The DeCuir family of the United States is descended from our common
ancestor, Albert deCuire (1673-1750), native of
Macon
, Hainaut
(now Belgium), who migrated as one of the earliest colonists
to Louisiana in 1720.
Albert settled in Pointe Coupee Parish and his grandchildren
prospered on the banks of False River, and old channel of the Mississippi.
The Name DeCuir
The name translates into “of leather”. Perhaps our ancestors were tanners.
The three towns of Cuiry, France (see photo links below) are within an hours drive south of Macon, as well as another town of Cuireaux. The only other area in France or Belgium that begins with the letters CUIR is a suberb in Lyon, France.
The spelling of the name evolved over the years from deQuyre, to deCuire, to DeCuir. There is a coat of arms in Flemish registered to the DeQuiere (or a similar spelling), the only coat of arms we have been able to find from pre 20th century.
A current day coat of arms which has circulated for the name DeCuir is actually a modern day artist interpretation, and not associated at all with the ancient family from the research we have conducted.
Albert deCuire had two sons and several daughters. Anyone bearing the name DeCuir today in the United States is probably descended from Albert's son, Jean Francois DeCuir, as Albert's other son only had a daughter. Julie Eschleman-Lee has trancscribed the will of Genevieve Mayeux, wife of Jean Francois DeCuir and has it available online at this link:
DeCuir Will of Genevieve Mayeux DeCuir
Sons of Jean Francois and Genevieve include: Jean Baptiste, Francois, Pierre, Antoine and Joseph. Several of these grandsons of Albert deCuire were large plantation owners along the Mississippi Valley and the Teche. Many of them served in the
Pointe Coupee Militia which was part of
Galvez's Army during the Revolutionary War, making descendants ellible for membership in clubs such as Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution.
Please copy the jpg file in this link to your files. It is a 1681 document when Simon deCuire, our ancestor, was tested to be a Cleric for the Catholic Diocese in Hainaut at
Cambrai. He is Albert deCurie's father.
1681 Document from Hainaut of Simon deCuire
FAMILY REUNIONS:
* JULY 1996
In July of 1996, Rev. Léon Lybaert, pastor of the Catholic Church of Macon,
Belgium, traveled to Louisiana to celebrate at 275th anniversary Mass of the
arrival of Albert deCuire and 120 other Hainaut colonists to Louisiana. Father
Lybaert is also a historian and traced the DeCuir family back to 1535 in
Hainaut. The DeCuir family was very active in the Catholic Church in Hainaut,
and continued in Louisiana as Albert was one of the founding Godfathers of the
Bell to establish the first church of Pointe Coupee with St. Frances Church.
The anniversary Mass was said in this church, full of artifacts of the days of
Albert deCuire, with several hundred DeCuir descendants in attendance. Including the 1719 ship's bell beleived to have been brought from Europe by the colonists to Louisiana.
* JULY 1998
On July 19, 1998, many DeCuir cousins joined at Macon, Hainaut, Beglium, to attend the 50th anniversary Mass of Father Lybaert as a Catholic Priest, and had a weekend reunion tour of the DeCuir ancestral village, as well as a visit to Chimay and the Chateau deCuiry in France.
