Julienne Azelima Patin Walker

(1821-1896) 

My Third Great-Grandmother

Daughter of Ursin Patin and Marie Aspasie Guidry 

Wife of James H. Walker 

Mother of Ursin, Sylvanie Marie, Augustavus, William,  Joseph, Aspasia, Fanili Alice, and Ameilia Cora

All of us have four great-grandmothers, but few of us know who they are.* You have met three of Velma Carrow Provost’s great-grandmothers: Melanie Toups Dooley, Adelaide Delaune Boudreaux, and Adele Ordonot Carrow. Now it is time to meet the fourth of Velma’s great-grandmothers, Julienne Azelima Patin Walker.  

What an elegant name is Julienne Azelima Patin. I envision this lady with dark hair and wearing it in a simple chignon. Maybe a dark ribbon adorns her hair. Her neck is long and elegant. She would also be a tiny bit plump with arms that give loving hugs to everyone who visits her. Maybe someone will produce a photograph of her and prove me wrong. I kind of hope so. I would love to see what she looked like. 

The third child of Ursin Patin and Marie Aspasie Guidry, Julienne Azelima was baptized 20 May 1821 in St. Martinville, Louisiana. Her St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church record cites her birthdate as 9 February 1821. Her paternal grandparents were recorded as Antoine Patin and Catherine Bossier. Her maternal Acadian grandparents were Joseph Guidry and Scholastique Hebert. Her godparents were Joseph Saunier and her mother’s sister Julienne Guidry, spouse of her godfather. Her parents lived in Vermilion, Louisiana.^[1]Rev. Donald J. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records (Hebert Publications: Rayne, Louisiana, 1997), 2b:733. In a tradition many Catholic Acadians followed, she was named after her godmother.

As much as I like the name Julienne, it seems that this ancestral mother went by her middle name. When was Azelima first used? Her name is recorded as “Celina” in the 1860 census and “Ezelime” in the 1870 census and “Azelina” in the 1880 census.^[2]For Celina see 1860 U.S. census, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Western District, p. 147, dwelling 83, family 33, James Walker household; National Archives and Records … Continue reading Therefore, going forward, I will refer to Julienne Azelima as Azelima using the spelling recorded in her baptismal record. 

Azelima was born into one of the first French families of Louisiana. Her great-great-grandfather, Antoine Patin, arrived in New Orleans from France in 1727 with his wife and four children.^[3]Glenn R. Conrad, “November 12, 13, 1724 Census of the German Villages Located on the Mississippi River Above New Orleans,” The First Families of Louisiana (Baton Rouge, … Continue reading Her Acadian great-grandparents, Pierre Guidry and Claire Babin, may have arrived in Louisiana as early as 1765.^[4]Pierre Guidry and his wife Claire Babin were recorded in the 1770 census of Ascension. Robichaux, Albert J., Jr., Colonial Settlers Along Bayou Lafourche (Harvey, Louisiana), p. … Continue reading

In the 1830 Census record, the year before Azelima was born, her parents were living in the vicinity of her maternal grandparents, Joseph Guidry and Scholastique Hebert as well as her Acadian great-grandparents Jean Charles Hebert and Magdeleine Robichot in Lafayette, Louisiana.^[5]1830 U.S. census, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, p. 149, Joseph Guidry household and Jean Charles Hebert household; p. 163, Ursine Patin household; National Archives and Records … Continue reading All three of the families either owned enslaved people or managed them. Melanie Toups, whose daughter would one day marry Azelima’s son, also lived in the area.^[6]1830 U.S. census, Assumption Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, p. 155, Ambroise Stoups household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M19, roll 44; … Continue reading  It is possible that Azelima and Melanie may have known each other though Azelima was about ten years older than Melanie. 

Azelima was the second wife of James H. Walker. His previous wife, Eliza Collins, died 22 April 1845.^[7]Eliza Collins, James H. Walker family record book, 1847-1978, Louisiana State University – LSU Libraries, Special Collections, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Azelima and James married 24 September 1846 in Lafayette, Louisiana, most likely at St. John’s Cathedral.^[8]Rev. Hebert, Southwest Louisiana Records, 1811-1830, 2:386. James’s name was recorded as Jean Walker. Their marriage was recorded in handwriting in the family record book of James H. Walker, 1847-1978 which was inserted in the family bible.   

