Pauline Graupera Gonzalez, 1800-1896

Pablo Graupera was born in Calella, a small Catalonian town near Barcelona, Spain. His surname, Graupera, was often written Granpera, possibly when the French were in control of Louisiana and Florida. In reading the old handwriting of the time, the "n" and the "u" were sometimes hard to tell apart. His father was Mariano Graupera and his mother, Margarita Galup.1

When and why Pablo left Spain and came to America is not known, but he was in New Orleans in 1799 when he married Marguerite Jardelat on April 2d in the St. Louis Cathedral.2 Marguerite's family lived at the Post of the Arkansas, on the Arkansas River, a major tributory of the Mississippi River where her father served in the French militia. How Marguerite and Pablo met is not known, but a possible guess would be that Marguerite and her sisters were sent to the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans - a better place for young ladies to live than the rough and ready atmosphere of the Post. Marguerite and at least some of her sisters could write, while her brothers signed by mark. Marguerite was confirmed in New Orleans in 1796.3

Pablo and Marguerite's daughter Pauline was born in New Orleans in 1800, a son Yldefonso in 1802, and a daughter Josephine in 1804.4 Pablo owned land in the Pensacola area and may have owned land in New Orleans as well.5 He was about twelve years older than Marguerite and he died young, about age 50, in 1818. He most likely died in New Orleans as he was buried there in St. Louis Cemetery #1.6 The oldest cemetery still in existence in New Orleans, it was established in the late 1700s.

Marguerite's younger brother, Joseph, who was by then living in New Orleans, was appointed guardian of Pablo's three children. Marguerite was living in Pensacola in 1830,7 perhaps moving there after her daughter Pauline married Celestino Gonzalez of Pensacola. By 1850 Marguerite was living in New Orleans again, listed as the "Widow Graupera" head of a household that included her daughter Josephine Gagnet, and her grandson, Fernando Mendoza, Pauline's son by her first marriage.8 Marguerite died 13 June 1855 in New Orleans and was buried there,9 possibly in St. Louis Cemetery #1, but that would be just a guess.

Pauline Graupera married Antonio Mendoza sometime before 1822 when their son Fernando was born in Pensacola. Nowhere is anything mentioned about this marriage and their son in any of the biographical sketches written about her and her second husband, Celestino Gonzalez, nor in any family stories that have been handed down. However, a family researcher uncovered the christening of Fernando in the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans on 16 April 1825. His birth was on 29 September 1822 according to the christening record. Antonio, his father, was a native of Havana, Cuba. Antonio's parents are named in the record also: Juan Mendosa and Maria De La Torre.10 No marriage record has been found for Antonio and Pauline yet, nor a death record for Antonio, but it is assumed he must have died as Pauline married Celestino a few months after her son's christening, on 3 July 1825 in Pensacola.

Fernando is in the 1850 census in New Orleans as a wharf clerk with real estate valued at $100,000 ? a huge amount for that time.11 He is living with living with Pauline's mother - his grandmother - Marguerite Jardelat Graupera, called the Widow Graupera. Also in the house is his aunt, Josephine Graupera Gagnet, Pauline's younger sister, listed as the Widow Gagnet, and her daughter in law, Elodie De Gruy Gagnet and her daughter Alphonsine, about two or three years old. Elodie was married to Josephine's son, Alphonse Gagnet, who died in 1846, shortly after their marriage. Five years later, in 1855, Fernando married Elodie on 10 March in New Orleans.12 Fernando fought with the Confederates during the Civil War. It is assumed that they moved to Mobile, Alabama, sometime before the Civil War as Fernando fought with the First Mobile Volunteers.

Fernando and Elodie are listed in the 1866 Alabama State Census.13 There are eight people in the household but it is unknown who the other six might be. Elodie is listed in the 1900 census as the mother of one child and that would have been Alphonsine. Fernando died on 15 January 1868 in Mobile.14 Why he died so young and where he is buried is unknown. Elodie lived on for many years. She died 11 March 1914 in Mobile and is buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile.15



Related Links:
Record of marriage: Pablo Graupera and Marguerite Jardelat, 1799, New Orleans
8-generation descent report for Mariano Graupera and Margarita Galup
Celestino Gonzalez and Pauline Graupera
Merced Gonzalez, daughter of Celestino and Pauline, and wife of Thomas William Brent
Certificate of Marriage of Celestino Gonzalez and Pauline Graupera
Grave of Celestino Gonzalez and Pauline Graupera
Obituary of Pauline Graupera Gonzalez
Family tree showing the Graupera and Gonzalez relationship to other Pensacola families



  1. Louisiana Marriages, Vol.1: A Collection of Marriage Records from the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans During the Spanish Regime and the Early American Period, 1784-1806, p.122:
    Pablo Granpera, native of Calella in Cataluna, son of Don Mariano Granpera and of Dona Margarita Galup, Married April 2, 1799, Margarita Chardelat, native of the Post of the Arkansas of this Province, daughter of Pedro Chardellat and of Maria Languedoc (the correct name is Jardelat). Witnesses: Don Francisco Ramon Canes, Don Jose Renes, Dona Maria Antonia de Neda and Dona Graciana Solis. Jose Renes was Marguerite's brother-in-law, husband of her sister Charlotte.

