Use your browser's back arrow to return here.
Contract no. 1568
page 1 page 2 page 3
Descendants of Philippe Diel and Marie Anquetin
Philippe1, Charles2, Charles3, Eustache4, Amable5, Amable6, Louis Daniel7
Charles2 Diel, Our First Canadian Ancestor
Root name: DIEL
Variations: Dielle, Guel, Guelle, Guiel, Guille, Guyelle, Hyelle, Yelle
dob: <1652>
pob: Normandy, France (Ste-Colombe? or St-Rémy?)
dod: unknown. 1725 or later.
father: Philippe Diel
mother: Marie Anquetin (Hanquetin, Anctin)
spouse 1: Marie Anne Picard
spouse 2: Marie Francoise Simon dit Lapointe
Charles Diel was born around 1652. According to his second marriage record, he was fifty years old in 1702. We know from his first and second marriage records that he was the son of Philippe Diel and Marie Anquetin or Anctin. Charles' first marriage record, dated 1676, says Philippe Diel was a laboureur or ploughman in Ste. Colombe, diocese of Rouen, Normandy, France and that both of his parents, Philippe and Marie, were deceased at that time. The record of his second marriage, to Marie Francoise Simon, dated 1702, says that Philippe and Marie were from Saint-Rémy parish in the city of Dieppe.
The seemingly contradictory information on those marriage records doesn't necessarily conflict. Philippe could have been a laboreur in Ste. Colombe on a seasonal basis, ploughing and tilling in the spring but living most of the year in St. Remy Parish in Dieppe while engaged in some other occupation. The records that have so far not been found in Ste. Colombe might have been kept in Saint Rémy. No birth, baptism, or death records have been found for Philippe, Marie, or Charles.
Charles came to Canada with the Carignan Regiment ostensibly at the age of thirteen in 1665. His regimental name or nom de guerre was Lepetit Breton. He contracted marriage with Marie Anne Picard on Monday, 10 AUG 1676, before the notary Basset. The daughter of Hugues Picard and Antoinette De Liercourt, Marie Anne was baptized Saturday, 03 NOV 1663, in Montreal.
Charles and Marie Anne were married in Montreal on Monday, 31 AUG 1676, before Anne had reached the age of thirteen. She died in Laprairie on Monday, 04 FEB 1697, at the age of 33 years and three months. Nine children are born from their union. Some say there were ten; see Marie Marguerite below:
- Marie Marguerite
b. 18 APR 1678
m. Pierre Perras dit Fontaine, 18 NOV 1696, Laprairie
m. Julien Bariteau dit Lamarche, 13 MAY 1700, Laprairie (his second Marriage)
d. 26 JUL 1715 at l'Hôtel-Dieu, Montreal- Pierre
dob: 24 NOV 1680
dod:
(See contract settling Pierre's inheritance)
note: Pierre was kidnapped by Iroquois at the early age of about 8 years. The exact date is unknown, but it was at a time when the Iroquois were the enemy according to Pierre. He would have been 8 years old in 1688 which was the year of the Lachine Massacre. Lachine was about 14 miles from la Prairie. So, the Iroquois could have taken a few captives while heading for British territory in New York. There were raids on Laprairie in 1691 and 1695, but that wouldn't agree with his given age. At any rate, he lived the rest of his life with the Iroquois, eventually forgetting the French language.- Jacques
b. 02 MAR 1683 died young- Marianne ( See Marianne's baptism & burial records )
b. 07 MAY 1684
d. 09 DEC 1684
- Marianne
b. 1685
d. 15 MAY 1708
m. 27 OCT 1704 to Francois Bory dit Grandmaison. (Francois killed in a skirmish with the English in 1711.)- Charles3
b. 05 AUG 1688
m. 17 FEB 1716 to Jeanne Boyer
d. 21 JUN 1734- Marguerite
b. 14 JUN 1691
m. 03 FEB 1711 to Jean Lacombe
d. 25 MAY 1763- Jacques
b. 02 FEB 1693 in Laprairie
m. 13 JUL 1715 to Marie Anne Crepin
d. 16 FEB 1745 in Pointe aux Trembles, Montreal.Before his marriage to Marie Crepin, Jacques and Marie Duclos had a son
born out of wedlock on 25 DEC 1713. The son was named Jacques Duclos.- Catherine
b. 09 AUG 1695
d. 10 AUG 1695
Charles2 Diel and his second wife, Marie Francoise Simon dit Lapointe
Five years after the death of Marie Anne Picard, on Monday, in front of the notary Raimbault, on 17 APR 1702, Charles contracted marriage with Marie Francoise Simon dit Lapointe, baptized in Sillery on Sunday, 18 JAN 1671. She was the daughter of Hubert Simon and Marie Vie and widow of Etienne Godeau. Charles and Francoise were married on 08 MAY 1702 in Montreal. Marie Francoise died 06 MAR 1757 in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue; she is named Marie Godeau on the death certificate, widow of Diel. Four children resulted from this marriage:
- Marie Josephte
born: 1705 in St. Vincent de Paul, Laval, PQ
died: 13 JUN 1775 in St. Vincent de Paul, Laval, PQ and was buried the following day.- Therese
born: 1707
died: 06 SEP 1777, St. Vincent de Paul- Marie Francoise
born: 19 JAN 1708 in Montreal, Quebec.
married: 01 DEC 1725 to Rene Lariviere.- Jean Francois
born: 24 DEC 1710 in Montreal.
married 02 JUN 1738 to Francoise Potier in Immaculate Heart of Notre Dame Church, Kaskaskia, Illinois.
