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THE BELLANDE FAMILY
FROM MARSEILLE TO MISSISSIPPI
The
Family of Antoine V. Bellande (1829-1918)
FORWARD
Historical research and writing are fun. Since moving
to Ocean Springs in May 1990, I have enjoyed visiting the libraries
and courthouses, reading old newspapers, and conversing with others
interested in the local history of coastal Mississippi. In the
process of assimilating new knowledge, I have made discoveries about
our Family Bellande.
I would like to thank Louis E. Bellande Jr. of Chicago for
his valuable assistance with our Midwest Family. Mary Blair Kleyn
of Laguna Hills, California sent me timely information about our
west coast Family. Locally, Regina Hines, J.K. Lemon, and Murella
Powell have been of great assistance and support in making From
Marseille To Mississippi a better document. I personally again
thank all of you who responded with letters and calls after
receiving your first addition. Please enjoy this, your Family
History "its the only one you've got". I always appreciate
comments and criticism. Thank you again for your support and
patience.
THE
AUTHORS
Heidi Balje Good
was born in Germany in 1947. She is married to Paul Good whose
great grandmother was Zoe Willamine Bellande (b. 1863). Zoe was the
youngest daughter of Joseph H. Bellande (b. 1813) in Marseille, and
Roseline LaFauce (b. 1821) probably at Vieux Biloxy (Ocean
Springs). Paul and Heidi Good reside in the Sultanate of Oman were
Paul is employed with the Petroleum Development of Oman, a joint
venture between Shell Oil and the Omani Government. Their children
are: Sebastian (b. 1975), Adriane (b. 1979), Marian (b. 1982), and
Elisabeth (b. 1983). Heidi received her Doctorate in Biology from
UCLA.
(1971
image)
Ray L. Bellande (b. 1943) is a Biloxi native. He
is the great grandson of Antoine V. Bellande (1829-1918), born at
Marseille, France, and Marie Harvey (1840-1894) of Back Bay (now
D'Iberville). Bellande attended Biloxi parochial and public
schools. He matriculated at New Mexico Tech in 1961, and graduated
with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Geology from Mississippi State
University in 1965. Bellande was employed by Humble Oil (Exxon),
Tenneco, and others before becoming an independent geologist and oil
operator at Lafayette, Louisiana in 1980. His oil exploration
activities brought him to many petroleum provinces as he has resided
or worked in Louisiana, California, Alaska, Texas, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Presently Bellande resides at Ocean Springs, home of his ancestors,
where he has written since 1993, a weekly history column for The
Ocean Springs Record titled, "Sous Les Chenes" and “Images Under
the Oaks”. He has published several books: The Bellande
Cemetery: A History and Register (1990); From
Marseille to Mississippi, A Bellande Family History (1991);
Ocean Springs Hotels and Tourist Homes (1994); and
Ocean Springs, The Way We Were 1900-1950 (1996).
Ray L.
Bellande was the first commandant of the Fort Maurepas Society, and
is currently vice-president of history for the Mississippi Coast
Historical and Genealogical Society. He has been a member of the
following organizations: Mississippi Historical Society (life
member), Jackson County Historical Society, Jackson County
Genealogical Society, Forces of Montcalm and Wolfe, North American
Voyageurs Council, Fort Maurepas Society, Jackson County
Tricentennial Commission, American Association of Petroleum
Geologists, Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce and Ocean Springs Art
Association.
Bellande is an active participant in community cultural and
historical affairs. He has served on the Ocean Springs Historical
Preservation Commission and Museum Board. His other activities
include pottery, dancing, and gardening.
Ray L.
Bellande
PO BOX
617
Ocean
Springs, Mississippi 39566-0618
(228)
424-6041
Marseille, France
This
story commences in Marseille, France. Marseille with a population
approaching one million people is the second largest city in France
and the nation's chief port. It was founded by Greek mariners about
600 BC, and called Massalia (Massilia). There is some
archaeological evidence to suggest that Phoenicians settled here
even earlier.
Marseille has always been France's gateway to the East. Since
ancient times, both the goods and culture of Africa, the Middle
East, and Asia have entered France at the Marseille docks. The
economy of Marseille is based on trade and manufacturing. The
city's port handles about a third of the traffic of all French
seaports. Industries in the area process chemicals, food, and
petroleum from many parts of the world. The city's chief
manufactured products include
bricks, candles, engines, medicine, soap, and tiles. Until the
intensified police action of the early 1970s, it was a center for
the manufacture and shipping of drugs, especially heroin. Remember
the "French Connection" with Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman)?
Marseille has many beautiful churches. The hilltop church,
Notre-Dame de la Garde, the patron saint of the city's fishing fleet
has a large image of the Virgin Mary on its tall steeple. (See
photo). This holy image can be seen far out at sea.
 
Dr.
Andre' Bellande and Madame Rene'e Bellande
[1973 image] of Marseille and Bonnieux,
France.
Sonia Tchiftbachian Bellande and Clement Bellande
of Marseille,
daughter-in-law and son, of Andre' and Rene'e Bellande.[2008 image]
In
September 1972, I was returning from an assignment with Esso
Exploration Malaysia and decided to visit the Cote d'Azur and
Marseille. I drove a rental car from Nice to Marseille, an easy day
drive. My arrival in the large port city took place late in the
afternoon. A search of the local telephone directory for the name
Bellande surprised me as their were only a few listed. One was an
Andre' Bellande, le medcin (medical doctor). Rather than telephone,
Dr. Bellande, I chose to take a taxi to his domicile the following
morning. This was a mistake as he was not there. His duties that
day took him into the country side making house calls. I did meet
his delightfully charming wife, Rene'e, and her children. They were
all quite surprised to meet this American "cousin"!
Although I remained in Marseille for only one day, I was able to
establish good relations for future communications. One very
interesting fact I did learn that day was a plausible explanation
for the origin of the family name, BELLANDE. Jean Bellande, the
uncle of Andre', related that the
name was derived from two French words, Bel (beautiful) and Lande,
an evergreen tree which is prevalent in the area around the city of
Bordeaux in southwest France. The Department or State in which
Bordeaux is situated is called Landes for the trees.
Heidi Balje Good in her detailed research of the
Simmons-Bellande families located a Frederick Bellande residing in
St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada. Messieur Bellande was told by his
family that "the Bellandes were Jewish originating from a little
town called Uppsala in Sweden and that they went afterward to live
in Bordeaux". A copy of this letter is included in the appendix of
this document as it is a valuable reference for clues to the
relationship of the Bellande families of Haiti, Canada, the United
States, and the French cities of Marseille and Bordeaux.
We
know that our common ancestor, Antoine Victor Bellande, was born
September 11, 1829 in Marseille. His parents were Jean Antoine
Joseph Marie Bellande (1790-1874) and Marceline Vezian of
Marseille. His father and grandfather were naval workers, probably
caulkers, in a local shipyard.
Antoine left his native France as a deck hand on a vessel at the age
of twenty-two years, and arrived in New Orleans in 1851. Shortly,
he joined his "brother" in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I use
"brother" because at this time there was a Joseph H. Bellande, also
a French immigrant, residing there. Heidi B. Good whose husband,
Paul, is related to Joseph H. Bellande has done an excellent job of
researching Joseph and his family. I will present shortly in this
text her story of Joseph for your general information and interest.
It should answer some of the questions about the "other" Bellande
Family of the Gulf Coast region who you may recognize as a relative.
The
true relationship between Antoine and Joseph Bellande is not yet
known. We believe Joseph was born in France in October, 1813.
Church records in Marseille indicate that Antoine's father, Jean
Antoine Joseph Bellande, had three wives: Marguerite Grafassy,
Marceline Vezian, and Marie Francoise Gorge. His first child with
Marguerite Grafassy was called Jacques Joseph Nestor (1815 or 1819).
From
the information currently available, I conclude that Joseph H.
Bellande and Antoine were half brothers. Joseph may have been a
bastard son of Jean Antoine Joseph whose birth was not recorded?
The strongest evidence for a relationship is the fact that they were
both listed as heirs
in the succession of Jean Antoine Joseph Bellande dated December 18,
1877, in Marseille. As they were residing in the United States at
this time and failed to appoint an attorney to represent them in
Marseille, their inheritance was lost. It appears from the legal
instrument that their father left a house at No. 19 St. Barnabe
Boulevard in Marseille.
Let us
now enjoy the life of Joseph H. Bellande as told by Heidi B. Good:
JOSEPH BELLANDE
Joseph
Bellande was born in France, probably Marseille, in October 1813.
