Billiu

The Billiu surname is a tough nut to crack.

Why? Because it probably isn't supposed to be "Billiu." It may be Billiou, Bellow or any number of variations of that. Then there's the mythical "Cat" Ballou ... No relation.

Cat Ballou. No relation. 

My guy is Billiu, though, so I'm sticking to it. There aren't very many of them around here -- or anywhere for that matter. .

 In my grandmother's notes is the theory that the Billius were French Hugenots originally from New Jersey. A letter found in her records from her cousin, Nell, claimed to have traced the Billius to Pierre Billew, who married Francoise Dubois in Holland in 1649 when the family migrated to New Jersey.

The first in  my line is David Billiu, born in the mid 1700s in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even Ancestry.com goes no further back than David. In about 1801, he married Abigail Witham, whose family tree has a lot more branches and will be explored on a separate page.

David and Abigail had five children, John (who married Margaret Allison), Diadema Witham Billiu (who married John K. Porter), Rachel (who married William Wyn), Lavinia (who married G. Vandergriff) and my great great great grandfather, James Augustus Billiu.

James Augustus Billiu was born June 3, 1802 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In about 1820, he moved to Louisiana and began farming in Assumption Parish. After a short time, he moved on to Lafourche Parish and began buying up land. Eventually, he had a sugar plantation comprised of 750 acres, which he named "Abby" in honor of his mother, Abigail Witham Billiu.

He also purchased the smaller Mary Plantation and bought Utopia Plantation in partnership with Robert Perkins; the latter occupied 4,085 acres in Raceland.

Records show that in 1846 and 1847, Abby Plantation produced 130 hogsheads of sugar. In 1860, it produced 160. James' worth in real and personal property at that time was estimated at $275,000.

The Assumption Pioneer newspaper of March 30, 1851, mentions three crevasses (levee breaks) on Bayou Lafourche, including one on the left bank at James Billiu’s Abby Plantation.

In 1830, James married Mary Elizabeth Gladish of Halifax, North Carolina. She was the daughter of William Gladish and Mary Polly Glover, both of whom were deceased by 1828. Mary's brother, James, allowed his sister to marry at the age of 15. Mary Glover's father, Jones William Glover, had fought in the American Revolution (My grandmother said he fought with George Washington. The Glovers also may have a connection to Abraham Lincoln.)

Mary Elizabeth Gladish had accompanied the Pugh families when they moved to Louisiana. (Brothers, William Whitmell Hill Pugh and Alexander Franklin Pugh, along with half brother Thomas, moved to Louisiana in 1818 from North Carolina and settled on Bayou Teche. In 1820 they moved to Bayou Lafourche. Alexander Franklin Pugh became part owner and manager of a number of sugar plantations in Assumption and Lafourche parishes, including Augustin, Bellevue, Boatner, and New Hope plantations. William Whitmell Hill Pugh founded Woodlawn plantation. Thomas Pugh built Madewood Plantation in Napoleonville, which is now a National Historic Landmark. Eventually the family owned close to 10,000 acres.)

But Mary Elizabeth Gladish was not a little rich girl. Her father was the postmaster in Maconsville, North Carolina, and by 1807 he was selling off some of his land due to financial problems.  Ultimately, there was a deed of indenture between William and his father-in-law, who had covered his debts and was collecting them in 1807. 

Mary Elizabeth and James had eight children:

Julia Elizabeth 1834 - 1855 (married James Frizell)

James Augustine 1835 - 1890 ( married Eliza Scruggs)

John Sargeant 1836 - 1914 (married Mary Francis Williams),

David Hall 1838 - 1903 (married Millie Thompkies)

William Gladish 1842 - 1884 (married Ella Armitage)

Mary Abigail Billiu 1846 - 1915, who married William Wallace Cross of the neighboring Orange Grove Plantation

and Marion Witham Billiu 1852 - 1886

During the Civil War, four of the boys enlisted in the Confederate army but the fifth was too young for service. The Union army of course raided Abby Plantation, seizing horses, mules, sugar and wagons and causing much destruction. The family subsequently entered a claim against the United States for $500,000, but the receipt that given by the Union quartermaster to the family was lost, and the old slaves who was a witness had died, so there was no way to prove the claim. The destruction of the plantation probably contributed to James Billiu’s death in 1865. His sons continued to manage the plantation but, plagued by successive crop failures, lost it to foreclosure in 1887.

