Biographie Guillory Joseph-Gregoire

Joseph moved his family, including slaves, to Opelousas, Louisiana after Jeanne's death; he had recently received a land grant of some 640 acres there. Before the move, Joseph was having an affair with his slave, Marguerite; she was pregnant during the move to Louisiana. In the ensuing years, Marguerite gave Joseph Gregoire three additional children. Around 1770, Joseph began proceedings to free Marguerite and her children - yet paperwork that was drawn up turned out not to be legally binding.

Joseph Gregoire died in 1786 in Mobile, Alabama, and a lengthy, years-long battle ensued where Marguerite fought to free herself, and then her children, from slavery from Joseph Gregoire's legitimate children. This was known as "The Margarita Case" (Harrison LaTour has done some excellent research on the Guillory line...including a good deal of the info here. Thanks to him for his efforts). The case was not fully settled until 1783; Marguerite and her children had won their freedom.