He arrived in this country in 1835, according to his statement on
the census of 1900. He is believed to have come first to New
Orleans. It is not known when or why he arrived in Ocean Springs,
Mississippi where he lived out the rest of his life. He married
Rosaline LaFauce, daughter of Jacques LaFauce and Marie Eveline
LaFontaine on May 26, 1842.
In
1846, as husband of one of the heirs of the "Widow" LaFontaine
property, he received title to approximately 20 acres of land in the
heart of present day Ocean Springs. His tract was about 260 feet
wide and 3300 feet in length running from the front beach on the Bay
of Biloxi to County Road (now Government Street) in Claim Section
37, Township 7S-Range 8 West. The present day City Hall, Public
Library, Police Station, a portion of Little Children's Park,
Bellande Avenue, Dewey Avenue, and the Bellande Cemetery are located
on the Bellande Tract. In 1859, he warranted a deed to Bishop
William H. Elder measuring 192 x 100 feet for the site of St.
Alphonsus Catholic Church on Porter Avenue for $100. From 1883 to
1892, he sold much of his land, some to his children, some to local
residents Gregoir Weider and George and E.S. Davis, and some to
Albert G. Tedo of New Orleans. As far as can be determined, none of
the original holdings belong to any family members now.
He
made his livelihood as a fisherman and sailor, and later was a
captain of a trading schooner, The Three Brothers ,
according to census records. During the storm of August 1901,
The Three Brothers beat itself to pieces and sank at
Schmidt's Wharf on the front beach the day of August 14th. He was
the father of eleven children. They are Cherie Marcellus (b. 3
March, 1843), Odile Delphine (b. 2 July, 1844), Honnorais "Noah" (b.
29 November, 1846), Joseph (b. 13 December, 1848), Clement (b. 31
December, 1850), Antoine (b. 24 November, 1852), Rosalie "Azalie"
(b. 22 October, 1854), John Nestor (b. 29 August, 1856), Laura
Evelina (b. 15 January, 1859), Adolphe (b. 8 January, 1861), and Zoe
Wilhemina (b. 6 June, 1863).
Not
much is yet known about the personal life of Joseph Bellande. His
family Bible, in French, was recently discovered in the home of one
of his descendants, as well as some legal documents and personal
papers in the form of a journal. All of these were handwritten in
French. The legal documents would seem to indicate he was related
to a later French immigrant seaman named Bellande - Antoine
Bellande, "the Captain", who arrived in this country in 1851. It
appears they were brothers or half brothers, sons of Jean Joseph
Marie Antoine Bellande of Marseille, a caulker in the shipbuilding
business.
An
aspect about Joseph's personal life that makes him a particularly
intriguing figure was handed down through the family lore of one of
his descendants, but has not yet been substantiated. Geneva Eliska,
the eldest daughter of Joseph's youngest child Zoe, knew her
grandfather to be a former priest, excommunicated on the event of
his marriage to Rosaline LaFauce.
She
recalled that he had gotten into some political difficulties with
the Church, and upon the advice of his friends who feared for his
life, he fled France. His writing would indicate that Joseph
remained a deeply religious man, his journals consisting of many
prayers for the hours of the day, the Stations of the Cross, and the
like. One can only speculate on the inner torment of this man, who
despite his excommunication, raised his family in the Catholic
Church, was denied admission to the funeral mass on the occasion of
the death of his wife Rosalie of asthma in January of 1893. He sat
sobbing out-side St. Alphonsus Church on that Tuesday afternoon.
This was witnessed by his eleven year old granddaughter, Geneva
Eliska. He lived in his house on LaFontaine Avenue for another 13
years, outliving seven of his children. He provided a home for his
daughter Azalie Reus and her two children after she was deserted by
her husband. On June 16, 1907, he was on his deathbed. Father
Peter de Gruyter, the Belgian pastor of St. Alphonsus who was
apparently disliked by the entire congregation, came to Joseph,
presumably to administer the last rites and hear his confession.
According to Church records, the dying man cursed the priest out of
his house. Joseph is buried in the Bellande Cemetery, his grave
marked by a cedar cross, now gone.
The
history of Joseph and Rosaline's children can be deduced from census
records, wills, and other legal documents, church records, newspaper
obituaries, notes found in the Family Bibles, and remembrances of
descendants that have thus far been located.
A
document from the Jackson County Chancery Court, Cause No. 4636,
dated 14 August, 1926, a case involving a land dispute between all
the surviving heirs of Joseph, gives a good lead on the fates and
whereabouts of his children. It is not clear why this land on
LaFontaine Avenue at Ocean Springs was contested, but the end result
was that it was sold at auction to Josephine Friar for $1200. The
profits were divided up proportionately among the heirs, each one
receiving an amount somewhere between $25 and $130. The legal
action will be referred to again in relation to each of the
children.
JOSEPH AND ROSALIE'S CHILDREN
1. Marcellus Bellande (1844-1905) Joseph's first-born child
joined the Confederate Army at the age of 19. According to the
book, Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Confederate Commands,
compiled in 1920 by Andrew B. Booth, he was a Private with Company
D, 4th Louisiana Infantry. He enlisted on October 22, 1863, in
Mobile, Alabama, when his youngest sister, Zoe, was just a few
months old. Nine months later, he was captured near Atlanta,
Georgia on August 5, 1864. He was sent to military prison in Camp
Chase, Ohio, and remained there for nine months, being paroled May
2, 1865. He was exchanged for a Union prisoner and moved to New
Orleans. He married Rosina Ludwig (1839-1925), a German
immigrant and the widow of Jean-Marie Begue, in October 1885, and
resided at 822 Ninth Street, New Orleans. They had no children.
Marcellus Bellande expired at New Orleans on June 2, 1905. His wife Rosina lived until 1925.(NOLA
Marriage Record V. 11, p. 484 and NOLA Death Records Index V. 135,
p. 541)
2. Delphine Bellande married a relative ten years her
senior, John Ryan, son of Jerome Ryan and Euphrasia LaFontaine, on
April 12, 1871, at St. Alphonsus Church in Ocean Springs. Her
sister, Rose Azalie, was one of the witnesses. John was a house
carpenter, and the family lived in the house next to Joseph's. John
died sometime between 1881 and 1900. They had four children: Anna
(1872), Joseph (1875), George (1877), and Arthur (1881). After her
husband's death, she continued to live in Ocean Springs with her
sons George and Arthur, both fisherman. By 1910, she had moved to
Biloxi and was living with her widowed daughter-in-law Alice, a
dressmaker, who had married her oldest son Joseph, and her son
George. She must have died before 1926, as only her three surviving
children, Anna, George, and Arthur are mentioned in the 1926 land
dispute. Anna married Arnold "Boy" Catchot (1869-1939) in 1895, and
reared a large family. They resided in New Orleans (1918-1928) where
"Boy" worked for the L&N Railroad. The Catchot family returned to
Ocean Springs where Anna died on October 30, 1930. George also
lived in New
Orleans. It is not yet known whether he had a family. Arthur lived
in Biloxi, and married Angelina from Italy and had a least two
children, Juanita (1907) and Geneva (1909).
Honore Bellande
Honore Bellande
(1845-1871) was the son of Joseph H. Bellande (1813-1907), a native
of Marseille, France and Rosaline LaFauce (1821-1893) or
LaForce, the daughter of Jacques LaFauce and Marie Eveline
LaFontaine of Ocean Springs. Her grandparents were the Widow
LaFontaine, Catherine Bourgeois (1768-ca 1845), and Louis
Auguste LaFontaine (1762-1824), the founders of modern day Ocean
Springs.
Honore
Bellande married Francine Ryan, daughter of Alfred
Ryan and Dora Staffin of Biloxi, on December 1, 1869. Their son
Adolph Bellande was born August 26, 1870. His Aunt Laura Ryan
Bellande was one of the sponsors at his baptism. Honore died a year
later on September 19, 1871. His widow, Francine, married Harro
Bellman (1849-1920), the son of Charles N. Bellman (1806-1860+)
and Pauline Ryan (1815-1899), the daughter of Jacques Ryan
(d. 1849) and Elizabeth Laforce, on August 10, 1876. They had a
daughter named Sue.
Adolph
Bellande bought property from his grandfather, Joseph, on Bellande
Avenue in 1892. For some time, he lived in Biloxi, and married
Beulah Ellis Richards (1872-1952) on February 22, 1906, in her
home at Ocean Springs. Judge E.W. Illing performed at the ceremony.
