The Saint Domingue- Louisiana Connection 
                                                                         by 
                                                    Ray w. Burgess, P.G.M. 
                                                               May 10, 1997


On Christmas Day 1492, Christopher Columbus, in the course of his voyage in search 
of a route to Asia, landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea, which he named La Isla 
Espanola, later known as Hispaniola, becoming the first Spanish colony in this part of 
the world.  He later founded the City of Santo Domingo. The western part of the 
island was to become the French colony Saint Domingue and the larger eastern part 
the Dominican Republic. 

The only inhabitants on the island were friendly Taino (Arawah) Indians adorned with 
golden ornaments. Sensing that they would gain "profitable things without number," 
Columbus ordered that a town and fortress be founded and that it be named La 
Navidad. 

Leaving about thirty men behind, Columbus sailed back to Spain to bring colonists 
and supplies to recover gold and to develop the island. Returning in 1493 with about 
one thousand colonists, he discovered that all those left behind from his first voyage 
were dead. Undeterred, he set about building another fort and town that he called La 
Isabela. His main purpose was to find gold, which the Tainos said existed in the Cibao 
area. Despite the arrival of many settlers, a large number who were gold prospectors, 
the development of the colony was neglected. About one thousand died from 
overexertion or disease in the gold mines and from fighting Indians. 

The prestige of Hispaniola declined even more when gold and silver were discovered 
in Mexico and Peru. Many of the colonists left to seek their riches elsewhere, and the 
population of the island declined sharply. Agriculture was neglected, and Spain 
became preoccupied with larger and richer colonies elsewhere. Accordingly, the 
population of this island colony in 1545 amounted to no more than 1100 persons. 

This allowed French and English pirates to establish a base on the island of Tortuga, 
situated just off the North coast. In 1641 they founded Port Margot on the western end 
of Hispaniola and before long controlled the surrounding area. After driving out the 
English, they occupied themselves with hunting wild cattle and swine, and farming. 
Despite efforts of the Spanish to dislodge them, the French spread along the north 
coast and even engaged in illegal trade with the Spanish inhabitants. Finally, in 1697, 
under the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain formally ceded Saint Domingue to France. To 
build up the new possession, agriculture was encouraged and young women from 
France were brought in to marry the men. 

In the seventeenth century, the principal crops were tobacco, cocoa, and indigo grown 
by small proprietors, aided by indentured servants and a few slaves. By the end of the 
seventeenth century, the population of this French Colony included about 6000 adult 
white and mulatto males and approximately 20,000 black slaves. Then came sugar 
cane, cotton, and coffee, all of which were labor intensive crops. Any terrain that 
would not permit cultivation was given to pasture. Consequently, the importation of 
slaves became a necessity for the large plantations. It has been estimated the 
population of Saint Domingue in 1789, on the eve of the Revolution, consisted of 
35,500 whites, 26,000 free colored (mulattoes), and 450,000 slaves. Thus, the whites 
were enjoying unparalleled prosperity. 

During the eighteenth century Saint Domingue was the wealthiest colony on the globe. 
Its pomp and nobility rivaled that of the courts of Europe. The planters lived in luxury, 
and many spent much of their time in Paris. It was said the colony had attained a 
degree of brilliance that threw every other colony in the shade. The soil poured forth 
immense wealth that united its commerce with Europe and America. Fifteen hundred 
ships took on this rich production and freighted it to France. However, all of this was 
attained by the exploitation of close to a half million black slaves. A spark could ignite 
a confrontation that would make the French revolution in the mother country pale by 
comparison, 

The spark was struck in early 1791 when a young Mulatto, Vincent Oge, demonstrated 
against the governor and was put to death. Before long, the colony was torn by riots. 
Slaves deserted their masters, burned and pillaged, and massacred every white man, 
woman and child on whom they could lay their hands. 

One of the leaders of the rebellion was Pierre DominiqueToussaint L'Ouverture, an ex 
slave who possessed considerable knowledge of military tactics and had natural 
leadership and political 
acumen. His loyalty would switch from the French to the Spanish to the French then 
finally to his own political ambition, all for the purpose of creating the Republic of 
Haiti. Even though he died in a French prison in 1803, his goal had been fulfilled, 
when, on January 1, 1804, the independence of Haiti was proclaimed. 

