BERWICK
Thomas BERWICK, pioneer, surveyor, and planter was born in Pennsylvania in 1740. He probably came to the Attakapas District of Louisiana in 1799 with Malagereno settlers led by Francisco ???. There, he married Eleanor Wales (Helen Wallace) of Dublin, Ireland. She was born in 1748 and died in 1815.
Thomas supervised construction of the Spanish settlement of New Iberia as well as being royal surveyor for Opelousas and the Attakapas District. He also invested in tanniers and shoe shops in the New Iberia area. He later ventured southward along the coastline where the town of Berwick and Berwick Bay were named for him. He died at Opelousas around January 1792.
Thomas and Eleanor had nine children:
- Mary born in 1769
- Thomas II born in 1771
- Cammbria born in 1773
- Agnes Imogene born in 1776
- Eleanor Bridget born in 1778
- Elmer born in 1780
- Joseph born in 1783
- Rebecca born in 1784
- Ann Dawson born in 1787
Thomas II was born in the Lake Ponchatrain area in January, 1771. He married in 1795 to Rachal Comstock, daughter of William Comstock and Rachael Edwards. Three children were born:
- Thomas III born in 1797
- Guillaume born in 1799
- Delphine born in 1802
Thomas II died on October 12, 1846.
Guillaume, son of Thomas II and Rachal, married on May 6, 1817, Celeste Lejeune, daughter of Blaise Lejeune and Anne Adelaide Quintero of Opelousas. Three known sons of Guillaume and Celeste were:
- William born in 1827
- Thomas born in 1830
- David born in 1832
At this point, it is necessary to presume that Thomas, son of William and Celeste, was in fact the same as Thomas Jefferson Berwick. No actual record has been found to document this, but following information will show where such an assumption may be made.
Jefferson Berwick was born in St. Landry Parish around 1831. He married Clarice Lebert in July, 1854. An 1860 census shows Jefferson Berwick living with a Celima Fruge. He is 29 years old and listed as a farmer by occupation. He enlisted on January 16, 1862, the Confederate Army, Pvt. Co., 18th Louisiana Infantry at Camp Benjamen. Records show him in April, 1863, as "deserted on Retreat from Bisland".
Records show Jefferson Berwick to be married on February 11, 1867, to Celima Fruge, daughter of Zemay (Ozemay) Fruge and Edvise Deaville. Through the birth records of two children, the assumption is made that Jefferson was indeed Thomas Jefferson Berwick. Marie, born 1866, daughter of Thomas Berwick and Celima Fruge and later in 1867, Marie, daughter of Jefferson Berwick and Celima Fruge.