Augustin Remi came to Louisiana as an orphan and is shown in the mural in the Acadian Memorial in St Martinville, LA.
Antoine Simien is the first Simien on record to arrive in America. He immigrated from Marseille France (St Jean Parish) in the late 1700s. He was considered a wealthy merchant who came to America to conduct trade. He owned acres of land. He had a tannery business in 1795 and also made bricks in 1803. Court records show that he often bought land and slaves and sold goods.
He was Catholic and his mulatto childern were all christened as Catholic. He, his mistress, Marie and their seven childern lived in the Bois Mallet area. They owned land in the St Landry and St Martin areas. The Simiens were prosperous cotton and sugar cane planters.
Antoine willed the major portion of his estate to Marie and his childern, upon his death. She became a significant matriach of the Simien family estate.
Antoine's son, George, b. 1793, married Marie Josephe Provost, 13 Nov 1810. Their Son Marcellin George married Meliza Collins, 23 Aug 1852. Their son, Felicien married Marie Azelie Simien, 28 Sep 1882. Their daughter, Eve, b. 1885 and Willis Boudreaux gave birth to Lester Boudreaux, 27 Oct 1918. Frank Boudreaux (Sr) was born to Lester and Ida Tyler on 28 Sep 1940. He married Cherry Ann Patin on 19 Jun 1967.
**Note: Documents, dated 11/30/1801, show that Antoine sold a Slave female (Mulatto) for $700.00 to Baptiste LaFleur, Free Mulatto, for $700.00. (Reason: probable mate)
The Last Will and Testament of Antoine Simien
On the 25th of October 1791 at the demand of Messer. Antoine Simian, Merchant resident in the military post, we Nicolas Forstall, Regent of New Orleans, Civil and Military Commander of this post, went at Antoine's home and he appeared to us, however he was sick, of good mind, memory and intelligence. And he wants to, previous to the hour of his death, and he was afraid to die without disposing of the little he owned and that God gave him, and he felt well to dictate and sound to us to command his last will and testament, in the presence of the witnesses: Messer. Francois Siriod, Jean Pousary, et Francois Brun
1. Like a true Christian and Catholic he gives up the ghost to the name of God the father, the son and the holy spirit, and he implores the good divinity and Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin and St. Antoine and all saints to place him in paradise with the Blessed.
2. He wants that the executor of his will to pay all his debts.
3. He wishes and requests that his body be buried in the cemetery of his parish, and the executor can make his funeral in the way that he judges decent or correct.
4. He gives $10 to the Church to make a mass for the eternal rest of his soul.
5. He gives to his negress Marie who he liberated from slavery, all the land with all buildings that he possessed in this post, as well as the furniture of his home and all his clothes, without reserve.
6. He gives to the mulatto Louis, son of the negress Marie, age two years old, and little negro Antoine age 5 years old, who is also the son of Marie, and Marie cannot in any way sell or alienate the little negro Antoine, and the mulatto Louis can dispose of Antoine when of age and the law will permit him. And, he will stay here in the care and service of Marie.And for the other property, buildings, furniture, he gives them without reserve or exception to Louis Rideau, resident of this post, his dear friend who he named executor of his will and his sole legatee, and Louis Rideau can dispose to his benefit or can return them to my parents in Marseille in the parish of St. Jean. And that Antoine declares that all his property are the product of his work, and industry and which come in no manner from his father or mother, Etttienne Simian & Marie Greniere, because instead of receiving from them he has helped them in their needs since his activities and economy have giving him the means. It was ordered by Antoine that we, the Commander, the negress and all others, do before each other agree that this is his last will and testament and that we read it to him twice and he acknowledge hearing it. This will is written at the home of Antoine Simian and he signed it with his mark, in the presence of witnesses who signed the will on the 25th of October, 1791.
