Joseph Du Suau De La Croix

Individual Note

Don joseph Dusuau de La croix was unusual both because of the number of women with whom he had children he would admit and because at least two of the half-breed children were born during his marriage to a white woman. Born in France, Dusuau was a lieutenant in Louisiana's infantry. In 1762 and 1763, he had two daughters with his wife Franco-Louisianan, but he then had a daughter with free mulatra Rosa in 1764 and one with Jacqueline Lemelle mulata enslaved in early 1767 before having two more sons with his wife. After the death of his wife, Dusuau then had four children with free mulata Maria Dusuau. Not only did he recognize that all six of them had mixed blood in his will, but he also left them inheritances at the limits of 600 pesos to 1,200 pesos plus an eleven-year-old negro slave. In addition, he named Jacqueline's son as the guardian for his half siblings, the four minor children of Maria Dusuau and gave him 400 pesos for their care. Dusuau's conjugal indiscretions and his recognition of his half-blooded children do not seem to have hurt him or his family's reputation. Her two legitimate daughters entered the Ursuline Convent, becoming choir sisters in 1780; his two legitimate sons have married well; and the property at the time that he wrote his will included a dwelling on the other side of the river, more than fifty slaves, and several houses in New Orleans. Dusuau was also excluded from society. During his relationship with Maria Dusuau, he served as a godfather to one of his grandchildren and to the grand daughter of his late wife's first wife. Although it is impossible to determine that relations have resembled in this extended multiracial family, the fact that Dusuau called his oldest legitimate son as his executor suggests that he had faith in Bartholomew and that he would support the wishes. his father's inheritance to his half siblings.

• Reference: Geneanet Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 15 2018, 15:52:53 UTC