Francis Sylvest was born July 5, 1808, it is believed at or near Lisbon, Portugal. He died at the home of a daughter Mary Ann McDaniel on Oct. 11, 1896. He was married to Martha Stevenson of Terrys Creek Baptist Church Community in 1842. She was born in 1820 and died at their old home place in Western Washington Parish on Sept. 6, 1882. They lie buried in the Sylvest Memorial Plot which he held as a family burying place when he disposed of his lands before his death. It is so recorded in the Conveyance records in Tangipahoa Parish Courthouse in Amite, La.

He lived in a stone house back in Portugal and remembered helping to weed the vineyard with his father, Antoini. He remembered leaving behind a widowed mother and an older sister named Ontee. He did not receive any formal education as a boy and left home at the age of seventeen to find his place in the world. He found employment aboard a whaling ship plying the South Atlantic Ocean.

He worked aboard ship for about three years before he came ashore in New Orleans. Speculation has arisen about the need for a whaling ship to dock in New Orleans. This question has not been settled to everyones satisfaction. He soon found employment aboard a freighter plying between Slidell and New Orleans and other points along the lake and North from the Crescent City. It is believed that Francis lived at or near Pearl River Station for in those days the City of Pearl River, La. Was a freight station. He was probably married while living down there. The next recorded location which is listed Francis is living in Washington Parish. This is the 1850 Federal Census. It lists him as being born in Portugal in 1815. This should not be taken over the record in his own family Bible which is in the possession of Rev. Dr. Edwin Edward Sylvest in Bogalusa.

Francis Sylvest did not know for sure how his family name was spelled. He held scant recollections of the ships captain calling him something like Sylvez, Silves, Sylvos or the like. He was never able to hear the exact sound which he heard as a boy in his native land. Some stories have been told of Francis trying his luck as a traveling salesman. This is purely legend.

Francis stood a good six feet tall and was said to have been extra strong. His experience aboard a ship and as a freight handler were not totally lost. He was humble and kind and was never known to have taken advantage of another because of his own ability. He could easily load a bale of ginned cotton onto a wagon alone. This is a full 500 pounds for this is the amount which an average bale weighs.

He was at Amite City, Louisiana one day attending to some business when he saw two men attempting to load a barrel of flour onto their wagon. One of them beckoned him to help them with the job.

He went to their aid and said, I can load both barrels at one time. Will you ever grow up to be men? The store owner heard the remark and said, Mr. Sylvest, if you can load two barrels of flour at one time, you can just put them in your own wagon.

A barrel of flour weighs 196 pounds.

Francis said, It is foolish for you to make a statement like that. It would be like taking candy from a baby. I will put the two barrels of flour into the wagon they belong in.

He walked to the edge of the store porch and placed his left arm around one barrel after he had placed the first barrel on his right shoulder. He then turned and walked to their wagon and set the two barrels of flour inside. He again refused to take the two barrels which the store owner tried to get him to take.

On his way home from Amite City to home one day he came upon a fellow whose wagon was bogged down. The stranger asked him to hook his team onto the bogged down wagon so that both teams could possibly pull the wagon out. Francis did not immediately reply. He looked the situation over first.

Do you think your team could pull the wagon out if I lifted the wheel that is bogged? Francis asked.

Yes, but ten men cannot lift my wagon as heavy loaded as it is, the stranger spoke angrily.

Francis said, I believe Im as strong as ten men. Id like to try.

He walked around the edge of the road a moment picking up pieces of wood to support himself. He placed these chunks where he wanted to place his feet. He then backed against the wheel and lifted the bogged wheel clear of the hole. He positioned his feet so that he could hold the load one step. He then said, While I have this wheel lifted, will you please drive your team up a few steps.

The stranger did so and the wagon was again on solid ground. He tried to pay Francis Sylvest, but was surprised at such a modest man.

He is said to have been able to lift a barrel of whiskey and to drink from the bung. He told how this was accomplished. He would sit on the floor, pull the flour barrel up onto his insteps and lean backwards. As he leaned back his weight would lift the barrel up onto his feet. When it came to the proper level he would place his lips over the bunghole and drink as much as he wanted. His hands would be holding the stave ends of the barrel sides. He could only divulge this secret to a very few people. It seemed to have been an almost impossible trick. Francis Sylvest was not a drinking man and was well able to obtain all of the whiskey which he wanted by the use of this trick.