From the start of the insurrection in August 1791 until the colony was finally 
abandoned in November 1803, white refugees fled to safety. Some went to France; a 
large number escaped to Cuba and Jamaica; others took flight to Atlantic ports from 
Georgia to Massachusetts; and some found their way to Louisiana. Most of those who 
immigrated to Louisiana originally settled in Cuba, where they began to recoup their 
fortunes by establishing coffee and sugar plantations. However, when Napoleon 
invaded Spain in 1808, the Spanish authorities expelled the French, and most of them 
fled to New Orleans in the summer of 1809. 

This brings us to that part of the story which involves the lives and deeds of four 
refugees: Pierre François DuBourg, Louis Casimir Elizabeth Moreau Lislet, Yves 
LeMonnier, and Jean François Canonge. 

Whereas this section is dedicated to Pierre François DuBourg his family was located, 
it would not be complete without including information about his brother, Louis 
Guillaume Valentine. 
In the Bibliotheque Nationale in. Paris can be found among the genealogical records, a 
"Maintenance de Noblesse," dating back to 1623, which was deposited there by a 
young nobleman of France by the name of Pierre DuBourg, as he was about to start on 
an extended trip, "on the point of undertaking a long journey." Thus the Louisiana 
branch of this patrician family begins with. "M. Pierre DuBourg, ecuyer et Capitaine 
de Navire."

Circa 1765, DuBourg and his wife Margurite, the former Margurite Vogluzan, 
migrated to Saint Dominque, where he became the owner of the immense plantation 
estate of Rochemont. 

On February 16, 1766 a son, christened Louis Guillaume Valentine, was born. When 
he reached the age of two years, he was sent to France to be educated for the Catholic 
Church. He finished his seminary studies, and became head of a Sulpician school at 
Issy, near Paris. Because of in the French Revolution he was forced to leave and by 
disguising himself was able to reach Paris,  where he made his way to the superior 
branch of the Sulpician. The revolutionists had also invaded that place, capturing the 
head of the institution and executing him. Rev. DuBourg, hiding at a friend's home, 
escaped with his life when the terrible September massacres took place. Disguising 
himself again, he fled Paris, reaching Bordeaux where his family was located.  He 
found his life doubly in danger for the revolutionists were slaughtering churchmen as 
well as aristocrats.  Knowing that he would not be safe in any part of France, he went 
to Spain and a little later sailed for America, reaching Baltimore, Maryland in 1794.

So capable did Rev. DuBourg prove to be, that within two years he became President 
of Georgetown College.  Under his able management it became one of the leading 
universities in the United States.  President George Washington honored it with a visit 
while still under the management of DuBourg.

The Abbé DeBourg also founded St. Mary's College and prevailed on the Legislature 
of Maryland to raise it to the rank of University.

Rev. DuBourg left Baltimore about 1800 for New Orleans, Louisiana where he began 
service at St. Louis Cathedral.  In 1812 he became the first Archbishop of the Diocese 
of New Orleans.  In this capacity he welcomed General Andrew Jackson at the door of 
the Cathedral and conducted him into the edifice to attend the Mass in honor of the 
victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

In 1818 he founded "An Academy for Young Gentlemen" which was later to become 
St. Louis College.

Archbishop DuBourg died on December 12, 1833 in Montauban, France.

