St. James Parish was created on March 31, 1807. It is one of the 19 parishes, which were created by dividing the Territory of New Orleans. The parish was named in honor of Saint James. The Parish seat is Convent .
History records that Hernando de Soto was one of the first Europeans to enter what is now the State of Louisiana, claiming the region for Spain as part of Florida in 1541. Later, LaSalle sailed down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers and claimed the territory for France, naming it "Louisiana" in honor of the French King Louis XIV.
Prior to its creation as a civil parish, St. James Parish formed a part of the "Comte' d'Acadie" or County of Acadia, which was composed of the old ecclesiastical parishes of St. James and "The Ascension", commonly referred to then as the First and Second Acadian Coasts.
The original seat of government was in St. James on the west bank of the river, but in 1869 it was changed to the east bank, near the "Convent of the Sacred Heart" and a new courthouse was erected. This structure was destroyed by fire in 1904 and another was built in the same location. In 1971 the present courthouse was constructed. The area is now known as Convent and is at present the parish seat. St. James Parish is bounded by Ascension Parish on the north, St. John the Baptist on the east, Assumption on the west and southwest, and Lafourche on the south.
It is borderd by Ascension Parish (north), St. John the Baptist Parish (east), Lafourche Parish (south), Assumption Parish (west) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Convent, Gramercy, Lutcher, North Vacherie, South Vacherie . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Armant, Belmont, Caire Spur, Central, Convent, Grand Point, Helvetia, Hester, Hymel, Lagan, Lauderdale, Lower Vacherie, Malarcher, Oak Alley, Oneida, Paulina, Remy, Romeville, St. Elmo, St. James, St. Mary, Uncle Sam, Union, Vacherie and Welcome.
The Official County Website is located at http://www.stjamesla.com/ . See Extended History for More information.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Saint James Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1846 and Land Records from 1846 and Probate Records from 1846 has Marriage Records from 1846 and is located at 5800 Hwy. 44, Convent, LA 70723 , POBox 63, Convent, LA 70723, (225) 562-7496, (225) 562-2383 Fax . The Clerk of Court for each parish in Louisiana performs the functions of more than one office. As the Recorder, the office of the Clerk of Court receives, files, records and indexes all mortgages, conveyances and all other instruments recorded in the Public Records for the Parish. The Clerk’s Office receives and files all pleadings, such as petitions, answers, motions and other filings in Civil and Probate matters, as well as indictments, bills of information and other filings in Criminal matters. The Clerk’s Office also handles special Juvenile matters and Criminal Neglect cases. Another function of the Clerk’s Office is the issuance of Marriage Licenses and recording their returns after the marriages are performed.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Court Records by clicking the link below:
Records of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans Division: Petitions, 1838-1861(The National Archives): NARA P2233. Naturalization records in this publication include petitions and oaths for new citizens in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1838 to 1861. Included here are petitions for naturalization and oaths by petitioners and two witnesses. Occasionally, declarations of intention filed in other courts are included. Each document contains the name and residence of the petitioner, country of birth, city and date of arrival, and names of the witnesses.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Vital Records Registry Office of Public Health, 325 Loyola Avenue, P.O. Box 60630. New Orleans, LA 70160; Tel: 504-568-5150 504- 568-5152 (automated) is the repository for all Louisiana Birth Certificates less than 101 years old and all
Louisiana Death Certificates less than 51 years old. Existing records of births which occurred in Louisiana more than
100 years ago or deaths which occurred more than 50 years ago are maintained by the Louisiana State Archives. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: State office has had records since July 1914. Birth records
for city of New Orleans are available from 1892. Death records
are available since 1942. Older birth, death, and marriage
records are available through the Louisiana State Archives,
P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804.
Cost: The cost of a birth record is $15.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit
cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Arkansas Vital Records start with February 1, 1914 through the present. Arkansas Vital Records does have a limited number of deaths occurring prior to 1914 for Little Rock and Fort Smith dating from 1881. The Arkansas History Commission has a death index of deaths occurring in Arkansas from 1914 through 1949. This is only an alphabetical listing of deaths occurring in Arkansas. The History Commission does not have copies of the death records.
Cost: The cost of a death record is $7.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit
cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
Marriage Certificates: Orleans Parish records only from Vital Records Registry or the Louisiana State Archives. For other parishes, certified copies are available from the Clerk of the Court in the parish where the license was issued.
Divorce Certificates: Divorce records are available from Clerk of Court in parish where divorce was granted. Fees vary. Call Civil District Court, (504) 592-9100.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Order By Mail: SUBMIT APPLICATION, COPY OF STATE OR FEDERAL PHOTO ID AND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: Vital Records Registry, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Please do not send cash in the mail.
IF NO RECORD IS FOUND, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED AND FEES WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE SEARCH PER R.S. 40:40.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Louisiana newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Parishwide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for St. James Parish, Louisiana are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in St. James Parish, Louisiana are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Statewide Records that exist for Louisiana are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. After the 1803 purchase of Louisiana it became an American possession; therefore, the first federal census report taken for the state was 1810.
As early as 1860 the federal government began attempts to identify Native Americans. In 1900 and 1910 it created a special Indian schedule. The first page was the same as the population census only it had “Indian Population” as its heading. The second page provided for such important information as: tribal affiliation, the tribe of each parent, the person's Indian blood quantum, and—if not full blooded —their precise racial mixture. These schedules will be found at the end of the ward or district in which the Native American resided.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Louisiana and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Louisiana showing all the parish boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in parish boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Louisiana showing all the parish boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in parish boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Louisiana Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Louisiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Tax records are a valuable but little-used source. Almost everything was taxed: household and personal goods, livestock, slaves, and property. Tax lists can be used as a substitute census, to create complete neighborhoods for a neighborhood study, establish relationships, locate land, and so on. Unfortunately, most of these lists no longer exist in Louisiana, but those that are extant are usually found in the tax assessor's office in the St. James Parish courthouse.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Louisiana Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Most Catholic church registers are still in the local parish
church. Many of them have been translated and published.