Beulah
Ellis was a native of Fontainbleau, a small community east of Ocean
Springs and had married Reuben L. Richards (1864-1928) of Ocean
Springs on December 26, 1889. They were divorced in the Chancery
Court at Jackson County in 1905. According to Cause No. 1368, they
had a son, Frank E. Richards. Reuben L. Richards married Miss Lena
Spradley in 1919. They had a son, Lloyd Richards. Richards worked
many years for Mrs. Purrington as caretaker of her beach
front
estate.
Adolph
Bellande and Beulah Ellis had a son named Adam Eugene Bellande
(1907-1977), commonly called Gene. Adolph did not remain with
Beulah very long. He died on January 14, 1916 and is buried in the
Bellande Cemetery in Ocean Springs. He was a member of the Woodmens
of the World (Satsuma # 703). His son, Gene, went on to become a
renowned fisherman, had many postcards of himself made as a young
man. He was known ubiquitously as the "Flounder King". He and his
mother, Beulah, were the defendants in the 1926 land dispute, and
all the other Bellande heirs were the complainants. Gene was
married to Mary Josephine Walker (1913-1977) of Gulfport. They had
six children, some of whom still reside in the Biloxi-Ocean Springs
area. Gene Bellande died July 27, 1977 and is buried in the
Evergreen Cemetery in Ocean Springs.
His
children are Ellen Louise B. Grant (1931-1996), Lee Jeanette
Blanchard (1932-2003), William Eugene “Billy” Bellande (1935-2002),
Martha Elizabeth B. Lashbrook (b. 4-16-1936), Billy Ray Bellande (b.
3-27-1938), and Betty Fay Denning (1938-2005).
Ellen Louise Bellande
Ellen
Louise Bellande Grant (1931-1996) was born on March 13, 1931, at
Biloxi. Ellen married Ebenezer M. Grant on April 28, 1950, in
Harrison County, Mississippi.(HARCO, Ms. MRB 81, p. 615)
She expired on January 21, 1996.
Lee
Jeanette Bellande
Lee Jeanette Bellande Blanchard (1932-2003) was born at
Biloxi, Mississippi on December 31, 1932. In Harrison County,
Mississippi, she married Leroy F. Blanchard (1921-1954) on June 7,
1950. He was the son of Lee J.Blanchard (1891-1960) and Amelia
Robicheaux (1897-1983). Jeanette made her livelihood as a nurse.
She was the mother of: David L. Blanchard Sr., Leroy Blanchard Jr.,
and Kevin Parker. Mrs. Blanchard was a member of the Full Gospel
Tabernacle Church. She died at Biloxi on January 8, 2003. Jeanette
B. Blanchard’s corporal remains were interred in the Biloxi City
Cemetery.(The Sun Herald, January 10, 2003, p. A5)
William E. Bellande
William Eugene “Billy” Bellande (1935-2002) was born at
Biloxi on January 31, 1935. He made his livelihood on the sea. He
was the captain of the shrimp boat, Jeffrey Mac,
and Blue Chip, an offshore supply boat. Billy was the
former Commander of VFW Post 2434, a member of the French Club, and
American Legion.
In
April 1959, Billy Bellande married Eva Voncile Freeman
(1938-1989), the daughter of William L. Freeman and Eva Jewel Furby
of Grand bay, Alabama. She was the mother of: William Eugene
“Bubba” Bellande II (b. 1963) m. Mary Ann Hughes and Rhonda Jean
Bellande Duffy. They divorced in July 1981. Eva expired at
Jackson, Mississippi on December 4, 1989. Her corporal remains were
interred in the Adam E. Bellande family plot at the Evergreen
Cemetery at Ocean Springs.(HARCO, Ms. Chancery Court Cause No. 9659
and The Daily Herald, December 6, 1989)
Billy
Bellande married Louise Ross West (b. 1950) in December
1982. She was the daughter of Louis R. Ross and Aldora Esma
Arcement. They divorced in November 1998. (HARCO, Ms. 2nd
Judicial District MRB 25, p. 354 and HARCO, Ms. Chancery Court Cause
No. 98-0927)
In
October 2001, prior to his demise, several cancer benefits were held
for Billy at Biloxi and D’Iberville.(The Bay Press, October 12,
2001, p. 6)
Billy
Bellande passed on at Biloxi on January 22, 2002. He was of the
Lutheran faith. His corporal remain were interred in the Biloxi
City Cemetery.(The Sun Herald, January 23, 2002, p. A-5)
Martha E. Bellande
Martha Elizabeth Bellande (1936-2003+) was born April
16, 1936 at Biloxi. She married Mr. Lashbrook. No further
information.
Betty Faye Bellande
Betty
Faye Bellande (1938-2005) was born at Biloxi on March 27, 1938. She
expired at Danville, Alabama on July 20, 2005. On August 4, 1956,
Betty Faye had married Hasbur ‘Little Red’ Wendell Denning
(1930-2007), the son of Hasbur J. Hasbur Denning and Jennifer
Wedgeworth of Perkinston, Mississippi.(HARCO, Ms. MRB 106, p. 154)
Betty Faye and Hasbur W. Denning were the parents of:
Joseph H. Denning, Mary Denning Rogers, and Sandra Denning Kleas.
Betty Faye Denning expired at Danville, Alabama on July 19, 2005.
She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. Her corporal remains were interred in the East Lawrence
Memorial Gardens Cemetery.(
The Sun Herald,
July
22, 2005, p. A8)
Hasbur
W. Denning expired on October 16, 2007 at his home in Danville.
Alabama. He was born Dec. 8,
1930, in Biloxi, Miss. to the late Hasbur Joseph Denning and
Jeniever Wedgeworth Denning. He was a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a
master sergeant after 23 years, with service in Cambodia, Vietnam
and North Korea. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Faye
Bellande Denning, his parents, and two brothers, David Denning and
Everett "Big Red" Denning.
A military graveside service
for Hasbur W. "Little Red" Denning, was Friday, Oct. 19, at East
Lawrence Memorial Gardens with Bishop Royce Alsup officiating and
Hartselle Heritage Funeral Home directing.(The
Hartselle Inquirer, October 16, 2007)
Billy Ray Bellande
Billy Ray Bellande was born at Biloxi on March 27,
1938. He married Ida “Sue” Ashworth Watford Bell (1936-1997), a
native of Royston, Georgia. She was the daughter of Patrick
Ashworth and Ila ? Ashworth Bennett. Sue Bellande was the mother
of: Billy Ray Bellande Jr. (b. 1964 m. Stephanie A. Munoz (b. 1969);
Annette Bellande; Gayle Jones; Bettye Scarbrough; Janice Park; Roy
Alvin Watford; and William Dennis Watford.
4. Joseph Bellande Jr. The fate of this son is unclear. A
note was found among his father's papers saying Joseph died October
28, 1851. No mention of his death is found in the Family Bible.
5. Clement Bellande (1850-1918) maintained residences in
both New Orleans and Ocean Springs. He lived near his father on
Washington Avenue when he was in Ocean Springs. He made his living
as a bartender. Clem Bellande was an excellent sailor and well
known in racing circles along the Mississippi gulf coast. At the
1901 Biloxi Regatta, he won the Third Class Fleet (16-19 foot boats)
in his catboat, the Davis Brothers. Bellande defeated
the regional famous Royal Flush owned by Orey Young of Ocean
Springs. Orey Young once said: "The Royal Flush, if loaded
with the prize money she has won, would certainly sink".
The defeat of the Royal Flush by Bellande precipitated
a match race on a triangular course set in Biloxi Bay off Ocean
Springs. The merchants of Ocean Springs offered a cash prize of
$700, and the afternoon of the race was declared a general holiday
in that town. The Royal Flush won by two minutes and
one second over the Davis Brothers and Josephine. According to
Walter F. Fountain, another match race resulted in which the
Davis Brothers beat the Royal Flush by 12 seconds.
Clem
Bellande married twice, first to Lydia Miller (1844-1902). They had
a ward living with them in the 1900 census, eleven-year old Olpha M.
Jackson. The Daily Herald of July 20, 1916 reported the
marriage of Offie Mae Bellande, the daughter of Captain and Mrs.
Bellande, a well-known family of Ocean Springs, and Edgar Martin, an
efficient employee of the L.N. Dantzler Lumber Company being now
stationed at Indianola, Mississippi. In 1885, Joseph sold Clement
some land on Porter Avenue. Much later, when widower Clement
married a second time, to Lucille Vinot of New Orleans, he
apparently spent most of his time there, living at 823 Royal
Street. There he was a grocery wagon driver. They had no
children. He died May 19, 1918, and is buried in Ocean Springs.
