetimachas who have furnished [various items] for the needs of the service...." xa, nh | De Ville, Acadian Coast, 1779, 37-38 |
Valenzuela (Assumption), 1788-98
| Jan 1788 | "General census of the inhabitants established in LaFourche which begins on the right bank of the river above at the named Francisco MATHIAS, and ends below at Marie MOYSE widow PITRE; and begins on the left bank above at Nicolas DAUBLIN and ends below at Jean SAUNIER ..." [counted settlers on upper Bayou Lafourche] aa, na, ed, sl | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 20-48 |
| Jan 1789 | "General census of the inhabitants established in LaFourche, which begins on the right bank of the river above at Francisco MATHIAS, and ends below at Marie MOISE, widow PITRE, and begins on the left bank of the river above at Nicolas DAUBLIN and ends below at Jean SAUNIER ..." [counted settlers on upper Bayou Lafourche] aa, na, ed, sl | Robichaux, LA Census & Militia Lists, 1770-89, 115-46 |
| Jan 1791 | "General census of the inhabitants established in LaFourche which begins on the right bank above the named Francisco MATHIAS and ends below at Francois BRUNERI and begins on the left bank above at Nicolas DAUBLIN and ends below at Joseph Antoine ARABIY ..." [counted settlers on upper Bayou Lafourche] aa, na, ed, sl | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 151-81 |
| Dec 1795 | "Census of the inhabitants of the Bayou de Valenzuela ... " aa, na | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 49-68 |
| Apr 1797 | "General census of the inhabitants of Valenzuela in Lafourche" ... aa, na, sl | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 69-110 |
| Jan 1798 | "General Census of the inhabitants of Lafourche" ... aa, na, ed, sl | Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 111-50 |
Baton Rouge/Manchac, 1788-92
| probably Jul 1788 | "Report on the amounts of corn and rice which are necessary for the subsistence of the newly arrived Acadian families living at Fort Bute at Manchac. These families lost their crops during the flooding of the Mississippi" ... xa, nh, ed | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 524-25 |
| Jul 1788 | "Amounts of rice and corn distributed to the Acadian families living in the district of Baton Rouge who lost their crops during the Mississippi flood" ...xa, nh, ed | Voorhies, J., Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians, 526-27 |
| Nov 1792 | "Inhabitants of Baton Rouge to M. Alexander PATIN, Syndic..." nh | Kinnaird, "Problems of Frontier Defense, 1792-94," 95-96 |
New Feliciana (Bayou des Écores), 1793
| 1793 | "New Feliciana in the Province of Louisiana: A Guide to the Census of 1793" ... nh, aa | Tate & De Ville, Baton Rouge & New Feliciana, n.p. |
Symbols:
| aa | ages given for all persons in a household | ml | militia list as well as general census | sl | slaves numbers given |
| ah | ages given only for head of household | na | names given for all persons in a household | xa | no exact ages given |
| ed | economic data given: animals, food, arpents | nh | names given only for head of household |
Settlement Histories
(present-day parishes that existed in 1861 are in parenthesis; hyperlinks on the
abbreviations take you to brief histories of each settlement):
|
Ascension |
Lafourche (Lafourche, Terrebonne) |
Pointe Coupée |
|||
|
Assumption |
Natchitoches (Natchitoches) |
SB | San Bernardo (St. Bernard) | ||
|
Attakapas (St. Martin, St. Mary, Lafayette, Vermilion) |
San Luìs de Natchez (Concordia) |
St.-Gabriel d'Iberville (Iberville) |
|||
|
Bayou des Écores (East Baton Rouge, West Feliciana) |
New Orleans (Orleans) |
St.-Jacques de Cabanocé (St. James) |
|||
|
Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge) |
Opelousas (St. Landry, Calcasieu) |
Copyright (c) 2005-23 Steven A. Cormier