French:
Vente de terre par francis Daniel aux Enfants du Sr. Thomas Hoffpauer 8. 8ber 1792
10 x 40
Plaquemines
bounded by Edward Forman and by John Dunman [?] (in English)
Par devant nous [illeg.] Nicolas forstall Regidor perpetuel de la Nlle Orleans, Commandant civil et militaire du poste des Opeloussas fut present en personne le Sieur francis Daniel habitant de ce poste lequel de son bon gre, propre mouvement et dans la meilleure forme possible vend, cede,
quitte, delaisse et transporte en toute propriete des maintenant et a toujours aux Sieur Thomas Hoffpauer et Marie Charlotte Briard son epouse [illeg.] presence et acceptance faisant pour et au nom de leurs enfans mineurs francois et Emilie, une terre de dix arpents de face sur la profondeur ordinaire, situee a Plakemines [brulees?], bornee d'un cote par la terre du Sr. Jean [Dunman?] et de l'autre par celle du Sr. Edouard forman, avec les Batiments et clotures et telle qu'elle se comporte de cejour, et en conformite des titres de concession que ledit Sr. Vendeur s'oblige a remettre aux dits acquereurs; laquelle terre il garantit libre de tous hipotheques, evictions ou alienations quelconques; ladite terre ainsi vendue pour et moyennant la quantite de neuf meres vaches et leurs suivans a la marque desdits Enfans denommes auxquels ladite terre appartiendra en propriete, et dont lesdits Sieur et Dame Hoffpauer se rendent caution; lesquelles vaches et suivans ledit francis Daniel declare et reconnait avoir recues comptant dont il donne par ces presentes quittance generale, afin que lesdits acquereurs en puissent faire, jouir et disposer comme de bien a eux en propre et sans aucun trouble de qui que se soit.
fait et passe en notre Domicile de Commandement en presence des Sieurs Jean Gradenigo [?] et francois Brunet qui avec ledit francis Daniel et lesdits Sr et Dame Hoffpauer ont signe et nous commandant ce huitieme jour du mois d'Octobre de l'annee mil Sept cent quatre vingt douze
Jean Gradenigo Francis Daniel
f. Brunet marque de Dame
Nas. forstall +
Hoffpauer
Hoffpauer
English:
Sale of land by Francis Daniel to the children of Sr. Thomas Hoffpauer 8 October 1792
(etc.)
Before us [illegible] Nicolas Forstall, perpetual Governor of New Orleans, civil and military commandant of the post of the Opeloussas, was present in person the Sieur Francis Daniel, resident of this post, who of his good will, own accord, and in the best form possible, sells, cedes, leaves, relinquishes and transports in all propriety from henceforth forever to Sieur Thomas Hoffpauer and Marie Charlotte Briard his wife, [illeg. - perhaps "whose"] presence and acceptance acting for and in the name of their minor children Francois and Emilie, a land of ten arpents across with the ordinary depth, situated at Plakemines [burnt?], bounded on one side by
the land of Sr. Jean Dunman[?] and on the other by that of Sr. Edouard Forman, with the buildings and enclosures [fences?] and all that it is composed of today, and in conformity with the [land grants?], which the said Sr. Seller is obliged to deliver to the said purchasers; which land he guarantees free of all mortgages, evictions or alienations whatsoever; the said land thus sold for and by means of the quantity of nine mother cows and their followers [calves] with the brand of the said named children to whom the said land will properly belong, and of which the said Sieur and Dame Hoffpauer stand security for; which cows and followers the said Francis Daniel declares and recognizes having received payment, for which he gives by these presents general receipt, to the end that the said purchasers may do, enjoy, and dispose of it as their own property and without trouble from anyone.
Done and passed in our Domicile of Command in presence of the Sieurs Jean Gradenigo [?] and Francois Brunet who with the said Francis Daniel and the said Sr. and Dame Hoffpauer have signed, and us Commandant this eighth day of the month of October of the year one thousand seven hundred ninety-two.
(signatures)
Notes: The word Regidor is Spanish. The first illegible word may be an abbreviation for the rank of Nicolas Forstall. Briard might be a misunderstanding of Perillard - the pronunciations approximating "bree-yar" and "perry-yar" respectively.
Is there a part of Plaquemines that was known as a burned area? What do we already know about Thomas's minor children, Francois and Emilie?
Barbara Hill
Plaquemine Brûlée was the first settlemant of any consequence in the Acadia Parish area, according to "Acadia Parish Louisiana" by Fontenot and Freeland. This must be what is referred to in the text.
As to the children, I don't have definitive dates for their births, but by my calculations, Thomas would have been about 15, Amelia 12 and Francois 11 at the time of this document.
Interesting that it mentions two minor children. At what ages would Thomas be considered to have reached majority?
--
Charlie Hoffpauir
In case anyone is interested, here is a bit more about Plaquemine Brûlée...
from the same reference....
"As was brought out in the previous chapters, land holdings were once identified in legal records by the name of the nearest waterway. Therefore all lands located along the length of Bayou
Plaquemine Brûlée were describes as "situated on Bayou Plaquemine Brûlée." By the same token, all settlers along the length of the bayou were said to be "of Plaquemine Brûlée." These generalities, expediant to the times, have led to confusion and misconceptions concerning the specific location of this settlement and other early communities."
"After another area on the bayou became sufficiently populated to warrent a voting precint, the first Plaquemine Brûlée settlement was designated Lower Plaquemine Brûlée, to distinguish it from the newer settlement some seven miles to the northeast. This new settlement (Church Point) was called Upper Plaquemine Brûlée.
After Church Point became established as a place name the first settlement was known simply as Plaquemine Brûlée."