Historical Family Homes
Joseph Landry was born in 1752 in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, and was among the Acadians deported by the British in 1755. Landry came to Louisiana with his sister and mother, who was probably a widow by that time. At age 17, Landry obtained a Spanish land grant and cleared land above Donaldsonville. This land became his plantation, New Hope.
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New Hope Plantation
Joseph was known as Joseph "Bel Homme" Landry. Joseph was appointed Commandant of the Acadian Coast by the Spanish government and later served in the Revolutionary War. He was a successful planter, with sugar and corn being his major crops; he also owned a retail sugar business. Joseph was the patriarch of a large and prominent family, he died in 1814.
Land Grants
Land grants were plots of land given to individuals who promised to live on the land, work the land and help to colonize the area for the government who distributed land through land grants. If the recipient of the land grant inhabited and cultivated the land for ten years, the plot of land became the rightful property if the individual. Land Grants were first granted by the French Government in the early 18th century and later was continued by the Spanish government and then by the American government. Land Grants were granted to Acadians and their descendants following their 1755 exile from Nova Scotia. The land grants all fronted the Mississippi River, which made the land ideal for cultivating and living in the area.
The French Land Grants were 2 to 4 arpents wide along the riverside by 40 arpents deep. An arpent is approximately 192 feet, and a square arpent (also referred to as an arpent) is about 0.84 acres. When a family first arrived, they received seeds, a shotgun, ammunition, an ax, a sickle, a hoe and a spade. They also received corn, dried meat, a smoked ham, a basketful of vegetables and a basket of fruit. Once they were settled, they were given six hens, a rooster, a cow and a calf. At first they lived in huts until gradually they built larger homes. Wanting to keep them happy, often family members were given tracts near their other family members
The French Land Grants were 2 to 4 arpents wide along the riverside by 40 arpents deep. An arpent is approximately 192 feet, and a square arpent (also referred to as an arpent) is about 0.84 acres. When a family first arrived, they received seeds, a shotgun, ammunition, an ax, a sickle, a hoe and a spade. They also received corn, dried meat, a smoked ham, a basketful of vegetables and a basket of fruit. Once they were settled, they were given six hens, a rooster, a cow and a calf. At first they lived in huts until gradually they built larger homes. Wanting to keep them happy, often family members were given tracts near their other family members