Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library

From Volumes 1 and 2

We begin our story with the noble BERNARD FRANCOIS d'USTOU, Seigneur de THEBE, et CASARIL in the Diocese of Comingues, Province of Languedoc, France.

The noble Bernard Francois married JEANNE MARIE de BOUSSAC.

Their son was:

JEAN MARIE ALEXANDRE d'USTOU de CASARIL, knight, Seigneur de Thebe, Casaril, and other places in the Province of Languedoc. Jean Marie Alexandre was born in the Chateau of Thebe, but we know neither the day nor the year of his birth. However, we do know that he emigrated to the then prosperous French West Indian colony of Saint Domingue where he became a resident proprietor of Plaisance in the jurisdiction of Cap Francais, and a Captain and Adjutant Major in the militia of Petite Anse.

And there, too, in the Parish of SainteMarthe de la Marmelade, Saint Domingue, on May 22, 1790, JEAN MARIE ALEXANDRE d'USTOU de.CASARIL married MARGUERITE ANTOINETTE de GOURNAY, younger daughter of Michel Isaac de Gournay, knight of St. Louis*, Captain of Militia, and rich proprietor of Saint Domingue.

In the Chevalier de Gournay Will, signed at Kingston, Jamaica, January 17, 1801, we find the following reference to JeanMarieAlexandre d'Ustou de Casaril:

"MY LATE SON IN LAW, MR. DUSTON (d'Ustou) HAS RECEIVED FROM THE PROPERTY HELD IN COMMON BY MY WIFE AND MYSELF THE SUM OF FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND LIVRES AND UPWARDS WHICH I GAVE TO MY DAUGHTER HIS WIFE ON ACCOUNT OF WHAT SHE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO IN THE ESTATE OF HER FATHER AND MOTHER. THIS SUM WAS PAID AND CHARGED TO ME BY MESSIEURS POUPET GUIMET AND GOURDIN UPON DISCHARGING DEBTS DUE BY HIM TO SEVERAL OF HIS CREDITORS ACCORDING TO HIS INSTRUCTIONS."

We do not know when or where Jean Marie Alexandre d'Ustou de Casaril died, but his widow, Marguerite Antoinette (nee de Gournay), afterwards married Charles Desire Corre Desgouttes.

So far as we know at present, Jean Marie Alexandre d'Ustou de Casaril had one son. He was:

MICHEL ALEXANDRE AMEDEE d'USTOU de CASARIL, knight, who was born at the Mole St. Nicholas, Saint Domingue.

In the Jamaica Almanac for 1817, the Returns of Proprietors and properties for the March Quarter of 1816, list Michel Alexandre Amedee as Proprietor of "GardenHill" in the Western district of St. Andrew, having at that time 9 slaves and 2 stock.

At Kingston, Jamaica, on May 4 1817, Michel Alexandre Amedee d'Ustou de Casaril married his cousin ELIZABETH CELINA CHEVOLLEAU, younger daughter of Raymond Chevolleau, esquire, former resident of St. Domingue, and a former Major of Infantry in the service of his Britannic Majesty; and of his wife Louise Marguerite de Gournay, wife of Chevolleau, Celina's Aunt.

Some time after their marriage, the d'Ustou de Casarils sailed for France together with Madame Corre Desgouttes. But before leaving Jamaica, on July 2, 1817, Michel Alexandre Amedee and his wife, Celina, conveyed to Raymond Chevolleau a mountain settlement in the Parish of St. Andrew called Garden Hill, "in trust" "To sell either by public auction or private contract". And we understand that shortly after this transaction, M. d'Ustou Casaril disposed of a number of his slaves.

Michel Alexandre Amedee and his wife evidently returned to Jamaica later on for the Returns of Proprietors and Properties for the March Quarter of 1823 list him as the proprietor of GOLDEN VALLEY in the Parish of St. Mary.

However, the d'Ustou de Casarils finally went back to settle permanently in France, for my Grand Aunt Ema Sorapure, (nee Malabre), writing of my Grandfather the Hon. William Malabre, says that he "used to visit them at their Chateau." My Grandfather Malabre was of course Celina's nephew.