Another son, Pierre François DuBourg, who became known as Sieur de Ste. Colome, 
was born on December 30, 1767. He too was educated in France and later in England. 
Upon returning to Saint Domingue, he became involved in the management of 
Rochemont Plantation and eventually succeeded his father as owner. 
During the slave revolt in 1793, he escaped to Jamaica and in 1797 married 
Demoiselle Elizabeth Charest de Lauzon, daughter of M. François Charest DeLauzon 
and Demoiselle Perrine Therese de Gournay. The marriage contract shows all as 
residents of "Quartier de la Marmelade, Island of Ste. Domingue, now by reason of the 
misfortunes of the colony, refugees in the town of Kingston, Jamaica."  Pierre François 
DuBourg and his family then came to the United States, and remained for a short stay 
in New Orleans before continuing on to Baltimore, taking with them their little 
daughter, Agláe. She was left to be educated at the Order of Sisters of St. Joseph, 
popularly known as the Sisters of Charity, which Abbé DuBourg had assisted in 
founding. 
Leaving Baltimore, the DuBourgs returned to New Orleans and made their home with 
his wife's parents, who lived on Dumaine Street. New Orleans was a bustling business 
place at that time and offered great opportunities. DuBourg became a merchant and 
succeeded beyond his greatest hopes, repairing his heavy financial losses, and once 
again occupying a prominent position in both the social and business world. After 
three years' residence in the United States, he became an American citizen. He was a 
Major in the Louisiana Volunteers, held the position of Collector of the Port of the 
City of New Orleans, and was Counsul of the Kingdom of Sardinia. He was a broker, 
representing Michel Doradou Bringier and a number of other wealthy Louisiana 
planters. He served as Finance Minister for Governor Claiborne and as Major General 
on the Governor's staff. 
DuBurg owned a large plantation called "Plaisance," which was located near where 
the street is today; and situated as most of them were at that date, a short distance back 
from the River Road. Louisiana Avenue is located in the center of what was then his 
plantation. 
DuBourg became a Mason in 1805 and was a member of the LaParfaite Union (Perfect 
Union) Lodge No.29. He was elected Worshipful Master and played a very important 
leadership role in the New Orleans Masonic community. 
By Act of Congress on April 8, 1812, Louisiana was admitted into the Union as a 
sovereign state. The territorial form of government had always been distasteful to the 
French population; therefore, Louisiana becoming a state was hailed with joy. 
This change in the political status of Louisiana had a corresponding influence upon 
Masonry, and measures were taken for the formation of a Grand Lodge. Perfect Union 
Lodge No.29, headed by W: Pierre François DuBourg, initiated the movement by 
inviting the seven lodges in New Orleans to send delegates to a meeting called for 
April 18, 1812. After presenting their credentials, the delegates organized themselves 
into a "General Masonic Committee of the State of Louisiana to provide for the 
establishment of a Grand Lodge in the City of New Orleans."  Pierre François was 
elected President and even though two of the lodges withdrew, he successfully guided 
the group to its ultimate goal of forming a Grand Lodge, which occurred on June 20, 
1812   DuBourg was elected as our first Grand Master and was reelected in 1813 and 
1814. 
M:W: DuBourg died on January 29,1830 and was buried in St. Louis Cemetery No.2.  
He and his wife had five daughters, all of whom married into very prominent families 
in New Orleans. 
It is very interesting to note that while Pierre was Grand Master, his brother was 
Archbishop of the Diocese of New Orleans. Even more ironic is that when Perfect 
Union Lodge built its original hall, it was forced to locate in Faubourg St. Mary, 
because the Roman Catholic Church authorities would not allow the structure to be 
built within the city limits. 
The tale of the 'Brothers' DuBourg is unique. Two brothers were born into a rich 
aristocratic family with ties to the nobility of France. Both were educated in the best 
schools in Europe. One was steered toward service to the Catholic Church. The other 
followed a business career. One fled for his life because of the French Revolution and 
the other because of the slave insurrection in Saint Domingue. These similar events led 
them to America, where each distinguished himself; one in the field of education and 
religion, the other in business and Masonry. Their lives converged in New Orleans, 
where one attained the highest office in the Catholic Church in Louisiana, and the 
other the highest office in Masonry. 
The DuBourg name will long he remembered in the history books of Louisiana. 