In the Tangipahoa Parish Courthouse at Amite, Louisiana are recorded relinquishments of some land from the state of Louisiana to Francis Sylvest. The reason for this record in the place it is sheds some light on the fact that this land was in Tangipahoa Parish area which at that time was in Washington Parish. Tangipahoa Parish was formed in the year 1869 and this record was made in 1861.

On January 22, 1861, Francis Sylvest acquired the N.W.¼ of S.W.¼ of Sec. 20 & N.E.¼ of N.W.¼ & S.E.¼ of N.E.¼ of Sec. 30, in Township 3 South of Range 9 East in the Greensburg District of Louisiana 121.11/100 acres of land, Official plot of Survey in the General Land Office, from the state of Louisiana Thomas O. More, Governor, William J. McCulloh, Commissioner of Public Lands. Volume 12. Pp 215. Amite, Louisiana.

On January 18, 1861, from the state of Louisiana to Francis Sylvest and according to Patent Number 10997, Volume 12, pp 214, the following and the preceding land conveyances were recorded on June 21, 1890, by L.E. Warner, Deputy Clerk. The North ½ of the N.E. ¼ of Sec. 19, Township 3, S. Range 9 E. in the Greensburg District of Louisiana, 201.14 acres of land.

When Francis Sylvest disposed of his land holdings he had the foresight to reserve as a burying place for his descendant one half acre of land. It is so recorded in the conveyance records of the late 1890s at Amite, Louisiana. He sold his lands to a Land Holding Company in Toledo, Ohio.

Francis and Martha were active in the work of the old Sharon Baptist Church which was located about ten miles West of Franklinton and a couple of miles South of the Franklinton to Amite blacktop. The church was disbanded about the time of his death or near 1900. One of the very noticeable characteristics of Francis was his loud voice in prayer. It was never known to those who knew him best for him to have whispered a prayer. He was deeply religious and often was heard singing nursery rhymes to his grandchildren. This expression spread over into the religious field when he would sing or hum hymn tunes.

He was quick to apply some sort of pet name to those he became fondly touched by. He called his youngest daughter, Rosa Ellen, The Appie of me eye. He was profoundly touched by the untimely death of his youngest son William Rankin who was shot at ambush while only 24 years of age. He expressed great appreciation for those who had a kind word for him in his sorrow. However, he was quick to express his faithful submission to Gods will in such matters.

He kept a good saddle horse and had been living with his youngest daughter Rosa Ellen. About a month before his death he saddled his horse and visited his son Nehemiah. He stayed about two weeks and decided to visit his other daughter Mary Ann McDaniel at Spring Creek, Louisiana. He became very ill a few days after arriving and did not leave his bed.

Francis spent many remorseful moments of his life over the fact that he did not keep in contact with his widowed mother and only sister back in his old home. His younger son, John Levi, left home while but a teenager and he never heard from him again. It was while he was on his death bed that a letter came from John, but it was believed that he was too far gone to ever realize it. He compared his and Johns actions in remorse.

On one of his trips to Nehemiahs, two of the boys, John D. and Chris caught an O'Possum in the daylight. They came to the house with the varmint and in the conversation which followed, Grandpa Francis said, Let me see the varmint. Ill tell you if he is fat enough to eat.

He held the animal by its tail and attempted to catch it with his other hand; it bit him through the hand. His hand became infected and swelled to twice its size for a couple of weeks. We were not able to learn anything concerning the edibility of that particular O'Possum.

Chris has been the one who formed the idea to bring the O'Possum to the house to begin with and he asked that this little story not be told. He felt a little guilt about the animal biting his Grandpa.

He lived to see his 88th birthday and while but 85 years of age came to Nehemiah's for a visit. It was in the Fall, and John D. and Chris were unloading corn from the wagon into the corn crib. They were only able to fill the cotton basket half full because of its weight. He chided them for being mere boys and told them to fill the basket full enough to bother with and he would carry it to the crib for them. They appreciated the old mans help. It gave them a few minutes more time to while away.

Eight children came to bless the home of Francis and Martha:

I. Francis Marion Sylvest, born March 23, 1844

II. Nehemiah Sylvest, born Jan. 3, 1846

III. Simeon Sylvest, born Oct. 10, 1848

IV. William Rankin Sylvest, born July 25, 1851, shot at ambush, died March 12, 1875

V. Mary Ann Sylvest, born Feb. 16, 1854

VI. Edward Alexander Sylvest, born June 11, 1857

VII. John Levi Sylvest, born August 13, 1859

VIII. Rosa Ellen Sylvest, born October 1, 1862

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