Suzanne Simone Baptiste Louverture
Suzanne Simone Baptiste Louverture (died 1816 France) was the wife of Toussaint Louverture. Some sources claim she might have been a relative (perhaps a niece) of Pierre Baptiste, Toussaint's father or godfather. A strong family woman, she was fiercely loyal to and deeply in love with Toussaint.
Her son Placide was adopted by Toussaint Louverture.
Having been captured by the French in Saint-Domingue, Madame Toussaint and her children were transported to Bayonne upon arriving in France, There they were placed under the supervision of General Ducos and separated from Toussaint Louverture. (Beard p. 283)
Madame Louverture, survived her husband and her youngest child Saint-Jean [died 1804 in Agen, France] for several years, without being able to overcome the grief, which was so deep and constant as to undermine her faculties. She died in 1816, in the arms of her sons, Placide and Isaac. (Beard p. 290)
In his biographical notes - Memoir of Toussaint Louverture, Written by Himself 1 - Toussaint writes from Fort de Joux in French captivity, about his wife of many years: "I am separated from all that I hold dearest in the world ...from a dearly-loved wife, who, I fear, separated from me, cannot endure the afflictions which overwhelm her, and from a cherished family, who made the happiness of my life."
Note 1: First published by Saint-Remy in Mémoires de la Vie de Toussaint L'Ouverture. (p. 83)
See also
- Toussaint Louverture letter to Napoléon from onboard the Le Heros - Toussaint Louverture, captured by the troops of Leclerc calls on Napoléon Bonaparte to guarantee the safety of his wife and family.
- Placide Louverture - Includes a letter by Placide Louverture to his family, written from French captivity.
References
- Beard, J. R. (John Relly) (1863). Toussaint L'Ouverture: A Biography and Autobiography. Chapel Hill, NC: Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH. Online Publication
- Parkinson, Wenda (1978). This Gilded African. London: Quartet Books. ISBN 0-7043-2187-4
- Saint-Remy. (1850). Mémoires de la Vie de Toussaint L'Ouverture. Paris.