Louis Casimir Elisabeth Moreau Lislet

Louis Casimir Elisabeth Moreau was born in Dondon, St. Martin Parish, Saint 
Domingue on October 29,1767. His father, Jacob Vincent Moreau was a militia 
officer, Captain of the Limonade Battalion. His mother was Elisabeth Torel Moreau. 
She was compelled to spend much time in France for treatment of a disease that could 
not be cured elsewhere. She died tragically in 1793 when the schooner "The 
Delaware" was wrecked during a voyage from Le Cap Français, Saint Domingue to 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Not much is known of his early years other than to assume he lived the life of a 
wealthy son of a large land-owner. He attended a secondary school in Cap Français 
and studied law in Paris where he received the title of  " Avocat au Parlement."  In 
1789, while in Paris, he married Ann Elisabeth Philippine de Peters. In 1790 they 
returned to Saint Domingue and settled in Cap Français, where he became "Premier 
Substitute de Procureur General au Conseil Supereeur de Saint Domingue, a position 
equivalent to that of first assistant public prosecutor or assistant district attorney. 

The surname "Lislet" was given to him to distinguish him from his brother, Beniamin 
Moreau. Even after his brother was deceased, he kept the surname. 

Soon after his return to Saint Domingue, the slaves, under the leadership of Toussaint 
L' Overture, rebelled and forced the whites to flee their country. Most of them, 
including Bro. Lislet, sought refuge in Cuba. In 1799, Napoleon dispatched a large 
army to the island and defeated the blacks, forcing them to flee to the hills. Bro. Lislet 
and many of his countrymen returned, but in 1803, the French troops were so 
decimated by yellow fever they were easily defeated by the blacks, again forcing the 
whites to flee. 

Many of these refugees eventually arrived in New Orleans, without any possessions, 
but with an indomitable will to rebuild their lives and to resume their Masonic labors.  
Bro. Lislet and a number of other officers and brethren were members of the Lodge "la 
Réunion Désire" No.3013, which had been chartered by the Grand Orient of France at 
Port Au Prince, April 16, 1783. During the revolution, its charter, archives, etc. were 
destroyed. On February 15, 1806, they held a meeting and a lodge was opened by the 
old officers, Bro. Lislet serving as W.M. They resolved to resume their labors in New 
Orleans until such time as they could return to their old homes and to ask the Grand 
Orient of France for a duplicate charter. In a "provisional election" of officers, Bro. 
Lislet was elected W.M. The records close with the minutes of November 27, 1808, 
which was probably the last meeting of the lodge. No doubt this was due to low 
attendance 
and because an assessment of four dollars per month had been imposed upon the  
members (Does this sound familiar?). The records are in the possession of 
Perseverance Lodge No.4. 
The purchase of Louisiana in 1803 by the United States, brought an influx of Masons 
from other states, resulting in the chartering of lodges by the Grand Lodges of 
Pennsylvania and New York. Bro. Lislet was specially deputized to constitute these 
lodges and to also install their officers. 

On June 13, 1812, a meeting was called by Bro. P.F. DuBourg, W.M. of Perfect Union 
Lodge No. 29 for the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge of Masons for Louisiana.  
At its organizational meeting, Bro. DuBourg was elected Grand Master.  1818, he was 
elected Grand Master, and Bro. Lislet was elected Deputy Grand Master. In 1818, he 
was elected Grand Maser, after having served as Deputy Grand Master for six 
consecutive terms.  He served with distinction and wisdom, guiding the Grand Lodge 
through some perilous times involving interference from other factions and 
jurisdictions. 

Early in 1804, Congress divided the Province of Louisiana into the Orleans Territory 
and the Louisiana Territory. Bro. William C.C. Claiborne was appointed governor of 
the Orleans Territory. 

The qualities and talents that Moreau Lislet displayed earned him the respect he justly 
deserved. Accordingly in June 1806, the Legislative Council and the House of 
Representatives of the Territory of Orleans named him and James Brown, "to draft and 
organize an adequate Civil Code for this Territory."  
In March of 1807, Governor C.C. Claiborne, appointed him Judge of the Parish of 
Orleans, which position he held until April 1813. He served on a Commission to plan a 
new college for the University of New Orleans and on the Board of Directors of the 
New Orleans Library. He held the position as the attorney for the City of New Orleans. 
In 1815 he was elected to the Senate of the State of Louisiana, but resigned in early 
1817 to become Attorney General of the State. He occupied this post until 1818 when 
he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served until 1826, when he 
was again elected to the Senate. This was the last office to which he was elected and 
marked the end of his political career. 