Later, there would be a Louisiana Supreme Court case involving a dispute over property left by the Billiu heirs. It was originally donated to Lafourche Parish to be used for a school, but later was sold -- or the mineral rights were sold. My grandparents tried to fight Lafourche Parish for those rights but never succeeded (I have all that paperwork too!)

Now there is a lovely subdivision there called, Abby Plantation Estates (not cheap!)

But pretty much the only thing left of the actual Abby Plantation is The Abby Oak.

William Gladish Billiu was one of four Billiu brothers who served in the Civil War. He married Ella Armitage, but both died young, leaving five minor children to be raised by relatives. Their daughter, Sallie Billiu, married Peter McConnell of Indiana. Their daughter, Rose McConnell, married Huey P. Long, who would serve as governor of the state of Louisiana and as a U.S. senator. Their son, Russell Billiu Long, was elected to the United States Senate in 1948 and served until 1987.

Mary Abigail Billiu was my great-great grandmother, obviously named for her grandmother, Abigail Witham. 

Abby was born in 1846 at Abby Plantation and there, in 1867, she married William Wallace Cross of the nearby Orange Grove Plantation.  "Witnesses to the wedding of Mary Abbie Billiu and Wallace W. Cross (sic): Louise Cross, Louise Winder, R.R. McBride, Taylor Beattie, T.J. Shaffer. SRB Trader, Rector, St. John Episcopal Church, Thibodaux, LA."

Abigail was a  stylish, educated woman who studied Shakespeare. Her small, red velvet Shakespeare collection is in my possession. She died at the age of 72 in New Orleans of pneumonia. Family legend says, she stepped in a puddle getting out of her carriage on the way to church, but refused to go home and change her shoes and stockings. 

William served in the Civil War as Assistant Surgeon, 30th La. Regiment.  Commissioned Nov. 13, 1862/ Captured at Meridien, Mississippi, 12 May, 1865. ((Parole papers in my possession)). He was captured at Meridian, Miss., and treated the wounded there.

From the military rolls:
Assistant Surgeon, F. and S., 30th Regiment, La. Infantry. Enlisted Nov. 13, 1862, New Orleans, LA. Appointed surgeon Nov. 10, 1862 (sic).  Roll for March and April, 1864, Absent with leave.  Roll for Nov. 1, 1864 to Feb. 28, 1865, Absent with leave of 20 days from Feb 19, 1865 to Feb ..., 1865 (sic).  Appointed Asst. Surgeon by Maj. Gen. Maury.  Present on Roll for April 20 to 30, 1865.  On Rolls of Prisoners of War as Assit. Surgeon, 20th La. Infantry.  Paroled at Meridian, Miss. May 12, 1865.

William returned to his family in Thibodaux after the war. He and Abby lived on Canal Boulevard, near where the water tower is now. Their wrought iron fence (or parts of it) are still there.

Together they had five children:

Sidney Billiu Cross, born in 1868 (married Gabrielle Tarleton)

Ella Mae Cross, born in 1870 and died in 1872.

Baby Lulu Cross, born in 1872 and died in 1874. There is no other information about this baby girl, not even her full name was recorded.

Edward Wallace Cross, born in 1874 (married Lena Josephine Himel of Himelaya Plantation in Labadieville)

And Carrie McNair Cross, born in 1876 and never married.

Edward Cross was my great-grandfather. He married Lena Josephine Himel of Himelaya Plantation in Labadieville in 1904. 

The Crosses, along with my brother, are buried in a family crypt in St. John's Episcopal Cemetery in Thibodaux. William was well over 6-feet tall, so his tomb sticks out about a foot longer than all the others on the row. The two toddler girls are buried there as well and memorialized with the obelisk.

For more on the Cross family tree, mosey on over to the Cross Page.

(Sources: Notes of Evelyn Himel Cross French Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual and Forgotten Stories of Towns, By Clare D’Artois Leeper
Abby Plantation (Lafourche); South Louisiana Records, Father Donald Hebert; Find a Grave photo by French Brownlee.)