Jean Claude Foloe Pinta

Well Jean Claude Pinta, you have really confused me!  And the rest of you will also be confused if I can explain the full scope of the conflicting documentation.  So the pressure is on.....  

1.   BIRTH/BAPTISMAL RECORD:

• Jean Claude was the sixth child of Jean Baptiste and Luce and was born about 1809-1811 based on his age found on various pieces of evidence.  However, I can't find a baptismal record for him, even though Louis Henry, Juan Marcelino and Marie Josephine had their baptismal records listed in Vol 10 of the Sacramental Records for the Archdiocese of New Orleans for 1810-1812. Jean Lucien is found on Vol 11 for 1813-1815.  A friend checked Vol 9 1807-1809 and found nothing for Jean Claude.  If he was baptized 1809-1811 we could assume his baptism would be listed in one of those volumes.

• The will of Jean Baptiste in 1820, lists his son, Claude age 9 and there was no mention of a son named Juan/Jean Marcelino. 

• The recorder of the baptism of Juan Marcelino, Archdiocese of New Orleans, listed his name incorrectly because the priest was probably Spanish and changed his French “Jean” to Spanish “Juan”.  If the priest made this error on the name, is there another error? 

• Juan Marcelino could have died very young and perhaps we have not yet located a death record.  Was Jean Claude baptized elsewhere?  Not likely.  Did the baptism of Jean Claude get overlooked when the Archdiocese volumes were produced?  OR could Juan Marcelino be Jean Claude?                                                       

     2)  RELATIONSHIPS/MARRIAGES

• Jean Clode Foloe Pinta married Margueritte Colin, 28 October 1828 in Mobile.  (Jean Claude would have been age 17-19).  No known children from this marriage.

• According to Abstracts of Orphans Court Minutes of Mobile Co, entered July 24, 1830:  John Glode Foloe PINTA produces will of TROUILLET, Margaritte, deceased, his wife.   Guardians were appointed for Emeline TROUILLET alias Emeline PINTA, infant under 14 years; and Henry TROUILLET alias PINTA, under 14.  Will book 1 states:  Margaritte Trouillet, a free woman of colour……..unto my two children, Emeline, who is aged about eight years and Louis Henry, my son aged about nine months, and to my friend Toloe? Pinta, who is the father of my two before mentioned children. The is contradictory in that the first record states they are married but the later insinuates they are not married, but Jean Claude is the father of her children. (He would have been age 11-13 at the birth of Emeline and age 18-20 when Louis Henry was born.)  Perhaps he really wasn’t the father of Emeline.  Was TROUILLET his concubine?  He just married COLIN a year before the birth of Louis Henry?   

• Married Marie Victoria Raby 2 December 1833.  They had five children between 1834 and 1843.

• Is Margueritte Colin and Margaritte Trouillet the same person?   

Jean Claude died the same day as Nicholas, his son with Marie Victorie Rabby, on 22 September 1852.  Cause of death has not been located for either Nicholas or Jean Claude.

Are there two Jean Claude Foloe Pinta men in the area, about the same age, with similar names?

Lots of questions and the documentation we have is unclear.  This is a great deal of info for one posting.  More research needs to be done to get this all straightened out.  So, are you now as confused as I?  Let me know what you think!

Joseph Pinta, 1816-1867, and his real name is....

Several years ago when a researcher located the will of Jean Baptist Pinta, father of Joseph Pinta, it appeared that Joseph's name was listed as Joseph Dayant Pinta.  (See posting of 5 Nov 2010)  Many of us blindly took the information as fact and changed all of our records to include the middle name of Dayant.  Well, there is an example of jumping to conclusions, especially considering:  1) the document was in French and none of us were fluent in the French language, 2) it was a handwritten document which was difficult to read due to deterioration of the original document and the microfilmed image was rather messy.  A kind sole eventually translated the will, but still, that particular name was not clearly determined.  However, we continued on our merry way thinking he had a first and middle name. 

It soon dawned on me that other acquired documents did not include a middle name or initial for Joseph.  I did a survey and pulled every document in my possession.  This consisted of viewing 69 various records which showed his name.  This included city directories, baptismal records, census, successions, death records, tax assessments, obituaries, marriage records, notary records and deeds.  Well, guess what....not one of them listed Joseph with a middle name or initial.  In my opinion, his real name is....Joseph Pinta.

Jean Baptist Pinta

Recently, while reviewing documents for Jean Baptist Pinta, it dawned on me that perhaps he wasn't the scoundrel that I had pictured.  At about age 30 he said good-bye to his parents and siblings in France and traveled to Haiti seeking adventure and riches, probably in the sugar cane industry.  This would have been prior to1803, which was when his first known child was born in Haiti.  He later took his children and Luce Grandmaison, the mother of his children, to New Orleans by way of Cuba.  Documents indicate that he cared for Luce and the children until his death, even though Luce and JB were never married.  Speculation is that Jean Baptiste Casimir Menial (see post of 11/17/10), Luce's younger half brother, also moved with them from Haiti to New Orleans.  

Jean Baptist Pinta operated a jewelry shop at 35 Bourbon Street in New Orleans in 1811, became treasurer of the The Grand Lodge of Louisiana of New Orleans, trained young men in the jewelry business and served in the war of 1812.  After his death the The Grand Lodge of Louisiana of New Orleans, land owner Celestin Pontalba, and probably others, attempted to sue the estate claiming JB had debts to pay and suggesting that he was less than honorable.  I have not yet found where any money was to be paid to these accusers, however some of the documents were impossible to read.  Originally, my first reaction was that he was a rascal and had a sizable estate due to shady dealings.  However, in taking another look at all this, perhaps others saw the potential of trying to take advantage of the sizable estate and manufactured debt after his death.

JB carefully drafted his will leaving his estate to his siblings in France and his children.  However, he also listed people he owed money and requested they be paid.  He seemed to be concerned about taking care of family and extended family.  Could this really be a man who was also dishonest.....well look at the Godfather or Sopranos, they took care of their own while messing with the rest of the community.  Granted, they were theatrical productions but history shows that there was a good amount of truth in these lifestyles.  Was this the same type of attitude?

Hard to determine what really transpired.  All parties involved would have been influenced by his status, in one way or another.  Any ideas as to where we can get more documents?

Will of Jean Baptist Pinta, died 1820

This document has been translated, but it is too lengthy to include here.  It states that Jean Baptist was never married to Luce Henriette GrandMaison ___________.  The blank name is difficult to read.  Children of this relationship are listed with ages, and then discusses his estate.  If you would like to know more details, please contact me by going to my profile and email me.