His professional ability, his intellectual gifts as an attorney and his virtues and 
qualities of character brought him many rewards. However, his personal life was 
wrapped in tragedy. His mother and son perished in a shipwreck. The death of his wife 
in 1809 left his daughter Elisabeth as his only close relative and when she was 
murdered, he retired into his home on Conde Street (now 1027-1029 Charters Street) 
where he died on December 3, 1832. He was interred in St. Louis Cemetery No.1 in 
New Orleans. His tomb is located on St. Louis Alley facing Conti Street. 


Yves Julian Joseph LeMonnier


M:W: Yves Julien Joseph LeMonnier, the son of Rene LeMonnier and Ann Marie Viel, 
was born February 28, 1772 at Rennes in Bretagne, France. The LeMonniers were a 
family of physicians and scientists, dating back to the seventeenth century. Among 
them we find botanists, painters, philosophers, astronomers, and especially physicians 
and surgeons. An ancestor was the physician to Louis XIV. Your researcher has 
discovered very little about his boyhood other than he attended the best schools and 
lived the life of opulence among the aristocracy. He attended the College Royal du 
Rennes and probably earned his medical training at that institution. 

Shortly after reaching the age of manhood (1791) he and his older brother, Rene, 
migrated to Saint Dominque (Haiti) probably because of the French revolution. They 
acquired a coffee plantation and other property in Cap-Français (Parish). He also 
engaged in the practice of medicine among the French residents of the region. 

Most of the coffee plantations were tended by slaves introduced from Africa, which in 
1790 numbered 450,000 or more. The slave uprising, under the leadership of Pierre 
Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture, was cataclysmic in its affront to production from 
the more than 800 plantations that were in the hands of the grands blancs-the rich. 

Many of the French colonists including Yves LeMonnier were driven from their 
homes and settled in Cuba. Their settlements were chiefly in the vicinity of Santiago, 
de Cuba, where they introduced the culture of the coffee-plant, and being men of 
intelligence and education, flourishing plantations soon replaced the native forests. But 
their misfortunes were not yet over, and they were not destined to reap the fruits of 
their patient industry. In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain and placed his brother Joseph 
on the throne. This aroused the national prejudices of the Spanish officials in Cuba 
against the French refugees, whose rich possessions whetted their rapacity. An order 
expelling all French subjects, and confiscating their property, was accordingly issued. 
It was carried into execution with heartless rigor, and the unfortunate colonists 
resolved to seek asylum in the United States. The proximity of Louisiana to Cuba, and 
the fact that it had been originally settled by the French, induced the refugees to select 
New Orleans as their new home. Thus in May 1809, Yves LeMonnier chartered the 
Brig Fair America, commanded by Captain Abraham Barges, to transport his party, 
their baggage and slaves from Santiago de Cuba to New Orleans, arriving at Balise (a 
port at the mouth of the Mississippi River) June 21, 1809. 

Since many of the early settlers of New Orleans were French, LeMonnier had no 
trouble fitting into the life of the city. He lost no time in resuming the practice of 
medicine and became one of the best known and respected doctors of New Orleans. 
Charles Gayarre, in an address before the New Orleans Medical and Surgical 
Association, on December 3, 1887, described Dr. Yves LeMonnier as "a pale 
complexioned, modest, mild-mannered man, with a soft, low voice, and eminently 
prudent in his mode of treatment. His system seemed to be to leave nature to her free 
action and powers of recuperation, whilst merely assisting her in her efforts to cure 
herself." He had a trick of violently rubbing his nose when a case assumed a grave 
aspect, so that it was a matter of importance for a patient's friends to notice whether 
the doctor's proboscis had itched during the visit. 