His wife remained in New Orleans and died in 1949. She received a
settlement from the 1926 land settlement.
6. Antoine Bellande (1852-1881) lived in New Orleans on 224
Magazine Street. Nothing further is known about him. No heir of
his is mentioned in the 1926 land settlement. His death is recorded
in the family Bible as May 4, 1881.
7. Roseale Azalie Bellande (1854-1923) had the
misfortune of marrying as man who deserted her. On January 29,
1880, at her father's house she married Michael Reus. She had three
children: Joseph Michael Reus (Feb-April 1881), Bruno Reus
(1882-19 ) and Marcellus Reus (1884-1905). While she was pregnant
with the last one, she went to her father's house for her
confinement at her husband's request. During her absence, Michael
sold their house and possessions and left. Azalie filed for divorce
on grounds of desertion, and it was granted in August of 1890. She
lived at her parent's house until the time of her father's death, in
1907. She inherited the house, but later moved to Mobile, Alabama,
and lived there with her son, Bruno Reuss, and his family.
Her
son, Marcellus "Mike", was described by The Pascagoula
Democrat-Star as a "wild lad" on November 11, 1897, when he was
severely injured about the head and body at Ocean Springs when he
fell off an L&N freight train. Mike was attempting to steal a ride
to New Orleans. He married and had a son named Robert Reuss (b.
1904). His wildness was corroborated in 1905, as Marcellus died,
gunned down in a street fight at Ocean Springs on Friday, October
13. His very young widow Lillian, a child bride, decided she was
unable to raise their son alone, so Robert grew up with his cousins,
the children of Bruno. (She apparently did not remarry, for she
received a settlement in the 1926 land dispute, and was referred to
as Mrs. Lillian Reus, of Ocean Springs). Bruno worked for the L&N
Railroad on the New Orleans to Mobile run. He had six children, who
live in the Mobile area, (some still in the original house Bruno
bought) and have possession of the Family Bible and other old
documents. Their names are Azalie Reus Kossow, Annie Carmelite
Reuss, Euphemia Reuss, Carmelite Reuss, Celestine Reus Sawyer, and
Charlie Reuss. In the 1926 land settlement, Bruno Reuss, Lillian
Reus, and Robert Reuss received their share.
8. Jean Nestor "John" Bellande (1852-1895) was apparently a
wanderer. His profession is unknown, as is his marital status. His
addresses were recorded in the Family Bible, without dates, as
Prudhomme City in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana (this place no longer
appears on current maps but was shown on a map from 1880), and 518
1/2 Carcroft (?) between St. Andrew and St. Mary Street in New
Orleans. He also lived in or visited Houston, Texas, where his
youngest sister Zoe and her family lived. Why either of them went
there is unknown. In any case, John died there on April 5, 1895, of
consumption. He was buried in Ocean Springs. He had been a member
of the Knights of Pythias. No descendants were mentioned in the
1926 land settlement.
9. Laura Eveline Bellande lived in New Orleans in 145
Washington Avenue. There she probably met and married Adam Bultman
and had at least three children. By the time of the 1926 land
settlement she had died, and her heirs were given as Adam Bultman,
Viola Bultman, and Mrs. Annie Bultman Kinchman all of 917 7th Street
in New Orleans, and Adam Bultman, Jr. also of New Orleans, address
unknown.
10. Adolph Bellande 1861-1897) lived in New Orleans on
Constance Street, first at Number 36, then at Number 1126.
According to the obituary published in The Daily States of
November 28, 1897, he had lived there for 20 years. He was first
employed by Messrs. A. Baldwin and Co. and then with the J & P Coats
Thread Company. He was a member of the Catholic Church and the
Young Men's Mutual Benefit Society. The obituary, which includes a
line drawing of Adolph with a very large mustache states, among
other things "Last Sunday night death claimed another victim which
takes from New Orleans a valued citizen, from a prominent firm a
trusted employee, from a wife a loving husband, and from his
children a fond father, Adolph Bellande.has succumbed to those
immutable laws which none may gainsay. His illness was of short
duration, for the end came quickly and was a sad blow to his wife
and friends who were not prepared for the result, as Mr. Bellande
possessed a strong constitution. He began sinking rapidly, and half
an hour past midnight on Sunday grim death had claimed its own."
His widow, Amelia Peters (1858-1917) had just grieved the loss of
their ten year old son Adolph Jr. (1887-1897) four months before.
And sometime during this year, their last child Albert was born.
Their first child, Louisa Eveline (1885-1888) had only lived for
three and one half years. Two children did grow into adulthood: 1.
Eugene Henry (1890-1952) and 2. Albert J. (1897-1951). Both of
them received a settlement in the 1926 land dispute. Both of them
married and raised families in the New Orleans area, and were
involved with police work.
1. Eugene married Antoinette Cuccia (1912-1966) and had
two children, Louise E. Singer and Joseph Albert. He apparently
worked for the sheriff's office, as did son Joseph who died in 1965.
2. Albert married Agnes Duffy (1899-1967) and had two
children, Albert, Jr. and Adolph Morton. He apparently worked for
the State Registration Department. Albert Jr. married and had at
least two children, and was a policeman. He currently lives in
Picayune, Mississippi. Adolph (1922-1967) married Geraldine Durin
and had two children, Belinda Ann and Catherine Ann of New Orleans.
Like his great grandfather Joseph, his work involved the sea, he was
probably employed with the Delta Steamship Company.
11. Zoe Bellande 1863-1897) married a fisherman, Maurice
Adolphus Simmons (1862-1916), son of Joseph B. Simmons (1824-1886)
and and Harriet H. Badon (1842-1920) on December 8, 1881. The
Simmons family moved to Ocean Springs circa 1872, probably from
Covington, Louisiana. Mr. Simmons was a carpenter while Harriet
helped support the family working as a seamstress.
Zoe
and Maurice Simmons lived in Ocean Springs for a while, at least
until 1886, when they bought property from Joseph Bellande, near
Porter and Bellande Avenue. Their first child, Geneva Eliska, was
born December 2, 1882. She was followed by Harriet Rosalie on March
31, 1884, and George Curtis on February 18, 1886. Sometime later,
Maurice loaded his possessions, wife, and young children into a cart
drawn by a mule and headed west. They settled in Houston, Texas on
1815 South Street, which is now obliterated by Interstate 45 north
of the downtown area. While he was an accomplished carpenter, he
made his living as a fisherman in Galveston Bay and even had a house
on a small island there. It was known as Simmons Island in his
honor, located across from Seabrook. Both the island and house no
longer exist, having sunk sometime after 1915, the victim of a
hurricane.
Wife,
Zoe, had five more children in Houston: Elwood Raymond (b. September
23, 1890), Stella Edith (date unknown, stillborn?), Claude Elmer (b.
14 August, 1893); Farrely Allen (b. 11 June, 1895) and Clara Zoe,
(b. and d. October 1897). Zoe died of "blood poisoning" several
days later on the 27th of October. She is buried in the Hollywood
Cemetery in Houston. Four of her children received a settlement
from the 1926 land dispute: 1. Geneva Eliska, 2. Elwood, 3.
Claude
and 4. Farrely, all residing in the Houston areas.
1. Geneva Eliska (1882-1977) married Allen Thomas South
(1869-1948), a railroad worker and nurseryman from Missouri. They
remained in Houston and had three children:
1. Warren Wren (1904-1950) who worked at the
Warwick Hotel and married Mary Jennings Hessen (no children).
2. Allen Thomas Jr. (1907-1948), a telegraph
operator, who married Emma Elizabeth Brenner (1910), and had two
children John Russell (1938), an insurance adjuster, and Douglas
(1941), an electrician. Russell married Fern Yvonne Whitehead and
they have three children: Susan Carol (1961), married to Keith
White (1958), with daughter Ashlie Kay (1987), Jerry Lynn (1963)
married to Joel Allen Lee (1964), and John Russell, Jr. Douglas
married Maebeth Prichard in 1960 and their two children are Troy
Douglas (1962) and Christina Beth (1968). They are still in the
greater Houston area.
3. Ora Clotile (1913) married Samuel Floyd Good,
a Shell Oil Co. refinery engineer and had two children, Paul Allen
(1947), a research engineer for Shell, and Carolyn Elaine (1949), an
archaeologist for the Army Corps of Engineers. Ora Clotile was a
school teacher and taught high school biology for many years. Paul
married biologist Heidi Balje in 1972 and they have four children:
Sebastian (1975), Adriane (1979), Marian (1982), and Elisabeth
(1983). They all live in the greater Houston area.
