Twin daughters of a "Sauvagesse," written down as "mulâtresse" and "négresse" (Attakapas, St. Martinville, 1777–1778)

SUMMARYTwin daughters of a "Sauvagesse," written down as "mulâtresse" and "négresse" (Attakapas, St. Martinville, 1777–1778) [Connections: Louisiana (deep), Nov 5, 2026]

RECORDThe 1777 Spanish colonial slave census of the Attakapas and Opelousas posts lists, in the household of Paul De La Houssaye, "Iris, age 15, mulâtresse" and "Marie, age 15, négresse." The compiler's endnote quotes the 1778 estate inventory of Paul Augustin De La Houssaye: "Deux jumelles provenantes d'une Sauvagesse l'une griffe et l'autre quarteronne agées de treize ans" (two twin girls born of a "Sauvagesse" [source's word for an Indian woman], one griffe and the other quarteronne, aged thirteen), valued at "quatre cents piastres." The endnote cites the 1778 inventory (SM Cth Conveyances #s 4, 5), a 15 September 1777 St. Martinville record (SM Cth B1 Roll1 #139), and Gwendolyn Midlo Hall's slave database (lines 16542–48). The same census lists "Marie 12 sauvagesse" in Joseph Chrétien's household at the Opelousas post, and "Michel 18 métis" and "Thomas 11 métis" in Pierre Clermont's household

PATTERNTwo girls with an Indian mother received four different labels across two documents a year apart (griffe, quarteronne, mulâtresse, négresse). None of the four says "Indian." Their age also shifts from 13 to 15

LENS (WW9)One mother, two daughters, four labels, and not one says "Indian." That is replacement on paper: "The Native Americans are the negros."

OPENThe original 1777 census is not cited to an archive (for example a Spanish legajo) in this transcription; check the original. Who the twins' father was, and what happened to them after 1778

SOURCE1777 Spanish Colonial Slave Census, Attakapas & Opélousas Post, prepared by Christophe Landry (LHCV, June 2017); primary: 1778 inventory of Paul Augustin De La Houssaye, St. Martin Parish Courthouse Conveyances #4–5.