Dr. LeMonnier served with distinction during the Battle of New Orleans, prompting a 
certificate to be issued by President Andrew Jackson on October 13, 1829, which 
reads: 
"I do hereby make known to all whom it may concern that Dr. Yves LeMonier, 
during the campaign of 1812-15 in the army under my command as chief 
surgeon of the uniformed battalion of the city militia, which corps was engaged 
in all operations that terminating in the retreat of the invading army and that 
Dr. 182 LerMonnier's conduct was such as to meet my warmest approbation." 
He also donated his services to relieve the distress of many victims of the yellow fever 
epidemic which prevailed in New Orleans.   

In 1811, Yves LeMonnier and François Grandchamps purchased the lot and unfinished 
building located on the southeast corner of Royal and St. Peter Streets for the sum of 
$16,000. They immediately engaged the services of two well known engineers and 
architects: Arséne Lacarriere Latour, General Jackson's principal engineer during the 
Battle of New Orleans, and Hyacinthe Laclotte, the engineer whose spirited engraving 
of the famous battle has been frequently reproduced. They set to work and on 
November 13, 1811 the "first sky-scraper" building (three stories) was completed and 
ready for occupancy, and the $7,600 promised the architects for their work was paid. 

Doctor LeMonnier moved into the two upper stories and selected for his study the 
beautiful corner oval room on the third floor.  The ground floor was rented for shops. 
From its corner window one can look at the iron-girded balcony which still bears his 
exquisitely wrought "YLM" mono- gram. 

In 1814 he married Marie Charlotte Aimée Bouchet St. Martin, daughter of Pierre 
Bouchet St. Martin and the late Genevive Decalogue St. Martin of the Parish of St. 
Charles at the German Coast (Des Allemands).  From this union were born four 
children: Amire, René, Ann Celeste, and Aimée. 

Soon after arriving in New Orleans, LeMonnier became a member of Charity Lodge 
No. 93. He was Junior Warden of the Lodge in 1812 when he was selected to serve on 
the "special committee for the formation of the Grand Lodge." He was subsequently 
elected Grand Pursuivant. 

In 1816-1818 he served as Grand Junior Warden; in 1819 Grand Senior Warden; and 
in 1820 was elected Grand Master. 

Sometime in 1821 Charity Lodge No. 2 (formally No. 93)  became extinct.  Its records 
break off abruptly July 8, 1821, and there is no documentary evidence as to the cause 
of its dissolution. Yves LeMonnier, a Past Master of the Lodge, and Past Grand Master 
in 1820, became Worshipful Master of "Loge les Amis Reunis, No.7787 (Friends of 
Order). Since this was a French Rite Lodge and since Charity Lodge had no French 
Rite members, it is more than probable that the question of Rites being mooted in the 
lodge is the reason for its dissolution. 

Early in March, 1829, an arrangement was completed by which Les Amis Reunis 
Lodge No.7787 became attached to Perseverance Lodge No.4, and the members of 
each Lodge became active members of the other other.  The Lodge was annexed to 
Perseverance Lodge in 1833.

M:W: LeMonnier was one of the group of petitioners who appeared before the Senate and House of 
Representatives, State of Louisiana, in 1816 for the purpose of incorporating the 
Grand Lodge. He also served on the committee that directed the ceremonies in 
connection with the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the Grand Lodge in 1825. 

M:W: Yves Julien Joseph LeMonnier died on June 6, 1832 and was interred in St. 
Louis Cemetery No.1, New Orleans Louisiana. His burial site cannot be located. 

