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| Birth: | 1740 in Pennsylvania |
| Death: | 28 Mar 1789 in Berwick, LA |
| Sex: | M |
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Individual:
1769 - came to Opelousas, LA in 1769
surveyor for Spain, physician
born in Scotland or Pennsylvania.
1760 - came as surveyor to LA in 1760
Hebert lists children Ines 2-15-1778 and Martha maybe late 1778 - I doubt them
Subj: Re: McGinnis/O'Bryan/Garrett/Nourse file on 02-12-96
Date: 96-02-19 20:22:59 EST
From: Cecillia
To: MMcglint
My full name is Mary Cecillia Berwick Smith.Thomas Berwick, supposed to have been born in Pa. in 1740.died 0328-1789,married Eleanor Wallis or Wallace 0814-1768, had a whole bunch of kids, one who wasJoseph J Berwick.born 0319-1783. Married 1810 to Ellen Comstock. Married 2nd to Nancy O'Brien.They had child,name of Nathaniel,who had child namedBeverly RochelleBerwick. He married Mary Elvania Bell1876, had only one child, my grfather Dr James Clarence Berwick Sr, who had a James Clarence Berwick Jr, who married Martha Catherine Blum in N O,La in 1925.I was born in 1927.I live at 4600 Mimosa, Bellaire, Texas. I have pictures of paintings(portraits) of 4 or 5 generations of our family.Camilia Blaffer Trammel published a book about the Berwicks and Obriens and it has pictures in it.Berwick O'Brien gave me a book and a chart of the family.713-667-7608 is my no.. Call or come.
He was the great-grandfather of Daniel O'Bryan, worked as a surveyor for the Spanish government in Florida
and Louisiana, though some family traditions say he was a physician. Thomas Berwick was born about 1740 in Pennsylvania,
(or England or Scotland). Depending on the language of the government record keeper, he is called Burwick, Barwick, Thomas
Berviquet and Tomas Bairvique. In 1760, though surely an English citizen, he became a surveyor for Spanish-controlled West
Florida (Pensacola), at a time when relations were not friendly between English and Spanish colonies.
Thomas Berwick is said to be the first white settler west of the Mississippi,
coming first to Opelousas and then to Berwick Bay.
On April 27, 1769, Thomas appeared before the West Florida Council in Pensacola "setting forth that he and his wife and one
child and expects some more of his family shortly from Charles Town. That he is desirous of obtaining a tract of land for himself
and them to cultivate. Therefore, praying for 500 acres or whatever quantity to the council would seem meet, wherever vacant
near Natchez (MS)..." But Gov. Bernardo de Galvez wanted Thomas to become royal surveyor in sparsely-settled Spanish
Louisiana, so the family, with a second baby now, moved to Opelousas, LA. In fact, Thomas laid out Opelousas, which he did
so expertly that Lt. Col. Francisco Bouligny hired him to lay out a second site for New Iberia on Bayou Teche. The first site
had sunk beneath seven feet of floodwater.
In 1780, Thomas was put in charge of constructing roads and buildings, as well as moving the settlers from Malaga to New
Iberia. At first, the Malagueños had held back from tending their new fields, knowing that when the harvest was done, they
would lose the free labor of the government-supplied slaves who were planting corn, rice and tobacco for them, as well as
constructing their settlement. But Bouligny fixed that by issuing a few appropriate threats before he departed from New Iberia in
August. He left Thomas and another man in charge of the rest of the building projects. The Berwicks first lived on Bayou
Teche, but Thomas believed a big port could be established at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River, feeding into the Mississippi.
His settlement on the west bank of the river later grew into the town of Berwick. Thomas died March 28, 1789, perhaps still in
his 40's. Berwick Bay is named after him.
Thomas Berwick's wife Helena "Hypolita" Brigitta Wallace (167) was born in Dublin, Ireland on August 14, 1748. Her
parents took her to Scotland as a small child and finally to Pensacola FL when she was four years old. They were married on
her 20th birthday, August 14, 1768 in Charles Town, SC. Thomas' death left her with six children under twenty. Helen returned
for a few years to their previous residence on the Bayou Teche, which she named Ellerslie after her Scottish home, and may
have married William Newman. Historical records in various languages list her as Helen Ouzez, Elena Ouzez, Helene Wales,
Elenore Wallis and Elena Bois. She died October 15, 1815. Four years later, her son Thomas told explorer James Leander
Cathcart that she was buried on the altar of an thirty-foot-high Indian mound on the family farm in Morgan City, LA.
Thomas' daughter Mary Berwick and John Merriman, a "Lutheran" (Protestant) from Ireland, were wed on June 10,
1793 at Opelousas, LA. In 1796, John Merriman petitioned for land on the east side of the Vermilion River, between the
Boudonsque and the McCarty tracts. They became the parents of Eleanor Merriman, George O'Bryan's first wife. By the
way, though the O'Bryans and their relatives came to Cajun country at a very early date, staying there for more than a century,
none of the direct ancestors of the McGinnis branch intermarried with French descendants (Gideon Macon doesn't count, not
being Cajun, and neither does Auguste Frontage, being fictitious).
1760 - came as surveyor to LA in 1760
Hebert lists children Ines 2-15-1778 and Martha maybe late 1778
-Idoubtthem
Thomas Berwick, supposedtohave
been born in Pa. in 1740.died 0328-1789,married Eleanor Wallis orWallace
0814-1768, had a whole bunch of kids, one who wasJoseph JBerwick. born
0319-1783. Married 1810 to Ellen Comstock. Married 2nd to Nancy
O'Brien .They had child named Nathaniel,who had child named
Beverly
RochelleBerwick. He married Mary Elvania Bell 1876, had only one child,
grfather Dr James Clarence Berwick Sr, who had a James Clarence Berwick
Jr, who
married Martha Catherine Blum in N O, La in 1925. Bellaire, Texas.
Cecilia has
pictures or paintings(portraits) of 4 or 5
generations of the family.Camilia Blaffer Trammel published a book about
the
Berwicks and Obriens with some pictures. Berwick O'Brien
wrote a book and a chart of the family.
!BIRTH: History of Vermillion Parish, p. 8, 116 says born in England.
Other
sources say Scotland. A History of St. Mary Parish
!DEATH: Mary Cecillia Berwick Smith Bellaire, Texas
Hebert: SW Louisiana History?
Vermillion Parish History, p. 8 and 116
!MARRIAGE:Mary Cecillia Berwick Smith Bellaire, Texas.
says 8-14 Hebert - SW Louisiana
Frances Evelyn Bryan Crock DAR 520770
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