Jean Baptiste Navarre-Rochon (1788 - 1826)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Military Service 1.2 Marriages and Children 2 Research Notes 3 Sources

Biography

Jean Baptiste Navarre dit Rochon, a free man of color, was born in 1788 in New Orleans under Spanish rule. He died in Louisiana in 1826. [During that time period he was listed as Creole, Mulatto, Free Man of Color.] ^[1][2] His father was Jean Baptiste Navarre and his mother was Charlotte Rochon.

Military Service

Louisiana reportedly was the first state to have commissioned a “non-white” military officer.^[3]

• Militia District: Saint-Martin-des-Attakapas
• Compensation: $124 and 100 acres of land (same as the compensation for “whites” enlisted)
• Captain: Lemelle, Alexandre
• 1st Lieutenant: Aubry, Martin
• 2nd Lieutenant: Navarre Rochon, Baptiste^[4]

Marriages and Children

He married Marie Therese Jeanne McCarty on 20 September 1817 in St. Martinville, and legitimized their six children.^[1][5]

Children of the marriage:

1. Celestin (c.1805)^[1][5]
2. Hyacinte (c.1807)^[1][5]
3. Louis (c.1809)^[1][5]
4. Pierre (c.1811)^[1][5]
5. Jean Baptiste Severin (c.1813)^[1][5][6]
6. Caliste (c.1816-1828)^{[1][5][7][8][9]}
7. Charlotte (1819)^[10][11]
8. Marie Odile ROCHON (1822)^[12]

See edit page for hidden text in need of editing

Research Notes

Questions raised by the St. Martin de Tours Church records:

1. Were there two sons of Jean Baptiste Navarre named Jean Baptiste (perhaps of different mothers-- although the records name the same mother, Charlotte Rochon)? Indications:
   1. 1817 marriage record calls him "major son"^[5]
   2. 1820 marriage record calls him "minor son" ^[13]
   3. Death record in 1826 at age 38^[2]
   4. Death record in 1833 at age 30^{[14] [15]}
2. Or do the records of a younger "Jean Rochon" refer to a son born in 1803 (rather than 1813 as per the 1817 marriage record legitimizing him)?

Note: His combined surname combines his father's and mother's surnames. Many Free Persons of Color during upon manumission in the early history of Louisiana often combined their last names.

