William Bord alias Boles
(ca. 1836 - between 1880 and 1900)
William was born in Virginia around 1836. He was present in plantation inventories beginning in 1846 and was described as an “American mulatto.” William’s skills were critical to the plantation’s success. In 1857, he was the sugar maker, in charge of overseeing the process of refining sugar. Inventories, census records, newspaper accounts, and court documents list his surname as Boone, Boles, Bowles, Bord, and Bold. It is likely that French Creoles who were writing William’s Anglo-American name were unfamiliar with it and therefore spelled it phonetically. Because it was illegal for William to learn to read and write, he could not provide an accurate spelling of his surname.
His wife Isabelle, an “American negro” born around 1833, was a laundress. She was brought to Evergreen Plantation in 1854. On January 13 of that year, Lezin Becnel purchased Isabelle from Delphine Marmillion Dufilho. He paid $1000 for her, which would be the equivalent of approximately $32,000 today. Delphine Marmillion Dufilho was the sister of Lezin Becnel’s stepfather, Valsin Marmillion, Because of the frequent intermarriage of members of the Haydel, Becnel, and Marmillion families, Delphine was also Lezin’s great aunt Françoise Haydel Marmillion’s daughter. Françoise and her sister Magdelaine (Lezin’s grandmother) were the daughters of Evergreen Plantation’s founder, Christophe Heidel.
After the Civil War, William and Isabelle continued to live and work at Evergreen Plantation. In 1875, William ran into trouble with another worker and occupant of the Evergreen quarters. Samuel Holmes, a native of Maryland, a formerly enslaved man around twenty years older than William, threatened him with violence and even tried to get him in trouble with the law. Sam’s reasons for targeting William remain unknown; perhaps he held a grudge against the younger man, had gotten into an argument with him about a personal matter, or had had a conflict at work with him. Sam repeatedly assaulted William and threatened his life. William went before the court in St. John the Baptist parish and told them that he “verily believe[d] that unless the said Sam Holmes [was] restrained by law, that he [would] assault and further disturb the peace of deponent.” He wanted Sam arrested and gave the names of witnesses who would testify on his behalf: Richard Gordon, Sam Dangerfield, and Ned Edwards. They were formerly enslaved men from Evergreen Plantation who continued to live and work there.
Sam Holmes struck back, telling the district attorney that William had assaulted him with force and threatened to shoot him in April and giving his own witness list. The following men were living in the Evergreen quarters at the time: Jackson, Nelson Wolkis, Hyme Brown, Celestin, and Old Frank. The district attorney found no merit in the charge and dismissed the case. However, William had been implicated in another crime and came before the court charged with larceny based on the affidavit of Sam Holmes. The local newspaper reported on the case. William was accused of stealing corn from M.A. Becnel, the owner of Evergreen Plantation. The DA obtained a verdict of acquittal from the jury because, according to Le Meschacebe, “The evidence disclosed that William Bold had been the victim of a foul conspiracy at the hands of Sam Holmes. Although the corn was found in the cornhouse of William Bold, the investigation disclosed that an aperture from the garden of Holmes into the cornhouse of the accused had been effected and the corn shoved in through a crack. The evidence pointed directly to Holmes.”
Sam Holmes was found guilty of larceny. On June 5, 1875, he was sentenced to sixty days in the parish jail. A visitor to the jail on July 10, 1875 found ten occupants, including Sam. He noted, “Sam Holmes serving a two months sentence is sad and dejected; the pleasures of prison life are sadly marred by the thought of soon being cast upon the world of trouble and contention.” Despite the time spent in jail, Sam continued his vendetta against William after his release.
The following article appeared in Le Meschacebe on September 4, 1875:
“That chronic pugilistic bruiser and public nuisance Sam Holmes, whose name for the last six years has graced the criminal records of Justices, Parish and District Courts, in almost every character of crime, from malicious mischief to assault and battery with intent to kill, is up again from before Justice Kinnard’s court on an affidavit of William Bold under the veritable charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. It will be remembered that Sam was convicted before a jury at the May term, for larceny, and sentenced to sixty days in parish jail. On the 29th of July he was released by expiration of his term of sentence, and is again on the rampage as an irrepressible fighter. Can’t Courts of Juries put a stop to this wild career?”
Five years later, when the 1880 census was taken, Sam Holmes was still living at Evergreen. He was now seventy years old, unmarried, and working as a laborer. William and Isabelle were also living on the plantation. Due to the destruction of the 1890 census records, the date of William’s death remains uncertain. He was not present on the plantation in 1900, indicating that he likely died between 1880 and 1900.