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Help translating a 1792 handwritten baptismal document from Spanish to English


whenry2
male
Beiträge: 12
I have been researching my French-born ancestor, Jean-Baptiste Lessard, who left France for Louisiana (at that time a Spanish territory) after 1780. This 1792 baptismal document in Spanish, parts of which I have been able to translate, records the provisional baptism of a male child born out of wedlock, and, it appears, illegitimate, though recognized by both parents. I would greatly appreciate a translation of the complete document, at times barely legible, to know what other information is contained and to know if my above information is accurate. It begins at the bottom of one page and continues on to the top of the next page.

Many thanks!

Bill Lessard
zanzigirl
zanzigirl
Volunteer moderator
Beiträge: 15213
Hello,

You've forgotten the document ;)

Best,
Claudine
Modératrice bénévole sans lien de subordination avec Geneanet / Volunteer moderator with no subordination to Geneanet.
whenry2
male
Beiträge: 12
Hi, Claudine,

I tried to add the two parts of the document as pdf files, but was rejected because "nom de fichier invalide."

I have just tried to add them again as pdf files and as jpgs.

Have you gotten any of this? If not, can you help me add them?

Bill Lessard
zanzigirl
zanzigirl
Volunteer moderator
Beiträge: 15213
Still no attachment...

"nom de fichier invalide" suggests there's a problem with the file name: try renaming it.

Claudine
Modératrice bénévole sans lien de subordination avec Geneanet / Volunteer moderator with no subordination to Geneanet.
whenry2
male
Beiträge: 12
Hi, Claudine,

This is another attempt to send the two files as an attachment. I'm not sure of what they want in "name of the file." This time I will give the name of the file as pdf.
pdf 1.pdf
Bapteme de Juan Bautista Cesair Lessard, part 1
(82.56 KiB) 54-mal heruntergeladen
pdf 2.pdf
Bapteme de Juan Bautista Cesair Lessard, part 2
(56.79 KiB) 42-mal heruntergeladen
zanzigirl
zanzigirl
Volunteer moderator
Beiträge: 15213
It's ok now ;)
Modératrice bénévole sans lien de subordination avec Geneanet / Volunteer moderator with no subordination to Geneanet.
whenry2
male
Beiträge: 12
Thanks, Zanzigirl! Any help you can give me in translating this will very much appreciated. It's taking me a while to learn how to use this wonderful Geneanet.

Best,

Bill Lessard
iberganza
male
Beiträge: 9
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Hi Bill.

The baptism record in Spanish reads:
"Juan Bautista Cecair Lessaerd
En quatro de marzo de mil setecientos noventa y dos, yo el infrascrito teniente de Cura de la Yglesia Parroquial de San Luis de la Nueva Orleans Provincia de la Luisiana en America, bautice solemnemente (bajo de condicion al no tener la certeza debida del primer bautismo) a un niño natural de la Parroquia de la Concepcion cuyo pueblo es llamado Lafourche, nacido de ocho meses se le puso por nombre Juan Bautista Cecair, hijo legitimo de Juan Bautista Lessaerd y de Maria Loròt, el primero natural de Reine en Bretaña de Francia, la segunda de Louisborg en Canada Nueva Francia, y habitantes de la dicha Parroquia de la Concepcion: Abuelos paternos Francisco Lessaerd y Ana Peluet de la dicha Reine, los maternos se ygnoran : fueron Padrinos Urbano Picou y Maria Luisa Melieur, el primero natural de la Parroquia de San Carlos, la segunda de esta : para que conste, lo firmo de mi mano ut supra
Fray Diego de Carriedo"

which would translate as
"Juan Bautista Cecair Lessaerd
On March the fourth of 1792, I the undersigned lieutenant priest of the Parish Church of San Luis de la Nueva Orleans Province of Louisiana in America, solemnly baptised (under condition since there is no due certainty of the first baptism) to a baby-boy born in the Concepcion Parish which village is called Lafourche, of eight months age, by name he was given Juan Bautista Cecair, legitimate son of Juan Bautista Lessaerd and of Maria Loròt, the former born in Reine in Brittany of France, the latter from Louisborg in Canada New France, and dwellers of said Concepcion Parish: paternal grandparents Francisco Lessaerd and Ana Peluet of said Reine, maternal ones are unknown : godparents were Urbano Picou and Maria Luisa Melieur, the former born in Saint Charles Parish, the latter of this (Parish) : for the record, I sign by my own hand as above
Priest Diego de Carriedo"

The baby is not illegitimate or out of wedlock at all, it's very clear it's legitimate the way the Catholic church considered it then. The only thing it's this is a sub conditione baptism, meaning that the priest decided this second baptism was needed "just in case" because there were doubts about a first baptism (e.g. because maybe it was done at birth by a person who was not a Catholic priest). It was not rare to do "sub conditione" baptisms: if the first baptism was actually correct then this second would not be valid; if the first was not valid then this second baptism would cover the baby (remember: at that time the Catholic church considered that if any baby died without having been baptised, it would not go to Heaven. This was serious business). The baby is already 8 months old when this second baptism was done.
I guess "Cecair" is the way that the Spanish priest would write the French name "Cesaire" (i.e. Caesar) as pronounced by the French father. Also "Reine" is the way he would write "Rennes" as heard from the father (a Spaniard would never write the final "s" since it's not pronounced).

Checking in Google if my understanding of the French family names was correct, I actually came with this page
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Laurot-1
which is about the mother in the baptism record, so you may find it useful. Actually, I see that reference [4] in said webpage is exactly this baptism record, the suggested summary text is basically coincident with the translation I did.
whenry2
male
Beiträge: 12
Below are four examples of baptismal documents written by Father Diego de Carriedo in which he attests to the legitimacy of the infant's birth. The first is the document of Jean Baptiste Cesar Lessard, the other three are examples of legitimate births. A comparison of the Lessard document with three other documents explains why I do believe the Lessard infant is declared illegitimate.
Lessard.pdf
Jean Baptiste Cesar Lessard Baptism
(49.46 KiB) 26-mal heruntergeladen
Dateianhänge
Legitimate 1.pdf
First example of a legitimate infant
(28.67 KiB) 43-mal heruntergeladen
Legit 2 .pdf
Second example of a legitimate infant
(39.68 KiB) 34-mal heruntergeladen
Legit 3.pdf
Third example of a legitimate infant
(41.37 KiB) 26-mal heruntergeladen
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