Smithland, Kentucky had become a melting pot of nationalities
by 1850. The population consisted of people from England, Ireland, Germany, Italy and
France. Very likely the commerce on the
Ohio and Cumberland Rivers played a part in drawing people from other countries
to Smithland. Many of the immigrant families were assimilated into the general
population. A few stopped in Smithland only briefly before settling elsewhere.
One of the foreign-born
settlers who came to Smithland was Jean Lewis Alexander Colinet of Paris, France. He stopped briefly in Perry County, Tennessee[1] before
moving to Smithland by 1851.[2] The 1850
Livingston County census shows a John Colleny, age 35 born France, but he
appears on only that one record. There is no indication his name was a
variation of Colinet or if he and Alexander were related.
Alexander
Colinet was allowed to keep a tavern with the privilege of selling spirituous
liquor at his house in Old Smithland on
3 October 1853.[3]
Old Smithland was settled circa 1798 and has been described as about three
miles below the mouth of the Cumberland River, which is the location of present-day
Smithland.
In June
1854, Alexander Colinet's daughter, Louise, purchased 400 acres of land for
$3000 on the Ohio River from W.P. and Sarah S. Fowler. [4] Less
than three months later, Louise sold four or five acres of this land back to
Sarah S. Fowler. The land is described
as "just above the town of Old Smithland ..."[5] Thus
far, the fate of the remainder of the 400 acres purchased by Louise
Colinet in 1854 is unknown. As far as can be determined, Louise was the only
known child of Alexander Colinet in Kentucky.
This 400 acres of land was attributed to Alexander Colinet on
the 1853 and 1854 Livingston County tax lists. It was listed as the property of Etienne Girard thereafter.
Etienne
Girard and Wiley P. Fowler were present when Alexander Colinet died on the 13th
of August 1854.[6]
Mrs. Coltilde Colinet, widow of Alexander, relinquished her right to administer
on her husband's estate and Etienne Girard was appointed in her place. William
Canady, George W. Roberson and Young Rucker, or any two of them, were appointed
to appraise the personal estate and slaves, if any, of Colinet.[7]
Even though
Alexander Colinet had only been in Livingston County about three years, his
estate inventory showed a fairly extensive list of farming utensils plus a few
more unusual items - 1/2 barrel each of
French brandy and whiskey, a wooden boat, one ream of wrapping paper. Also
listed was a cabbage patch valued at $5.00 and a potato patch valued at $10.00,
100 chickens, 10 head of hogs and three milch cows & calfs [sic].
On 26
September 1854, Louise Colinet married Etienne Girard at Madame Colinet's in
Livingston County.[8]
The couple moved to Paducah after their marriage and their first child, Clotilde Gerard, was born there 8
August 1856.[9]
They had at least three more children.
Louise's mother, Clotilde Colinet, moved to Paducah with them and is
listed as age 47 and born in Belgium on the 1860 McCracken County census. A lot more information has been found on Louise and Etienne Girard, including their connections to royalty,
but I will save that for another post. Watch for it!
[1]
Deposition of Etienne Girard 23 Dec 1854, Livingston County Circuit Court Order
Book O, pp 68-60 regarding his acquaintance with Colinet of Paris. W.P. Fowler
also gave a deposition at the same time.
[2]
Livingston County Tax List of Alexander Colinet marks the first appearance of Colinet in Livingston
County.
[3]
Livingston County Court Order Book L, p. 163.
[4]
Livingston County Deed Book 2, p. 424.
[5]
Livingston County Deed Book 2, p. 491.
[6]
Livingston County Circuit Court Order Book O, pp 68-69.
[7]
Livingston County Court Order Book L, p. 209, 16 Sep 1854.
[8]
Joyce McCandless Woodyard, Livingston
County, Kentucky Marriage Records Including Marriages of Freedmen Vol. II (August 1839-December 1871),
(Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1994), 83.
[9]
Kentucky, Birth Records 1847-1911, McCracken County, Ancestry.com, accessed 6
Dec 2010.
Published 21 September 2016, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http:/wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
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