52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition #3 Malvina Tourville (née Hogue) (1859-1880)

Last November, while in Salt Lake City, I found an article in the Daily Arkansas Gazette dated May 9, 1880 which referred to an article published in Montreal on April 30. A woman died from fright when she saw passing on the street two workers severely burned and injured at work. These men were brothers named Couvrette. The name of the woman is “Mrs. Tourville”, no other information provided.

The only person in my database who died in 1880 and was living in Montreal at the time was Malvina Hogue, wife of Moïse Tourville but I was pretty sure she wasn’t the one since she died on April 19. I then decided to go on the BANQ Website to check a French-Canadian newspaper, La Minerve. The one dated April 30 didn’t mention anything. May 1st edition maybe? Yes! It’s Malvina Hogue allright. The French newspaper gives much more details. Her husband’s name is mentioned. It says that she died the previous Thursday, that she was married for more than a year and that she had a heart condition. Oh! and the April 19 date was a transcription mistake that I did, I checked the original burial church record. It was April 29! The correction has been made on the Website.

Here are the two articles:

Daily Arkansas Gazette

Daily Arkansas Gazette, May 9, 1880, page 1

La Minerve 01051880 malvina hogue tourville

Source: Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec, La Minerve, May 1, 1880, page 1

Update: here is the translation of the French article

Death from Fright. – Thursday afternoon, at McDougall’s foundry, two moulders named Couvrette were seriously burned. One of them was working by a boiler full of molten iron and fell into it. He was severely burned on his hands and face. His brother working nearby rushed to help but was also badly burned when taking his brother out of the boiler. The two men were put in a carriage and were immediately taken at their home in St-Henri. Mrs. Moïse Tourville was standing at her door holding a child in her arms and saw them pass. The young woman was so shaken by this terrible scene that she said to a neighbor “Take my child, I am dying.” She was immediately taken inside her house where she died a few minutes later. Mrs. Tourville who was 20 years old was married for more than a year and was also known to have a heart condition. As for the two men who had unintentionally caused this sad accident, they are doing fine given the circumstances.

Malvina Hogue was born June 16, 1859 in Montreal (Hochelaga). She was the daughter of Pierre Hogue and Josephte Boyer. Malvina married Moïse Tourville on October 22, 1878 in St-Henri. She had a daughter named Évélina on August 31,1879 in St-Henri. She’s the child mentioned in the article.

That article is really a coincidence as I am searching family members of Moïse Tourville and his second wife, Azilda Labelle, whom he married in Chicago in 1884. This man had an exciting life. He will be featured in an article very soon.

52ancestors-2015

9 thoughts on “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition #3 Malvina Tourville (née Hogue) (1859-1880)

  1. Evelina is my great grandmother! She had eight daughters with Albert Bissonnette!
    I have NEVER heard this story and find it fascinating!!!
    I’m very much looking forward to hearing more about everyone!

  2. What a great story and great find! Nice piece of detective work, Diane!

  3. i bet my motherbas one of those 8 daughters did not know this story. Thanks so much Sarah.

    • Peter,

      I’m so glad I found that story for your family 🙂

  4. I think you get the “Most Unusual Death of an Ancestor” award! I know that it was commonly believed that women ‘got the vapors’ in that era but “My eyes are turning yellow”???? You didn’t mention how you are related to the woman. Not directly, I hope, because you wouldn’t want that kind of death in your medical record. 🙂

    • Isn’t that strange that yellow eyes??

      In French, she says, “Hold my baby, I’m dying!”

      And the French specifies that she has a heart condition.

      The English article doesn’t say it all. I will translate the French article.

    • She’s not my ancestor but we have a common ancestor 🙂

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