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Pirate House Revisited « Russell Guerin
http://www.russguerin.com/history/pirates/pirate-house-revisited-2/
"Year of 1807. Testimony of the declarations of contraband of 21 blacks from Jamaica and landed near Bay St. Louis of the Jurisdiction of that Province of the western Florida where they were captured.
“[signed] Francisco Gutierrez de Arroyo “[signed] Ventura Quiroga ”
What is notable is that the slaves were from Jamaica, and that they were being transported illegally to Louisian through the Spanish West Florida.
Pirate House
On August 5, 1808, it was reported that in May three gunboats anchored off the west point of the Bay of St. Louis, and stayed for about two months till July 8. The translation is as follows:
“In the month of May three Gunboats anchored off the west point of Bay St. Louisandthey stayed there until July 8 last, these did not commit any assaults only forced the Masters of three little Schooners anchored in at Pass Christian to show their documentation threatening them with registering their ships if not; immediately showing their Passports and knowing them as Spanish they were respected. ”
It is probable that “Pass Christian” referred to the ship passage through the Gulf waters rather than to a city.
The above quote is confusing but also arouses suspicions. My interpretation is that these were not Spanish ships; after all, they were being reported within the network of the Spanish authorities, and presumably would have been reported as such if known. It is doubtful that they were ships of the United States; if so, they would have been identified. The location mentioned is important; so is the length of time. This leaves the choice that they must have been pirate vessels guarding the Pirate House. Whatever the identity, masters of the three ships would not have spent two months anchored offshore for no good reason. The chances are that they were protecting - not investigating - a place important to them.
The mention of Chucopulu, when combined with information about three ships west of the bay, is to this writer a new and compelling perspective. The suggestion of the Pirate House cannot be ignored as imaginative.
Three ships stationed at a given place would suggest the guarding of a waterway. It is known that the geography of the coast has changed only minimally over the last two centuries. Although small, the nearest inlets west of the bay were the natural ones near the Pirate House. The earliest map we have of the area is found in connection with deeds of the Fremaux tract dated 1849. The land measured 1,620 feet along the beach in present-day Waveland. Three houses are shown, two small and one larger. The latter is believed to have been the Pirate House, approximately 270 feet east of the inlet to the pond. Besides the fact that this house has been identified by tradition over many years, there is primary evidence that the inlet and the pond were used by boats from outside: even now, a large quantity of ballast stone can be found on the premises.
I	believe that the three ships were guarding the Pirate House.
VVho was Peytavin?
AntoinePeytavin has been found to have been a planter with a plantation upriver from New Orleans. He was bom in Marseilles, France, in 1749. His father was Enrique Francois Peytavin, also called du Bousquet. His mother was Antoinette Rigolet, bom in Province. One genealogical record of Antoine shows he had only one brother, Charles, bom in 1759, but another indicates that Jean Baptiste Dubousquet Peytavin was bom of the same parents, in 1769.
As noted above, this latter mention has particular importance because his daughter is the one who married a Boisdore. She was known as Louise or Louison.
Antoine was one of several Peytavins who were planters in	south Louisiana. They appear to have been
well-connected, with successful plantations in the area of Convent	in	St. James Parish	as	well as in	Assumption
Parish and around Bayou Teche.
Antoine died on February 18, 1836.
Not much else is known of the early Peytavins. There is a good account of a descendant, John Ludger Peytavin, bom 1859 in St. James Parish. An accomplished person, he was a noted attorney and author, and the owner of a plantation called Ancient Domain. It is recorded that his father was an only son. Other than that, the record reveals nothing of his ancestors.
The letter books of Louisiana Governor W.C.C. Claiborne list one Augusta Peytavin as Captain of the 6th regiment of Orleans in 1809. I have no other information about him.
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