The issue comes to light as one finds, using Reverent Hebert's books, four families showing the father as Joseph and the mother as follows:

1. Anne Doucet, married to Louis Leger. Mother of Anne: Anne Landry
2. Joseph Doucet, married to Celeste Belard. Mother of Joseph: Anne Thibodeaux
3. Anselm Doucet, married to Marie Angela LeJeune. Mother of Anselm: Anne Thibodeaux
4. Hilaire Doucet, married to Francois Granger. Mother of Hilaire: Anne Landry

The division is between descendants of Joseph and descendants of the other children.

Theories 1 and 2 pertain to Joseph Doucet (1.4.3.4.2-1), son of Michel Doucet and Marguerite Martin. Theories 3 and 4 pertain to Joseph Doucet (1.1.8.1.1), son of Pierre Doucet and Francoise Dugas.

Theory 1: Joseph Doucet (1.4.3.4.2-1) married Anne Landry, the daughter of Jean Baptiste Landry and Madeleine Broussard. They had seven children: Anne, Marie, Joseph, Anselm, Hilaire, Vallerie, and Jean.

The families of Anne and Hilaire are obviously the descendants of this family. The marriage dates for Joseph and Anselm are in the proper time frame based on the birth dates of the Joseph and Anselm of this family. It is felt that an error was made in recording the name of the mother and that Anne Landry and Anne Thibodeaux are the same person.

Theory 2: Joseph Doucet (1.4.3.4.2-1) was married twice, first to Anne Landry, and second to Anne Thibodeaux.

This theory does not cover the discrepancy in names. As noted above, it is the first and fourth families that show at the time of their marriages Anne Landry as mother. The second and third families show Anne Thibodeaux as mother.

Theory 3: Joseph Doucet (1.1.8.1.1) was married three times, first to Anne Melanson, second to Anne Thibault, and third to Marie Girardeau. Joseph Doucet, married to Celeste Belard, was the son of Joseph and Anne Thibault. Anne Thibault's name was changed to Thibodeaux. According to Arsenault, Joseph and Anne Thibault had a son named Joseph, born in 1774. However, there isn't any record of them having a son named Anselm.

Theory 4: Joseph Doucet (1.1.8.1.1), married to Anne Melanson, had a son named Joseph, who, according to Arsenault, was born about 1757. This son married Anne Thibodeaux, and was the father of Joseph, married to Celeste Belard.

Since nobody has documentation to support Theories 3 and 4, the following books were checked to see if anything could be found to support either of these theories:

Bona Arsenault's Historie et Genealogie des Acadiens
Donald J. Hebert's Southwest Louisiana Records
Stephen White's Dictionnaire de Genealogie du Acadiens

None of these books had any information to substantiate these two theories.

Solution to Issue Information has been found, however, that conclusively proves that Anne Landry and Anne Thibodeaux are one and the same person. The information was printed in A la Pointe, the quarterly newsletter of the Pointe de l'Eglise Historical and Genealogical Society, Church Point, Louisiana. The issue is Volume 10 Number 2, dated May 1, 1999 and contains an article on pages 6 - 8 titled "Ann Landry" by Gercie D. Daigle. The article is reprinted below:

"Researching my DOUCET line has always been frustrating because I felt there were to many loose ends; then when I was helping to proof read Fr. Hebert's revised volumes, which list grandparents, I saw a pattern evolving. The baptismal records for grandchildren of Joseph (Hilaire) Doucet and Ann Landry list their grandmother as Ann LANDRY, Ann BROUSSARD, and Ann THIBODEAUX. I compiled all this data and submitted it to Fr. Hebert for his evaluation. We agree that there seems to have been confusion about the last name of Ann Landry. We understood where they got BROUSSARD, but THIBODEAUX?

"I found the answer in Acadian Genealogy Exchange Vol xxv no.1, Jan '96. In this issue Clarence Breaux, answering a query, wrote: Marie Magdeleine Broussard bn. ca. 1732 d/o Alexander Broussard dit Beausoliel and Marguerite Thibodeaux married (1) ca. 1752 to Jean Baptiste Landry and (2) ca. 1760 to Oliver Thibodeaux. She died 16 May 1765 in the Attakapas District, now present day St. Martinville.

"This means that Ann Landry d/o Jean Landry and Madgeleine BROUSSARD would have been the step-daughter of Olivier THIBODEAUX for at least 12 years before she married Joseph Doucet in 1772. I wrote to Mr. Breaux for the source of this information and he replied that his source was Stephen White - Genealogist at the Center for Acadian Studies at Moncton, New Brunswick.

"Another clue we have is that Theodore Thibodeaux, sponsor for Anselm Doucet #4, and Marie Thibodeaux, sponsor for Joseph Doucet #3, are children of Olivier Thibodeaux and Magdeleine Broussard. In other words, half-brother and sister to Ann Landry.