Jean François Canonge

The paternal side of the Canonge family was originally from Marseilles in Provence, 
France. The parental head of the family to bear the name Canonge was the 
Marquis de Jussan, a French Nobleman of high standing, who served with merit in the 
armies of Louis XV. According to a commission dated 1747, signed by the Monarch 
and countersigned by Marc Pierre de Voyer, Comte d'Angenson, Minister of War, the 
Marquis was appointed to a lieutenancy in a company of huzzars. 
At a later time the Marguis de Jussan, becoming enthusiastic over the wonderful things 
he heard about Saint Domingue, emigrated to this West Indian paradise. He married an 
heiress to a large fortune and of one of the finest domains at Jeremie.  Mme. de Jussan 
was gifted with a nature of highest distinction which shone with a brightness seldom 
seen even in the fashion halls of Paris. 
The Jussan family owned many slaves but kind treatment by the owners was equally 
proverbial. When the slave uprising swept over the country in a savage wave, their 
servants hid the members of the family in the woods, brought them food, and by their 
watching attention protected them from the bands who were slaughtering and burning. 
When the emigration of 1804 occurred, many of their slaves followed them to Cuba 
and subsequently to the United States. One of these faithful slaves, Antoine by name, 
came with the family to New Orleans. 
The Marquis de Jussan had one daughter, Renée de Jussan. She married Jean 
Benjamin Canonge, a very rich resident of the island, where he exercised great 
influence because of his intelligence, extreme liberality and benevolence, and a 
possession of a large fortune. He died before the flight of the family to Cuba.  From 
the marriage of Jean Benjamin and Renée de Jussan, were born; Auguste Canonge, 
Jean François Canonge (the subject of this paper), Benjamin Canonge, Z.B. Canonge, 
Aurore Canonge, and Elizabeth Aimée Canonge. 

Jean François Canonge was born in Jérémie, Saint Domingue, in 1785.  He was reared 
in Marseilles, France, under the guardianship of his uncle, Major F. Canonge, 
chevalier of St. Louis, an officer of distinction in the French Army.  Major 
Canonge was a second father to his nephew, who, when recalled by his family, left 
Marseilles with much regret. 
After leaving Cuba, the family repaired to Philadelphia, PA. In a short time J.F. 
Canonge became a naturalized citizen and studied law under a celebrated attorney 
named Duponceau, a Frenchman by birth, who served with Washington during the 
War of Independence. 
After being admitted to the bar, he decided on New Orleans as the place of his future 
residence because the French element was largely represented in the posterity of the 
early settlers of the Louisiana Colony.  At the time of his arrival, the French and 
English languages were both used on the floors of the State Senate and the House of 
Representatives and, as a consequence, the clerks of these bodies were required to 
report the French speeches in English and the English speeches in French.  He filled 
the position of Clerk of the House of Representative for several sessions.  Possessed of 
an incomparable memory, he took no notes of the discussions and debates, although it 
often occurred that translations had to be made from one language into another, 
without omitting any important feature.  

Standing foremost in the ranks of lawyers of that day, he was for some time associated 
in the practice of law with the celebrated and profound American lawyer, John R. 
Grymes. He made his capacities felt as an orator, linguist and impromptu speaker on 
special occasions. His success at the bar secured for him, from Gov. A.B. Roman, the 
appointment of Judge of the Criminal Court of New Orleans, at that time a court 
unique in its character because there was no appeal from its decisions. In this position, 
which he held for ten or twelve years, he distinguished himself by the manner in which 
he conducted himself. In his days of incumbency of judgeship of the Criminal Court, 
the Louisiana Supreme Court was presided over by Judge François Xavier Martin. On 
a certain occasion Judge Martin intimated to Judge Canonge that he should grant a 
new hearing on a capital case that had been brought before the latter. Judge Canonge 
refused so the Supreme Court ordered his imprisonment for contempt of Court. This 
caused Judge Canonge to order the arrest of the five Judges of the Supreme Court. The 
matter was finally settled when the Supreme Court finally acknowledged the legality 
of the position taken by Judge Canonge. 

The first mention of Bro. Canonge's Masonic activities occurred in 1818 in 
Philadelphia, PA, when he served as the Grand Senior Warden of the Cerneau Grand 
Council of Princes of the Royal Secret, 32°. Also, in 1818, he became an Honorary 
member of Perseverance Lodge, leading one to conclude that he resigned his 
membership in the Cerneau Body and moved to New Orleans. 

In 1820 he was Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana; in 
1821, he was Deputy Grand Master; and he served as Grand Master in 
1822,1824,1826-27, and 1829. 
He was Worshipful Master of Charity Lodge No. 2 in 1821, and of Etoile Polaire 
Lodge No.5 in 1824. He was a member of Les Amis Réunis Lodge No. 7787 and 
Perseverance Lodge No.4 in 1829. This was brought about when an arrangement was 
completed by which Les Réunis Lodge became attached to Perseverance Lodge, and 
the members of each lodge became active members of the other. Each lodge had its 
own officers with the exception of the Treasurer, who filled that office for both 
Lodges. 

