Maria Adelaida Lemelle

---

      Sex: F

AKA: Maria Adelaide, Le Melle

---

Individual Information

---

     Birth Date: 11 Oct 1771 - New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
    Christening: 7 Nov 1771 - New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
          Death: 8 Nov 1829 - New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA
         Burial: in St Louis #1-2 tomb, New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, United States
 Cause of Death: 

---

Parents

---

         Father: Jacques Santiago Lemelle
         Mother: Jacqueline Lemelle

---

Spouses and Children

---

1. *Luis Bruno Giraudeau
       Marriage: 
       Children:
                1. Gabriel Eliceo Giraudeau
                2. Agata Giraudeau
                3. Antonio Edmundo Giraudeau
                4. Amada Adele Giraudeau
                5. Maria Giraudeau
                6. Bruno Giraudeau
                7. Emilio Giraudeau

---

Notes

---

General:

Listed as parent in church record below:
GIRAUDOT [@GIRAUDEAU, JIRAUDOT] Amada Adela (Luis Bruno and Adelaida LE MELLE) b.Apr 28,1797, bn. October 30,1795, s. Francisco Longuet and Amada Douezal (SLC, B13.366) [Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans: Vol. 6 (1796-1799)] Note that "s." is probably sponsors, and commonly would be god parents)

Per Urban Slavery-Urban Freedom by L. Virginia Gould:
"In the waning years of the eighteenth century, before Louisiana was ceded to the United States, Adelaida followed the example of her mother and her African grandmother by reinforcing those ties (to the white community). She entered into a liason with Luis Bruno Gireaudeau, a prominent white New Orleanian. Adeliada Lemelle's arrangement with Luis lasted throughout her lifetime and produced several children, one of whom distanced herself even further from slavery by paassing into the white community in Natchez, Mississippi."

Per The Louisiana Historical Quarterly - Index to Spanish Judicial Records of Louisiana
In the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one, on the seventh of November, I, the undersigned, have baptized, with the ordinary ceromonies of the Church, Maria Adelaide, born the eleventh of October of the present year, of Jacqueline, a mulattress slave of Mr. Lemelle; this child was declared free by Mr. Lemelle, her master, and of unknown father. The god-father was Mr. Carmuche, a merchant, and the god-mother was Miss Marie Braux, who signed with me on the day and year as above.
(Signed) Father Dagobert; Marie Braud; Lemelle.
This conforms to its original which remains in the books of this Parish, to which I refer, and to which I attest. New Orleans, on the twenty-sixth day of the month of July, of the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five.
(Signed) Fr. Antonio de Sedella. (Official Seal.)

============================================================================
Adelaïde Lemelle's will as translated from French to English by Yvette Rothaermel, who declares Adelaida is buried in St Louis #1-2 tombs behind Marie Levant
In the year 1829, the 50th of the Independance of the United States, on the 8th day of November at 11 am, I, Theodore Seghers, public Notary, authorized by the town and parish of New Orleans, State of Louisiana, living there, have transported myself after requisition besides Marie-Adelaïde Lemelle, f.w.c. in a house situated at the corner of St Anne's street and the ramparts in this town. Where being, I found said Marie-Adelaïde Lemelle ill and lying in bed but with full mental intelligence and memory as it appeared obvious to me, Notary, and to the three witnesses hereafter named. Which one, wanting to settle her affairs, asked me to receive her will in presence of Messrs Maurice Abat, Modeste Lefebvre et Joseph Lombard father, all three living in this town, requested as witnesses before whom the testatrix dictated me her will and I wrote it as she dictated it, as follows:

My name is Marie-Adelaïde Lemelle, born in this country, almost 58 years old, daughter of Jacqueline Lemelle and Jacques Lemelle. I have six children, all of age, named Agathe Giraudeau, Antoine Giraudeau, Adèle Giraudeau, Astrée Giraudeau, Bruno Giraudeau et Virginie Giraudeau. I name them all my heirs.

I let them all cojointly my negress called Alizée, 32 years old and her children, i.e. Louise, 14 years old, mulatress, Julien, 12 years old grif, Cyprien another little grif aged 4 and another one, Léon, 6 months old. I also let them a negress called Victoria, aged 22.

I have a Negress named Loïse, over 60 years old, that I let them. She will serve them but they will take care of her and never sell her.

I bequeath my tablecloth and my bed-sheets to Virginie, Astrée and Bruno Giraudeau. And after this I bequeath the rest of my cloth and kitchen utensils, my china and all my furniture to Astrée and Virginie Giraudeau.

And the testatrix, having nothing more to mention to the present witnesses and declaring to cancel any former will, although she does not remember having ever done one, I, undersigned Notary, read her the present lines loudly and distinctly in front of said witnesses before whom the testatrix declared to hear and understand clearly and persisted to say that these were her latest intentions.

Made right now without interruption or disturbances in the above-mentioned address in front of said witnesses and the testatrix, being asked of, signed before them. The Notary and witnesses...

Adelaïde Lemelle

Mte Lefebvre Maurice Abat Jph Lombard father Th. Seghers, Notary