My Roth family has been somewhat of a mystery to me. As I was growing up my grandfather said they were french, and my mother often thought that he must be wrong because she thought the name was German. As I began to delve into the family history I came across many records and articles written on early french settlers of Louisiana. Joseph Roth was among them, they listed him as being born in Lorraine, France. This is what I have learned thus far;
Joseph Roth was born in France and died in Louisiana in 1802. He was the son of Joseph Roth and Margurite Guerie. Joseph settled in St. Gabriel, Iberville Parish and married Antoinette LaMare who was the daughter of Jean Francois LaMarre and Marie Louise Manciere.
Joseph and Antoinette had at least two sons, Joseph Phillipe born 1773 and Jean Baptiste Augustin Godfroi Roth born in 1776.
Apparently Joseph Roth Sr. also had other children by one of his slaves. As is indicated in a transcript translated in 1978 by Delma Abadie from an original French court document, which can be found at the
Iberville Parish Archives.
February 24, 1804
Emancipation of Slave:
Phillippe and Godfroy Roth, brothers to their slave, Jacob - which they
inherited from their decd. father, Joseph Roth.
Other records from the time would indicate that Joseph Roth Sr. owned quite a bit of land and a large plantation. His land adjoined that of Pierre Belly, who is a notable land owner of the time.
January 2, 1796
Sale - Pierre Belly to Phillippe Roth
A tract situated in this District on the right bank of the Mississippi river,
adjacent above and below to that of Mr. Etienne Watts, containing four arpents
and a half of front on the ordinary depth, with the opening and the enclosures
which correspond to it, such as it comprises and contains; in a word, such as
it had been adjudicated to him at public sale the 13th of December passed, as
it is so confirmed by the act passed by me on this day and deposited in the
archives of this Commandant.
October 11, 1802
Receipt - Pedro Belly to Felipe Roth
Price of sale of a tract belonging to him (Pedro Belly) situated in the said
District on the right bank of the Mississippi river, bounded, we hear, above
and below by lands of Dn Estevan Watts, composed of four and a half arpents of
front with the ordinary depth, according to the deed executed by the
Commandant who was we understand, Don Pedro Voisin, on the date of the second
of January of one thousand seven hundred ninety-six.
These records can also be found at the Iberville Parish Archives. All transcribed by Delma Abadie from the original court documents.
Joseph Phillipe Roth was a Private in the 4th Regiment of Morgan's La. Militia during the War of 1812. He married Marie Josephe Orillion, daughter of Joseph Orillion and Acadian, and Marie Rose Breaux. They had at least eleven children.
Jean Baptiste Roth b. 1790
Phillipe Roth b.15 Jan 1791
Louisa Constance Roth b. 25 Aug 1793
Marie Azalie Roth b. 1795
Joseph Roth b. 19 Nov 1797
Raphael Anthony Roth b. 18 Jun 1800
Celestin Roth b. 1802
Marie Celine Roth b. 24 Nov 1805
Jean Nobal Roth b.30 Jun 1808
Charles Norville Roth b. 31 Dec 1810
Alexandre Roth b. 1813
Raphael Anthony Roth married first to Rosalie Fournier, they had one daughter born in 1824 Mary Lodoiska Roth. Raphael then married Carmelite Fernand.
Raphael died on 27 Apr 1846 according to his death record, which I own a copy of, in Layfayette, La. His eldest daughter Mary Lodoiska Roth Pool and his widow Carmelite spent several years arguing his succession in the Louisiana courts. These records are available online thanks to
Family Search.
In the records, Carmelite asks that she be awarded the estate for her minor children, Alexander, Eugene, and Marguerite. She does not name any of her other children, not even the infant daughter who was born just three months before the death of her father.
There are other children listed in the 1850 census and beyond with the Widow Raphael Roth.
Alexander, Marguerite, Aglae, Armand, Joseph, Clothilde, Philomene, Malvina, and Phillip Eugene Roth (also listed as Philogene, and Eugene.) Yet in the court documents she names only the three eldest children. Which makes it confusing as to why the other children are not named. Also in the census records the ages vary from year to year for these children making determining the exact birth date hard without a birth record. Which is available for only one child, Malvina. In the record it lists her father as Raphael Roth and mother Carmelite Fernand.
Is the Eugene listed the same person as Phillip Eugene Roth? If so the age given in the succession and in the census are off by about 10 years.
I continue to search for more details regarding the Roth family. Everyday new research becomes available and documents regarding this family come to light. Hopefully I will soon be able to answer the questions I have regarding Raphael and Carmelite's children.
