ChallengeAZ 2017—A Bangle Dictionary | R for Religion

As you know, the Bangles joined the Dutch Reformed Church of Stone Arabia in 1765 in today’s New York State. By settling in Terrebonne, Québec, Catherine Bangle and Jacob Smith had their children baptized in the Catholic Church, but they never abandoned their faith. Neither did John and William, although their children, born to a Catholic mother, were baptized according to the Roman Catholic rites as well. The absence of a Protestant Church in Terrebonne, the social pressure, and maybe the insistence of the priest might explain why these three couples chose to have their children joined the Catholic Church.

The Bangle Files


The 2017 Challenge A to Z is proposed to the French community of bloggers by Sophie Boudarel of La Gazette des ancêtres

ChallengeAZ 2017—A Bangle Dictionary | G for Generations

Are you confused with the various names mentioned in the Bangle Files’ posts? Since the beginning, I have mainly written about the people of the first three generations. Who are they?

Generation 1

• Adam Bangle (Marie Davis)

Generation 2

• John (Josephte Allaire/Louise Couvillon)
• William (Marie Tourville)
• Henry
• Catherine (Jacob Schmidt)
• Peter

Generation 3

John’s Children

John*
• Josephte (Joseph Fontaine)
• Catherine
• Mary (William Hogan)

William’s Children

• William (Thérèse Lippé)
• Andrew (Mary Ann Bullock)
• Marie-Madeleine (Benjamin Cormier)
• Pierre
• Charles (Mary Ann Bullock)
• Joseph (Theodate Yeaton)*
• Elizabeth (François-Xavier Zace)
• Reine (André Perreault)
• Félix (Philip/Polly Ann Loing)*
• Catherine (John B Miner/Francis Gomo)
• Angèle (Louis Brien-Desrochers)

Catherine’s Children

• Catherine Smith
• Jacob Smith (Françoise Aucoin/Zoé Desfosses)
• Mary Smith
• Elizabeth Smith
• Ann Smith
• Christine Smith
• Magdelen Smith
• George Smith

* Relationships yet to be confirmed; still under investigation. Deceased infants have not been listed.

The Bangle Files


The 2017 Challenge A to Z is proposed to the French community of bloggers by Sophie Boudarel of La Gazette des ancêtres

The Bangle Files: #13 | Jacob and John in Court

BANQ“DISTRICT OF MONTRÉAL }

30 January 1789

Jacob Schmith, Plaintiff
Jean Bengles
Thomas Isbustes, Defendants

Continue reading

The Bangle Files: #4 | The Children of Catherine Bangle and Jacob Schmidt

BANQThis week, let’s turn our attention to the daughter of Adam Bangle and Marie Davis, Catherine (she’s also the sister of William whom I wrote about in this series’ previous article). We know from her father’s will that she was married to Jacob Smith (or Schmidt). Once again, the church records of Saint-Louis-de-France Parish of Terrebonne will allow us to know who were the couple’s children. Continue reading

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #9 Oneida Tourville (née Alexander) (~1866-?)

Well, I am not done yet with the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat. Oneida Alexander is another one who escaped the radar of the census for the period between 1880 and 1900.

Oneida married Peter D. Tourville in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 18, 1881. We know for sure they had one child, Lillie M. Tourville, as the latter weds Julius B. Seitz in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois, on March 19, 1903, and that is quite all I have learned about her. As a French-Canadian, I tend to forget that divorce was allowed in those years in the United States, so I had assumed she died before 1891 as Peter D. Tourville was remarried to Lockie Wadkins (date and place unknown) and that they had a child in July 1891.

This is where the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat fills in the blanks. To say the least, this marriage gives the feeling of a tumultuous one. On May 3, 1886, Peter Tourville is arrested for beating his wife as indicated in the following article:

1886 05 04 p10 peter touville arested

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, May 4, 1886, p. 10

Shortly thereafter, in August 1886, Oneida files for divorce. Please note that the couple was married in 1881 not 1871.

1886 st louis daily globe-democrat 7 aug 1886 p6 oneida tourville divorce

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, August 7, 1886, p. 6

It seems that the two lovebirds were back together after all because it is reported that in March 1887 the police came to their house and recovered goods previously stolen by Peter Tourville who was then arrested.

1887 03 12 p8 theft

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, March 12, 1887, p. 8

Then, the following month, Peter Tourville pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison and sent to the Chester Penitentiary in Illinois.

1887 04 01 p11 Peter Tourville guilty

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, April 1, 1887, p. 11

 

1887 04 02 p15 prison tourville

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, April 2, 1887, p. 15

A month later, in May 1887, Oneida filed for divorce probably for good this time as I was able to trace a marriage between Oneida Alexander and Thomas Henry Smith, in East St. Louis, Illinois, on October 25, 1888.

1887 05 05 p9 belleville oneidy tourville

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, May 5, 1887, p. 9

I also discovered her parents’ names: A. Enoch Alexander and Nancy Moor which led me to the date and place of their marriage: July 14, 1859, in Franklin County, Missouri. Here is a snapshot of the family in the 1870 US Census for Central, Franklin, Missouri:

1870 US Census for Central Township, Franklin County, MO

1870 US Census for Central Township, Franklin County, MO

1880 US Census, St. Louis City, MO

1880 US Census, St. Louis City, MO

So it is credible to think she was born around 1866, meaning that in 1880, when she was in East St. Louis, Missouri working as a servant, she would have been only 14 and not 16 as declared. Unfortunately, I haven’t discovered anything more about her family. One can assume this is where she met Peter D. Tourville because they were married in St. Louis, Missouri the next year.

Oneida was nowhere to be found in the 1900 US Census under the name Smith but while searching, I remembered a newspaper article noticed years ago referring to a woman named Zelda Tourville also named Smith and I had no clue at all about who she was. Is this Zelda Tourville the first-born of Peter D. Tourville and Oneida Alexander? Again, when first reading the article I thought her former husband Peter Tourville was dead but it doesn’t say so. It is unclear if Peter is the father of all of Oneida’s children. Furthermore, we know that Lillie M. who is named Tourville also disappeared after her own marriage. Moreover, it looks that Julius Seitz married another woman before 1920. Death or divorce? So here are the two articles:

zelda part Izelda part II

St. Louis Republic, March 16, 1897, p. 6

St. Louis Republic, March 16, 1897, p. 6

St. Louis Republic, April 3, 1897, p. 6

St. Louis Republic, April 3, 1897, p. 6

I did some additional digging and found in the St. Louis Obituary Index an entry for Zelda Smith also known as Lillie Mae O’Brien for 1943. The death certificate online confirms that Lillie Mae O’Brien was born February 22, 1882 and was the daughter of Peter Tourville and Oneida Alexander, married to Thomas O’Brien. Furthermore, the informant was Mrs. Onedia McNulty. I found her in the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Census in St. Louis, she was born in 1895.  At one point, she is living with her nephew Francis Smith, born around 1914. So can we assume that the three children mentioned in the article are Lillie Mae (or Zelda), an unknown male child and Onedia Smith, later married to William McNulty. In 1910, Onedia Smith was an inmate at the St. Louis Industrial School, a penitentiary for juvenile delinquents.

Unfortunately, no clue though as what to happened to Oneida Alexander Tourville Smith! Any ideas? Any help will be appreciated

52ancestors-2015