Model of Sainte-Livrade in the Middle Ages courtesy of Patrick Garcia. Photo by Fr. Jason Vidrine

Historically, the De Védrines Family in the Agen Region in southwest France is composed of two main branches, and both arrived in the Agenais from the ancient region of Auvergne: one at Sainte-Livrade and its nearby lieu-dit of Lapeze and one at Monflaquin, which is a little over sixteen miles from Sainte-Livrade. While a direct link between the two branches has not yet been discovered, members of both families in France and in Louisiana believe that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for these two branches in the Agenais living about sixteen miles apart to be unrelated. The handing down of the “The Duel” story independently by the two branches in two different countries also points to this relation, albeit distant..[1]

Coat of Arms of the Védrines Family in the Agenais, courtesty of the Védrines Family

The Monflaquin branch of the De Védrines Family traces its roots to Guillaume de Védrines (died 1600), a nobleman who escaped Auvergne and settled in the Agenais before the end of the sixteenth century. This branch is historically Protestant. They embraced the Protestant faith either before arriving in Agenais while still in the Auvergne, and the wars of religion may have even been part of the reason they fled Auvergne…or they embraced it shortly after arriving in Agenais. In any case, the De Védrines Family at Monflaquin has been a well-known noble Hugenot family for nearly five centuries

The De Védrines Family at Sainte-Livrade, on the other hand, was Catholic. The farthest back this branch has been traced is to François de Védrines, who was born on August 1, 1599 at Sainte-Livrade and baptized the same day in the Church of Sainte-Livrade. His parents were listed as Jehan de Védrines and Anne Simon, although we know next to nothing about them. François died on April 20, 1657 at Sainte-Livrade and was buried the next day in the Church of Sainte-Livrade, in the front of the Chapel of St Jean.

Baptism Record of Francois de Védrines, From the Sacramental Records of Sainte-Livrade Church, Archives Municpales d’Agen, France. Photo by Fr. Jason Vidrine

The first day of August 1599 was baptized Fransoys Védrines son of Jehan and of Anne Simon. The godfather was Fransoys Simon son of Jehan dit j…t and the godmother was Jeanne Védrines…was baptized by M.P. Vital Faure Vicar of the present church…       – Vital…Faure…

Beginning with Francois de Védrines’ baptismal, marriage, and death records located in the records of Sainte-Livrade Church, we find the same records for each of his children and the children of subsequent generations all the way down to Jean Baptiste Lapaise de Védrines, the progenitor of the Vidrine Family in Louisiana, also in the Church of Sainte-Livrade, indicating that the Catholic Faith was passed down through at least four generations of this family in Sainte-Livrade, France.[2]

Burial Record of François de Védrines (1667) from the Records of Sainte-Livrade Church. Photo by Fr. Jason Vidrine

The 20 April 1657 was the death of Mr. François Védrines Civil Judge of this city. He was buried on the 21 in the church and in front of the Chapel of St. John… – Caroste?

The Church of Sainte-Livrade in Sainte-Livrade, France built in the 12th century. Photo by Fr. Jason Vidrine

One event our Védrines family in Sainte-Livrade experienced around this same time which was probably spoken of for years was recorded in the register of the church on July 29, 1666. During the great heat of summer, a solemn procession was made with the holy relics (a rib bone) of Sainte-Livrade, virgin and martyr of L’Agenais who was martyred in the 4th century.

The procession departed from the former Abbey of Villeneuve-d’Agen (now named Villeneuve-Sur-Lot) to the city of Sainte-Livrade. The Bishop and Count of Agen, Monsignor Claude Joly had given permission for this transfer about a month before, on June 22. The excitement that this must have caused in the city and the surrounding area had attracted thousands of people to this grand occasion. Everyone – the faithful, the mockers, the curious, the rich, the poor, the nobles, the peasants, the young and the old – were brought together for once in heart and in faith before a very great event…an event that was for many the greatest of their lives! This is a description of the event from the information recorded in the Register of the Church:

The Benedictine Religious and the Holy Curé of the City of Sainte-Livrade having received a large part of the bones of Sainte- Livrade…which were…from the treasure of the Abbey of Grand Selves…which took nearly three years to obtain of this Saint…The habitants this city…of the Duchy of L’Aguillon…were all preparing to contribute…to the reception of the relic of their Patron Saint…The sky seemed to contribute to the feast of this holy day, which was made favorable by a cloud that covered the sun to relieve the fatigue of the pilgrims…the habitants of the city of Sainte-Livrade did not cease to have drums in good order for the meeting of the holy relics…the city provided a superb banner with the figure of the Saint with two coats worn by a girl…followed by four others…each with an image of the Saint and a candle…who sang hymns…litanies…vested in white with very accentuated headdresses…one hundred little children dressed as angels…a hundred Penitents Blancs….thirty Priests…ecclesiastical nobles… thirty students from their parishes…four consuls of this city at the head of more than ten thousand people…The first Consul…carried a very beautiful banner with the image of their Patron…the avenues of this city…were closed and boarded off….because of the crowds of people and…the first street was closed and prepared with flags as the relics of the Saint entered…the middle of the city followed by nine girls singing verses and hymns of praise…Next…he (the Archdeacon)…confirmed that Sunday there were twelve hundred people, Monday, two thousand and two hundred, and Tuesday and Wednesday the number of six thousand six hundred and fourteen all together…all these things that contributed to the magnificence of this Holy Translation of the relics.[3]

Jean Baptiste Lapaise de Védrines was born at Sainte-Livrade on May 17, 1712 and baptized the next day on May 18, 1712 at Sainte-Livrade Church. The baptismal font can still be seen in the church.

Baptismal font of Sainte-Livrade Church. Photo by Fr. Jason Vidrine

[1] Philippe de Védrines to Fr. Jason Vidrine 16 July 2013; Cf also Jacqueline Olivier Vidrine, Védrines-Vidrine: Our Védrines in France 1600-1750, (Lafayette, LA, 1981), p. 144.

[2] For a list of those baptisms, marriages, and deaths of the ancestors of the Védrines family in Sainte-Livrade, see Jacqueline Olivier Vidrine, Védrines-Vidrine: Our Védrines in France 1600-1750, (Lafayette, LA, 1981)

[3] Robert Bruce Ardoin, Recueil de divers documents historiques et généalogiques relatifs aux familles Vedrines et Tisserand, Puteaux, (Paris, 1981), p. 8.