ChallengeAZ 2017—A Bangle Dictionary | N for Notary

Quebec’s notarial contracts—the earliest being dated 1626—help family historians to gather precious information about their ancestors. These contracts include deeds, wills, marriage contracts, donation records, inventories of a deceased’s estate, indenture records, service agreements, exchange of goods, settlements, as well as guardianship papers. Each party is provided with an original copy and an additional copy kept by the notary, called minute, is the one we may consult nowadays. Although you have to know the notary’s name to find a specific contract, life became quite easier since Ancestry put an index online—even if it’s far from being perfect.

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 | M for Mohawk River

About a year after having crossed the pound from Germany, Adam Bangle settled on land along the Mohawk River in Montgomery County, NY. Thanks to various documents, we can pinpoint where he and his family lived. First of all, the church the family joined was in Stone Arabia which is located north of the river. Then again, Adam was listed on a tax list for the district of Canajoharie which is located south of the river. Let’s appreciate the information since this river is 149-mile-long and is the largest tributary of the Hudson River in New York State.

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 | L for Law

For all these ancestors we have never met, we might come up with a clue or two about their traits of personality. Take John Bangle for example. Don’t you think the guy had an aversion to authority? Thanks to the laws in place and the documents left behind for future generations to enjoy, we know that John was sued by his brother-in-law for not having reimbursed him; that he didn’t care much for the Invalid Establishment’s rules in Sorel by failing to show up for the muster roll; and that he murdered a private in his later years.

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 | K for Kew

Let’s go back to William Hogan (Mary Bangle’s husband) and the 49th Foot Regiment he was part of. Unfortunately, to learn more about William’s fate, a visit to Great Britain’s National Archives in Kew would actually be necessary. Although Library and Archives Canada has the British colonial era’s documents in its Military Heritage collection, it does not include the Regiments’ muster rolls which contain, for each year, information about where a private was stationed and where he was transferred to. By perusing earlier years, you may even find when he entered the regiment as well as where he originated from.

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 | I for Illinois

What does Illinois have to do with the Bangles? Well, a lot actually. Around 1855, Elizabeth, daughter of William and granddaughter of Adam, moved to Kankakee with her husband, François-Xavier Zace, and ten of their children (only François-Xavier Jr moved to Massachusetts). If her brother Joseph Bangle, married to Theodate Yeaton, is our Joseph, he moved to Boone County before 1850. Philip (her brother Félix?) Bangle, married to Polly Loing and a neighbour to Joseph’s family, was granted his land in 1846. Boone County (north-west of Chicago) is a two-hour drive from Kankakee (south of Chicago).

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 | H for Hogan

William Hogan was a private of the British 49th Regiment of Foot stationed in Sorel. He married Mary Bangle (daughter of John; granddaughter of Adam) in January 1810 in the same town. According to the Catholic church records, they had three children (1810; 1811; 1815). William Hogan deserted his regiment during the course of 1810. In 1811, he was sentenced to be deported to the Leeward Islands for the next seven years. Was he really the father of Pierre, the third child? Has he returned to Sorel? Or was Mary left behind with the children? Sleuthing work is needed quickly!

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

ChallengeAZ 2017—A Bangle Dictionary | F for Fontaine

Joseph Fontaine, whose occupation was master blacksmith, was the husband of Josephte Bangle, daughter of John Bangle and Josephte Allaire. His parents, Joseph Fontaine and Marie-Louise Royer, were married on February 12, 1787, in Saint-Pierre Church, in Sorel in the presence of their four children, all born out of wedlock. It was a second marriage for both spouses who were from Saint-Jean (île d’Orléans). Joseph was the youngest child of the couple, born around 1780. From Joseph Fontaine and Josephte Bangle’s marriage, eighteen children were born. Joseph died on January 18, 1830, in the town of Sorel.

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 | E for Engagement

Engagement contracts involving the Bangles intervened between a fur company and a voyageur and were signed before a notary public. We know that William—as well as his nephew John Davis (Bangle) Jr.—made it to Upper Canada. There were two types of voyageurs: those who made the trip up to Grand Portage and came back to Montréal in the fall; and the others, the hivernants, who spent the winter and made the return trip almost 18 months later. These journeys were no piece of cake. The money earned was probably worth it and, hopefully, relieved some of the hardship.

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 | D for Davis

Marie Davis was born about 1731, in Germany. We know that she was married to Adam Bangle when she arrived with him in America in November 1764 as she gave birth to William in September 1765 and that their son John, born in Germany, was most likely their eldest. Marie died on October 28, 1805, in Sorel. We can thank the Québec notaries and the Catholic Church because without them we would have never ascertained Marie’s maiden name.

Davis is also the other surname that John Bangle went by—his mother’s maiden name—like “dit names” used by French Canadians.

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