Jean Baptiste Navarre Rochon- Ancestor of noted TV and news journalist Suzanne Malveaux^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Rev. Donald J. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records 1750-1900 ("SWLR"), CD #101 (Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Publication Division, 2001) ROCHON
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Hebert's text: "ROCHON, Jean Baptiste - mulatre libre; died 15 Feb. 1826 at age about 38 years at his home 'au Fauxbourg Sayre' " cites Fr. Marcel BORELLA (SM Ch.: v.4, #1750) inin de Tours Catholic Church (St. Martinville, LA) records.
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Military history of African Americans," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_history_of_African_Americans&oldid=879871146 (accessed February 6, 2019). Text: "The law of 1792, which generally prohibited enlistment of blacks in the Army became the United States Army's official policy until 1862. The only exception to this Army policy was Louisiana, which gained an exemption at the time of its purchase through a treaty provision, which allowed it to opt out of the operation of any law, which ran counter to its traditions and customs. Louisiana permitted the existence of separate black militia units which drew its enlistees from freed blacks. A militia unit, The Louisiana Battalion of Free Men of Color, and a unit of black soldiers from Santo Domingo offered their services and were accepted by General Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans, a victory that was achieved after the war was officially over."
4. ↑ Militia of Free Men of Color
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} Hebert's text, "NAVARRE, Jean Baptiste - of this parish; native of New Orleans (major son of Baptiste & Charlotte ROCHON) m. 20 Sept. 1817 Marie Therese McCARTY - of this parish; native of New Orleans (major daughter & natural daughter of Marie Jeanne MACARTY) Six children were presented to be made legitimate by this present marriage: Celestin - 12 yrs.; Hyacinte - 10 yrs.; Louis - 8 yrs.; Pierre - 6 yrs.; Jean Baptiste - 4 yrs.; Calliste - 1 yr. old. Wits: Honnore ORSO, Alexandre LEMESLE, Pierre LAVIOLETTE, Jean ROCHON. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.6, #62)," and "McCARTHY, Marie Therese - of this parish; native of New Orleans (major daughter & natural daughter of Marie Jeanne MACARTY) m. 20 Sept. 1817 Jean Baptiste NAVARRE - of this parish; native of New Orleans (major son of Baptiste & Charlotte ROCHON) Six children were presented to be made legitimate by this present marriage: Celestin - 12 yrs.; Hyacinte - 10 yrs.; Louis - 8 yrs.; Pierre - 6 yrs.; Jean Baptiste - 4 yrs.; Calliste - 1 yr. old. Wits: Honnore ORSO, Alexandre LEMESLE, Pierre LAVIOLETTE, Jean ROCHON. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.6, #62))] cite St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church (St. Martinville, LA) records.
6. ↑ ROCHON, Jean Baptiste Severin - mulatre libre (Jean Baptiste, mulatre libre & Marie Therese, mulatresse libre - of this parish) bt. 27 March 1815 Spons: Narcisse & Victoire LEMESLE, quarteronne libre. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.6, #1806)
7. ↑ "NAVARRE, Callixte - quarteron libre (Jean Baptiste NAVARRE & Marie Therese MACARTY [McCARTHY]) bt. 4 Oct. 1817 at age 1 yr. Pats: Baptiste NAVARRE & Charlotte ROCHON; Mats: --- & Marie Jeanne MACARTY [McCARTHY]; Spons: Edouard NAVARRE & Modeste LAHOUSSAIE. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.7, #219)," Hebert, SWLR.
8. ↑ ROCHON, Caliste Herminie - mulatresse libre (daughter of Jean Baptiste ROCHON, mulatre libre of this parish & Marie Therese, mulatresse libre also of this parish) b. 16 Nov. 1813, bt. 13 Jan. 1814 Spons: Gilles LEBLANC & Irene LEMESLE; Signs: Baptiste ROCHON. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.6, #1611)
9. ↑ ROCHON, Calixe (daughter of Jean Baptiste & Marie Therese - gens libre) died 6 Nov. 1828 at age about 13 years at her brother's home in this town of St. Martin; buried 7 Nov. 1828 in the parish cemetery. Fr. Marcel BORELLA (SM Ch.: v.4, #1942)
10. ↑ NAVARRE, Charlotte (Jean Baptiste & Marie Therese MACARTY [McCARTHY]) b. 2 April 1819, bt. 13 April 1820 Pats: Baptiste NAVARRE & Charlotte ROCHON; Mats: Louis ---- & Marie Jeanne MACARTY [McCARTHY]; Spons: Celestin MACARTY & Charlotte LAHOUSSAIE; Signed: Baptiste NAVARRE. Fr. Gabriel ISABEY (SM Ch.: v.7, #825)," Hebert, SWLR
11. ↑ MALVEAU, Jean Baptiste (Laurent & Charlotte ROCHON) b. 29 July 1846 (SM Ch.: v.9, #37), Hebert, SWLR
12. ↑ ROCHON, Marie Odile (Jean Baptiste & Marie Therese MACARTY - quarteronne libre) b. 25 --- 1822, bt. 16 May 1823 Pats: Jean Baptiste NAVARRE & Charlotte ROCHON; Mats: Marie Jeanne MACARTY; Spons: Alexandre LEMELLE & Josephine LEMELLE. Fr. Marcel BORELLA (SM Ch.: v.7, #1295)
13. ↑ [( 1820 marriage record listing him as "minor son)]
14. ↑ [(http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=katheriot&id=I40690)] citing SWLR text: "ROCHON, Jean of New Orleans, h.d.c.l. d. 8 Oct. 1833 at age 30 yrs. [sic] (SM Ch.: v. 5, p. 33, #86)," citing St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church (St. Martinville, LA) records.
15. ↑ Text: ROCHON, Jean m. Henriette WILLIAM f.p. o. c. Succ. dated 8 Sept. 1834 (SM Ct. Hse.: Succ. #767) WILLIAMS, Henriette m. Jean ROCHON f.p. o. c. In Succ. of Jean ROCHON dated 8 Sept. 1834 (SM Ct. Hse.: Succ. # 767))]
16. ↑ "Black Like Me," Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Season 4, Episode 6). PBS. 07 Nov 2017.

See Also:

• "Notable Placees: Rosette Rochon and Eulalie de Mandéville" in "Plaçage," Wikipedia contributors, "Plaçage," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pla%C3%A7age&oldid=879400988 (accessed February 6, 2019).

• http://www.frenchcreoles.com/Early%20Creole%20Homes/Beginnings%20Files/SimonRochon.pdf

• http://www.geni.com/people/Jean-Baptiste-Navarre-Rochon/6000000012862959328

• Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records (1750-1900) CD101, FRILOT, Marie Hortance - native of St. Mary Parish (major daughter and natural daughter of Claude & Rosette BOUTTE - femme de couleur) m. 10 Sept. 1827 Celestin ROCHON - native of this parish (major son of the dec. Jean Baptiste and Marie Therese Marie Jeanne MACARTY - gens de couleur of this parish) Wits: Alexandre LEMELLE, Jean ROCHON, Honore ORSO, Honore OLIVIER, Jean Baptiste CASEMIR, Celestin ROCHON. Fr. Marcel BORELLA (SM Ch.: v.7, #62)
• ROCHON, Marie Therese - femme de couleur libre (Celestin & Marie Hortence FRILOT - gens de couleur libres) b. 28 Jan. 1829, bt. 1 June 1829 Pats: Jean Baptiste ROCHON & Marie Therese MACARTY; Mats: Claude FRILOT & Ronsette [Rosette] BOUTTE - fille de couleur libre; Spons: Isidore DELAHOUSSAIE - homme de couleur libre & Marie Lucille FRILOT. Fr. Marcel BORELLA (SM Ch.: v.7, #2181)