Charles was present in Montreal on 19 January 1672 at the marriage of Louis Haume and Anne Marie Linier. He was established in Laprairie at that time. The census of 1681 states that he possessed a rifle, three horned beasts, and four arpents of land. The Sulpiciens concede him land in Laprairie on 02 January 1684, but he is interested at this time in the fur trade.
Leger Hebert of Cap de la Trinite has a trade permit and hires Charles to go to the Outaouais country with Pierre Lefebvre and Antoine Caille on 20 September 1684 for the sum of 630 livres. Because they had never been there before, they are guided by Jean Lesieur dit La Calot who promises to lead them to Michillimakinac without receiving part of their share. That same day, they borrow the value of "2616 livres and six sols" of merchandise.
Jean Deniau guarantees them of other trips for Hilarie Bourgine. The first voyage is followed by a second in 1688. On 31 July of that year, he promises Antoine Caille to go to the Outaouais to "put forward the good of their association". On the third of August, with Pierre Lefebvre and Andre Danny, he borrows 1063 livres, 2 sols, and six sums of money from Hilarie Bourgine, and, on the same day, in company of Antoine Caille and Pierre Lefebvre, 81 livres, 15 sols and six deniers from the same. On 20 October 1704, he rents to his son-in-law, Francois Bory, for five years, the land of St. Lambert, Laprairie. He sells the moist land to Nicolas Varrin dit Lapistole on 24 July 1707 for the sum of 600 livres.
On 16 September 1707, Charles makes Marie Simon of Quebec procurator to obtain 200 livres from Noel Rullois according to an obligation of 27 June 1707 in front of La Cetiere.
With the aim of refunding debts, he sells land on the Saint Laurent to Dennis D'Estienne de Clerin on 16 November 1711 for 400 livres. He buys from Jean Baptiste Marette, for the sum of 300 livres, 60 arpents of land on 29 May 1712. For the lods and sales, he owes the Sulpiciens on the following 12th of June, the sum of 76 livres, 17 sols, and 6 deniers. This sum was determined to be 230 livres the 7th of June 1714 and constitutes an annual rent of 11 livres and 10 sols sent to them the following 7th of July.
As tutor (provider) for the minor children of Francois Bory dit Grandmaisson (husband of Anne Diel), and of Pierre Perras (Perot), husband of Marguerite Diel, he rents land in Laprairie Saint Lambert on 19 February 1716 to his son, Charles.
He admits owing 75 livres to Jean Gervais on 22 May 1718. He sells to his son, Jacques, on 22 September 1722, his dwelling on the St. Lambert at the cost of 500 pounds. His date of death is unknown, but he was alive at the time of the marriage contract between his daughter, Francoise, and Rene Lariviere, 18 November 1725.
It is almost impossible to accurately transfer the French money into modern currency. For our purposes, let us take 35 cents as a base figure and equate it to one livre; 1 sol would equal 1 cent, and 1 denier would equal 1/10 cent. The figure of 600 livres would then be equal to $150. Perhaps a more accurate method would be to show the buying power of the livre at that time. A cow was worth 30 livres; a pig, six livres; and a farm with buildings, about 1200 livres.
Michel Langlois: Dictionnairie Biographique des Ancestres Quebecois
In 1684 the country known as Canada or New France, that is to say the shores of the St. Lawrence River, counted about 10,700 settlers. Very few compared to the 160,000 inhabitants of the English colonies to the south.In the middle of June 1684, the then Governor of New France, 62 year old Joseph Antoine Lefebvre de la Barre, who replaced Frontenac in 1682, writes to Thomas Dongan, the Governor of the colony of New York, to ask him not to give arms to the Iroquois and to let the French attack them. The Iroquois, specifically the Tsonnontouan, one of the five nations, are damaging the fur trade.
On 31 July 1684 King Louis XIV writes to la Barre saying that he wishes to diminish as much as possible the number of Iroquois and asks that the Iroquois be made prisoners on French convict ships "as they are strong and robust". On 1 September la Barre answered his King by writing that "he is preparing everything to exterminate this nation". After having sent Ambassadors to the different Iroquois nations to advise them that the French will only make war on the Tsonnontouans the army of la Barre leaves Montréal 30 July 1684. His army is made up of 130 regular soldiers, of a militia of 700 Canadiens, and of 378 Indians. Already 80 soldiers have left ahead of the rest to prepare the terrain by cutting branches, etc. Also, a further movement of 200 Frenchmen and 500 Indians leave the Michillimakinac fur trading post to go to Niagara and await further orders there.
