Peter V. Beauvais, a member of one of the old and prominent families of Southeast Missouri, was born in Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., in 1815.

He is the son of Joseph V. and Cecilia (Obuchon) Beauvais. Joseph V. Beauvais was born of French parents in Ste. Genevieve County. He was a slaveholder and farmer, and also owned two large merchant mills in that county. He married his first wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, in Ste. Genevieve County. Two children were born to their union, Eleanora and Peter, but she had one child by a previous marriage to Anthony Villar.

After the death of his first wife, Joseph V. Beauvais married a Widow De Lassus, who was the mother of four children by a previous marriage. Two children were born to this union, Matilda and Mary. His second wife having died, he moved to Perry County, where he married a Widow Struve. He died in Perry County in 1857.

Peter V. Beauvais was educated in Southeast Missouri, and first married Elizabeth Henderson. She died leaving three children, one of whom, Cecelia, the widow of John Aikin, is still living. The second time Mr. Beauvais married Rachel Smith, a native of Southeast Missouri, by whom he is the father of seven children, of whom four are living: Crittenden, a merchant and farmer of Illinois; Elizabeth, a sister of charity in New Orleans, where she is known as Sister Louise; Joseph, now cultivating oranges in Florida and Mary a school teacher in Perry County.

Mr. Beauvais owns a large farm, always lived in Southeast Missouri, and is highly esteemed by all who know him.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.