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probably got the date of death from the Court House. As of this date, we have not found such a date in the Court House, leading us to believe he “assumed” Jean died at least a year before his heirs settled his estate.
The State Archives in Jackson has an early “tax list” that was salvaged from the Hancock County Court House fire in the 1850s. J. B. Doby and sons, Louis and Thomas, paid taxes in 1832 and 1835. In 1836 taxes were paid by Thomas Doby, Louis Doby, and “Madam Doby.” If these records are correct, Jean B. Doby died in the year 1835. Until we can find other evidence,
183 5 will be used as his year of death. Tradition has it that Jean is buried in the “family plot” which is located on his 1,280 acre estate on Cowan Bayou, south of Pearlington, MS. We have an 1836 map of this estate in our files taken from the local Court House. This small cemetery is located in a cluster of oak trees south of Oak Harbor Subdivision on the estate. There are a few headstones still standing, but most of the stones were stolen at the end of the Civil War. No doubt, Jean’s headstone was also stolen at that time. This story was told to Mrs. Williams by “free slaves” when she was a young girl living in Pearlington.
Based on various records and tradition, Jean Baptiste D’auby (Doby) came from France sometime before 1796 (the year of his marriage) to New Orleans. It was there he met and shortly thereafter married his wife, Marie Jeanne Giraud, on August 13, 1796 (St. Louis Cathedral Marriage Records Book 2, p. 108, act 483). From all indications, Jean made the trip to America alone, leaving all his relatives in France.
It seems that Jean, after his marriage, lived in or around the New Orleans area working on the schooner boats up and down the Gulf Coast. On one trip, supposedly a fishing trip with friends from Biloxi, he found a section of land near the Pearl River on Bayou Cowan in Hancock County. This tract of land (1,280 acres) appeared to be very fertile and was accessible to New Orleans by water and also, the booming town of Pearlington could be easily reached by water or land. Both places offered markets for the crops Jean planned to produce.
In early 1809, Jean and his family moved to his homestead on Cowan Bayou. Land records show that he received a Spanish Permit on April 26, 1809. In March of 1813, the State Land Commissioner had verified that the land was under cultivation and inhabited from 1809. This land eventually passed hands to Mrs. Williams and was sold in 1964. See Hancock County Chancery Summons #9302 which describes the land and names many of the descendants of J. B. D’auby.
Upon receipt of his land grant, Jean, with his family, several slaves, and three schooners, immediately built a home and shipping dock on the banks of Cowan Bayou at what is known as “Doby’s Point.” The home was built under the direction of a New Orleans architect with slave labor. Near the home were the pecan orchards, orange, fig, and cherry trees, as well as, the cotton fields. It was cotton, of course, that produced his greatest income. He also successfully raised cattle and hogs for the local markets.
Records from 1820 show Jean, as well as, his son-in-law, Francisco Netto, owning and operating a schooner, the “Jealous” out of the Port of Pearl River. Netto is also shown owning two other boats, probably for the purpose of hauling the goods produced on the Doby Plantation. The home remained standing for years until it was destroyed by fire sometime after Jean’s death.
From all indications, Jean was a devout Catholic and raised his children as Catholics. Judging from his success, he was no doubt an intelligent man with good business sense. He was a fair man (if slavery was ever fair!), for it was his policy to never sell his slaves nor would he break up a family. Even after the Civil War, many of his slaves stayed on with the Doby family. It was the descendants of some of these older slaves that passed stories of the early Dobys on to
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