Jean Laffite Historical Society to Form

Two hundred years after his evident death, French pirate Jean Laffite continues to capture the imagination.

Laffite (ou Lafitte, en français) and the legends surrounding him have intrigued generations of history buffs. Among them is the Pfeiffer University English professor and acclaimed Ernest Hemingway expert, Dr. Ashley Oliphant of Denver. With her mother, noted artist Beth Yarbrough, Oliphant recently co-wrote Jean Laffite Revealed, which details the privateer’s mysterious life and his possible connections with Lincolnton. Both ladies are currently on a national tour, promoting the book.

Oliphant explained  that response to the book has been so overwhelming that it has inspired the formation of a new group. The Jean Laffite Historical Society will meet June 10th at 6 PM at the Charles Jonas Public Library in Lincolnton.

“Local residents will be able to attend in person,” Oliphant informed, “and our waiting list of members in other states will participate via Zoom (an internet-based teleconference method). The society is going to provide everyone interested in local history the opportunity to actively participate. We are launching an academic journal and have our sights set on an annual conference, a pirate festival (slated for the spring of 2022) and a permanent archival library collection for researchers. Anyone interested in history will be welcome, whether that means professional historians or amateurs.”

As she continued, one of the first things members will be able to do is help with the research needed to unravel a few lingering mysteries about Lorenzo Ferrer. Buried in the historic cemetery of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in downtown Lincolnton, Ferrer has for several generations been believed by many historians to actually have been Laffite, living far away from his many enemies under a nom-de-guerre in the safety and obscurity of rural Lincoln County, then a pastoral backwater a day’s horseback ride and a ferry crossing away from the small town of Charlotte.

Did Laffite die in battle or in a pirate raid off the coast of Central America? Whatever the case, circa 1823, just in his 40’s, he appears to have vanished from the pages of history.

Or did he?

 “The book went through four printings in the first month,” Oliphant revealed, “and Amazon has not been able to keep the book in stock.

“We are very excited about convening the Jean Laffite Historical Society in Lincolnton,” she added. “While we are gaining some notoriety for writing the book that unraveled the mystery, we are ready for the people of Lincoln County and those who will be joining us from other states (by Zoom) to have the opportunity to participate in this history as even more is discovered. There is still active research ongoing, and new discoveries about Laffite in Lincolnton have been made since our book was published. We want others to join in this community we are creating so that we can explore this newly discovered history together. The academic journal will give other researchers an outlet to have their new discoveries published as well. The whole point of having a historical society is to bring together people with varying viewpoints to test theories, hear competing ideas and consider alternatives. That is how our knowledge about history will progress. We are pleased that so many people have already reached out to us with interest in joining this society. It is going to be a lot of fun!”

Want to dig up more buried treasure about Laffite? Send your e-mail queries to [email protected]. You may also get the book through the website at https://jean-laffite-revealed.myshopify.com/.