Three More Colonial Louisiana Ancestors Approved By the SAR

In the March 2015 issue of Le Raconteur,  Judy Riffel published a previously undiscovered 1 June 1778 list of the Company of Volunteer Militia of the German Coast. This list contained many of the settlers of the area who served under the Spanish and assisted in the defeat of the British in the Battles of Fort Bute at Manchac and Baton Rouge in September 1779.

Many members and prospective members with ancestors from this area were very excited to be able to have their ancestors recognized as American Patriots by either the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

See list of Company of Volunteer Militia o the German Coast (St John the Baptist Parish Jun 1, 1778, below:

National Society Sons Of The American Revolution (SAR) Policy Change:

In an effort to expedite three applications that had been pended by the SAR some three years prior due to a lack of proof of service, on June 2015 the SAR Genealogist General was contacted in an attempt to move those applications along. The genealogist general responded that the German Coast Militia list did not qualify since it was dated prior to the date that Spain declared war on Britain on 21 June 1779. This was extremely confusing since the SAR (and the DAR) had previously recognized Spain’s assistance to America beginning 24 December 1776 when the King ordered Spain to assist the Americans in their battle against the British.

It was then realized that a change in the SAR genealogy policy concerning the Spanish had been approved in 2011 but the impact on the Galvez Patriots had not been recognized. The problem arose since most of the militia lists that have historically been used date between 1777 and early 1779. (Typically 20-30 percent of new Louisiana SAR members are accepted using a Galvez Patriot.) This change in policy initiated a lot of discussion between various SARs. State societies and the genealogy committee. A review of the policy was initiated by the SAR genealogy committee and at the 2015 September Leadership Meeting,  a revised policy was approved that returned the date recognizing American patriots with Spanish service after 24 December 1776.

The text of the revised SAR policy: Sons of the American Revolution Genealogy Policy No. 2015-01, Consolidated Genealogy Policy Portion of Section 2.30001, that pertains to Spanish Involvement to the Cause of the American Revolution. 

                      Changes up to 25 September 2015;  Any member of the Army or of a Spanish colonial militia who served as shown by contemporary rosters, in a Presidio or garrison in the Spanish territories, bounded within by the area now included in the present-day United States of America, and which Presidio or garrison is shown to have provided military or material support, such as a contribution of the donativo or participation in the cattle drive, to the cause of American Independence, may be considered to have performed qualifying military service in support of the Patriot cause. Any member of the Spanish Army, Navy, or militia who served in the Spanish Navy in support of Galvez, in the Gulf of Mexico, from Texas to Florida, along the Mississippi River, or were members of the Louisiana Infantry Regiment between December 24, 1776 and November 26, 1783, maybe considered to have performed qualifying military service in support of the Patriot cause. Any resident of the Spanish territories bounded within by the area now included in the present-day contiguous United States of America, who provided material aid or contributed to the donativo requested by King Carlos III in 1780 to fund Spanish involvement in the war effort, may be considered to have performed qualifying patriotic service. Exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis.

See Spanish Support for the American Revolution in a short video: 

Results after NSSAR Policy change:

Shortly after the approval of the above policy, the SAR approved all three applications recognizing these individual ancestors of mine from the German Coast as patriots in the American Revolution on 30 Sept 2015:  Francois Noel Dupont (Fran co Dupont), George Kerner (Jorge Kerner), (Francois), Daniel Madere : 

See below ancestral chart starting at my great-grandmother Georgiana Legaux, also a brief biography of each new Patriot Ancestor.

 Short Biography of my recently recognized Ancestor:

Francois Noel Dupont (1737 – 1785) was born in Montreal Quebec, Canada on 7 December 1737, the eldest son of Noel Marie Dupont and Marie Angelique MORNEAU both of Montreal Quebec, Canada.  He was married to Madeleine Michel.  It isn’t clear as to how or when, Francois Noel Dupont arrived in the lower Mississippi valley, known then as the German Coast. (French: Côte des Allemands) was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the east side of the  Mississippi River – specifically, from east (or south) to west (or north), in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen, Mariental, and Augsburg.

Francois Noel Dupont’s arrival had to have taken place sometime shortly after Louisiana, then a French colony from (1699-1763) was transferred to the Spain crown in 1763. For it is here, on 17 Jan 1770, when we first discovered Francois Noel Dupont described as Fusiliers, 35-year-old, from Germany, and on another militia dated 1 Jun 1778, still a member of the Second company – St. John the Baptist Militia under in the company of Don Robert Robin Delongy, Captian.  He would remain a member of the Second Company of Militia in St John the Baptist Parish in support of and during the entire time Louisiana, under the command Spanish Colonial Governor and General Bernardo de Gálvez, who with 1,400 men, took to the field in the fall of 1779 and defeated the British in battles at Manchac 7 Sept 1779, Baton Rouge and Natchez (21 Sept 1779). On March 14, 1780, after a month-long siege with land and sea forces, Gálvez, with over 2,000 men, captured the British stronghold of Fort Charlotte at Mobile 1781. The climax of the Gulf Coast campaign occurred the following year when Gálvez directed a joint land-sea attack on Pensacola, the British capital of West Florida. He commanded more than 7,000 men in the two-month siege of Fort George in Pensacola before its capture on 10 May 1781.  