On April 25, 1836 he affiliated with the Grand Consistory of Louisiana. He was 
created a 33°, Inspector General Honorary on March 8, 1838 by J .J . Conte and served 
as Lt. Grand Commander until March 22, 1843, when he was elected Grand 
Commander in Chief of the Grand Consistory of Louisiana, which office he held until 
April 1, 1846.  Bro. Canonge was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the 
Supreme Council of the United States of America, sitting in New Orleans on 
September 20, 1845 and held that office until his death. It is likely that Bro. Canonge 
gave up the office of Commander in Chief of the Grand Consistory due to his election 
as Grand Commander of the Supreme Council. The same year that he gave up the 
position of its Commander in Chief, the Grand Consistory passed under the 
jurisdiction of the Supreme Council, and after his death the Supreme Council was 
changed to The Supreme Council of Louisiana. 

On November 8, 1847 he participated in the ceremonies to lay the corner-stone for the 
State Capitol building in Baton Rouge. He delivered an oration that was very critical 
of the intrusion of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi into Louisiana. This was probably 
the last note-worthy Masonic act in which he participated before his death. 

Bro. Canonge married the young widow, Mme. Amelung, née Amellié Mercier, 
daughter of Jean Mercier and Maria Garcia de Fontenelle.  She was a perfect type of 
Creole, who shone in the world of Paris with the same brilliancy that she dazzled the 
social set of New Orleans. Gifted with a fine intelligence, she possessed artistic tastes, 
and handled the brush with talent. She died in Paris November 10, 1830, aged thirty-
eight years. 
From this marriage were born Alphonse, Hippolyte, Laure, J. Placide, Emma, and 
Ernest. All of their children with the exception of Laure, who died in infancy, were 
educated at the College Louis- le-Grand, Paris. Ernest, who became a member of the 
Louisiana House of Representatives, completed his studies at Jefferson College, St. 
James Parish. 

Alphonse Canonge was, like his father, a prominent lawyer in New Orleans. He, also, 
served with distinction in the capacity of Superintendent of public schools. Another 
son, J. Placide Canonge, was an eminent journalist, author, and actor. 

M:W: Jean François Canonge died January 19, 1848. He is interred in St. Louis 
Cemetery No.2, New Orleans. Louisiana. 

References 

Perusse, Roland I. "Historical Dictionary of Haiti." The Scarecrow Press, Inc., Metuchen, N.J., 1977. 
Weil, Thomas E.; Clack, Jan Knippets; Blautstein, Howard I.; Johnston, Kathryn T.; McMorris, David S.; Munson, 
Frederick P., (Coauthors) "Haiti, A Country Study." The American University, Foreign Area Studies, Washington, 
D.C., 1973 
Bell, Ian "The Dominican Republic" Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1981. 
Stoddard, T. Lothrop "The French Revolution in Santo Domingo." Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA, 1914. 
Brasseaux, Carl A. and Conrad, Glenn R. (edited and annotated) "The Road to Louisiana." The Saint- Domingue 
Refugees 1792-1809. The Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana University, 
Lafayette, LA, 1992, 
Dawson III, Joseph G. (edited by) "The Louisiana Governors." Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 
1990. 
Scot, James B., "Outline of the Rise and Progress of Freemasonry in Louisiana, " New Orleans, 1923. 
Levasseur, Alain A. "Louis Casimir Elisabeth Moreau Lislet," Louisiana State University, Law Center Publications 
Institute, Baton Rouge, 1996, 
Holleman, Elizabeth Sullivan and Cobb, Isabel Hillery "The Saint Domingue Epic." The Nightingale Press, Bay St. 
Louis, MS, 1984. 
Escalle, E. and Guillaume, M. Gauyon, "Franc- Macons Des Loges Francaise ' Aux Amerques' , 1770-1850. Paris. 
1993. 







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