"In the following data I have listed the priest performing the ceremony because, in many instances, it seemed to have determined whether Ann Landry would be Ann BROUSSARD or Ann THIBODEAUX or Ann LANDRY.

"Joseph DOUCET s/o Michel Doucet and Magdeleine Martin was married in 1772 in St. Martinville to Ann Landry, d/o Jean Landry and Magdeleine Broussard. They were married by Fr. Irenee. Their children were:

1. Marie, bt. 1773 @ S.M., sponsors were Jean Doucet and Marie Babin (bt. as d/o Hilaire Doucet and Ann Landry)
2. Anne, bn. ca 1773-74, m. in 1792 to Louis Leger in Opelousas by Fr. Zamora (Married d/o Joseph Doucet and Ann LANDRY)
3. Joseph, bt. 1776 @ S.M. Sponsors were Pierre Doucet and Marie Thibodeaux. Married to Celeste Bellard in 1805 in Opel. by Fr. Buhot (Married as s/o Joseph Doucet and Ann THIBODEAUX)
4. Anselm, bt @ S.M. in 1777. Sponsors were Theodore Thibodeaux and Marguerite BROUSSARD. Married in 1802 to Angelle Lejeune in Opel. by Fr. Buhot (Married as s/o Joseph Doucet and Ann THIBODEAUX)
5. Hilarie, bt 1780 @ Opel. Sponsors were Michel Doucet and Ann Doucet. Married in 1805 @ Opel to Francoise Granger by Fr. Buhot.
6. Vallerie, bt. 1783 @ S.M. Sponsors were Marin and Reine DOUCET. died 1806 at 22 yrs of age.
7. Jean, bn. ca 1786. m. in 1812 @ Opel. to Susanne (Julie) Chiasson by Fr. Isabey (Married as s/o Joseph Doucet and Ann BROUSSARD)

"All of the above were baptized as the children of Joseph (Hilarie) Doucet and Ann LANDRY

"Grandparents Listed on Baptismal Records of Children of Louis Leger and Anne Doucet

"All of Louis Leger and Anne Doucet's children's baptismal records correctly list the grandparents. Their fourth child, Michel's sponsors are listed as Hilarie Doucet, identified as the child's uncle, and Marie Doucet, identified as the child's aunt. Almost all their children were baptized by Fr. Zamora.

"Grandparents Listed on Baptismal Records for Children of Joseph Doucet and Celeste Bellard (Not a Complete List)

1. Maximilien, bt 1813 @ Opel. by Fr. Barriere (paternal grandparents are Joseph Doucet and Ann BROUSSARD)
2. Joachine, bt 1813 @ Opel. by Fr. Barriere (paternal grandparents are Joseph Doucet and Ann BROUSARD)
3. Jean, bt. 1815 @ Opel. by Fr. Barriere (paternal grandparents are Joseph Doucet and Ann LANDRY)

"Grandparents Listed on Baptismal Records for Children of Anselm Doucet and Angelle Lejeune (These are only the ones that list grandparents - not a complete list of their children.)

1. Orien, bt 1814 @ Opel. by Fr. Barriere (Paternal grandparents are Joseph Doucet and Ann LANDRY)
2. Celestine, bt. 1816 @ Opel. by Fr. Barriere (Paternal grandparents are Hilarie Doucet and Ann LANDRY)
3. Hilaire, bt. 1819 @ Opel. by Fr. Rossi (Paternal grandparents are listed as Hilaire Doucet and Nannette...)
4. Marie Irene, bt 1821 @ Opel. by Fr. Rossi (Paternal grandparents are listed as Joseph Doucet and Ann THIBODEAUX)
5. Josephine, bt. 1825 @ Opel. by Fr. Rossi (Paternal grandparents are listed as Hilaire Doucet and Nannette THIBODEAUX)
6. Marie Josette, bt. 1828 @ Opel. by Fr. Rossi (Paternal grandparents are listed as Joseph Doucet and Nannette THIBODEAUX)

"Grandparents Listed on Baptismal Records of Children of Hilarie Doucet and Francoise Granger Hilaire Doucet and Francoise Granger lost several children in infancy. The three that they had baptized did not list grandparents. Sponsors for Marie, their child born in 1810, were Joseph RENO (see below) and Marie Frosine Granger.

"From Land Records of the Attakapas District etc. by Glenn Conrad: Receipt dated 1806 - in this document Joseph Doucet, Hilaire Doucet, Anselm Doucet and Jean Doucet acknowledge that Louis Leger did give their brother Valery, a true and accurate account of what was due him from their parent's estate.

Estate #177 Jean Louis Doucet and widow - Family meeting dated March 15, 1813 in (...) and Joseph Reno having power of attorney from Anselm Doucet and Joseph Doucet, who declared that their brother Jean Doucet had died on 28 Dec. 1812. The decedent was married to Julie Chiasson, but the couple had no children. The Doucet's therefore want it recorded that they do regard Julie Chiasson as an heir of equal share in their brother's estate."