Francois Noel Dupont, a landowner, father of five children, died on 10 Jan 1785 in St. John the Baptist Parish La. According to his death record, he is said to be buried in an unmarked grave in St. John the Baptist Cemetery.

SAR Patriot Certificate: Francois Noel Dupont:

Short Biography of my recently recognized Ancestor:

George Kerner, (1745-1795) the progenitor of the Kerner Family in Louisiana was born in Germany abt 1745. He was married to Marie Eva Jacob and lived in the lower Mississippi valley, known then as the German Coast. (French: Côte des Allemands) was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the east side of the  Mississippi River – specifically, from east (or south) to west (or north), in St Charles, St John the Baptist and St James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen, Mariental, and Augsburg.

From as early as 17 Jan 1770, when we first discovered George Kerner, he is described as Fusiliers, 35-year-old, from  Germany,  once again, we see him listed as  of 1 Jun 1778 a member of the Second company – St. John the Baptist Militia under in the company of Don Robert Robin Delongy, Captian. Kerner would remain a member of the Second Company of Militia in St John the Baptist Parish in support of and during the entire time Louisiana, under the command Spanish Colonial Governor and General Bernardo de Gálvez, who with 1,400 men took to the field in the fall of 1779 and defeated the British in battles at Manchac to capture of Fort Bute (7 Sept 1779), Baton Rouge and Natchez (21 Sept 1779). On March 14, 1780, after a month-long siege with land and sea forces, Gálvez, with over 2,000 men, would capture the British stronghold of Fort Charlotte at Mobile 1781. The climax of the Gulf Coast campaign occurred the following year when Gálvez directed a joint land-sea attack on Pensacola, the British capital of West Florida. Galvez commanded more than 7,000 men in the two-month siege of Fort George in Pensacola before its capture on 10 May 1781.

George Kerner, landowner, father of eleven children died on 7 Feb 1795, in St. John the Baptist Parish, La. 

According to his death record, he is said to be buried in an unmarked grave in St. John the Baptist Cemetery.

SAR Patriot Certificate: George Kerner:

Short Biography of my recently recognized Ancestor:

Francois Daniel Madere/Matere (1753 -1823) was born Natchitoches, Parish Louisiana on 6 January 1753, son of Jean Mader and Marie Materne. He was married to Marie Magdeleine Kerner on 25 May 1787 daughter of George Kerner and Marie Eva Jacob. He lived on the lower Mississippi valley, known then as the German Coast.  (French: Côte des Allemands) was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the east side of the  Mississippi River – specifically, from east (or south) to west (or north), in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen, Mariental, and Augsburg.

According to 1 Jun 1778, Francois Daniel Madere/Matere is a member of the Second Company of Militia in St John the Baptist Parish under in the company of Don Robert Robin Delongy, Captian.  And he would remain a member of same militia company in support of and during the entire time Louisiana, was under the command Spanish Colonial Governor and General Bernardo de Gálvez, who with 1,400 men, took to the field in the fall of 1779 and defeated the British in battles at Manchac to capture of Fort Bute (7 Sept 1779), Baton Rouge and Natchez (21 Sept 1779). On March 14, 1780, after a month-long siege with land and sea forces, Gálvez, with over 2,000 men, would capture the British stronghold of Fort Charlotte at Mobile 1781. The climax of the Gulf Coast campaign occurred the following year when Gálvez directed a joint land-sea attack on Pensacola, the British capital of West Florida. He commanded more than 7,000 men in the two-month siege of Fort George in Pensacola before its capture on May 10, 1781. 

Francois Daniel Madere/Matere father of five children died on 22 Aug 1823 in St John the Baptist Parish, La. 

According to his death record, he is said to be buried in an unmarked grave in St John the Baptist Cemetery.

SAR Patriot Certificate: Francois Daniel Madere/Matere

As a proud descendant, I am a living memorial of these three men, whose service and contributions under the command of the Spanish Colonial Governor and General Bernardo de Galvez will be forever remembered. As a member of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution and a retired military officer, I continue our family’s rich and enduring legacy of duty, honor, service. I hope my research and shared stories of discovery continue to inspire others on a similar path. 

Learn more about several Haydel men found on a militia list in St John the Baptist Parish in 1778.

See other proud military Ancestor’s service back to 1665.