This bible was printed in French and donated by Mr. Jean Minvielle to the Louisiana State University - LSU Libraries, Special Collections.[9]James H. Walker, Louisiana State University - LSU Libraries, Special Collections, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Mr. Minvielle was the grandson of Susan Walker Moreau, the last person to handwrite the family genealogy in the bible. Susan Walker Moreau was Azelima’s granddaughter.[10]Michael R. Rogers, “The James Walker Bible,’” Attakapas Gazette, vol. 23; Fall 1988, 128-135. Image privately held by Sindi Broussard Terrien.

Azelima became the step-mother to James’s first four children, ages three to eight. The births of all of Azelima and James H. Walker’s children are recorded in the bible insert and it states they were born in St. Mary Parish between 1847 and 1859.  She named her first child and son after her father, Ursin. Her second child and first daughter was named after her older sister Marie Sylvanie, but the child’s name was recorded as Sylvanie Marie. Her third child Augustus may have been named after James’s brother who died at the age of one. Her son, Joseph, may have been named after her uncle Joseph Patin or her grandfather, Joseph Guidry. Her sixth child was named after Azelima’s mother, Aspasia. Her seventh child Fanili Alice was probably named after Azelima’s other sister Faneley. William Walker, my ancestor, was Azelima’s fourth child. The handwritten insert records his birth as “22nd of October AD 1851 ten minutes after five o’clock A.M. Parish of Ste. Mary, La.” Interesting that the time of day was recorded for a birth in the 1800s. 

Images of the James H. Walker family record book, 1847-1978 privately held by Sindi Broussard Terrien.

In 1849, James purchased a land patent of just over 108 acres in St. Mary Parish, probably between Baldwin and Franklin, Louisiana.^[11]Bureau of Land Management, “Land Patent Search,” images, General Land Office … Continue reading But by June of 1860, Azelima and James lived in Berwick City of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, about thirty miles southeast from the land purchased in 1849.^[12]1860 U.S. census, St. Mary Par., Louisiana, pop. sch., p.11, dw. 83, fam. 83, James Walker household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M653, … Continue reading

In 1860, Azelima’s husband was a farmer with a farm having a value of $6,000 while his personal estate is valued at $14,000. Ten children were living with them ranging in ages of one to nineteen. Six of the children were in school. Also in the household was son-in-law Joseph Dooley who had married Azelima’s stepdaughter Louisa and Sarah Monroe who may have been James’s sister or his sister-in-law.^[13]1860 U.S. census, St. Mary Par., Louisiana, pop. sch., p.11, dw. 83, fam. 83, James Walker household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M653, … Continue reading Joseph Dooley was related to Philomene Camilla Dooley who would be Azelima’s daughter-in-law. James was recorded as either manager or owner of nine enslaved people which included three children under the age of ten and six men and women ages nineteen to forty-five.^[14]1860 U.S. census, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, slave schedule, Western District, p. 4, Jms. Walker, owner or manager; Ancestry.com … Continue reading

What was it like being the mother of twelve children? Was Azelima skilled at sewing? Did she do the cooking, or did her older daughters help? Did the enslaved women and children help around the house and gardens?  

Though Azelima’s son, Ursin served in the Confederate Army near Franklin, Louisiana, without injury from 1864 until the surrender,^[15]Ursin Walker, (Co. A, Louisiana, 7th Louisiana Calvery) Iberia, Louisiana, pension no. 3536, Louisiana, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950, Ancestry.com, digital images … Continue reading her husband did not participate. In fact, he signed an Oath of Allegiance in 1868, stating that he had not engaged in the rebellion against the United States.^[16]St. Mary Parish, Clerk of Courts, Oaths of Allegiance, 1868, No. 2966, James Walker; digital image, FamilySearch.com, image 174 of 272 … Continue reading Nevertheless, Azelima must have been anxious for her son when he enlisted in the Confederate Army at the age of seventeen, just as any other mother would be when their son joins the military. 

