Marie Couvent facts for kids

Marie Bernard Couvent (born around 1757 – died June 28, 1837) was a kind-hearted woman from New Orleans who helped others. She is most famous for giving her land to build a school called the Institute Catholique. This school was meant to help Black orphans.

Marie Couvent's Life Story

Early Years

Marie Couvent was born in Guinea, a region in West Africa. When she was about seven years old, she was taken as a slave to a French colony called Saint-Domingue (which is now Haiti). Because of this, she did not remember her parents. She also never had the chance to go to school, so she could not read or write.

Moving to New Orleans

Even though she started life as a slave, Marie Couvent later became a free woman. She moved to New Orleans, but we don't know exactly when or how she gained her freedom. It is thought that she might have escaped during the Haitian Revolution, a time when many enslaved people fought for their freedom.

In New Orleans, Marie married Gabriel Bernard Couvent. He was also a free Black person and worked as a carpenter. They lived on Barracks Street in the lower French Quarter. Together, they worked hard and bought land and other properties.

Helping Others Gain Freedom

Like many people in that time, the Couvents had enslaved people working for them. However, Marie and Gabriel worked to help some of these people gain their freedom. In 1821, Marie and her husband asked the government to free an enslaved woman named Pauline.

Later, in 1829, Gabriel asked for two more enslaved women, Seraphine and Fillette, to be freed. Sadly, Gabriel died before they could be set free. In 1831, Marie continued his work. She asked again for Seraphine and Fillette to be freed, saying they had served her well and cared for her when she was sick.

Her Special Will

When Marie Couvent was in her 70s, she spoke with Father Constatine Maenhaut. He was a priest at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans and her spiritual guide. Marie, who was a very religious Catholic, told him she wanted to help start a school for Black orphans.

In 1832, she wrote her final will. In it, she clearly stated her wish: "I want my land at the corner of Grands Hommes and Union streets (now Dauphine and Touro) to be used forever to build a free school for the Black orphans of the Marigny area."

Father Maenhaut and future church leaders were given the job of making sure her wish came true. Henry Fletcher, a friend of her late husband, was also asked to help carry out her will.

Marie Couvent's Passing

Marie Couvent passed away on June 28, 1837. She was about 80 years old.

The School's Journey

The school Marie Couvent dreamed of did not open right away. It took almost ten years after her death for it to be built. Henry Fletcher, who was supposed to help, faced problems, especially from city officials.

Father Maenhaut then decided to try and build the school himself. He got help from a man named Francois Lacroix. Lacroix helped create a group called the Society for the Instruction of Indigent Orphans. This group raised money and went to court to get access to Marie Couvent's property.

They won their court case in 1846. Finally, the school opened its doors in 1848, eleven years after Marie Couvent's death. Her generous gift helped many children get an education.