It is interesting to note that in the Second Codicil of Michel Isaac de Gournay's Will dated August 18, 1806 at Beau Desert, the old knight gives "TO MY GRANDSON AMEDEE DUSTOU (d'Ustou) ONE HUNDRED POUNDS AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SERVICES RENDERED TO ME BY HIS LATE FATHER."

We have at present no further information about the d'Ustou de Casaril family.

*(We do not know in what year Michel de Gournay was made knight.)

Marmelade, St. Domingue, May 22, 1790

From the Ministere des Colonies, Archives Coloniales, Paris, France. [Translated in part by L.C.M. and by jamaicanfamilysearch.com]

On May 22, 1790, after one publication of banns on Sunday May 16th at the Parochial Mass in Marmelade, and in the sermon in the Parish of La Petite Anse on May 17th, as certified to us by Dr. Cajetan, the curate, the parties having obtained special permission to dispense with the other two banns, and to receive the nuptial blessing at the residence of Mr. Gournay, the bride's home.

The marriage of Jean Alexandre Marie d'Ustou, native of Thebe, Diocese of Cominges in Languedoc, elder [ or of legal age] and legitimate son of noble Bernard Francois d'Ustou, lord of Thebe and ... [illegible], and of his late wife Marie de Boussac, and a major in the Militia in the district of Petite Anse where he resides, acting for himself and in his name, and Marguerite Antoinette DeGournay, native of the district of Limbe, minor legitimate daughter of Mr. Michel Isaac de Gournay, captain of the Militia in the district of Marmelade, and of his wife Perrine Therese Chevolleau, inhabitants of Marmelade, acting on their own authority. Witnesses were Messrs. Jean Sebastian Dore, resident of the Morin district, Armand Pierre Jean Charpentier, resident of the district of Petite Anse, and Etienne de Charest, former commandant of the district of Marmelande, and Charles Venceslas Jaillard de la Marronniere, first sentry of the Regiment of le Cap, and resident of the Ravine a Fourmi, dependency of Marmelade.

Those signing the register:

DeGournay D'Ustou (The bride)

Chevolleau DeGournay (The bride's mother)

DeGournay Charest (The bride's sister, Perrine Therese DeGournay, wife of Charest de Lauzon.

Charest de Lauzon (The bride's brother-in-law)

DeGournay fils (The bride's brothers, Pierre Bernard just over 13 years old, and Francois Victor who was just over 12 years old)

Dubison Charest (Francoise Elizabeth Dubison, wife of Etienne Charest, brother of Francois)

DuBourg Carrie (Marie DuBourg, wife of Carrie. After the death of her first husband, Francois Carrie, she married Francis Regis Reynaud in Baltimore, Md. on April 12, 1798.)

Baude de Bunnetat (or Bronetot?) (No doubt a relative of Francois Gabriel Baude de Bronetot (or Bunnetat) who married the bride's aunt, Antoinette De Gournay. )

Chauvet Brusle (Victoire Chauvet du Broeuil, wife of Antoine Exupere Brusle)

Condemine Sureau

Carrie (Francois Carrie husband of Marie DuBourg. He was a captain of the Light Infantry Batallion of Mulattoes and a resident of the Cap).

Fortunee Buron (No information, but this lady was present when Arnould DuBourg was baptised on May 25, 1790 (a few days after this wedding) and she also signed the register on that occasion)

Brusle DuBourg (Josephine Charlotte Benigne Brusle, wife of DuBourg. After the death of her first husband, Louis Poirel, she marred Joseph Thomas Patrice DuBourg de la Loubere. She was a daughter of Antoine Exupere Brusle and his wife, Victoire Chauvet, widow of DuBroeuil)

Du Charon

Mimi Charest

DuBourg de la Loubere (Joseph Thomas Patrice DuBourg de la Loubere)

Charpentier (Armand Pierre Jean Charpentier. He also signed the register at the baptism of Louis Joseph Maried Arnould DuBourg a few days later)

Chevalier de la Forestrie [Knight]

DuBourg de Ste. Colombe (Pierre Francois DuBourg de Ste. Colombe. Born at Cap Francais, St. Domingue, December 30, 1767, he married Elizabeth Etienette Bonne Charest de Lauzon )

Charest (Etienne Charest, brother of Francois Charest de Lauzon who married the bride's sister. Etienne was Captain and Acting Adjutant of the Militia in St. Domingue and owner of a coffee plantation in Marmelade. He married Francoise Elizabeth Dubison)