The second/amended will of Antoine Simien
The Last Will and Testament of Antoine Simien
This a typed version of the document stated below. THIS DOCUMENT IS A TRANSCRIPT OF AN ORIGINAL COPY, WRITTEN BY PEN IN FRENCH, AND FURTHER, WAS PASSED TO ME (ADAM SEMIEN), AROUND THE YEAR 1921, BY A GREAT COUSIN (EMILE SIMIEN), THEN LIVING IN SWORD, LA. THE ORIGINAL COPY (WRITTEN IN FRENCH) WAS TRANSLATED TO THE ENGLISH BY THE THEN PASTOR OF THE MISSION, FR. ALEXIS J. LAPLANTE, S.S.J. THE ORIGINAL FRENCH COPY WAS LOANED TO A COUSIN, SIDNEY, AND NEVER RETURNED. In Opelousas, La., Sept. 4, 1800, at the request of Messr. Antoine Simien, merchant and an inhabitant of the above named locality, states that because of the death of Louis Rideau, his nearest heir, he desires to annul and revoke his will of the Twenty-fifth day of October, Seventeen Ninety One (1791), of which he dictated to Messr. Dr. Nicholas Forstall, General Commander, and Master Martin Durand, Captain of the Militia and Commander of Civic and Military activities of the above locality. We in the main time purposely went and visited the domicile of Messr. Antoine Simien, and we found him standing and in very good health, sane in mind and judgment, as he appeared to us, by his demeanor, acts and reasoning, going about patiently at his ordinary occupations. And after having expressed his conviction of the incontrovertible truth, that nothing is more certain as death and the hour of it's appearance, and for this reason, to prevent the inconveniences resulting by not ordering ones intentions whilst possessing his good sense, he wishes to dispose of the small possessions which it pleases the Divine Providence to favor him with. He has dictated to us, and we have received his present testament in presence of LOUIS CARRIERE, LOUIS LaPLANTE, JEAN GRADNEGO and PIERRE, assistant witnesses, Maniere Suivente, Savoir: IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW - TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 1st. He makes the Sign of the Holy Cross and implores the Divine Assistance by the merits of our Savior JESUS CHRIST: through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, Saint Anthony, his patron, and all the Saints of paradise, to direct his intentions according to the most san justice. 2nd. He recommend his soul to God and he supplicates him to place him among the Blessed: and in HIS great and DIVINE mercy, to pardon his sins. He wishes and intends before all things all his debts be exactly paid. And also his wrongs repaired, if any are verified by his executrix, mentioned below. He orders, that his body be inhumed and interred in the cemetery of his parish, with the greatest simplicity possible and leave to the disposition of his executrix the care of his funeral without proscription. HE DECLARES THAT HE REVOKES IN ALL IT'S POINTS AND CLAUSES HIS SAID TESTAMENT OF THE TWENTY FIFTH DAY OF OCTOBER, SEVENTEEN HUNDRED NINETY-ONE (10/25/1791), BY WHICH HE CONSTITUTED AND NAMED THE LATE LOUIS RIDEAU FOR HIS UNIVERSAL HEIR , AND OTHER MADE LEGACIES; FORBIDING RECOGNITION OF ANY AND ALL AFORENAMED: willing that they be just as null as if they never existed, and that all should refer and submit to the present will which contains his last will and deposition. HE GIVES AND WILLS TO WHOMEVER PRETENDS TO THE RIGHT OF HIS SUCCESSION, THE LEAST POSSIBLE, AND ONLY WHAT THE LAW CANNOT PREVENT HIM FROM AND FOR OBLIGATING THE VALIDITY OF THIS TESTAMENT, ACCEPTING THE HEIRESS, PAYEE ONLY, DIRECTRESS AFTER HE DECLARES THAT HE RECOGNIZE AND HOLD FOUR NATURAL MULATTO CHILDREN OF WHICH HE IS THEIR FATHER, born of MARIE A NEGRESSE of whom he has LIBERATED from slavery, was BAPTISED, FREED, and was given his NAME, CONFIDING ALL IN HER. The children are LOUIS, age eleven years (11), GEORGE, age six to seven (7), BAPTISTE, age four (4), and FRANCIS SIMIEN (1 year old), and though they are not issues of a legitimate marriage, nevertheless, they have the same entrailes, tenderness and love of a true father, and to show visible token of his affection, he declares, that he names and institutes, LOUIS, GEORGE, BAPTISTE, and FRANCIS SIMIEN, his NATURAL SONS, without excluding those who may yet be born of the said negress, MARIE, by him, and whom he will recognize as belonging to him as only and universal heir with equal shares, and without distinction to whom he give and legates by form of institution and legacy, all his wealth, generally, and without exception, movable or irremovable, which belongs to him and in whatever nature they may consist privately; be they the product of his works, industry and which come in no manner from the side of his father and mother - ETTIENNE SIMIEN and MARIE GRENIERE; because instead of receiving from them, he has helped them in their need since his activities and economy