Discovering Ignatius GOUGH

Last week I got a chance to enjoy some of my much-needed vacation time in the wonderful and historical City of Opelousas, Louisiana. After having some delicious boudin and cracklings for breakfast, there I was by 10:00 AM on the second floor of the Courthouse, browsing through the old original records of the lives that came before us – be it slave sales, emancipation’s, mortgages and land purchases. As I was trying to locate some of the FONTENOT slave sales of 1839, I came across the sale of a Negro man named Ignatius, aged about 21 years for $1000. The record showed that Robert E. SMITH, acting for Stephen GOUGH of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, was selling Ignatius to Reverend A. P. LADAVERE, president of Grand Coteau College. Considering there was only one Black family in the Grand Coteau area, I concluded this was Ignatius GOUGH. It was also a bit interesting to see that the President of a Jesuit school was purchasing a slave. This obviously shows that even the holiest of them all still managed to capitalize or benefit from the free labor of slaves.

Stephen GOUGH to Rev. A. P. LADAVIERE

GOUGH MARRIAGE RECORDS

To validate that I had identified this Ignatius as Ignatius GOUGH, I searched through the Catholic records for any information on the GOUGH name and located these entries: GOUGH, Elisabeth (Nace GOUGH & Sally-from Mautre) m. 29 Feb. 1876 Henry HARDY (GC Ch.:v.4,p.295) and GOUGH, Adeline (Nace & Sally) m. 18 Jan. 1877 Charles GARDINER (GC Ch.: v.4, p. 303). Both listed their father as “Nace” which was short for Ignatius. I also found this marriage of an Ignatius marrying on 2 Jun 1839 to Sally who I believe were Ignatius GOUGH and his wife SALLY: Ignatius m. 2 June 1839 Salle with consent of the masters. (GC Ch.: v. 1, p.101).

CENSUS RECORDS REVEAL MORE DETAILS

I then searched the census records and located a Sally GOFF and her daughters Adeline and Elizabeth GOFF[GOUGH] in the 1870 census living with Lawyer John F. SMITH as his servant. John SMITH was the nephew of Charles SMITH, a wealthy planter. Charles SMITH’s wife is the person who donated the land and money to start a Catholic Church. The area centered around that Catholic Church would later be known as Grand Coteau.

By the 1880 census Sally remained living as a house servant of the SMITH’s. Her daughter Adeline lived next door, possibly on the lands of the SMITH family.

1870 census household of John F. SMITH

Elizabeth GOUGH

MY FAMILY CONNECTION TO THE GOUGHS

Ignatius was the grandfather of Thomas William HARDY, who was married to my relative Sadie CUNY. During my vacation in the Fall of 2013, I was welcomed to Compton, California by Thomas and Sadie’s great-granddaughter, Arvis SIMMONS FORD. Arvis allowed me to stay at her lovely home to research and meet my California Cousins. There, she and her family showed me a great time. In one day, I was introduced to Pacific oysters, a new favorite food, and rode through Hollywood in a nice stretched limo owned by Arvis’s sister! Who knew that three years later I would be calling her while in the Opelousas Courthouse explaining how I found documentation on one of her early ancestors? Amazing how things work. I guess you can say the favor of hospitality was returned.