Continuation of tree (1st child of Pierre Pitre/Marie Francoise Fontenot); all known surname descendants:
6 Pierre Pitre b: Abt. 9 May 1791 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: 29 October 1842 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
+ Celeste Symphorose Vige b: 20 December 1794 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 15 June 1813 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Charles/Catherine Catoir]; d: 4 September 1855 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
7 Pierre Pitre b: 13 November 1814 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: 30 September 1876 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
+ Emelie Eugenie Ledoux b: Abt. 25 October 1815 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 22 December 1834 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Louis Eugene/Silesie Marie Louise Pitre]; d: 6 November 1868 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
7 Francois Antoine Pitre b: 28 October 1816 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: Aft. 1880
+ Emelite Joubert b: 24 August 1821 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 4 April 1837 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Pierre/Catherine Cartier]; d: Aft. 1880
7 Joseph Luc Pitre b: 2 November 1818 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: Bef. 1820 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
7 Henri Pitre b: 30 October 1820 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: Bef. 1830 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
7 Cyprien Pitre b: 13 September 1822 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: Bet. 1830-1840 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
7 Pauline Pitre b: Abt. 1824 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: Abt. 1 November 1884 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
+ Solastie Pitre b: 29 September 1819 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 16 June 1840 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Louis Francois/Angelle Bertrand]; d: 18 May 1849 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA (of lightning)
*2nd Husband of Pauline Pitre:
+ Onezime Meche b: 12 December 1818 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 21 October 1851 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [David/Marie Louise Prejean]; d: 23 September 1907 Church Point, Acadia, LA
7 Celeste Pitre b: 6 March 1827 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: 12 October 1906 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
+ Napoleon 'Paul' Frutel b: Abt. 1823 Avoyelles, LA; m: 18 December 1845 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [William/Judique Broussard]; d: 29 June 1855 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
*2nd Husband of Celeste Pitre:
+ Aurelien Jeansonne b: 4 December 1822 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 10 December 1856 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Augustin/Marie Guillory]; d: Aft. 1880
7 Symphorose 'Palmyre' Marie Pitre b: 10 May 1829 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: 13 June 1902 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
+ Francois Cyprien Savoie b: 2 March 1814 St. Martin, LA; m: 10 February 1846 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Joseph/Henriette Blanchard]; d: Bet. 1870-1879 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
*2nd Husband of Symphorose 'Palmyre' Marie Pitre:
+ Francois Dupre b: 14 May 1824 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; m: 25 September 1879 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA [Francois/Anastasie Richard]; d: 29 July 1885 Eunice, St. Landry, LA
Notes for Pierre Pitre:
Pierre Pitrre was the eldest child of Pierre Pitre who was probably the first Pitre born in Louisiana. His family were cattle ranchers and planters in the Ville Platte area. This was suitable for cattle because of its flatness compared with adjacent areas including the bayou country of other 'Cajuns'. Ville Platte was sometimes referred to as 'Flat Town', which was originally part of St. Landry Parish.
In 1813, when Pierre was about 22, he married Celeste Symphorose Vige who was 18. Their first 2 sons, Pierre and Francois Antoine, arrived in 1814 & 1816. They went on to become successful planters in the area. The next 3 sons all seem to have died early as I can find no trace or reference of them after their baptisms and the 1830 census. The next, and last 3 children were daughters. Pauline, Celeste and Symphorose married but outlived their first husbands, and then all remarried.
Pierre died in 1842. They were living in an area known as Coteau Plaquemine. Their community property consisted of more than 370 arpents of land, 11 slaves, 110 head of cattle, along with other animals and household goods, valued of almost $7000. This was divided amongst the heirs, the widow and those 2 sons and 3 daughters. Celeste Symphorose Vige died in 1855, 13 years after Pierre.
Census
- 1820 St. Landry, Louisiana: Pierre Pitre 28, wife
Celeste Symphrose Vige 29, Pierre 5, Francois 3; 1 unknown male 45+ (
father-in-law Charles Vige 78? or widowed mother aged 46?).
