Church Register Caussade – June/July 1737¶

This page from the church register of Caussade documents everyday life in a small French town in the summer of 1737. It contains eight entries: three baptisms, two burials, and the beginning of a marriage entry.

Complete Transcription of All Entries¶

1. Burial – Guillaume Messip (June 27, 1737)¶

Guillaume Messip, son of Jean Messip (winegrower) and Marie Aymard (married), approximately 15 months old, died on June 27, 1737, buried the following day in the cemetery.

Present: Jean Messip (father) and Pierre Messip (uncle).

Note

"Non signés pour ne savoir" – not signed because they cannot write.

Signature: Lacroix vic.

2. Baptism – Jean Perry (date partially illegible)¶

Jean Perry, son of Antoine Perry (clog maker/"faiseur de sabots") and Catherine [surname partially illegible], married.

The entry states birth and baptism "on the same day"; the exact date as well as some location and godparent details are partially illegible on the scan.

Note

"Non signés pour ne savoir" – not signed because they cannot write.

Signature: Lacroix vic.

3. Burial – Jacques Moysset (July 1, 1737)¶

Jacques Moysset, son of Jacques Moysset (schoolmaster/"maître d'école") and [mother's first name illegible], married, approximately 3 months old, died on July 1, 1737, buried the following day.

Present: the father and Jean [surname illegible].

Note

"Qui n'a signé pour ne savoir" – did not sign because he cannot write.

Signature: Lacroix vic.

4. Baptism – Jeanne Simon (July 2, 1737)¶

Jeanne Simon, daughter of Gérard Simon and Antoinette Guilley (married), born on July 2, 1737, baptized on July 7.

Godfather: Sieur Jean Clément (additional details about origin/status are difficult to decipher)
Godmother: Jeanne [surname illegible], "de la pte ville" (from the said town)

Signatures: Clément and Lacroix vic.

5. Baptism – Jeanne [surname uncertain, approximately "Ethi(…)quel" or similar] (July 5, 1737)¶

Jeanne …, daughter of Joseph Michel (wool comber/"peigneur de laine") and Françoise Andrieu (married), born on July 5, 1737.

She was baptized at home in an emergency ("ondoyée à la maison") by Élisabeth Cayrou, midwife, on the same day; the baptismal ceremonies were completed on July 7 ("les cérémonies du baptême sont suppléées").

Godfather: Antoine Cavalier (signature "Cavalier")
Godmother: Jeanne Quilles

Note

"Qui n'a signé pour ne savoir" – did not sign because she cannot write.

Signature: Lacroix vic.

Emergency Baptism

For newborns whose health was at risk, an emergency baptism was performed at home by a midwife to secure the child's salvation. The church ceremonies were completed later.

6. Baptism – Etienne Cabos (July 9, 1737)¶

Etienne Cabos, son of Laurens Cabos (merchant/"marchand") and Demoiselle Marie [Rey] (married), born on July 9, 1737, baptized the following day.

Godfather: Sieur [Etienne Prunet], "maître chirurgien" (master surgeon) – name/details partially illegible
Godmother: Demoiselle Claire [St. Genies]

Several signatures are visible at the bottom of the entry, including a large signature "… Cabos" as well as Lacroix vic.

Significance

This is the baptismal entry of Etienne Cabos, the protagonist of this family history. → Detail page on the baptism of Etienne Cabos

7. Baptism – Guillaume Henry Bernadou (July 10, 1737)¶

Guillaume Henry Bernadou, son of Pierre Bernadou and Marie Audoy (married), born on July 10, 1737, baptized on July 12.

Godfather: Noble Guillaume Henry [status/origin partially illegible]
Godmother: Demoiselle Marguerite de Laurence (name read with some uncertainty)

Signatures: Lacroix vic. and a signature that looks like "Molinie" or "Molinié".

8. Beginning of a Marriage Entry (July 17, 1737)¶

One line begins:

"Le dixseptième juillet mil sept cent trente sept, après la publication des bans de mariage dûment faite, ne s'étant découvert aucun empêchement ni autre opposition…"

On the seventeenth of July 1737, after the proper publication of the marriage banns, no impediment or other objection having been discovered…

The entry breaks off here or continues on the next page.

Historical Context: Illiteracy in the 18th Century¶

"Pour ne savoir" – because they cannot write¶

A striking feature of this church register page is the repeated phrase "non signés pour ne savoir" or "qui n'a signé pour ne savoir" in several entries. This literally means: "not signed because they do not know (how to write)".

This standard formula documents the widespread illiteracy in rural France of the 18th century.

Who could write?¶

The entries show clear social differences:

Social Status	Example	Signature?
Craftsmen/Farmers	Jean Messip (winegrower), Antoine Perry (clog maker)	❌ No – "pour ne savoir"
Small Craftsmen	Joseph Michel (wool comber)	❌ The godmother could not write
Educated Professions	Jacques Moysset (schoolmaster!)	❌ Could not sign himself
Bourgeois Elite	Laurens Cabos (merchant)	✅ Yes – large signature
Physicians/Academics	Etienne Prunet (surgeon), Jean Clément	✅ Yes
Nobility/Ladies	Claire St. Genies, Marguerite de Laurence	✅ Yes

Particularly noteworthy: The schoolmaster¶

A tragic detail: Jacques Moysset, the father of the deceased child in entry 3, is designated as "maître d'école" (schoolmaster) – and yet at the burial of his son it states that he "did not sign because he cannot write".

This shows:

"Schoolmaster" in the 18th century did not necessarily mean academic education
Even elementary village school teachers could themselves be illiterate
They taught children practical knowledge and catechism rather than reading/writing
Writing was a privilege of the educated and wealthy classes

The role of the midwife¶

In entry 5, Élisabeth Cayrou, sage-femme (midwife) appears. She performs the emergency baptism – an important religious act. Midwives had a special status: they had to be licensed by the church and swear to be able to baptize in emergencies. Often they were among the few women with medical and religious basic knowledge.

The Cabos family: An exception¶

The baptismal entry of Etienne Cabos (entry 6) shows a clear contrast:

Large, confident signature by Laurens Cabos (father)
Godfather is a master surgeon (Etienne Prunet)
Godmother is a lady (Claire St. Genies)
Mother is referred to as "Demoiselle" (Miss/Lady) – an honorific title

The Cabos family belonged to the educated, literate bourgeoisie – a minority in Caussade. This social position also explains why Etienne was later able to pursue a career as surgeon in Prussian service.

Statistics of this page¶

Of the 8 entries on this page:

5 entries contain the phrase "pour ne savoir" (not literate)
3 entries show signatures of educated persons (merchant, surgeons, nobles)

This reflects reality: An estimated 70-80% of France's rural population in the 18th century could neither read nor write.

Significance for Family History¶

This church register page documents not only the birth of Etienne Cabos, but also provides insight into:

The social fabric of Caussade in 1737
The high infant mortality rate (2 child burials in one week)
The educational privileges of the Cabos family
Everyday life in a small French town before the Revolution

The fact that Laurens Cabos could write and his son had a surgeon as godfather shows the social position that later enabled Etienne to learn the profession of surgeon and enter Prussian service.

Document Information¶

Field	Value
Document Type	Church register page (baptisms, burials, marriage)
Time Period	June 27 – July 17, 1737
Location	Caussade, Tarn-et-Garonne, France
Priest	Lacroix (vicar/"vic.")
Language	French
Condition	Well readable, some names/details illegible

← Back to overview | → Detail page: Baptism of Etienne Cabos