2. Harriet Rosalie (1884-?) married John Lewis Garney
and had five sons, Develle, Woodson Maurice (1904-?), an oilfield
salesman, John Palmer (1913-?), Claude Elwood (1915-?), an
electrician, and Patrick Warren (1918).
3. Elwood Raymond "Son" (1890-?) married Thelma Alice
Anderson in 1911. They had two girls, Cecilian (1916) and Margaret
(1919). Margaret married Charles Merle Royal and has one son, Terry
Lance (1939).
4. Claude Elmer married Bess Marie Hill-Owens in 1917
and they also had two
children,
Claude,
Jr. (1918) and Ruth Marie (1923).
5. Farrely Allen married Annie Lydia Laue in 1928 and
had a son named William Maurice born in 1932.
ANTOINE V. BELLANDE
Let us
now return to the life of Antoine V. Bellande. It is generally
believed he settled in Ocean Springs about 1851. In New Orleans, he
purchased a Baltimore built schooner, John Randolph,
and took it to Pascagoula where he embarked in the lumber business
transporting south Mississippi timber to Galveston, Texas for
export. During the early years of the Civil War, Captain Bellande
ran the Union blockade for the Confederacy making many trips to Cuba
for cargoes of food, tobacco, paper, gin, and munitions. It was a
lucrative business. He once had $20,000 worth of Cuban tobacco
stored in Biloxi. It was stolen from him, but he later caught the
guilty party. It has been reported that Bellande completed his last
voyage with Southern contraband just three days before Farragut
captured New Orleans in April 1862, eliminating it as a blockade
running port. His schooner was commandeered and he found himself
transporting brick from New Orleans to Ship Island for the
completion of Fort Massachusetts. Work on the island fort had
commenced in 1856 by the United States, and was interrupted by a
hurricane in 1860. A Confederate force seized the outpost in
January 1861. Union forces recaptured Ship Island in September
1861.
(l-r)
Antoine V. Bellande (1829-1918), Mary Catchot Bellande (1860-1931),
Eva Camba Chance (1880-1914), John M. Dunn (1853-1932), and
Elizabeth Catchot Camba Dunn (1854-1927).
Courtesy of Walter F. Camba Jr. (1912-1999)
The
Civil War
In
1864, the Confederacy attempted to draft him, but Antoine Bellande
didn't approve of the idea. He was residing in Ocean Springs at the
time. The conscript officer was invited to have a drink with him at
the Ocean Springs Hotel before they set out to join the Confederate
Army. He managed to get the officer drunk and slipped away. He
offered his services to Admiral Farragut as a ship pilot. He had
become acquainted with the great admiral at Pascagoula where
Farragut would visit his sister Mrs. Gurley.
Although serving as a Union pilot in early 1864, Antoine Bellande at
the age of thirty-five years officially entered the Union Navy as an
acting ensign and pilot on December 16, 1864. He served primarily
on the US Steamer, Cowslip. The Cowslip
was a side-wheel steamer built in 1863 at Newburgh, New York as
Meteor. The steamer was 123 feet long and had a 7'
draft. It was armed with a 20 pound rifled cannon and two 24-pound
smoothbore cannon. Assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron,
Cowslip arrived at New Orleans in February 1864. She carried
officers and men as well as delivering mail, stores, guns, and
munitions for her squadron. Cowslip also delivered provisions for
refugees. The vessel was so versatile that it was used as, a tow,
convoy steamer, rescue and salvage boat, and also served as a picket
and patrol vessel.
Mobile Bay
It was
at the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864, that Captain Bellande
experienced an exciting chapter in his long life. He was assigned
by Admiral David Farragut to pilot the Union barkentine rigged,
screw sloop, Monongahela. The Monongahela
was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1862. She had seen
action at Port Hudson, Louisiana (March, May 1863), Donaldsonville,
Louisiana (July, 1863), and participated in a number of Texas
coastal actions before returning to blockade duty off Mobile in the
summer of 1864. Antoine joined the USS Monongahela
off Mobile in July 1864.
.jpg/300px-USS_Monongahela_(1862).jpg)
During
the fierce battle of August 5, 1864, he watched helplessly as the
Monongahela valiantly rammed the well-armored Confederate ram,
Tennessee. A brief description of the Monongahela's
activity in the battle is given by Shelby Foote (1916-2005) in The Civil
War, A Narrative Red River To Appomattox, page 504.
Farragut's main reliance was on his wooden sloops, particularly the
Monongahela and the Lackawanna, which were equipped with iron
prows for ramming. Their orders were to run the ram (Tennessee)
down, while the others pitched in to do her whatever damage they
could manage with their guns. Accordingly when the Tennessee
came within range about 9.20, making hard for the flagship (Hartford),
Monongahela moved ahead at full speed and struck her
amidships, a heavy blow that had no effect at all on the rebel
vessel but cost the sloop her iron beak, torn off along her
cutwater.
According to Pilot Bellande, the Monongahela got the
worst of the encounter with the Tennessee. The sides
of the rebel ram were protected by heavy armor and chains. When
they pulled free after ramming the Tennessee, the deck of his vessel
was raked by a withering broadside which removed the head of their
water boy from his shoulders. He also saw the executive officer of
the Monongahela fall with both legs shattered. A
shell which dropped into the engine room luckily failed to explode.
Buchanan, the Confederate commander of the Tennessee,
must be lauded generously for his bravery and skill in facing
seventeen Union ships, three of them possessing armor heavier than
that of his vessel, mounting 157 guns, almost all of them larger
than those of the Tennessee.
After
the battle was won, Antoine piloted the Cowslip on the
following morning transporting the victorious Union officers to
receive the formal surrender of Fort Morgan. He concluded his
memorable duties at Mobile Bay with the dragging of the harbor to
remove any torpedoes or mines. Captain Bellande's share of the
prize money was $800 for his one day work during the battle. He was
discharged from the Union Navy on February 19, 1866. For his
excellent service, he was given a $450 bonus.
In a
recently discovered business ledger of the Pierre Quave Store which
operated at Back Bay (North Biloxi) from 1857-1862, Antoine
Bellande's name appears in an account held in 1857. His future
father-in-law, Pierre Harvey, had accounts at the same store.
PIERRE HERVAI (HARVEY) (1810-1893)
Pierre
Harvey (1810-1893) was born in France about 1810. He is the
patriarch of the Harvey family of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is
not known precisely when Pierre Harvey came to the United States or
from which French city or department that he immigrated. It is very
likely that he arrived in the Back Bay (North Biloxi) community in
the 1830s. Here, the young French seaman met and married Celina
Morin (1811-1883) on February 20, 1840. The name Morin is now
spelled Moran. The marriage of Pierre Harvey and Celina Moran was
recorded in the Book of Marriages, Volume 8 (1840-1842), Folio 103
of the Archives of the St. Louis Cathedral at New Orleans.
Pierre
Harvey's first tracks in the Harrison County Court House were made
in 1842, when he purchased 46 acres of land in irregular Section 17,
T7S-R9W from Joseph Morin II (Moran).
On
March 2, 1846, Monsieur Harvey made the following statement in the
Circuit Court of Harrison County:
This day being a day of the term of said court the second day of
March A.D. 1846 personally came and appeared in open court, Pier
(sic ), who being duly sworn, and solemnly acclaim that it was his
bonafied intention to become a citizen of the United States of
America and to renounce forever all allegiance to any foreign state,
prince, or sovereignty whatsoever and particularly to Louis Phillip
King of the French he has heretofore been a subject.
(Minutes of the HARCO, Ms. Circuit Court-Book 1, p. 116)
Pierre
Harvey became a citizen of the United States of America on March 6,
1848. This act took place at the Harrison County Circuit Court at
Mississippi City and was recorded in the Minutes of the HARCO, Ms.
Circuit Court-Book 1, page 183.
Pierre
and Celina Harvey and Celina lived on the Back Bay of Biloxi near
her father, Joseph Moran II. Here he made his livelihood as a
seaman and fisherman. Harvey probably toiled in the coastal
schooner trade. Naval stores, salt, lumber and charcoal were
produced locally and shipped to New Orleans and Mobile. The traders
returned with food staples, tools, and cloth.
MORAN FAMILY
The
Morin (Moran) Family of the Mississippi Coast originated at St.
