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Biographical Sketches ("Life Lines" Database) The Acadian Memorial database is the world's most comprehensive source of biographical information regarding the Acadian exiles who migrated to Louisiana. When using this database, always bear in mind that age discrepancies are commonplace in colonial-era documentation. Indeed, they are so commonplace that they are the rule rather than the exception. Usually the fluctuations are on the order of two to five years, but larger discrepancies are by no means unusual. As a consequence the database's developer utilized other criteria, but particularly the identifies of parents, spouses, and children, to identify positively Acadians mentioned in primary sources. Unfortunately, however, verification is possible in only a few classes of documents baptismal records, marriage records, occasionally in burial records, and in census reports. In most instances, however, documents refer to an individual only by name. Positive identification of individuals in such instances is often a virtual impossibility, especially late in the Spanish period. In the late eighteenth century, it was not uncommon for there to be six to twelve individuals of approximately the same ages sharing the same given names and surnames all residing within a single district. For example, thirteen Acadian men named Joseph Landry most of whom were of the same generation lived in the Cabannocé District during the last three decades of the eighteenth century. As a consequence, in militia lists and other records in which only a name was provided, the database compiler was compelled to make educated guesses about identity on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Hence, some errors may have inadvertently made their way into the database. There are also undoubtedly duplicate sketches resulting from the lack of verifiable biographical data. Please be aware of these facts as you browse through the biographical sketches. Researchers should also bear in mind that, as a result of time constraints and a lack of local resources, the database fields for marriages, children, and predispersal activities are incomplete. This database should be regarded simply as a work in progress. Completion of all the sketches will hopefully follow in the next phase of the Acadian Memorial's development. If you are able to provide documented evidence for any of the database sketches, or if you are able to correct any errors in the sketches, please contact the Memorial at info@acadianmemorial.org Please be sure to include all of your documentation. |
