The Bangle Files: #31 | Life for Marie Tourville’s Children After William Bangle’s Passing

Once the main subject of our research has died—William Bangle (1765-1821) in our case—we typically tend to forget about the widow and divert our attention to the children, usually only after their marriage. I will indeed focus on Marie Tourville in my next post, but what I am most interested in here is how this family unit worked.

The father was often absent—he was a voyageur. From the time of their marriage (about 1794), William and Marie mainly lived in Terrebonne, in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Parish on Isle Jésus, and in Mascouche—where William owns land that he will sell in March 1813.

His last children’s baptismal records validate that he left for Berthier around 1815, and later on for Sainte-Élisabeth-de-Joliette where he will die in 1821. From 1815 until his death, he is referred to as a day labourer, which might explain the lack of notary records for him after 1813.

William and Marie had 12 children. We know for sure that two children didn’t make it to adulthood—Pierre and François-Jean. We are thus left with ten children to work with.

Before William’s Passing

In 1816, five years before William’s passing, two of his children were married.

First, Madeleine, to Benjamin Cormier, a farmer from L’Assomption, on February 5, 1816. Did you know that Madeleine—whose parents are from Sainte-Élisabeth—was actually living in Mascouche when she got married there at age 17? In the absence of her father, Michel Morisseau walked her down the aisle. Also present were her uncle Charles Tourville and her brother Charles Bangle (13 years old). Michel Morisseau was the brother-in-law of Charles Tourville’s wife.

Then, first-born William, at 21, to Thérèse Lippé, from Saint-Joseph-de-Lanoraie, on November 25, 1816, in same parish. The marriage record does not indicate where he lived. The parents are from Sainte-Élisabeth and his father was not present. The only witnesses mentioned for him are two friends, Alexis Dalcourt and Étienne Laisse.

Moreover, another son got married before William’s passing; André married Mary Ann Bullock on December 8, 1820, in Dunham (Church of England). The information provided is quite limited. He was of full age—almost 24—and living in Saint-Hyacinthe. Once again, the parents did not attend the wedding. The only witnesses were John B. Tenny and Jenny Tenny.

After William’s Passing

In short, on February 2, 1821, on the day William Bangle died in Sainte-Élisabeth, we have the following surviving married children:

  • William, 25, living in Saint-Paul-de-Lavaltrie (distance of 30 km);
  • André, almost 24, living in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford (distance of about 120 km); and
  • Madeleine, 22, living in L’Assomption (distance of 30 km).

And the rest of them are Charles, 18; Joseph, 14; Élisabeth, 12; Reine, 10; Félix, 8; Catherine, 5; and Angèle, 3.

It is somewhat challenging to gather more details about this family unit given that no guardianship records or other notary records have been entered into. Nonetheless, I did try the following: surveying all the children’s marriages and their own children’s baptismal records. It is a shame though that none of the children signed a marriage contract as such generally contains a long list of relatives.

Let’s have a quick look at William, André and Charles.

No Bangles have ever been godparents to any of William’s children. In 1827, William moved to Lanoraie and, in 1831, to Berthierville where he will die in 1842.

Again, no Bangles sponsors for André’s children baptized in the Church of England. He was a farmer in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford when he died accidentally in 1828.

As for Charles—also a member of the Church of England—he got married to his brother André’s widow around 1833 (no marriage record found), and he lived on the land originally purchased by André. Only his daughter Lucia, baptized in June 1840, has one Mary Bangle as godmother. This person did not sign. Who was she? That’s a mystery.

Marie Tourville’s Second Marriage

On July 13, 1824, widow Marie Tourville married widower Basile Laurence in Sainte-Élisabeth-de-Joliette. She was 45, he was 58. Two sons of Basile were present, but the other witnesses’ identity remains unknown. At the time, the single children were Charles, 22; Joseph, 17; Élisabeth, 16; Reine, 14; Félix, 12; Catherine, 8; and Angèle, 6.

1825 Canadian Census

As you may recall, these earlier censuses exclusively disclosed the head of the household.

In 1825, Marie Tourville’s second husband, Basile Laurence, is listed in Berthier. It is unclear who are the other persons living with them. It might be Basile’s daughter and/or Marie’s single daughters.

For William Bangle, the numbers add up. He is listed with wife Thérèse and their first three children in Saint-Paul-de-Lavaltrie.

