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Francisca "Frances" Ashetton m. Mar 10, 1767 Philadelphia PA b. Dec 19, 1743 Philadelphia PA d. Aug 9, 1809 St. Landry Parish Louisiana Terr, |
Stephen Asheton b. Dec 20, 1769 Lower Dublin Twp. PA |
Susanna b. Apr 4, 1771 Lower Dublin Twp. PA d. Mar 6, 1826/1836 Opelousas, St. Landry Parish LA |
Elizabeth "Isobel" b. May 4, 1773 Lower Dublin Twp. PA d. 1792/3 ?Natchez, Adams Co. Miss. Ter. |
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Margaret Cyrilla b. Mar 23, 1775 Lower Dublin Twp. PA d. May 19, 1829 Opelousas, St. Landry Parish LA |
Frances b. 1779 ?Natchez Dist. d. |
Caroline b. 1779 ?Natchez Dist. d. |
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Sarah b. 1781 Lower Dublin Twp. PA d. |
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Stephen married Frances Assheton on Mar 10, 1767 in Philadelphia. She was the
daughter of Ralph Assheton, M.D., 1736-1773, and Susannah Redman, daughter of
Joseph Redman, and granddaughter of John and Susannah Redman, who were among
the first settlers of Philadelphia. John Redman, M.D. was first President of
the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Susannah Redman Assheton died in
Philadelphia on Nov 24, 1767. On Mar 29, 1778, the Natchez Court recorded Stephen
Watts as the executor of the will of "Susannah Asheton" [McBee, p. 225]. |
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Stephen Watts was in the Natchez District when he was present for a land
transaction on Dec 20, 1777 [McBee, p. 461]. |
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On Dec 18, 1788, there was a transaction from
David Williams to a James Fournier, of
120 arpents one mile from Baton Rouge, "part of 1000 arpents granted to
Stephen Watts" [McBee, p. 60]. |
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Map of
the Natchez District as it may have looked between 1779 and 1799. |
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On Aug 12, 1789 Gov. Manuel Gayoso de Lemos
witnessed the
will of a very ill man,
aged about 35 years old, named Samuel Marshall.
In the will Samuel said that there is in his house a "mulatto woman, dec'd, named
Nelly" but the word dec'd may be the word free misread, since there was
no record of a death investigation or an estate in the court records. Free mulatto
describes Nelly Price who also was known to
have taken care of ill soldiers and others in the Natchez District. Four others
witnessed the will [McBee, Book B, p. 69]. |
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Painting of
Manuel Gayoso de Lemos. |
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In a letter dated Mar 2, 1790, from
Carlos de Grand-Pré, Natchez to
Governor Don Estavan Miro, the amount of tobacco produced in 1790 was reported
by growers of Natchez. "Richard King" reported
producing 10,000 pounds of tobacco that year. Tobacco was produced on other
plantations owned by Caleb and "Justin King" [MS Dept of Archives & History,
website]. |
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Daughters Elizabeth and Margaret were wives of
Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, Governor of the
Natchez District and the Province of Louisiana from 1789 to 1799 when he died.
Elizabeth married Gayoso on Apr 23, 1792. She soon died and on Jul 14, 1796,
her sister Margaret married him. |
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On Jul 13, 1792, Manuel Gayoso de Lemos
made an agreement with
John Holloway and John's brother-in-law
Cader Raby regarding travel outside of the
Natchez District. Cader's son Cader named a son Gayoso Carney Raby in 1826.
English Translation of the
document handwritten in Spanish. |
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Manuel Gayoso de Lemos succeeded
Carlos de Grand-Pré in 1792 and changed
the name of the mansion built by his predecessor to Concord.
Postcard
showing the mansion before it burned down in 1901. Also, his title of Governor
replaced that of Commandant. |
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On Jul 20, 1794, Prosper King petitioned the "that he desires
to build a house in the New City of Natchez", asking for Lot 3, Square No. 33.
