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Hainaut-Louisiana
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Hainaut Colonists to Louisiana
Louisiana's first families
A Brief Genealogy history and links of the hainaut colonists to Louisiana.
Belgium-France: The Ancient County of Hainaut
The ancient County of Hainaut is now divided and is part of the modern day Province of Hainaut in Belgium with a smaller piece of the ancient countship lying in northern France, the latter which informally still carries the name of Hainaut.
The Mayflower of Louisiana: 1720
In 1720, over 100 colonists, many with their families, left Hainaut and migrated
to Louisiana, where they became among the first families of Louisiana.
These families have been likened to the Mayflower of Louisiana, according to
Lambremont descendant Jack Pastorek, as they were among the very first permanent
working families to stay in Louisiana.
These early colonists, who were born mostly in what is today Belgium, signed contracts in Maubeuge, Hainaut (now France) to come to Louisiana and work the land, according to Mr. Andre Haussy, a French Genealogist who rediscovered the original contracts about 1990 in archives in Lille, France and has published a book and several papers about these colonists. Originally at least some of these colonists were destined for St. Catherine Concession at present day Natchez, today only marked by St. Catherine Creek.
The name also lives on in a nearby wildlife reguge, St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Sadly, many of the colonists lost thier lives, including the director Mr. Kolly, during the Natchez Massacre.
The first colonists spent their first year at Biloxi, according to George DeCoux, director of Parks at Gulfport, and descendent of two of the colonists, DeCuir and DeCoux.
After the first year, these colonist made their way to at least two farm concessions - one near New Orleans and the other at Pointe Coupee, both along the Mississippi River.
My ancestor, Albert DeCuir (deCuire) was among these colonist who left their European home for a new life in a new world. There were 60 engages (contractees) who signed who were from in
what is now France, and 68 engages who were from what is now Belgium, and one each from Italy and Switzerland.
The 275th Anniversary Mass of the Hainaut Colonists in Louisiana
On the 275th anniversary of the arrival of the Hainaut Colonists to
Louisiana, Father Leon Lybaert, Historian and Pastor of the Catholic Church
of Macon, Hainaut, Belgium, made a trip to Louisiana to celebrate Mass
at the historic St. Francis Chapel in Pt. Coupee on the Mississippi Rive,
in honor of the first Hainaut Colonists, many whom established the first
church of St. Francis in 1736. The Mass was celebrated in June, 1996,
and included the 1719 ships's bell and 1696 chalice made in Belgium which
has been part of St. Francis Church for as long as anyone can remember, according to Glenn Morgan and Brian Costello, who have studied the history and the architecture of the church.
Over 400 descendants of colonists Albert deCuire, Jacques DeCoux, Phillip Lambremont,
and Jean Baptiste Pouceau attended the historic event.
In the fall of 1999, Rev. Lybaert returned from Hainaut, Belgium to Louisiana, where he visited the site of the Natchez Massacre. He said a prayer for those colonists of Hainaut who died at the site where a marker marks the massacre on the bluffs of the Mississipppi River.
Other 275th anniversary year activities
Photo of 1719 bell with George DeCoux, Andre Haussy, and Randy DeCuir, photo courtsey of Brian Costello of Pt. Coupee
In 1995, Mr. Andre Haussy reviewed his findings of the Hainaut Colonists at Pt. Coupee, in a program organized by Glenn Morgan, Jack Pastorek, and the Pt. Coupee Historical Society
Also in 1996, a delegation of Hainaut Representatives were introduced to the Louisiana Legislature by Lt. Governor Katlhleen Babineaux Blanco and Rep. Charles Riddle, IIII. Mrs. Florein Pary-Mille, who is an elected official of the Belgian Parliament, addressed the Louisiana legislature regarding the Belgium immigrants who make up the ancestry of the Louisiana population
Among the Hainaut Colonists who signed contracts in 1719-1720 to come to Louisiana on the ship,
La Loire,
were these men and their birthhplaces researched by Andre Haussy:
Links to other sites on the Web
DeCuir family of Louisiana by Randy DeCuir
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