    For many years I had gone with the spelling of Granpera - the name has been written or copied as Granpera, Graupera, Grampera, Granpere, Graupere and Grandpere. With more and more church records being digitized and indexed at FamilySearch.org, one can see that there are many, many Graupera surnames for the Barcelona area of Spain, which is where Pablo was born. So I have decided to go with the Graupera spelling until a baptismal record turns up.

  2. Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of new Orleans, vol. 6, 1796-1799, ed. by Earl C. Woods. NewOrleans, Archdiocese of New Orleans, 1991.

  3. Libro Primero de Confirmaciones de esta Parroquia de Sn. Luis de La Nueva Orleans, New Orleans, Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans, 1967. Translated as: First book of Confirmations of this Parish of St. Louis of New Orleans, containing folios from the beginning up to the present.

  4. St. Michael's Cemetery Records [Pensacola, Escambia Co., Florida], complied by Lola Lee Daniell (Bruington), D.A.R., 1938, 1939, p.6. Date of birth on her tombstone is 7 June 1800. Her death certificate gives her name as Pauline Josefa Carlota Gonzalez, age 95 years, 9 months and 29 days, putting her birth in 1800. It also says both her parents were born in Spain, but only her father was. Her mother was born in the Louisiana Territory.

    Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Vol. 7, Ed. by Earl C. Woods and Charles E. Nolan. New Orleans, Archdiocese of New Orleans, p.156. Yldefonso was born 23 January 1802 and baptised 18 February 1802 in the St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, Louisiana. Sponsors [godparents] were Francisco De La Rua and Maria Antonia De Neda.

    Emails from LaRita Reynes to Anne Healy Field, 2012, and Gagnet Family charts: birth of Josephine, 3 January 1804, New Orleans.

  5. American State Papers, Vol. 4, p.102. Claim by the heirs of Pablo Granpera for the 800 arpents of land in the Pensacola area.

  6. St. Louis Cemeteries nos. 1, 2, and 3, Records, 1770-1935. Microfilm of original records filmed in the Louisiana Historical Center. Cemetery no. 1 Farary - Laenoix - FHL MF 1292169. Information on index card: Graupera, Don Pablo, Native of Cataluna in Spain. Husband of Margarita Tardela [Jardela]; son of Mariano Graupera and Margarita Galupa; Died Apr 24, 1818, Aged 50 yrs.

  7. 1830 U.S. Census. Florida, Escambia County, p.106. Marguerite is head of household; there are twelve people in the house including five slaves. There is one female age 40-50 (Marguerite), one 20-30 and one 5-10. There is one male 40-50, and three males 5-10.

  8. 1850 U.S. Census. Louisiana, Orleans, New Orleans, Ward 4, p.337, Family number 963. Marguerite is listed as the "Widow Granpera, age 85." She was a widow, but her age was about 79.

  9. Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Death Records & Certificates, v.17, p.48. FHL MF 90250 "... on the thirteenth of June of the present year (June 13th 1855) at about half past nine o'clock a.m. Marguerite Graupera, a native of New Orleans aged eighty years departed this life in a house situated corner of Philipp & Claiborne Streets Second District. the deceased was the daughter of Gerdela [Pierre Jardelat] with Marie de Langdoc {Languedoc]."

  10. Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Vol. 16, 1824-1825, New Orleans, Louisiana, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Earl C. Woods, editor, p.273: Fernando Mendosa, son of Antonio Mendosa, native of Havana, Cuba, and Paulina Graupera, native of New Orleans; bapt 16 Apr 1825.

  11. 1850 U.S. Census. Louisiana, Orleans Parish, New Orleans, Ward 4, p.337 [written in], family 963.

  12. Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957, FamilySearch.org database with images, Fernando Mendoza and Elodie De Gruy, widow of A. Gagnet, 10 Mar, 1855, New Orleans, LA. FHL MF 903915, image 271.

  13. 1866 State Census. Alabama, Mobile County, Township 4S, range 1W, p.185.

  14. Burial Records, Mobile County, Alabama, 1857-1870, compiled by Mrs. Lucille Mallon & Mrs. Rochelle Farris, Mobile AL, Mobile Genealogical Society, 1971, p.208: Ferdinand Mendoza, 47, born Pensacola, died 15 Jan 1868.

  15. Alabama, Mobile Magnolia Cemetery Interment Cards, 1836-1995, FamilySearch.org database with images, Elodie DeGruy Mendoza, buried 11 Mar 1914, Mobile, Mobile, AL. Born 22 Jan 1828, died 10 Mar 1914. Age 86. FHL MF 2030477, image 1000. Square 27, Lot 164.

    Website: Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/. Dates and other information from the memorials are not all taken from the gravestones, nor verified, Memorial #67850064.


Picture of Pauline Graupera, 1800-1896, wife of Celestino Gonzalez, mother of Mercedes Gonzalez Brent. Photographer: Washburn, 113 Canal St., New Orleans.

Picture from the collection of Jean Healy.


Anne Healy's Genealogy, Created October 2002
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15 Sept 2014
Updated 10 April 2022

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