On the French Frontier 1700-1800
Teachers Clues to the Past - Marie Rouensa's Estate Inventory

The year 1725, the sixteen day of August, we, Andre Perillau, notary in the Illinois, we have gone to the house of Sieur Michel Philippe, habitant in Kaskaskia and lieutenant in the militia, in order to make an inventory of the possessions of the succession of the late Marie Rouensa his spouse, and at the same time to divide the possessions between Sieur Michel Philippe and Pierre and Michel Ako, children of the first marriage of Marie Rouensa, and Jacque Philippe, Agneisse Philippe, Elisabeth Philippe, Marie Josephe Philippe, Joseph Philippe, and Ignasse Philippe children of the said Michel Philippe and Marie Rouensa. The said Michel Philippe has taken an oath between the hands of the reverend father Boullanger, missionary of the company of Jesus, curate in Kaskaskia, that he has removed nothing of the said succession.

The said inventory and division has been made in the presence of the witnesses named below. To wit, on behalf of the: said Michel Philippe, Sieur Jaques Lalande and Antoine Carrier, and on behalf of the heirs of the said Marie Rouensa, Antoine Boisseau and Leonard Billeron dit La Fatigue, and as the fifth witness, Jean-Baptiste Pottier, who will also serve as appraisers and have taken an oath in accordance with the Coutume. To proceed therefore, we have taken the inventory that is as follows--

Agricultural land of 5 facing arpents located in the prairie of Monsieur de Melique, bordering on one side the land of the late Charles Dany and on the other side to Jaques Philippe Estimated at 2000 livres
More land of 4 facing arpents bordering on one side Guillaume Pottier and on the other side Cadron, which has been cleared to be sown with 30 minots of wheat Estimated at 3000 livres
More land located in the North Point of the village of Kaskaskia, bordering on the one side Sieur Lalande and several other habitants, which has not yet been . . . . . Estimated at 2000 livres
Another piece of land located in the village of Kaskaskia close to the petite riviere in the common....... Estimated at 300 livres
A lot of 3 arpents located in the village of Kaskaskia bordered on the one side by the lot of the late Sieur Bourdon and on the other by Guillaume Pottier . . . . Estimated at 550 livres
A barn located on a lot... Estimated at 500 livres
A barn located on a lot... Estimated at 1100 livres
Another lot located in the village of Kaskaskia containing one arpent of land... facing the church. On this lot there is a house of poteaux-en-terre 36 by 20 feet in which there is a stone fireplace, with neither floor nor interior walls. And another house de charpente 40 by 22 feet... a small cabin... stable of poteaux-en-terre. The said lot is half- enclosed with pickets of mulberry. Estimated at 5500 livres
Two cauldrons of red copper, one of 14 to 15 pots and the other of 10 to 12 pots, together 300 livres
Three pair of ? and one cramalliere 75 livres
one bed of straw and rope 20 livres
Six minots of shallots @ 15 livres/minot 90 livres
Two kegs of oil containing 50 pots @ 3 livres/pot 150 livres
Six minots of small wheat @ 12 livres/minot 72 livres
one old cotton sheet 20 livres
Seventeen sickles, some good, some bad 68 livres
Three....... 30 livres
Five iron axes @ 25 livres each 125 livres
one pound of salt 60 livres
Twenty pounds of pepper ? @ 4 livres/pound 80 livres
Three old . . . . out of service 30 livres
one iron salt spoon 20 livres
One pirogue of cottonwood, about 40? feet long 40 livres
Twelve pigs @ 80 francs each 960 frances
Two medium size pigs @ 25 francs 50 francs
Seventeen little ones 25 francs ea. 425 francs
Eight picks totaling 80 francs
Four scythes, two good, two out of service 60 francs
Six minots of wheat in flour 72 francs
Two "terriers" and one . . . 30 francs
One cross-cut and one rip saw 80 francs
Twelve thousand bardeaux made . . . for the caban of 40 feet that is next to the church of Kaskaskia 180 francs

August 17, 1725, P.M.

Six beefs 3600 livres
Four cows 2400 livres
Two heifers @ 500 livre ea. 1000 livres
Two male horses @ 500 livres ea. 1000 livres
One mare 600 livres
One old negro named Pierrot and one
negresse named Brinbelle, married 2400 livres
Two more negros, one named Carod and one
named Gollon, married 3500 livres
One Indian boy slave named Chinchchinan 600 livres
Two charettes, one for oxen, one for a horse 300 livres
Two plows, equipped and ready to plow 500 livres
Eighteen pewter spoons 36 livres
Three and three-quarters ells of green serge @ 10 livres/ell 37 livres
Two ells of red fabric for leggings @ 15 livres/ell 30 livres
Fourteen and a half ells of trisses? @ 8 livres/ell 116 livres
Four trade guns @ 40 livres ea. 160 livres
Two copper candelabra with their mouchette and its holder 25 livres
Eight small pewter plates @ 6 livres ea. 48 livres
Four plates and a small platter of pewter 36 livres
One pewter basin 36 livres
A salting tub containing about 300 pounds of bacon 300 livres
Two large brass cauldrons 100 livres
One brass milk bucket and two... a boire 50 livres
Three copper cauldrons without lids 250 livres
Two iron kettles with lids 150 livres
Two frying pans 50 livres
One copper coffee pot, one copper kettle with with legs and handle [poelon] and one large stirring spoon of iron 30 livres
One grill in poor condition 15 livres
One pair of...And one cow... 220 livres
About one minot of salt 75 livres
Eight trade picks 80 livres
One clipper [buchet] for working vines 10 livres
One walnut table with two drawers 100 livres
Five chairs and 2 arm chairs of walnut 120 livres
Forty minots of peas @ 15 livres/minot 600 livres
Fifty pounds of bulk lead 50 livres
One hundred livres of..... 100 livres
Sixty pots of oil estimated at 3 livres/pot 180 livres
Eight plat... @ 10 livres ea. 80 livres
Seven minots of flour 84
Two boxes of old iron and nails 150
Ten pots of...estimated @ 3 livres/pot 30
One....... 30
One hayfork 10
Fifty minots of maize estimated @ 5 livres/minot 250
Twelve hundred laths @ 15 livres/1000 19
Eight minots of oats @ 5 livres/minot 40
Nine tons of wood, of which seven tons are debarked and 2 tons are cut 100 livres
A small horse-drawn cart 25
The makings for two wheels 30
Eighty gross poultry 192
The harvest of French wheat, which is sheaved and in the barn, estimated at 3300 livres

Approximately 19 to 20 arpents of land sown in maize that has not been harvested. When the harvest is done Sieur Michel Philippe will be obliged to make an inventory of the maize in order to hold it in account for the heirs of the late Marie Rouensa, his wife; they will pay Sieur Michel Philippe their share of the costs of the harvest

Six charettes of hay estimated @ 30 livres per charette 180 livres
Six livres of scrap iron 3
A lockplate for a gun 10
A cassette with lock and key 10

The inventory was closed between 10 and 11 a.m. in the presence of the same witnesses and appraisers who signed. it amounts to to the sum of 45,214 livres 2 sous, not including the maize on the stalk, which although included in the inventory has not been appraised. Done in Kaskaskia, 17 August 1725.

Signatures:
Marks:
L. Billeron
Pottier
Carrier
Pierre Ako
Chassin for his wife Agnes Philippe


Sieur Boisseau
Sieur Lalande
Sieur Michel


Perillau, notary

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