On Jul 20, 1795, his father Justus King petitioned the "Spanish Govt. that he
desires to build a house in Natchez", asking for Lot 2 Square No. 33. Both petitions
were granted Jul 21, 1796, by Gayoso, to "Justus Cobun King"
[McBee, Book D, p. 453]. |
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On Jan 12, 1795, son-in-law Gayoso granted
Lot No. 2, Square No. 5 in Natchez to his
mother-in-law, Madame Frances Assheton Watts. On Jan 1, 1795, she had asked
to build a house on that lot "in the New City", and on Sep 12, 1797 sold the lot
to Natchez businessman James Moore [McBee, p. 487].
Framed map
showing the location of the lot on the bluff overlooking the river, which is
where Connelly's Tavern was built a few years later [House on Ellicott Hill
historic mansion]. |
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On Jan 18, 1798 Prosper King sold to his brother Richard King Lot 3, Square 33 in
Natchez for $50. On the same day, Richard bought Lot 4, Square 33 from John Boles for
the same price. Before, on Jul 29, 1794, Boles had petitioned that "having
material to build a house and no land" asks the Spanish Govt. for that lot,
which was granted by Gayoso on Aug 8, 1796. So, Richard owned Lots 2, 3 and 4,
all in Square 33, each with a building by Jan 18, 1798. [McBee, Book D, p. 453]. |
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King's Tavern is located on Lot 3 in Square 33 in Natchez. On Aug 5, 1799 according
to the Minutes of the Adams Co. Court, Richard King was "licensed to operate a
public house" (tavern) [Minutes of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace,
p. 78]. |
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On Apr 16, 1792, Gayoso bought a slave named "August" from
David Williams [McBee, Book C, p. 91]. |
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When Gayoso heard of the death of David Williams,
he went to the Williams Plantation and the will, written on Apr 7, 1792 and witnessed
by William McIntosh, Benjamin Monsanto,
and three others. was read before James McIntosh, Banjamin Monsanto, sons William and
John Williams, and James McIntosh.
By May 6, 1793, this James McIntosh married the widow
Mary Williams [McBee, p. 108]. |
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Gayoso died of yellow fever on Jul 18, 1799 in New Orleans LA. On Aug 10, 1799
his widow Margaret Watts Gayoso sold a "tract of land known by the name of
Concord" which was one-half league from the Fort of Natchez, to Daniel
Clark Jr. Esq. for $5000 [McBee, Book A, p. 405]. |
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The mansion at Concord was built for Charles de Grand-Pré in 1789.
Gayoso's first wife died there. |
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Wife Frances Watts is buried at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery in St. Landry Parish
LA. Photo of
gravestone [find-a-grave, website]. |
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In 1806, Gayoso's widow Margaret married James Stelle or Stille (1773-1820) who
came to Louisiana from NJ. |
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Margaret's Son Fernando married Ysabel Juliana Wykoff on Oct 14, 1816 in Baton Rouge LA. He
may then have married Victoria Lodiska Cecilia Perez (1808-1887) and had a daughter
Felecite (1836-1917) [find-a-grave website]. |
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Sources: Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census. "George W. Humphreys Bible", Claiborne MS Bibles, photostat of original bible, recorded 1957 by May Wilson McBee, in Mississippi Genealogy Trails, website. Ellicott Hill, "1795 Lot granted to Madame Francis Asseton Watts", from Journal of Miss. Hist., 1997 article, framed picture hanging at the House at Ellicott Hill, Natchez MS. Farrell Family History, "GRAND-PRE to MIRO, May 16, 13 Translation No. 6 AT THE FORT OF NATCHEZ, May 16, 1782" entry, website. MS Dept. Archives & Hist., Will Book Vol. 1, Adams Co. Courthouse, Natchez MS, microfilm, Apr 1816. Imbert, J. Leopold, map maker, Carte des Possessions Angloises... 1777, reprinted by the Museum of the American Revolution from map image at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library. McBee, May Wilson, comp., "Land Claims", in Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Book B, p. 390. McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, pp. 225-6, 386, 461, 487, 493, Book B, p. 60, Book C, p. 91. MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb website, Early Mississippians in Spanish Natchez. Natchez Gazette, Natchez MS, Mar 21, 1901, from an architectural website. Wells, Carol, Natchez Postscripts 1781-1798, Heritage Books, pp. 101, 144-5, 151, |
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