Le Chevalier de la Marronniere (Charles Venceslas Jaillard de la Marronniere)

Dore (This was probably Jean Sebastien Dore, proprietor in Marmelade)

Thomas Chassain

Elisabeth Brusle (A daughter of Antoine Exupere Brusle and his wife)

Le chevalier de Charon

Despagnou

Kingston, May 4, 1817

From the Archives of Holy Trinity, Kingston

Michel Alexandre Amedee D'Ustou de Casaril, knight, native of Mole St. Nicholas, St. Domingue, now resident in St. Andrew, Jamaica, of full age, legitimate son of Alexandre Marie Dustou de Casaril, knight, Lord of Theser, Casaril and other places in the the province of Languedoc, France, former Captain and Adjutant Major in the Militia of Petite Anse, inhabitant and proprietor of Plaisance in the jurisdiction of Cap Francais, St. Domingue, and of Marguerite Antoinette DeGournay, wife by second marriage to Charles Desgouttes, Knight of the Royal Military Order of St. Louis, and former inhabitant and proprietor of St. Domingue.

Elizabeth Celina Chevolleau, native of Kingston, minor daughter of Raymond Chevolleau, esquire, former Major in the Infantry and resident proprietor in St. Domingue, now resident in St. Mary, Jamaica, and of Louise Marguerite DeGournay, native and former resident of St. Domingue.

Former proprietor: Renaud (Etienne), or d'Ustou de Cazaril (Jean-Marie-Alexandre)

Those making claims:

RENAUD

I. Alexandrine-Henriette wife of Desclerets-Gault

II. Blaise-Henriette-Rosine, wife of Reynoudt

III. Hilaire-Eleonore, widow of Lavit by first marriage and of Prenoel by second marriage

IV. D'Ustou (Michel-Alexandre-Amedee)

V. Gournay (Marguerite Antoinette), widow of d'Ustou by first marriage, and wife by second marriage of Corre-Desgouttes

Representing themselves as being the sole heirs of Messrs. Renaud and d'Ustou de Cazaril, former proprietors.

Nature of property: Coffee plantaton

Name on rural property: Renaud or d'Ustou

District: Plaisance

Date of decision: December 31, 1930

Date of payment: June 1, 1831

Amount of indemnity allowed: 16,900.00

Volume 1829: Parish No. 21 Gros Morne: Jurisdiction of Port de Paix

Former owner: BOURLEAU (Louis)

Those making claims:

1. D'Ustou de Casaril, (Michel-Alexandre-Amedee)

2. De Gournay (Marguerite Antoinette) widow of Jean-Marie-Alexandre d'Ustou de Cazaril, wife of Corre Desgouttes.

Legatees, half each, of the former proprietor.

Nature of property: half of a coffee plantaton

Name on rural property: Bourleau

District: Boucan-Champagne

Date of decision: January 19, 1828

Date of payment: March 1, 1828

Amount of indemnity: 1,300.00 and 1,300.00

Observations: The same decision was made, in the name of the said heirs, in relation to another property situated at Gros Morne, the value of which has been included in the amounts above. See that parish, same claim numbers.

From the Jamaica Almanac for 1817, printed by Alex. Aikman, junior.

Returns of properties for the March quarter, 1816.

Parish of St. Andrew. Proprietor: Duston, Alexander, Garden Hill with 9 slaves and 2 stock.

From the Jamaica Almanac for 1824, printed by Alex. Aikman, junior, printer to the Kings most excellent majesty and to the Hon. House of Assembly.

Returns of properties given in to the Vestries for the March quarter, 1823.

Parish of St. Mary. Proprietor: D'Ustin, Alexander, Golden Valley with 7 slaves and 2 stock.

SEARCH THIS SITE

GO TO:

Home

Plan of this website

Help - Frequently Asked Questions

Items in the Samples Directory

Items in the Members Directory

Photographs, maps, prints, etc.

Jamaica Almanacs (property owners; civil & military)

Registers (Church of England, Dissenters, Civil Registration); Wills

Jamaican Roman Catholic Church Registers

Jamaican Methodist Baptisms

Slaves and slavery in Jamaica

Immigration Immigrants to Jamaica