Pierre-du-Sud, Quebec, Canada. Here Joseph Morin, was born of Denis
Morin and Madeleine Boulet. He settle at Cat Island and married
Louise Ladner, the daughter of Nicolas Ladner and Marie Anne
Pacquet, in 1778. All of their children were born and reared at Cat
Island.
Joseph
Morin II and his family lived at Old Chimneys (Long Beach) until
about 1820, when they moved to North Biloxi near what would become
the 1850s Kendall Brickyard on Back Bay. It is here that the Moran
children were reared. They were: Joseph Moran III (1809), Celina
(1811-1883), Claire Marguerite, Francois (1815-1887), Victoire
(1817), Marie (1818), Virginia (1820-1891), and Sarah Ann?.
Pierre
Harvey and Celina had settled on the 46 acres in Section 17, T7S-R9W
he had bought from his father-in-law, Joseph Moran II in 1842. He
sold 37 acres to J.L. Lastinger reserving 9 acres which was probably
the Harvey homestead. As one can see from the topographic map of
the area, it was well named as it was called "Harvey Hill".
The
union of Pierre and Celina Harvey produced five Franco-American
children: Marie Harvey (1840-1894), Pierre Harvey Jr. (1841-1878),
Casimir Harvey (1845-1904), Margaret Harvey (1847-1886), and Phillip
Harvey (1851-1918).
Marie
Harvey (1840-1894) married a French immigrant seaman, Antoine V.
Bellande (1829-1918), at Biloxi on July 9, 1866.
Pierre
Harvey died on September 30, 1893. Celina Moran Harvey preceded him
in death. She expired on September 21, 1883. Their remains were
probably interred in the Moran Cemetery at D’Iberville, Mississippi.
While living at Back Bay, Antoine Bellande had become
acquainted with Pierre Harvey. Probably their French language and
culture as well as their common bond as seamen brought them
together. Regardless, Antoine married Marie Harvey, the eldest
daughter of Pierre and Zeline in July, 1866. The ceremony took
place at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Biloxi. The Reverend Henri Georget recorded the following
concerning their nuptials in
Book
2, page 109, Act 838:
On
July 9, 1866, with no impediments I interrogated Antoine Bellande,
sailor, son of Joseph Bellande and Celina Vesianne, his lawful wife,
born in France (Dept. des Bouches du Rhone) residing at Back Bay,
and Marie Hervy daughter of Pierre Hervy and Celina Morin, his
lawful wife, born and living at Back Bay. Their consent being
expressed, I oined them in Matrimony by words in presence of known
witnesses: Silvestre Fayard and Rosa Husley.
During
the pre-Civil War period while living "across the Bay" on his 37.36
acres in Section 17, T7S-R9W purchased from J.L. Lastinger et ux in
October 1870, I can only speculate that Antoine Bellande provided
for his young family by running his schooner on the Mississippi
Sound. He may have taken contracts to unload larger vessels and
carry coastwise freight. Participation in the hunt for buried
treasure left on these shores by Jean LaFitte and other sea rovers
is a possibility.
In
1879, four oldest children Joseph (age 11), Anthony (age 10), Peter
(age 8), and Ida (age 5) were attending the Big Ridge School. Leon
Dieschbourg was the teacher. The Bellande children had an excellent
attendance record.
Move To Biloxi
The
1880 Federal Census of Harrison County indicates the Antoine
Bellande family was still residing at Back Bay (North Biloxi). It
appears that they must have planned to relocate in Biloxi as
property purchases commenced in February 1878, when Antoine acquired
a lot from James Parillo with a 48 foot front on the New Orleans &
Mobile Railroad (later L&N). An additional purchase occurred in
1880, when he bought one acre from John and Adelaide Henley for $125
on the northwest corner of Division and Lameuse Streets. This tract
was 96 feet deep and had 450 feet on Lameuse. His son, Peter,
settled here on a portion of this parcel at present day 837 Lameuse,
and reared his family. Today, Ernestine Balius Bellande, widow of
Elliott, Antoine's grandson, lives at 317 Lameuse on this original
tract. (sold in 1997).
From
family lore, newspaper accounts, and deed records, we know that the
Bellande Family resided at 254 Reynoir Street in Biloxi. The
original property was purchased by Mrs. Bellande for $1000 from
Elise Williams on April 26, 1882. The tract ran from the Williams
property south along Reynoir Street for 100 feet. It then went east
120 feet to the property of LeFore and north for 138 feet to the
property of Elise Williams.
Two
additional tracts on Reynoir Street were purchased from Elise
Williams on March 17, 1884, for $2000. One tract was contiguous
with the original purchase and went north 138 feet to the L&N
right-of-way. It was 120 feet wide with the LeFore Estate on the
east. The other piece was north of the railroad with 100 feet on
Reynoir, Elise Williams to the north, and LeFore east. This tract
was also 120 feet in width. It is interesting to note that her
great grandson, Mickey J. Bellande, operates his Gulf South
Distributing Company on said property at present day 504 Reynoir.
The
April purchase of the Biloxi property in 1882 correlates well with
the date that Captain Bellande became a Ship Island bar pilot and
Biloxi port pilot. In fact, I would imagine moving to Biloxi
facilitated his travels to and from his work at Ship Island. The
children of Antoine Bellande and Marie Harvey were all born on
"Harvey Hill" at Back Bay (North Biloxi). They were: Joseph Arbeau
Bellande (1868-1961), Antoine Bellande, Jr. (1869 ca 1928), Pierre
Bellande (1871-1933),
Maria
Ida Gussow Galle (1874-1948), Auguste Bellande (1876-1953), and
Alice Celina Bellande (1880-1889+).
While
Antoine was at Ship Island piloting, Marie ran the home at 254
Reynoir Street. The purchase of the land from Elise Williams in
1882, appears to have included a house and other buildings. The lot
purchased in 1884, on the corner of Railroad and Reynoir was of
commercial value as it was situated just east of the L&N Depot.
Ship Island Incidents
On the 1st of April 1884, the Ship Island
Pilot Commissioners met at Biloxi to settle controversies concerning
the actions of their pilots. Antoine V. Bellande was a party to
these hearings. In the first incident, Captain Harry C. James
(1848-1923) spotted the British vessel, Superior, and
immediately went to meet her in his schooner. In his sail to the
incoming ship, his skiff became adrift. James put about to recover
the small boat. Captain Bellande’s boat was astern of H.C. James
and when he observed that James had turned back to recover his
skiff, he proceeded towards the British vessel south of Ship
Island. Bellande reached the Superior first, but
according to her captain did not hail the vessel. Pilot Bellande
also failed to secure a line to board her. Meanwhile Captain James
came along side, hailed the English captain, as required, and
inquired as to whether he needed a pilot. When an affirmative came
fourth, Captain H.C. James boarded the vessel, took command, and
brought her into safe anchorage north of Ship Island. The Ship
Island Pilot Commissioners ruled for Antoine V. Bellande implying
that the omission to hail was not truly relevant.
(The
Pascagoula Democrat-Star, April 18, 1884, p. 1)
The other contested action involved Antoine V. Bellande
and Pilot Fritz Abbley (1846-1905), who was his brother-in-law, the
spouse of Margaret Harvey (1847-1886). The rule in question was
that which granted the pilot who brought a ship into port, the
option of taking her out to sea. The outbound vessel was required
to fly the departure flag, twenty-four hours before weighing anchor,
as notification to the pilot of its intent to sail. If the pilot
did not board the departing ship during the notification period, he
lost his right to pilot the vessel. Its leaving port was then open
to any other certified Ship Island bar pilot. In this particular
episode, Captain Abbley failed his appointment to board a departing
vessel, which he had berthed earlier. Pilot Bellande took the ship
safely across the Ship Island bar. Fritz Abbley protested that the
time had not expired for him to be in charge of the departure. The
Pilot Commissioners recused themselves stating that they had no
jurisdiction in this matter. Experts in attendance at this hearing,
were critical of both decisions.(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star,
April 18, 1884, p. 1)
Depot Saloon
(circa 1895)
(l-r) Auguste F.
Bellande (1876-1953, Peter Bellande (1871-1933), ?, Joseph Bellande
(1868-1961)(behind bar), ?, Antoine Bellande Jr. (1869-1924)(behind
bar), ?, ?, ?
The
Depot Saloon
Marie
Bellande seems to have been a woman of commerce. In 1889, she
leased the Reynoir Street corner to Joseph Charles DeLamare
(1856-1931) for one year and $300. On January 9, 1892, The
Biloxi Herald announced that “the old Bellande Building near
the depot has been torn down and the foundation is being laid for a
two-story edifice”.
