Where were people branded with a fleur de lis?

Answer 1

According the Code Noir (Black Code) that was enacted by King Louis XIV in 1685, Black American slaves were subjected to certain types of corporal punishments if they disobeyed the Code. One of those punishments included being branded with a Fleur de Lis.

" Article 38

L'esclave fugitif qui aura été en fuite pendant un mois, à compter du jour que son maître l'aura dénoncé en justice, aura les oreilles coupées et sera marqué d'une fleur de lis une épaule; s'il récidive un autre mois pareillement du jour de la dénonciation, il aura le jarret coupé, et il sera marqué d'une fleur de lys sur l'autre épaule; et, la troisième fois, il sera puni de mort. "

http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/amsudant/guyanefr1685.htm

In English...

"Article XXXVIII. The fugitive slave who has been on the run for one month from the day his master reported him to the police, shall have his ears cut off and shall be branded with a fleur de lys on one shoulder. If he commits the same infraction for another month, again counting from the day he is reported, he shall have his hamstring cut and be branded with a fleur de lys on the other shoulder. The third time, he shall be put to death."

http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/335/

Answer 2

Some may have although the fleur de lis is a predominately French symbol. While some slaves may have been branded their slaves with a symbol or even a cow prod, many slave owners "branded" their slaves with the licks of a switch or whip to the back. This was done as punishment to those slaves who were caught stealing food or sassing (talking back to) the master or those slaves who attempted to gain freedom by running away. These floggings were given as a warning to the other slaves that this is what would happen to anyone who tried to defy the master. What made it especially bad was that the master would often make a fellow slave administer the flogging and sometimes, to be particularly cruel, the master would force a family member to flog a fellow family member.

Answer 3

They were branded in France. It showed other people that they were a criminal and that the monarch "owned" them.