Life History

Notes

• We think that John Pertuis was the son of Petro Pertuis, one of the early settlers in Arkansas District of Louisiana Territory.  This is not certain.  Another Pertuis name appearing as and early head of household in the Arkansa Post area before 1800 is Elizabeth Petruis.  The same Petro Petruis is also apparently referred to under the French form of his name Pierre.  In the 1850 census, John Petruis' mother is a widow head of household.  Her oldest son is named Peter, the English form of the name Petro or Pierre.
  
  Elizabeth Pertuis was known to be present in 1792 and Pierre Pertuis settled in that area before 1800.  Petro is a Spanish form of Pierre (both coming from Latin Petrus, known in modern Spanish as Pedro).  Related names include Raphael Brinsbeck (or Brinsback, also spelled Brinsbac):  "Raphael Brinsbeck had lived two miles east of the Post since 1793.... "
  --  "The Arkansas River," All Arkansas History and Pioneers, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=Francis+Brinsback&gsln=Pertuis&msbdy=Bet.+1830%e2%80%931835&msbpn__ftp=Arkansas+County%2c+Arkansas&msfng0=Unknown&msfns0=Brinsback&msmng0=F%c3%a9licit%c3%a9&msmns0=DuMont&cpxt=0&catBucket=rstp&uidh=ig1&_83004003-n_xcl=m&cp=12&mssng0=John&mssns0=Pertuis&ftm=1&db=arpio&gl=&gst=&hc=50&ct=174
  
  "In 1763 John B. Imbau settled at Little Rock and in the same year Joseph Bartholomew located about forty miles above the Post. In 1801 Leon Perry was on Kaufman's bayou and C. Kepler on the west side of the Big Prairie. Dating back into the eighteenth century were the settlements of Francis de Vaugine, Petro Pertuis, Joseph Trudeau and F. Imbau on the Arkansas river."
  --  All Arkansas History and Pioneers, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=Francis+Brinsback&gsln=Pertuis&msbdy=Bet.+1830%e2%80%931835&msbpn__ftp=Arkansas+County%2c+Arkansas&msfng0=Unknown&msfns0=Brinsback&msmng0=F%c3%a9licit%c3%a9&msmns0=DuMont&cpxt=0&catBucket=rstp&uidh=ig1&_83004003-n_xcl=m&cp=12&mssng0=John&mssns0=Pertuis&ftm=1&db=arpio&ct=224
  
  I have not found any records of Petro or his family in early censuses, which just list the name of the head of the household.  Bu the time of the 1950 census, Petro (Pierre) had died, and his widow is listed as the head of the houshold.  Note that the oldest son is named Peter, the English form of Pierre/Petro.  In 1860 her son John is reported as the head of the household.  John is still unmarried at this time.  In 1850 and 1860 John's family was living in Arkansas Post, the original capital of Arkansas Territory.  The orignal Pertuis settlement is thought to have been a little north of the Post.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 11 October, Arkansas Township, p 4A, Hse/Fam #59
  Mary Pertuis 55 F   Born Unknown [born abt 1795]
  Peter Pertuis 22 M Farmer $2700 Real Estate b Arkansas [born abt 1828]
  John Pertuis 16 M Student b Arkansas [born abt 1834]
  Anastasia Pertuis 8 F b Arkansas [born abt 1842]
  F K Derrisseau 26 M Farmer $120 Real Estate b Arkansas [born abt 1824]
  - page 4B -
  Elizabeth Pertuis 20 F b Arkansas [born abt 1842]
  Eugenie Dumas 3 F b Arkansas [born abt 1842]
  Joseph Derrisseau 41 M No Occup b Arkansas [born abt 1842]
  
  1860 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 9 August, PO Post of Arkansas (Arkansas Post), page 154, Hse #565, Fam #536
  John B Pertuis 26 M Farmer $4900 Real Estate $1277 Personal b Arkansas [b abt 1834]
  Pertuis, Mary J  Widow  66 F Does Business b Kentucky [b abt 1794]
  Pertuis, James 19 M Does Business b Ark [b abt 1855]
  Pertuis, Ambrosis (?) 1 M b Ark [b abt 1859]
  Pertuis, Annastacia 19 F Does Business b Ark  [b abt 1841]
  Mitchell, Mary 13 F b Ark  [b abt 1847]
  Mitchell, Frances L 8 F b Ark  [b abt 1852]
  
  At some time after this census, John married Francis Brinsback.  I have not found the marriage record or their listing in any subsequent census.

Sources

• 1. 1860 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 9 August, PO Post of Arkansas (Arkansas Post), page 154, Hse #565, Fam #536
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 11 October, Arkansas Township, p 4A, Hse/Fam #59
• 3. All Arkansas History and Pioneers