Marie Françoise, a free woman of color also known as Dauphine, presents to the court that her sons, whom she claims were born free, are being held as slaves by the administrators of the estate and tutors to the heirs of Valérie Samanos Belly Borie and her husband Augustin Borie. The Borie family and their heirs, named Ricard, are free people of color. Marie Françoise contends that she is the daughter of a free woman of color named Isabelle, who was born in St. Domingue where she was legally freed under the French government of the island. Isabelle came to Louisiana, via Cuba, in 1809 with another free woman of color named Valérie Samanos. In Louisiana, Isabelle and Marie Françoise went to the parish of Iberville to live with Valérie Samanos and her husband Augustin Borie. They served the couple and their family for many years. During that time, Marie Françoise gave birth to four sons. After Valérie Samanos Belly Borie's death, however, Augustin Borie "retained" ownership of her four sons and maltreated one of them. After Augustin Borie's death, the administrators of his estate and tutors to his heirs continued keeping her family in their possession and collected the money from their hiring out to the town municipality. Marie Françoise therefore prays that her sons be decreed to be free and asks for $15,000 in damages from the administrators, George Deslonde and Cyprien Ricard, and from the adult heir named Paulin Ricard.
Result: Dismissed.
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Repository: Iberville Parish Courthouse, Plaquemine, Louisiana
