St. James Parish, Louisiana Genealogical Records Information

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St. James Parish History and Information

St. James Parish Facts

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.

St. James Parish, Louisiana History Books at Amazon.com
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St. James Parish Court Records

See Also Louisiana Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Louisiana Marriages, 1718-1925, Louisiana Marriages to 1850, Louisiana Marriage Records, 1851-1900, New Orleans, Louisiana Marriage Records Index, 1831-1925, Louisiana Land Records. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Louisiana and does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Louisiana Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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:

St. James Parish, Louisiana Court Books at Amazon.com

St. James Parish Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

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:

St. James Parish, Louisiana Tax Books at Amazon.com

St. James Parish Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Louisiana Genealogical Addresses

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:

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Local Louisiana Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Louisiana State Archives , 3851 Essen Lane, PO Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125; (225) 922-2012
Louisiana Historical Society, 5801 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115; 504/866-3049, [EMAIL]
Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P.O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2060-60
National Archives and Records Admin, 501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
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.
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St. James Parish Church & Cemeteries

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.

There are many churches and cemeteries in St. James Parish. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the St. James Parish Tombstone Transcription Project.

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:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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:

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County History

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.

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