323-Year-Old Marriage Record found in French Archives in Marseilles, France

Antoine Picon and Magdeleine Jausserand

Marseille, Saint Martin, Acte: Marriage -

31 Oct 1688

 Last month while searching through an online database in the French Archives in Marseille, France, I found this 323 year old marriage record for my 6th generation great grandparents, Antoine Picon and Magdeleine Jausserand. 

     For those of you just joining this blog posting, they are the grandparents of Mathieu Devaux . Devaux referred to as Mathieu Platilla is my 4th generation Great Grandfather who was featured in the PBS program, "the History Detectives" segment titled - the Galvez Papers.  If you having not viewed program just click on above.

     According to this record,  Antoine Picon and Magdeleine Jausserand   marriage took place on 31 Oct 1688 at a church in Saint Martin Parish in Marseille, France.  The hand writing is a little hard to read however, I placed the transcribed text of what's seen above and the english translation below.

"le 31 octobre 1688, avons célébré le mariage de la même manière que dessus, après avoir fait les publications ou de mettre le tout sans dispenses, entre Antoine Picon, fils de feu Anthoine et Anne Roman de cette ville d'une part et de honnète fille Magdeleine Jausseran, de Jean et Clère Alberte de cette ville, d'autres lettres en présence de Messieurs les témoins soussignés aux précédents mariages (suivi des signatures de l'acte)"

English Translation:

"31th October 1688, have celebrated the marriage in the same manner as above, after the publications or to place without any exemptions, between Antoine Picon, son of the late Anthoine and Anne Roman of the city on one hand and honest Magdeleine Jausseran daughter of John and Alberte Clère of this city, other letters in the presence of distinguished witnesses undersigned to previous marriages (tracking signatures of the act)"

       

      Now I can imagine what you are thinking. How in the world did he find this 323 year old record? right.  It's a long story. And all I can say is my ancestors wanted me to find them.  It wasn't easy and believe me, it was from many hours of piecing together information from records found in the New Orleans notarial archives and sacramental records that helped me to first determine a possible starting point.  I of course had to know a few details about certain members of Mathieu's family back in France before I began my research of those records in the French Archives in the city of Marseille, where Mathieu was born.  

      My first challenge was to take Mathieu Devaux who came to Spanish Colonial Louisiana sometime around 1760-65 and who died in New Orleans 1810 back to Marseille, France and locate him in some record.  Then try finding his parents and then his grandparents.  Listed on his burial record was the name of his family's church in Marseille, France where he was baptized.  Once, I located the church records, the task of looking for and finding his baptism record began. When I did come across that record, it confirmed the information, in  particularly, the names of his parents which were found on his burial record in New Orleans.  On his baptism below is listed his father's full name shown as-Noel Guillaume Devaux. 

Mathieu Devaux

Marseille, Notre Dame Des Accoules, Acte: Bapteme -

16 Feb 1737

     So far with the discovering of this 323 year of marriage record above,  I am now  back to 1688 with documented proof of my 6th generation great grandparents.  Also listed in that 323 year old marriage record are the names of what I believe to be my 7th generation great grandparents, they would be Mathieu Devaux's great grandparents.

      If you are wondering how many generation have I traced my french catholic roots too. That would be 10 generations from me and at least four generations from Mathieu Devaux back into France with this recent discovery. As you might imagine, I'm pretty excited about this.