GIROD (JOSEPH) PAPERS
(Mss. 838, 853)
Inventory
Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections
Special Collections, Hill Memorial Library
Louisiana State University Libraries
Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University
Reformatted 2004
Revised 2010
CONTENTS OF INVENTORY
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 3
BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE ...................................................................................... 4
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE ................................................................................................... 4
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................... 5
INDEX TERMS .............................................................................................................................. 7
CONTAINER LIST ........................................................................................................................ 8
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SUMMARY
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Size. |
588 items and 6 volumes |
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Geographic locations. |
New Orleans, La.; St. Charles Parish, La.; Paris, France |
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Inclusive dates. |
1816-1899 |
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Bulk dates. |
1830-1880 |
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Language. |
English, French |
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Summary. |
Personal and business papers (in French) of Joseph Girod, planter of St. Charles Parish. |
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Organization. |
Arranged chronologically and by types of materials. |
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Restrictions on access. |
If microfilm is available, photocopies must be made from microfilm. |
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Related collections. |
None. |
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Copyright. |
Copyright of the original materials is retained by descendants of the creators in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
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Citation. |
Joseph Girod Papers; Mss. 838, 853; Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections; LSU Libraries; Baton Rouge, La. |
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Stack location(s). |
U:133; G:8; OS:G |
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Also available on. |
Mss.MF:G (Boxes 1a-1b, Volumes 1-6) |
BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE
Joseph Girod was a planter of St. Charles Parish. Originally from Bordeaux, France, he came to America in 1816. He was the nephew of Nicholas Girod, the first elected mayor (1812-1816) of New Orleans. Joseph’s brother, François, lived in Paris, France, and New Orleans. Their father was named Jacques-Antoine Girod.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Early papers include letters from François Girod, leases and deeds of property, and the will of Jacques-Antoine Girod. One letter from François announces that 3 German immigrant laborers will be arriving to work for Joseph (1832). Correspondence (1840s-1850s) is chiefly from François and is related to the estate of Nicolas Girod, who left $100,000 to the mayor of New Orleans to establish and maintain an institution for the support and education of orphans of French parentage. Correspondence mentions litigation, which diminished the estate, and Girod properties in New Orleans.
Legal documents of the 1860s include items related to a lawsuit between the Board of Harbormasters of New Orleans and the Southern Steamship Company; articles of agreement pertaining to the estate of Nicolas Girod; and letters addressed to the president of the French Society of New Orleans. Business papers include bills, receipts, insurance policies, utilities statements, and tax receipts. Certificates of Redemption of forfeited lands (1866) record properties belonging to Joseph and François Girod.
Plantation journals kept by Joseph Girod (1838-1877) list expenses, accounts, and names and ages of slaves. A notebook contains sketches of properties bought and inherited by Girod family members. Genealogical notes on the Girod family are included.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
The earliest papers in the collection include letters from François Girod of New Orleans and Paris to his brother, Joseph, discussing business and personal matters; leases and deeds of property in New Orleans made by François Girod (1835); and the will of Jacques-Antoine Girod (1832). A letter from François advises Joseph to expect three German immigrants to be used as laborers (1832). Also included is a passport granting Joseph Girod permission to leave Bordeaux for New Orleans (1816).
A number of letters to Joseph in New Orleans from François in Paris refer to a lawsuit contesting the will of Nicholas Girod, which stipulated that $100,000 be left to create an institution for the support and education of orphans of French parentage in New Orleans.1 During this period there is also a series of letters to Constance Girod, daughter of Joseph, from a friend relating her travels in the Northeastern part of the United States (1850-1859). A letter from François in Paris tells his brother of an altercation between Pierre Soulé and the Duke of Alba (October 29, 1853).
During the 1860s and 70s, papers include legal documents concerning a lawsuit between the Board of Harbormasters, New Orleans, and the Southern Steamship Company in which Captain John M. Scott was involved; articles of agreement pertaining to the settlement of the estate of Nicholas Girod (signed by Pargoud, Janin, Soule, 1867); a letter from a doctor concerning the yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans; and letters addressed to the president of the French Welfare Society of New Orleans asking for financial aid (1870-1879).
Also included is a genealogy of the Girod family listing births, deaths, and marriages (undated) and a form letter from the président societé Française de bienfaisance et d’assistance mutuelle informing all French-speaking people how they may become members of the society and the benefits to be received (undated).
Business papers include bills and receipts for merchandise (1855-1899), insurance policies (1858-1887), utilities, and city, state, and other direct taxes (1857-1877). Also, certificates of redemption of forfeited lands record properties assessed to Joseph and François Girod (1866).
Plantation journals kept by Girod during the period from 1838 to 1877 list general expenses, accounts, names of laborers including their ages and the births of their children. A notebook shows sketches of properties bought and inherited by members of the Girod family.
Manuscript volumes:
Volume 1. Journal (in French), 1828-1842![]()
Plantation journal kept by Joseph Girod listing general expenses.
Volume 2. Journal (in French), 1828-1877![]()
Journal kept by Joseph Girod listing general expenses, accounts to be paid, bills to be collected, and other general information such as the names of his slaves and African-American workers, their ages, and the births of their children.
Volume 3. Journal (in French), 1864-1870![]()
Accounts kept by Joseph Girod as representative of his brother, François Girod. In the back of the journal are copies of letters to François Girod.
Volume 4. Letter-book (in French), 1825-1832![]()
Copies of letters by Girod to residents in St. Charles Parish, St. Martinville, Donaldsonville, Opelousas in reply to request for merchandise and other favors.
Volume 5. Notebook (in French), 1857-1860![]()
Notebook kept in the form of bank stubs showing list of checks payable on the State Bank of Louisiana giving date, to whom paid, and amount.
Volume 6, Notebook (in French), 1851-1862![]()
Sketches of properties bought and inherited by members of the Girod family. The sketches show the number of the square, the names of the streets bordering the property, and in some cases the size.
INDEX TERMS
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Board of Harbormasters (New Orleans, La.) |
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Charitable bequests--Louisiana--New Orleans. |
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Girod family. |
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Girod, François. |
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Girod, Joseph. |
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Girod, Nicolas, 1747-1840. |
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Harbors--Louisiana--New Orleans. |
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Journals (accounts) |
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Mexico--History--European intervention, 1861-1867. |
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New Orleans (La.)--History--19th century. |
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Notebooks. |
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Plantation owners--Louisiana--Saint Charles Parish. |
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Plantations--Louisiana--Saint Charles Parish. |
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Saint Charles Parish (La.)--History--19th century. |
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Sanjon, Emile. |
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Shipping--Louisiana--New Orleans. |
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Slaves--Louisiana. |
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Southern Steamship Company. |
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Touatre, Just. |
CONTAINER LIST
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Stack
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Box |
Folder(s) |
Contents (with dates) |
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U:113 |
1a |
1-5b |
1816-1849 |
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1b |
6-8 |
1850-1859 |
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2 |
9-14 |
1860-1899, undated |
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15a-b |
v.5 Notebook (1847-1860) v.6 Notebook (1861-1862) |
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G:8 |
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Volumes 1-4 |
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OS:G |
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1 |
Joseph Girod Passport (1816) |
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Mss.MF:G |
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Reel 1 |
Boxes 1a-1b, volumes 5-6
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Reel 2 |
Volumes 1-4 |
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