have given him the means. AND IN ORDER THAT HIS WILL BE EXECUTED IN ALL IT'S TENOR WITHOUT DEROGATING ANY OF IT'S CLAUSES, HE NAMES AS HIS EXECUTRIX OF HIS WILL THE ONE NAMED, MARIE, LIBERATED NEGRESS, THEIR MOTHER. He places all his confidence in her, and gives to her all the power necessary and as much as he can to act judiciously, either extra judiciously as she will judge most advantageous to the interest of her children; to her he beseech, that to observe: IN QUALITY AS A MOTHER, ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION, AND OF GOOD MORAL; WHICH HE TRIES TO INSPIRE THEM WITH, TO BRING THEM UP IN THE LOVE FOR WORK; SO AS TO KEEP THEM FROM THE CONTAGION OF BAD EXAMPLES, AND ESPECIALLY, FROM LAZINESS AND VICES, SO THAT FOR WANT OF CARE, THEY MAY NEVER DEPART FROM THE GOOD COMING TO THEM FROM THEIR FATHER. He demands that immediately upon his death, an inventory, estimating his possession be made of all his above said wealth; without reserve for the sake of justice, either extra judiciously, and in the presence of witnesses with assistance by person in whose capacity and probity are well known, and which shall choose to render an account to each of them of his part of heritage when he shall be of age to acquire it. THIS WAS DONE, DICTATED AND NAMED BY THE ABOVE, MR. ANTOINE SIMIEN AS COMMANDED, IN REVOKING AND ANNULLING ALL OTHER TESTAMENT, WILLS AND CODICILS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE, TO WHICH ALONE HE REFERS AS CONTAINING HIS LAST WILL AND DISPOSITION, AND WHICH HE COMMANDS TO BE EXECUTED IN ALL ITS PRINTS; AND AFTER BEING READ AND REREAD, HAVING SAID THAT IT CONFORMS TO HIS INTENTIONS: HE HAS MADE HIS MARK; NOT BEING ABLE TO SIGN WITH US AND THE UNDERSIGNED WITNESSES. WITNESSES _______________________________ _________________________________ Pierre Bertier ANTOINE SIMIEN _______________________________ _________________________________ Louis LaPlante JEAN GRADNEGO _______________________________ _________________________________ LOUIS CARRIERE MARTIN DURALDE A transcript from the French version, copy of the original, on file in my office this 14th day of March 1871. _______________________________ D&K Onezime A. Guidry
145. Marie
Marie Magdeline, a free woman of color, settled in the Opelousas District around 1796. She inherited vast real estate from her white paramour, Antoine Simien and developed a vast empire by 1818. She became the matriach of the Simien lineage in America. According to the 1818 tax roll of St. Landry parish, Marie Simien owned four tracts of land totaling 7,766 acres. Much of this was in Eunice, La and the remainder around Bellevue, LA. She cultivated the usable portion with nine slaves. The uncultivated land was used for grazing by over 300 head of cattle. "Extracted from Creoles of Color in the Bayou Country by Carl A. Brasseaux, Keith P. Fontenot and Claude E. Oubre."
Document Date: 3/26/1798 Notary: Pedesclaux Document Number: 188 Location: Orleans (including Chapitoulas). Master: Antonio Simian Master's Gender: 2 Name: Luis Gender: male Race: mulatto Age: 8 Birthplace: Louisiana Creole Freed: by living master Relationship of freer to the freed: probably father The manumission did not involve cash payment. Slave was freed. This slave's white father was probably involved in the manumission process. no prices at all Members of Group: mother & 3 sons Family: Maria-mom, Luis-s, Jorge-s, Juan Bautista-s This slave's family relationships were indicated. Comments: Simian is a resident of Opel (Recs for Marie & Louis also in St. Landry recs. Maria/e & Luis/Louis were freed conditionally, Marie is listed as 25 in 1791/04/12, condition was to serve master for the rest of his life, Marie is a creole of des Allemand) Slave's mother is listed in the document Mother's Race: black Mother's Birthplace: Louisiana Creole.
146. Joseph PREVOST
Will dated 3 Nov 1803. Succession dated Aug 1811 (St martinville Court House, : Succession # 97) Heirs: Marcellin, Josephine, Marie J. Provost m. George Simien.
The records of Pointe Coupee Post reveal that Guillaume Renae Gauthier petitioned the Post Commander on November 12, 1791 for an inventory and sale of the property jointly owned with his deceased wife, Elizabeth Ennette. Thereafter, he married Elizabeth Rabalais in 1792 and moved the family to Avoyelles Post near Mansura and Marksville, Louisiana. He was reported to own a tract of 509.48 acres located in Section 60, Townshop 1 North, Range 4 East. This tract extended southward from Bayou Lacombe slough in the present limits of Mansura to the Grand Ecore bluff. It laid accross what is now State Highway 107, the highway from Mansura to Cottonport. It appears from the land description that this tract of land was a part of the property owned by Joseph Rabalais, I., or at least located alongside.