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| Plano de Barataria, 1778 |
History[1]
In 1779, the Spanish government established a settlement of immigrants from the Canary Islands along much of the length of both banks of Bayou des Familles and on Bayou Barataria near the confluence of the two bayous. The land for the new settlement was acquired by the government by purchase, through gift, and by repossession of unused lands. A 10-arpent-front by 110-arpent-deep tract of land, fronting Bayou Barataria between Bayou de la Borne and Bayou des Familles, was purchased by the King of Spain from Pedro Alberto Bonne prior to May 14, 1779. On that date, 'Bonne sold another 10-by-110-arpent strip bordering the King's on the west to Luis Pellerin. Two months later, Pellerin sold this strip to Andres Jung. Jung, who had been made Commandant of the Barataria Canary Islander settlement, donated the 10-arpent strip to the King of Spain on July 12, 1779. By this time, houses had been erected for the Islenos, and they were established on the property. The buildings were constructed by Joseph Chalon.
Considering that much of their depth consisted of cypress swamp, the two 10-arpent strips acquired by the King of Spain were not large enough for a poblacion. Therefore, the government repossessed lands that were vacant or disused for distribution to the lslenos. These lands adjoined the 20-arpent tract acquired by the Crown which gave important access to Bayou Barataria. Records indicate that the back lands of the Boudousquie, Guerbois and Dauterive properties were not occupied or used in the 1770s. The Spanish government reclaimed these and other lands along the bayou to a distance of 80 arpents from the river, which was the limit of the double concessions measuring 40 arpents each of the plantation properties fronting the river. The Canary Islander tracts formed one continuous settlement that stretched for seven aerial miles northward of Bayou Barataria along both sides of Bayou des Familles. This waterway had previously been known as Bayou Barataria and was renamed for the Spanish families that were settled along it.
The Canary Island immigrants were settled in Barataria as part of a Spanish program to populate remote areas of Louisiana with farmer-soldiers and their families, both for purposes of defense and to establish Spain's presence throughout the territory. This settlement program was developed as an outgrowth of revisions made by the Spanish government in the presidial concept of frontier defense. Because presidios were usually remotely located from sources of supply, they were frequently unable to sustain themselves without a supporting civilian population of farmers and ranchers, even at great cost to the royal treasury. Across New Spain's northern frontier, isolated presidios were pulled back and consolidated in the 1760s and 1770s. New regulations encouraged the colonization of new towns together with local militia companies. New presidios were laid out to include towns, cultivated fields, pasture, and woodland.
In 1762, the Treaty of Fontainebleau ceded Louisiana from France to Spain. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ceded Florida from Spain to England. With the exception of the Isle of Orleans, the eastern boundary of New Spain now lay on the westbank of the Mississippi River. The vast territory of Louisiana was the new Spanish frontier, and it entirely adjoined English territory. To help guard against encroachment by the English, Spain sought to people her new frontier with self-sustaining soldier-farmers loyal to Spain. The government-subsidized immigration of several thousand Canary Islanders was a part of this program. The program was not entirely successful and was a continuous drain on the royal treasury. The principal reason for lack of success was that the government selected settlement sites for their strategic defense value, rather than for their suitability for residence and agriculture. Many of the settlements failed after there were years of suffering and many deaths.
As a route from the sea to New Orleans, it was important to guard Barataria against invasion. Fifty-seven Canary Islander families, consisting of about 250 persons, were settled there in 1779. They had sailed from Santa Cruz de Tenerife late in 1778 and early in 1779, in several ships. The government built houses for them and provided them with utensils, implements, firearms, a few animals, clothing, money, and rations. Each family was to receive at least five arpents of land fronting the bayou for farming and stock raising.