One Samuel Bangle is listed with a household of 11 persons in Yamaska. Had the enumerator mixed up the names of Samuel Bullock (Mary Ann’s father) and Andrew Bangle? Again, it is very difficult to figure out who is living in that house.

As for Madeleine Bangle’s husband, Benjamin Cormier, he is the head of a household of 11 persons. Besides them and their children, other people might be Benjamin’s parents and siblings, and one girl over 14 years old might be Reine.

Two More Marriages

In the following years, daughter Élisabeth, 20, was married on August 12, 1828, in Berthier’s Sainte-Geneviève parish to François-Xavier Zace. As her stepfather Basile Laurence is her witness, we can assume that she was living with the Laurences before her marriage. As a matter of fact, Marie Tourville will be godmother to their first-born, Alexandre Zace, born in 1829. For some reason, Marie won’t be godmother to any other of her grandchildren.

Son Joseph might be identical to Joseph Bangle, 21, who married Theodate Yeaton in New Hampshire, in September 1828.

1831 Canadian Census

William Bangle is nowhere to be found in the 1831 Census. He is supposed to be either in Lanoraie or Berthierville where he died in 1842. The same can be said about Basile Laurence, Marie Tourville’s husband. Are they living with one of Basile’s sons?

André Bangle being now dead, her widow is listed as a farmer in Saint-Pie (Bagot County). In total, four people lived in the house: André and Mary Ann’s two children, and a male adult—in all likelihood Charles Bangle who will marry Mary Ann a couple of years later. Mary Ann is a neighbour to her father’s household.

Living nearby in the village of Saint-Pie are François-Xavier Zace, a shoemaker, and his wife, Élisabeth Bangle. Besides the couple’s two young sons, are also present in the house a girl under 14 years old (Angèle?) and a boy of 17 years old (Félix?).

As for Benjamin Cormier, he is listed in L’Assomption under his dit name Malouin as the head of a household of thirteen people. One of the women might possibly be soon-to-be wedded Reine.

Sisters Bonding

Daughter Reine, 21, married André Perrault in L’Assomption, on November 22, 1831. As mentioned above, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that Reine was living with her sister Madeleine as her brother-in-law Benjamin Cormier was her witness. A year earlier, she was the godmother of her niece Marie-Ermine Cormier. In turn, Madeleine was godmother to Reine’s first-born son in 1832.

In 1835, Catherine Bangle is godmother to Reine’s son, Joseph-Placide Perreault.

Élisabeth Bangle and her husband François-Xavier Zace moved to Vermont around 1833. According to Burlington St. Mary Church repertoire, in September 1837, her sister Angèle is godmother to their daughter Flavia, proving that Angèle was living in Vermont as well.

However, on February 5, 1838, Angèle Bangle is back in Lower Canada where she gets married to Louis-Raymond Brien dit Desrochers in Berthierville, having her stepfather, Basile Laurence, and his son Louis Laurence for witnesses. The couple thereafter settled in L’Assomption.

On March 11, 1838, Catherine Bangle weds John Minor (Ménard) in Williston, Vermont.

In October 1839, in L’Assomption, Angèle is godmother to her niece Marie-Philomène Perreault. Two months later—still in L’Assomption—Reine returned the favour and is godmother to her niece Marie-Herminie Brien dit Desrochers.

In the 1840s, Élisabeth and Catherine had some of their children baptized at the Eastern townships Catholic Mission. Élisabeth and François-Xavier Zace are godparents to Marie-Fidélie (later, Flavia) Ménard in 1843. Both couples are from Stanbridge, Québec. And as mentioned in a previous post, Joseph Bangle, married to Theodate Yeaton, is enumerated in the 1842 Canadian Census, in Milton, Québec.

Brothers Bonding?

Bear in mind that Joseph and Philip/Félix Bangle might have been in Montpelier around 1834-1836 as unclaimed letters addressed to them were found in the Montpelier post office. The presence of so many children in Vermont during the 1830s gives depth to the theory of the two lost brothers.

*****

As you can see, from just a few records, we can establish a pretty decent timeline of the children. And, of course, each of them deserves to be featured in a dedicated post. And they will! In the meantime, I happened upon quite interesting notary records about their mother, Marie Tourville, after William’s passing. Don’t miss my next article.


For related posts about The Bangle Files, please refer to the Introduction Page

2 thoughts on “The Bangle Files: #31 | Life for Marie Tourville’s Children After William Bangle’s Passing

  1. Thank you for all of this new information Diane!
    It is all so rich.
    Tamara

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