"What Lies Behind Us And What Lies Before Us Are Small Matters Compared To What Lies Within Us. "

My Cajun Family History...

My Maternal Cajun Heritage is interesting:
My families have been in Louisiana since 1765...The Savoy, The Dartez, The Dubois, The David...Pronounce 'my' cajun names like this:
"SAAH-VWAH", "DAR-TESS", "DOO-BWAH", "DAH-VEED"...the English abused the french acadians horribly then exiled them...families like my SAVOY blood line. They were in fact treated nearly as badly as the african slaves. They were treated horribly too in this country because of their french language, their french heritage and their catholic faith.

 Up until  Dec. 9, 2003 with official acknowledgement of their transgressions by the British government for the descendants of the Acadians in the form of an official proclamation issued under the auspices of Elizabeth II,  Acadians with familia links to the expulsed Acadians were still forbidden to set foot on Nova Scotian soil under penalty of hanging....hang people like me with SAVOIE/SAVOY bloodlines? Geez louise!  

My 18th century wine producing French family to the crown(DARTEZ family)history started with one 15 year old orphaned DARTEZ endentured male servant whom sailed from France to Louisiana.He prospered as an adult outside New Orleans and fought in the 1814 Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson.If my research is correct, no DARTEZ (Dartes)remain in FRANCE.

Visit beautiful Avery Island...my true 'home'!
Avery Island is where TABASCO is made.
Oh, but I miss po-boys, crawfish, spanish moss, live zydeco, southern pecans,"fais-do-do", fresh Gulf oysters, okra gumbo, pralines & real New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Interesting antebellum tidbit about Louisiana: "Louisiana was a slave state. It did, however, have one of the largest free black populations in the United States. While one would think that this would lead to a dramatic reduction in the amount of slavery in the state, this is not the case. Many of the freed slaves in Louisiana in turn purchased their own slaves (a part of history that is sorely under taught in America) and lead to the state having one of the largest numbers of slave owning blacks in America, if not the largest."

The medival knight's oath at the council of Anse in 1025 promises to adhere to the 'new concept' of engaging in a more civilized manner of conducting war and ones daily affairs. His pledge..." I will not assault a noblewomen, monks and unarmed travelers. I will not raze or otherwise destroy houses..... I will not cut, tear down, or uproot vines, willows and fruit trees and I will not destroy mills or the grain inside." There is however, some reluctance to embrace this curbing of pillage and plunder. My ancestor,

Count Umberto, adds his humorous caveat, swearing "to follow these honorable and noble gestures ...during lent."

Count Umberto Biancamano di Savoia (Humbert the Whitehands of Savoy) was the great-grandson of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II and the founding member of 'la casa reale di Savoia' (the Royal House of Savoy), emerging some nine centuries later as the oldest royal house of Europe still on a throne.  In 1003, for military service rendered to Emperor Conrad II whose rights he defended, Umberto was granted strategic Alpine territories as a feudal lord and became the first Count of Savoy. The House of Savoy (Savoie in French) was there during the crusades, the age of Knighthood and Chivalry and the Renaissance. They have a colorful heraldry that started with Umberto’s Coat of Arms. They can be found in the ranks of the Knights Templar and they married royalty throughout Europe.Traced through the male line, the Savoia sovereigns of twentieth-century Italy descended directly from Umberto Biancamano. In 1983 the last king of Italy died, his name was Umberto Savoia.

 

My 'royal' blood line family allegedly comes from Savoie-Carignano (Thomas, Prince of Carignano (d 1656) 6th son of duke Carlo Emanuele I).

"SAVOY, Prince Thomas Francis
Birth : 1600 Carignano, Italy
Death : WFT Est. 1625-1691 Italy
Gender: Male
Parents: Father: SAVOY, Charles Emmanuel
Family: Marriage: WFT Est. 1619-1651
Children:SAVOIE, Francois"

It is alleged that a 'bastard' son fathered by Thomas of Carignano was sent to the 'new world'. He is my link...
Francois Savoie born in 1621, Turin,Italy - married 1651 in Nova Scotia to Catherine Lejeune in Port Royal,Nova Scotia.
Francois died in 1682, Port Royal, Nova Scotia:

Census 1671: Francois SAVOYE, 50, wife, Catherine LeJEUNE 38; children: Francoise 18, Germain 16, Marie 14, Jeanne 13, Catherine 9, Francoise 8, Barabe 6, Andree 4, Marie 2; cattle 4.

Germain is my direct ancestor,ect.-

Do I believe my family 'royalty' story is true? Who knows!
But, it's fun researching!

Both my great great Savoy and Dartez grandfathers were CVA's.