The Barataria Isleno settlement was devastated by hurricanes in 1779, 1780, 1793 and 1794, and by major flood in 1796 and 1802-4. Bayou des Familles was still partially fed from the Mississippi River at present-day Marrero, and there were frequent crevasses and floods. The Islenos' crops were repeatedly destroyed. Their animals were killed and their buildings were ruined. The government relocated some of the families and reestablished others in Barataria in successively fewer numbers. The poblacion was still being heavily provisioned by the government upon the death of Commandant Jung in 1784. A census of 1788 listed the "Pueblo" of Barataria as having a population of 40, 25 of whom were white. Five Barataria Isleno families, numbering 27 people, lost all their crops and animals in the 1796 crevasse. The crevasse of 1802 was not closed for two years, and most of the remaining Canary Islander families were relocated-on Bayou Terres aux Boeufs.
Known Isleno Settlers of Barataria
The list is based on the "libro maestro" lists between of July 20, 1779 and 1784.[2]
VAL = Moved to Valenzuela between 1782 and 1784
TAB = Moved to Terre-Aux-Boeuf after 1784
1 - Melchor Jimenez
Catalina Perdomo, his wife
Juan, son
Diego, son
Josefa, daughter
Francisco, son
2 - Jose Herrera
Lucia Gonzalez, his wife
Ignacio, son
3 - Juan Jimenez
Juana (daughter)
Maria (daughter)
4 - Jose Hidalgo [VAL]
Isabel Zambrana, his wife
Gregoria, daughter
Francisca, daughter
Juan, son
5 - Lorenzo Hernandez
Maria Jimenez, his wife
Ana, daughter
Maria, daughter
6 - Juan Cabrera
Lorenza Artiles, his wife
Juan, son
Francisco, son
Maria, daughter
Sebastiana, daughter
7 - Antonio Suarez
Juana Suarez, his wife
Francisco, son
8 - Pablo Ruiz
Maria Olivares, his wife
Juan, son
9 - Juan Alvarado
Maria Suarez, his wife
Tomas, son
Isabel, sughter
Francisca Antonia, sister-in-law
10 - Jose Antonio Ventura
Antonia Pesos, his wife
Jose, son
Lorenza, daughter
Maria, daughter
11 - Lorenzo Rodriguez de Leon
Maria Espino, his wife
Luis, son
Antonio, son
Sebastiana, daughter
12 - Vicente Delgado
Felipa Jimenez, his wife
Isabel, daughter
Sebastiana, daughter
13 - Jose Dominguez
Maria Francisca, his wife
Felipa Dominguez, his mother
Fernando, son
Tomasa, daughter
14 - Juan Aleman [VAL]
Juana Ramirez, his wife
Antonio, son
Baltasar, son
Pedro, son
Josefa, daughter
Sebastiana, daughter
15 - Francisco Ramirez
Ana Perez, his wife
Francisco, son
Antonia, daughter
16 - Domingo Lopez
Francisca, sister
17 - Antonio Martel
Francisca Antonia, his wife
Antonio, son
Domingo, son
Blasina, daughter
18 - Juan Espino
Joaquina Soler, his wife
Miguel, son
19 - Pedro Guedes
Isabel de Sosa, his wife
Sebastiana, daughter
Jose, son
20 - Manuel Ojeda
Francisca Medina, his wife
Juan, son
Maria, daughter
21 - Bartolome Hernandez Hidalgo [VAL]
Isabel Hidalgo, his wife
22 - Francisco de Orta
Josefa Lopez, his wife
Pedro, son
Antonia, daughter
Josefa, daughter
Isabel, daughter
23 - Gaspar Sanchez
Beatriz Flores, his wife
Ana, daughter
Cristobal, son
Francisco, son
Josefa Perez, sister-in-law
24 - Jose Hernandez Corvo
Beatriz Francisca, his wife
Salvador, son
Antonia, daughter
Francisco, son
25 - Gregorio Ojeda
Maria Suares, his wife
Maria, daughter
Josefa, daughter
Rosalia, daughter
Catalina Quintana (nursing infant)
26 - Cristobal Quintero
Maria Ruano, his wife
Cristobal, son
Maria, daughter