The recording of cemetery inscriptions in Louisiana
has long been a project of the DAR and numerous genealogical
societies. Genealogical
publications continually print these inscriptions in their issues.
Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Louisiana obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Louisiana newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Louisiana.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for St. James Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing St. James Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Louisiana Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Before the coming of the white men, this region was the homeland of the Oumas (Reds) and the Chitimachas Indian Nations. In 1700,the Jesuit Father de Limoges founded a mission among the Oumas and erected a chapel, having first announced the Gospel to them. This tribe, also known as the Houmas, once inhabited the northern part of West Feliciana. Both Tonti and Iberville reported having seen them when they visited here. The Chitimachas did not take very kindly to Christianity. Father St.Cosme, a Roman Catholic missionary, and two of his three companions were murdered by them in 1706, while en route from Natchez to Biloxi. The third member of the party, and Indian slave belonging to Father Cosme, escaped and carried the news of the tragedy to Bienville, who took measures to avenge the victims. The Chitimachas were defeated and forced to sue for peace.
In 1723, three grand ecclesiastical districts were created. The first district, including the present civil parish of St. James, comprised the territory between the mouths of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and was in charge of the Chaupins.
The first Acadian exiles to settle in this region arrived about 1762, although the first permanent settlement was not made until about 1780 by the French and Spanish. In 1779 the parish of St. Jacques de Cabahanoce was founded by the Acadians and the first pastor was Father Prosper, a Capuchin. The pious and zealous male parishoners contributed liberally with donations of plate and altar equipment. James Cantrelle, an outstanding personality, was known as "The Great Benefactor". Many of his descendants still reside in this parish.
Saint James Parish has not wanted for names, having been known at different times as "Cabahanoce", "Saint James of the Acadian", the "Post of the Acadians", "Cabanoce", the "Coast of the Acadians", the "Post of the Cabanoces", the "Golden Coast" and "Acadie".
During the first two years of American government administration, the territory was governed by officials known as civil commandants and syndics. Judges superseded these officials when parishes were organized into counties, and justices of the peace held authority when parishes were again designated. In 1807, the judge of the county became the judge of the parish court. In many cases the Spanish commandants were allowed by Governor Claiborne to retain their authority. Michael Cantrelle was appointed county judge of Acadie county, succeeding Joseph Landry, who styled himself as "commandant Civil as District de la Fourche de Chitimachas, Paroisse de l'Ascension,Province de la Louisiane."
The Church of St. Michael was erected by the Acadians of the Parish in 1809 on the site donated by the Cantrelle family.
St. James has long been renowned for the part it played in the education of the youth. In 1888, there were seventeen public schools in the parish, nine for the white children and eight for the black children.
Jefferson College, one of the best-known and oldest institutions in the state, was founded in 1838, and did much toward the education of Louisiana youth. It was used as a barracks by Yankee troops during the Civil War when they occupied the River Parishes. THe college, named for Thomas Jefferson, operated as a state-supported, nonsectarian institution during its existence. Valcour Aime, brother-in-law of Governor Roman, once purchased it as a sheriff's sale, restored it, and some time later presented it to the Marist Fathers, who operated it until 1927 when bad crops forced them to close it. It was later purchased by the Jesuit Fathers, who operate it as a layman's retreat house known as "Manresa House".
The Sacred Heart Convent, a short distance north of Jefferson College, is another institution worthy of mention. Founded in 1825 by a colony of French nuns, Les Dames du Sacre'Coeur, it has educated generation after generation of women in the parish, as well as many from Mexico and Central America. Its doors, too, have since been closed after serving this parish for over a century.
Valcour Aime was famous not only for re-establishing Jefferson College, but also for perfecting the process of refinging sugar from Louisiana sugar cane. In 1833, an agricultural society was incorporated ,of which Governor Roman was president. Its headquarters were in the parish of St. James, on a small farm purchased for that purpose. In 1840 there were 825 sugar plantations in Louisiana, employing 40,000 laborers. Sugar planters were successful until 1862, when there was a marked decrease in sugar production that lasted until the mid-1870's.
St. James can boast of many prominent citizens, including A.B.Roman, twice governor of Lousisian; Dr. Pierre Lyon, a French journalist; Elizee Reclus, the author of many geographical works and a professor in Mr. Septime Fortier's family; Jean Gentil, a French writer and publisher of a weekly newspaper at Convent,Louisiana; Valcour Aimee, a pioneer in the sugar industry; Judge Michael Cantrelle, who held an office in Acadia county; Paul M. Lambremont, state senator and later Lieutenant Governor under the Sanders regime, who authored the anti-gambling laws of the state; Louis LeBourgeois, former sheriff of the Parish and later Minister to Haiti by appointment from his classmate, President Howard Taft; his sister, Adele LeBourgeois Chapin, who was largely responsible for starting kindergarten education in the United States; Henry Hobson Richardson, an outstanding architect of the nineteenth century; Joseph N. Goudain, superintendent of St. James schools for a quarter of a century; Rodney P. Woods,Sr., bosom friend of Huey P. Long and president of the Policy Jury for many years; Dr.J.E.Doussan, state senator for several terms; Judge H.L.Himel, who served as a state representative, then state senator and last as judge of the 23rd Juducial District, composed of Ascension, Assumption, and St.James parishes; and Joseph B.Dornier, Sheriff of the Parish of St. James for nine terms of four years each- before that he was deputy sheriff for twelve years, thus serving a total of forty-eight years in the sheriff's office.