By
mid-February 1892, the local journal related that Captain Bellande’s
new building will improve the appearance of Biloxi.(The Biloxi
Herald, February 13, 1892, p. 4)
In
early April 1892, Joseph Bellande, their eldest son, opened a beer
saloon in the new building. On opening day, April 6th,
he served an elegant cold lunch and free cold beer to the public.(The
Biloxi Herald, April 9, 1892, p. 4)
From
the plats on pages ? and ? which were traced from insurance maps
prepared by the Sanborn-Perris Map Company of New York, you can
determine how the physical configuration of the Bellande tract
changed during the period 1893-1904.
The
Death of Marie H. Bellande and Forced Heirship
The
untimely death of Marie Harvey Bellande at the age of 54 years on
March 17, 1894, was the catalyst for the migration of the family
from the Reynoir Street homestead. She was buried at the Old Biloxi
Cemetery in the Bellande family plot.
Her
only daughter, Maria Ida, called Ida had according to family lore,
eloped with a St. Louis railroad man named Edward Emile Gossow.
According to Ruth Bellande Ragusin, Captain Bellande did not approve
of Gossow, and was opposed to their marriage on December 7, 1893.
After the death of Madame Bellande, Antoine refused to share his
wife's estate with the Gussows. The defiant act was countered by a
law suit, Harrison County Chancery Court Cause No. 710-Gossow vs.
Bellande et al.
On
February 8, 1895, the court rendered a decree. I could not find the
actual court record, but could deduce from the available documents
that the court forced the sale of the Marie Bellande Estate. This
estate was composed primarily of the land on Reynoir Street. On
April 1, 1895, E.S. Hewes, a special commissioner, sold the land for
$5954. The proceeds were divided as follows: Antoine V.
Bellande-$2137.73, Ida B. Gossow, the complaintant, $637.73, the
Bellande sons, $637.73 apiece, Ford & Ford, the attorneys, $500, and
$127.57 went for taxes.
From
April 1895, to September 1899, many land conveyances between the
Bellande men, Bellande men and William P. Kennedy, and other
grantees concerning the Reynoir Street property were recorded in the
Harrison County Courthouse. The net result of these transactions
was that the Bellande interest in the property was transferred
eventually to William P. Kennedy (1873-1951) and Annie Chiapella (d.
1937) by the beginning of the 20th Century. Kennedy built a hotel
on his property at the corner of Reynoir and West Railroad across
the street from the L&N Depot about 1901. In addition to the hotel,
the building had offices, a bar, and a restaurant. I remember the
building as a teenager as Sue's Pharmacy was located there. It is a
disaster that this historic area of Biloxi was lost to urban
renewal. The L&N Depot, the lovely oak filled park south of the
Depot, and the Old Hotel District (the Chiapella's also built a
hotel) along Reynoir have vanished. These wonderful sites have been
replaced by parking lots and ugly contemporary buildings. The
Kennedy Hotel was removed in the early 1960s?
A
New Bride For The Captain
On
October 21, 1896, Captain Antoine Bellande married Mary Anne Catchot
of Ocean Springs at Saint Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in that
city. Mary Anne Catchot (1860-1931) was the daughter of Antonio
Catchot (1828-1885) and Elizabeth Hoffen (1838-1916). Antonio was a
Spaniard emigrating from Menorca in the Balearic Islands. Catchot
arrived at Ocean Springs about 1850. He was a pioneer in the oyster
industry and may have started the first oyster house on the coast.
An oyster shop was a small building about 20 feet square situated on
pilings and utilized as a place to open and sell oysters. It might
be considered a precursor to a seafood factory. The Catchot oyster
shop was located at the foot of Jackson Avenue in the vicinity of
the present day Ocean Springs Seafood of the Earl Fayard family.
Antonio Catchot married Elizabeth Hoffen about 1854. She was born
in Bremen, Germany and had come to the United States about 1853.
Their children were: Elizabeth Catchot Camba Dunn (1854-1927),
Joseph S. Catchot (1858-1919) called Joe Tony, Mary Catchot Bellande
(1860-1931), and Antonio Catchot Jr., (1868-1952) who was known as
Toy.
Mary
Catchot's sister, Elizabeth, married Francis Henry Camba (1853-1885)
of New Orleans at Jackson County, Mississippi on September 22,
1877. He may have been the son of Frank Camba (pre-1869) and
Rosalia Oser. She remarried Cornelius S. Cole at NOLA in January
1869.
F.H.
Camba and Elizabeth Catchot had a son, Walter Frank Camba
(1878-1960) born at Ocean Springs. The Cambas lived at New Orleans
where Frank made his livelihood as a paying teller in a local bank.
In May 1880, he ran off with Mary Anne Catchot abandoning Elizabeth
and her baby.(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, May 21, 1880, p. 3)
Mary
Anne Catchot had a child born out of wedlock with Frank H. Camba,
named Eva Louise Catchot (1880-1914). Eva L.
Catchot married Issac Clayton Chance of Rome, Georgia at Ocean
Springs in March 1911. In October of that year, a daughter, Mary
Etheline Chance, was born. The Chances later lived at Ashville,
North Carolina. Eva C. Chance died at her home located at No. 68
Church Street in Ashville on November 4, 1914. Her remains were
sent to Ocean Springs for burial in the Evergreen Cemetery on Fort
Bayou.(The Ocean Springs News, November 14, 1914, p. 2)
After
Frank H. Camba died in the insane asylum at Jackson, Louisiana in
December 1885, Elizabeth Catchot Camba married John M. Dunn
(1853-1932), a native of Bay St. Louis, at the St. Alphonsus Roman
Catholic Church in Ocean Springs in October 1887.
Walter
F. Camba grew up in New Orleans were he worked for the Illinois
Central Railroad for forty-six years retiring in August 1940. He
had married Grace Hunt at Fort Philip, Louisiana on April 22, 1903.
Miss Eva Catchot was a bridesmaid in his wedding. He later married Mary Ellen Glavin (1880-1957) of New Orleans. The Cambas
had at least three children: Mercedes C. Schmid (1909-1987), Walter
Frank Cambe Jr. (1912-1999), and Mrs. Paul Schriber. Most of the Cambas are entombed in the Metairie Cemetery
(Glavin-Section 26). John M. Dunn died July 29, 1932, and is buried
with his wife, Elizabeth who predeceased him on June 13, 1927, in
the Evergreen Cemetery at Ocean Springs.
Mary
Catchot Bellande sold a lot at present day 525 Rayburn Avenue in Ocean Springs to
Walter F. Camba as recorded in Book 76, pp. 431-432 of the Record of
Deeds of Jackson County, Mississippi on June 11, 1924. It is
believed that he used the cottage here as it as a retreat from New Orleans.
Guy F. Walker II resides here today.
In 1900, Antoine Bellande and Mary were residents of
Ocean Springs. A son, Edward Antoine Bellande, had been born in 1897. At
the time of Edward's birth, Captain Bellande was 67 years of age,
and his wife 37 years old. Living with them on Jackson Avenue were
Mary's daughter, Olivia Catchot; Walter F. Camba; her brother, Joseph Catchot; and her mother, Elizabeth Hoffen Catchot.(1900
Jackson Co., Ms. Federal Census)
The Pascagoula Democrat-Star announced on
September 24, 1897, that Captain A. Bellande was appointed the
official fumigator for Ocean Springs. The town was besieged by a
yellow fever epidemic at this time, and Bellande's duties were to
disinfect and fumigate places where yellow fever deaths had
occurred.
On May
29, 1901, The Biloxi Daily Herald reported that Captain
Bellande almost lost his life in the Mississippi Sound. He was in
command of the schooner, A. Gerdes and Brother, in
route to Ocean Springs. The seven-man crew was below preparing for
bed. The weather was rough and a green sailor was in charge of the
watch. His inexperience in boathandling allowed the A. Gerdes
and Brother to capsize. Bellande and the crew were found
clinging to their stricken vessel by the steamer, Julius
Elbert. They were rescued having lost all of their
possession to the sea. Their derelict schooner had been built by
Frank Taltavull (1851-1930).(The Biloxi Daily Herald, May 29,
1901, p. 1)
The
Veronica Mutiny and Trial
In
August 1902, while at Ship Island, a very special event occurred in
the life of Antoine Bellande. It concerned a ship mutiny. Ernest
Desporte Jr. told me this tale when I was a teenager. Ernest
Desporte Jr. (1888-1977) was a native of Biloxi and lifelong
resident. He had a remarkable memory and enjoyed telling stories of
Biloxi's early history. He also was a writer of local history and
genealogy sometimes using the nom de plume, Old Timer. When I met
Mr. Desporte about 1960, he was an elderly septuagenarian gentleman
and of keen wit. His father, Ernest Desporte Sr.(1853-1931), had
been a bar pilot and harbor master at Ship Island at the turn of the
Twentieth Century. Captains Bellande and Desporte served together
as fellow pilots guiding blue water barks, brigs, schooners, and
steamers across the Ship Island Bar to safe anchorage at Ship Island
Harbor. After 1902, they would sail these large vessels seeking
Mississippi longleaf pine for the world export market into the new
harbor at Gulfport.