- 1830 St. Landry, LA: Pierre Pietre 38, wife Celeste 39, Pierre 16,
Francois 14, Cyprien 8, Apoline 6, Celeste 3, Symphorose 1; cousin Emilie 17.
- 1840 St. Landry, LA: Pre. Pitre pere, wife Celeste 49, Celeste 12,
Symphrose 10; slaves males 2 <10, 1 (10-24), 1 (24-36), 1 (36-55), females 3
<10, 1 (10-24), 1 (24-36).
- 1850
Recorded 14th September 1836: Felix Breaux to Pierre Pitre fils; Sale of
Land $100; a tract/parcel of land situated in the St. Landry Parish and lying in
the Prairie Ronde bounded on one side by land of Olivier Richard and on the
other by the said Pierre Pitre having two and an half arpens front by twenty
arpens in depth and being the same which the said Breaux acquired by purchase
from the said Pierre Pitre, as per deed passed before Dessessart [sic] on 7 February 1822.
Recorded 3rd October 1836: Adolphe Richard to Pierre Pitre; Sale of Slave; Negro boy slave named Jack aged about 11 years; $850.
Opelousas
Gazette (Opelousas, LA), Saturday, 5 November 1842: Probate Sale:
Will be sold at the residence of Celeste S. Vige, at Coteau Plaquemine,
on 5th December, the property belonging to the estate in community between her
and the heirs of Pierre Pitre, pere, her deceased husband, consisting of:
the tract of land on which she now resides containing 196 arpens with the
buildings & improvements thereon; a tract of prairie land (49 arpens); a tract
on the Grand Bois; another tract (40 arpens); a tract of woodland (50 arpens);
rights & pretensions on a certain tract of land on Bayou Courtableau (about 25
superficial arpens); another tract of land on Bayou Courtableau (5 arpens front
x 40 depth); fraction of a lot of ground in the town of Opelousas; 11 slaves
(different ages & sexes); 30 head of gentle horned cattle; 80 head of Vacherie
cattle; 40 head of horses; 4 mules; 52 jacks (male & female); household
furniture, etc.
Succession, 9 February 1846: Amount of funds received, then paid out by the administrator: $6916.58. Heirs: Widow, Pierre Pitre, Francois A. Pitre, Pauline Pitre wife of Lastie Louis Pitre, Celeste Pitre, Symphorose Pitre
18 Aug 1855/25 Aug 1855, Opelousas Courier (LA): Public sale, succession in community, Celeste Pitre & children, of her marriage to Napoleon Frutel deceased. Tract of land measuring 70 arpents in Prairie Ronde, one pair work oxen, twelve head of gentle horned cattle, one lot of wild horned cattle, four mares, one calash, oratory utensils, a rifle, horses, sheep, eight jack asses, one house, &c.
8 November 1884, Opelousas Courier (LA): Sale of estate of community between Pauline Pitre deceased, and Onezime Meche, surviving husband – 120 acre farm 6 miles southwest of Opelousas, 40 acres of prairie land near the above residence, 10 arpents of woodland 8 miles west of Opelousas, 12 ½ arpents of partly wooded/partly prairie land 7 miles west of Opelousas; creole saddle horse, 4 creole work horses, creole colt, 3 creole mares, 3 pair of oxen, 8 gentle cows and calves, 3 gentle cows, 7 head of young cattle, 8 hogs, an old ox cart, old hack, plows, etc; one lot of corn, kitchen and house furniture.
Back one generation to parents of Pierre Pitre
Items in RED verified from transcriptions in the following:
- Southwest Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records of Parishes of Acadia, Allen Beauregard, Cameron, Calcasieu, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St Landry, St Martin, St Mary and Vermillion.
- Some Louisiana deaths in RED taken from obituaries or the Louisiana Deaths collection (which includes spouses/parents).
Last updated: 15 December 2022.