Compared to others, it seems that the family fared well enough after the Civil War. The 1870 census records the family living in New Iberia, Louisiana.^[17]1870 U.S. census, Iberia Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, New Iberia, p.65, dwelling 483, family 524, James H. Walker household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm … Continue reading What made this family move about forty miles away from the Baldwin/Franklin area? Was it the Civil War or other factors? When did they make the move between 1860 and 1870? Seven children were living with them as well as Sarah Monroe, who was seventy years old and Lorenza Walker who was married to Azelima’s son, Ursin Walker.^[18]Ursin Walker and Laurenza Lange, James H. Walker family record book, 1847-1978, Louisiana State University – LSU Libraries, Special Collections, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. L.W. Merrill, a man born in Maine and a carpenter, was also living with them. Azelima was recorded as keeping house while her husband was a farmer, more than likely raising sugar cane. The eldest two sons were farm laborers. Did they work for their father? The farm was valued at $3000, and James‘s personal estate was valued at $1000. Azelima could not read or write but her husband and several of her children could. Five of their children were attending school in 1870.  

Living nearby in New Iberia was Camilla Dooley who was attending school^[19]1870 U.S. census, Iberia Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, New Iberia, p. 66, dwelling 487, family 528, Joseph Dooley household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm … Continue reading as was Azelima’s son, William. Had Camilla and William become well acquainted at school? They married in 1872.^[20]St. Nicholas, (Lydia, Louisiana), marriage act, unspecified volume, William Walker & Philomene Camilla Dooley, 28 May 1872, digital image from 1953 microfilm, supplied 18 October 2021 … Continue reading

On 14 June 1880, Azelima and James had one grandson living with them, Augustus Stansbury who was fifteen and worked on a farm. Why was he living with them and not his mother, Sarah, and his father? James continued to farm in the Iberia area. At least three of their sons (Ursin, Joseph, and Augustus) were living close by with their children. Daughter Cora and her husband Sterling Walker also lived nearby. (It is not known if Sterling Walker was related to James H. Walker.) As all the men are listed as “working on farm,” could that mean that they worked on their father’s farm?^[21]St. Nicholas, (Lydia, Louisiana), marriage act, unspecified volume, William Walker & Philomene Camilla Dooley, 28 May 1872, digital image from 1953 microfilm, supplied 18 October 2021 … Continue reading   

Azelima’s son, William Walker, and his family were also living in the 1st Ward of Iberia, most likely on a farm near Joseph and Louisa Dooley. Sarah Monroe who was eighty-four now lived in William’s household instead of Azelima’s.^[22]1880 U.S. census, Iberia, Louisiana, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 26, First Ward, p. 53, William Walker household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm … Continue reading

Azelima became a widow when James died at the age of sixty-nine. The family bible records his death at 5 o’clock in the morning on 1 February 1884. His services were held at St. Nicholas Church in Lydia. He was buried in Patoutville, Louisiana.^[23][email protected], patoutville-st-nicholas-index (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19T8–jWW8XRqFf-isIpvpTmkF7u1Av8RQ_xGmjCyaYo/edit#gid=1542424412 : viewed 23 Oct 2017. Where did Azelima live after that? Did she live with one or her children, or did family move to the farm to live with her? 

Julienne Azelima Patin Walker died at 4 o’clock the morning of 16 January 1896 at the age of seventy-four.^[24]Julian Azelema Walker, James H. Walker family record book, 1847-1978, Louisiana State University – LSU Libraries, Special Collections, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was also buried at St Nicholas Cemetery in Patoutville.^[25][email protected], patoutville-st-nicholas-index (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19T8–jWW8XRqFf-isIpvpTmkF7u1Av8RQ_xGmjCyaYo/edit#gid=1542424412 : viewed 23 Oct 2017.  She appears to have had a full life with many children and grandchildren living nearby. 

*My four great-grandmothers were Laura Walker Carrow, Emilie Provost Provost, Hattie Aline Saltzman DeLauchussee Broussard, and Olivia Richard Broussard.  I had the privilege of knowing Hattie Aline, my paternal great-grandmother. We called her Grandma Aline. She lived to be 104 years old. She spoke Cajun French and English, chewed tobacco, and made a mean gumbo. She was a descendant of Pierre Nicolas Provost and Marie Francoise Quebedeau—my sixth great-grandparents on my father’s side. My mother was also a descendant of Pierre Nicolas Provost and Marie Francoise Quebedeau, also my sixth great-grandparents on my mother’s side.  Wow!