The
result of my meeting with Ernest Desporte was new knowledge about
the life of Antoine Bellande. The most intriguing information was
the reference to a mutiny. Desporte wrote the following for me:
When Gulfport became a port about 1898, Captain Bellande was one of
the pilots, piloting vessels through the Gulfport Channel into the
harbor at Gulfport. On one occasion he piloted a vessel from
Gulfport harbor to the open Gulf of Mexico. This vessel was bound
for England, but the crew mutinied on the high seas. The crew was
captured and tried in England. As Captain Bellande was the last man
to see the captain and crew, he was a witness in the trial of the
crew in the Royal Court of England.
Without a date for the alleged mutiny, I was never able to
corroborate the tale of Captain Desporte. In the fall of 1989, I
was in the history and genealogy section of the Biloxi Public
Library waiting to talk to Murella Powell, archivist and historian.
She was on the telephone, and I heard her speak to someone of "the
mutiny at Ship Island". Immediately I thought of the account of
Desporte. When she became available, I related my story, and she
shared her very interesting knowledge of the subject. She had been
contacted by a Canadian novelist, Bruce Wishart, who was writing a
book about an episode in maritime history known as the Veronica
Mutiny. Since the event commenced at Ship Island, he needed
background data on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to write his novel.
Murella was doing basic research for him especially concerning Ship
Island.
I
contacted Bruce Wishart at his residence in Brandon, Manitoba. From
him I learned the details of the mutiny and with my knowledge of
Captain Bellande incorporated these facts into my rendering of the
story. With this background knowledge, I now present the reader the
Veronica Mutiny:
At a
time when most men his age had long retired or passed on, Captain
Antoine Bellande and Inspector Duckworth of Scotland Yard, England
were boarding an L&N train on April 15, 1903, at Biloxi. Their
destination was Liverpool, England via New York where they would
board the steamer, Irenia. The catalyst for this adventure had been
the three-masted barque, Veronica, out of St. John, New Brunswick.
The Veronica had sailed into Gulf waters south of Ship Island in
August of 1902.
Captain Bellande had come to Mississippi from Marseille, France in
1851, at the age of twenty-two years. His family in France had been
caulkers in a local shipyard, and the ways of the sea were natural
to this young French immigrant. He had learned well the waters of
the Gulf of Mexico while navigating his trading schooner the,
John Randolph, to Cuba for sugar and tobacco. Occasionally,
he would transport longleaf pine to Galveston and New Orleans. His
maritime lore was so widely acclaimed that during the Civil War,
Admiral David Farragut utilized his services for the Union Navy.
His Civil War records indicate he was an acting ensign and pilot,
one of only two in the entire Navy.
Antoine Bellande served the Union well. He was the pilot aboard the
USS Monongahela at the Battle of Mobile Bay in August
1864, when it valiantly rammed the CSS Tennessee. After
the War, Bellande settled at Back Bay (D'Iberville), and began a
family with Marie Harvey (1840-1894). They moved to 254 Reynoir
Street about 1882, the year he became a Ship Island bar pilot.
Veronica Trial at Liverpool Assizes,
Liverpool, England, May 12, 1903.
(l-r) Inspector
Duckworth, Moses Thomas, ?, Antoine V. Bellande, and Sgt. Ford,
As
Captain Bellande rode the pilot boat out to meet the incoming
Veronica south of the Ship Island bar that late summer day
in 1902, I can only speculate on his state of mind. In 1894, his
wife had died at Biloxi. He married an Ocean Springs lady, Mary
Catchot (1860-1931), in 1896. She was the daughter of Antonio
Catchot (1826-1885), a Spanish immigrant, from the Balearic Island
of Menorca, and Elizabeth Hoffen (1838-1916), a German immigrant
from Bremen. Antoine and Mary Catchot Bellande resided on Jackson
Avenue in Ocean Springs across from the St. Alphonsus Church where a
son, Edward Antoine (1897-1976), was born in 1897 to the newly
weds. He was sixty-seven years of age and she thirty-seven at the
time of Edward's delivery.
When
Captain Bellande boarded the Veronica, he met Captain
Alexander Shaw, the master of the 1167 ton vessel which was loaded
during September with Mississippi lumber for Montevideo, Uruguay.
The heavily laden vessel waited for a high tide and was towed across
the Ship Island bar on October 11, 1902, into the waters of the Gulf
of Mexico.
While
at sea, the four German crewmen of the Veronica became upset with
their Anglo-Saxon shipmates. While off the northeast coast of
Brazil, they murdered Captain Shaw and the crew, and set the ship
afire. In December 1902, the mutineers landed on the small island
of Tuotoia which forms a part of the bar at the mouth of the Rio
Parnaiba in northeastern Brazil. They were rescued by the SS
Brunswick in mid-January 1903.
The
German seamen made a fatal mistake by bringing the ship's cook Moses
Thomas, a Negro, with them. On the way to England, Thomas related
the tale of horror aboard the Veronica to Captain Browne. After the
Brunswick reached Liverpool in late January, three of the alleged
murderers were incarcerated until the trial which commenced on May
12, 1903, at the Liverpool Assizes. The fourth seaman, a youth, was
given mercy.
Since
Antoine Bellande was the last person to see the crew of the Veronica
alive at Ship Island, he was called to testify at the trial in
Liverpool. Before his departure for England with Inspector
Duckworth who had been sent to Biloxi by Scotland Yard to
investigate the local scene, an article of interest was printed in
The Biloxi Daily Herald on April 15, 1903:
The sailor boys are very anxious concerning the visit of pilot,
Antoine Bellande, to Liverpool, for they say he has never served
time in the French army, and if the frog eaters in the Old World
hear of his being in Europe, they fear in some manner they will get
possession of him and force him to mark time and carry a gun to the
great loss of the sailor craft of these waters. It is said that
John Brasellman, of Dejean & Mitchell's, and John Lyons, boarding
officer at Ship Island, will also be induced to go to England on the
same errand.
The
sworn testimony of Captain Antoine Bellande taken from The
Trial of Gustav Rau, Otto Monsson, and Willem Smith: The "Veronica"
Trial by Professor G.W. Keeton and John Cameron went as
follows:
Antoine Bellande, sworn, examined by Mr. F.E. Smith. I am a
port pilot at Ship Island and Biloxi, and I live at Ocean Springs,
four miles from Biloxi. I believe the Veronica arrived at Ship
Island in ballast last August. Captain Alick Shaw was in command.
She lay in quarantine for something like 15 days. I was on board
during the quarantine, and was put in quarantine five days myself.
I do not exactly remember either the first or second mates' names.
I knew the men well, but not their names.
Tell
me whether either or any or none of these men in the dock were on
board then? The middle one (Monsson) was on board when I was
in quarantine. I don't know the others. I noticed nothing in
particular going on on board the vessel when I was there. Captain
Shaw could not hear very well; he was a little deaf.
Do you
remember going on board the Veronica to take her out?
Yes, that was in October. At that time her crew consisted of
twelve all told-there was Captain Shaw, the first mate and the
second mate. I cannot remember the names of the other members of
the crew as there were so many vessels going about. There was a man
named Moses Thomas-he was the cook.
Will
you look at that paper and tell us whether you saw any of those
signatures made? Yes, Monsson. I saw Thomas the cook
signing. The captain of the tugboat was with me and Captain Shaw.
On
what sort of terms seemed the officers to be with the crew?
They seemed to be all very well, all satisfied; I never heard
anything.
Cross-examined by Mr. Maxwell for Rau. Your only duty on board was
to take the ship out to sea? Yes.
You
had nothing to do with the crew yourself? No, only when I
wanted to get underway.
Out of
all those names you only saw Thomas the cook sign? He signed,
yes.
|
By
Ray L. Bellande