Beatriz, daughter
27 - Gregorio Judas Ravelo
Melchora de los Reyes, his wife
Jose', son
Maria, daughter
29 - Antonio de Fuentes
Marcela Perez, his wife
Juan, son
Francisco, son
Pedro, son
Jose', son
Ana, daughter
30 - Bartolome Monzon
Maria Penales, his wife
Francisco, son
Isabel, daughter
Juana, daughter
Juan, son
Josefa, daughter
31 - Felipe Francisco
Bernarda Francisca, his wife
Domingo, son
Felipe, son
Jose, son
Lorenzo, son
Maria, daughter
Rosalia, daughter
Andrea, daughter
32 - Gaspar Ortiz Lopez
Maria Sanchez, his wife
Juan, son
Maria, daughter
33 - Agustin Romero
Polonia Rodriguez, his wife
Jose, son
Domingo, son
Juan, son
Agustin, son
34 - Matias Francisco
35 - Antonio Gonzalez
Rosalia Ortega, his wife
Jose, son
Francisco, son
Maria, daughter
Josefa Ortega, sister-in-law
36 - Bernardo Nieves
Maria Rodriguez, his wife
Juan, son
Brigida, daughter
Isabel, sister-in-law
37 - Domingo Vicente Morales
Gregoria Hidalgo, his wife
38 - Francisco Lopez Machado
Margarita Ramirez, his wife
Maria, daughter
39 - Francisco Sanchez
Maria Caballero, his wife
Juan, son
Francisco, son
40 - Gabriel Hernandez
Barbara Melian, his wife
Vicente, son
Felix, son
41 - Antonio Ramirez
Ana Santana, his wife
42 - Agustin Sanchez
Francisca Ortiz, his wife
44 - Fernando Morales
Bernarda Gonzalez, his wife
Isidro, son
Fernando, son
45 - Antonio Jose de Armas
Marla Delgado, his wife
Domingo, son
46 - Pedro Caniles
Sebastiana Moreno, his wife
Antonia, daughter
Juan, son
Maria, daughter
Catalina, daughter
47 - Bartolome Caballero
Maria Artiles, his wife
Diego, son
Antonio, son
Bartolome, son
Maria, daughter
Agustina, daughter
Andrea, daughter
48 - Jose Suarez
Francisca Rodriguez, his wife
Maria, daughter
49 - Felipe Artiles
Juana Jimenez, his wife
Juan, son
Antonio, son
Maria, daughter
Juan Cazorla, brother
50 - Juan Melian
Maria Ortiz, his wife
51 - Simon Casimiro
Catalina Gonzalez, his wife
52 - Juan Alonso Romero
Maria Jose, his wife
Juan, son
Francisco, son
Antonio, son
Rosalia, daughter
Andrea, daughter
Maria, daughter
53 - Mateo Henriquez
Josefa Velez, his wife
Felipe, son
Maria, daughter
54 - Miguel Suarez [VAL]
Maria de la Cruz, his wife
Domingo, son
Sebastian, son
Miguel, son
55 - Domingo Hiedra(?)
56 - Pedro Jose Caballero [VAL]
Ana Gonzalez, his wife
Andrea, daughter
Juana, daughter
Asuncion, son
Miguel, son
Josefa, mother-in-law
57 - Jose Suarez
References
- Historic Land Use Study Of A Portion Of The Barataria Unit Of The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park by Betsy Swanson. Part 1. January 15, 1988.
- Libro Maestro p. sentar el cargo del dano. de la nueba Pob. Barataria (Archivo General de Indias, Papeles de Cuba, Legajo 2358). Reprinted in Historic Land Use Study Of A Portion Of The Barataria Unit Of The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park by Betsy Swanson. Part 1. January 15, 1988. Reprinted in Archeological Data Recovery Of The Camino Site (16JE223), A Spanish Colonial Period Site Near New Orleans, Louisiana. Report Number: COELMN/PD-96/01. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. New Orleans District. P.O. Box 60267. New Orleans, LA 70160-0267. March 1996. p93-101.
- Passenger lists of Canary Islanders sailing to Louisiana, 1778. Archivo General de Indeas, Audiencia de Santo Domingo, Legajo 2661.
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