In the meantime the leaders of the Onneiouts don't understand why the French want to make war on the Tsonnontouans since they say they are ready to pay for any damages they have done to the Coureurs des Bois and the fur business and to apologize.
On 9 August, la Barre and his army reached the fort of Cataracoui. On this date, the Governor apparently after the pressures of Father Jean de Lamberville not to make war, decides to negotiate instead of attacking. But the main reason is probably that his army is already low on supplies and his soldiers are sick and in bad shape. He cannot attack. The Iroquois know it, and la Barre ends up having to accept all the conditions demanded by the Iroquois. A peace treaty is signed in the middle of August 1684. Very soon after, the King who is not pleased fires Mister la Barre.
It is a little bit more than a month after these events that Charles Diel prepares to leave on a fur trip and a contract is created for that effect. It is possible that Charles Diel was part of the Canadian militia and got permission to go on the fur trip because of his services.
In order to have merchandise to exchange with the Indians for furs, Charles Diel and his partners buy at credit a substantial amount of merchandise from a Montréal merchant. The contract refers to that transaction. The amount borrowed, 2616 livres, represents almost 10 years of salary for a qualified worker of the time.
Charles Diel is 31 years old at the time of the trip to Michillimakinac and has been married to Marie Anne Picard for 8 years. He traded for furs with the Indians in the middle of the Great Lakes at Ft. Michillimakinac. However, he was at his daughter's burial on or about 9 DEC 1684, so he did not winter over on this trip.
On 16 SEP 1692, Charles Diel, Antoine Cailler, and Pierre Le febvre appeared at a judicial hearing concerning a payment in fur to Madame Perrot of Laprairie with furs that they apparently transported from Michillimakinac to Montreal for a third party.. ???? pg. 95 Edge of Empire
Charles' Fur Contract of 23 September 1684:
To see a photocopy of the original document, click on the thumbnail.
Use your browser's back arrow to return here.
Contract no. 1568
page 1 page 2 page 3
Below is a transcription of the original contract as written in the old French style of that period. Some parts of the original contract are nearly impossible to read or are very difficult to understand. The transcription is followed by an English translation; if you can improve on the transcription or translation, please e-mail me.
23 Septembre 1684
Fin de page 1
pais de la Nouvelle France et datter du
Fin de page 2
Renonceant fait et passé audit
Obligation par Pierre Lefebvre, Anthoine Cailler, Charles Diel à Sr Hyllaire Bourgine
Pardevant Benigne Basset Nottaire
Royal en la terre et Seigneurie de
L'Isle de Montreal en la Nouvelle France
le tesmoigns soubsignez furent present,
the Sieurs Pierre Lefebvre, Antoine
Cailler, et Charles Diel habitant demeurant
ordinairement en la prairie St-Lambert,
de present en la riviere de Montréal,
Lesquels ont reconnu et confesseor
debvoir bien pour luy et chacun d'Eux seul
et pour le tout sans discution ni division
renoncer à ladite division et fidéjussion
au Sieur Hillaire Bourgine Marchand
Bourgeoise dud Montreal y demeurant
a ce present et et acceptant La Somme
De deux Mil Six Cent Seise livres
Six Sols a cause des Merchandises que
Les dits debiteurs ont renoncer et confesser leur
avoit este rendues et livrés par luy Sieur
Créancier pour les voiage et la laisser quil a
de cours presentement faire eux sauvages
8ta8ais en suivant la permission quil y
a esté donnée au Sr Léger Hebert, que
Monseigneur le General, Gouverneur et
Lieutenant General pour le Roy en ce
vingt quatre mai dernier et du transport
qui y a esté fait aux debiteurs par ledit
Sieur Hebert par acte passé pardevant
audit nottaire le vingtiesme dudit mois
de septembre à luy presente année
sy convenu dont lesdit payement
de la quelle somme de deux
mil six cent seize livres six sols
lesdit debiteurs ont promis, promettent
s'obligent solidairement convenu de ladite
payer, audit Sieur Bourgine en bonne
pelleterie en aux cours en ce pais, et sur le
pied du magazin general de ce pais
et ce pour le plus tard a la fin du mois
de septembre de l'année prochaine que luy
contera mil six cent quatre vingt cinq. Et
pour lexecution des presentes lesdits debiteurs
ont eslu leur domicile irrevocable en
cette ditte ville en la maison du Sr Jean
Aubuchon de Lesperance (unreadable).
car ainsy et promettant et obligeant,
chacun en droict soy, lesdits declare
sollidairement comme nulles
Montréal estude dudit nore lan mil six cent
quatre vingt et quatre le vingt troisieme
jour de septembre apres midu, en presence
du Sieur Jean Gamache en presence de
Cailler tesmoings y demeurant
en avec ledit Cailler lesdits Lefebvre
et Diel ayant declaré ne scavoir escrier
ni signer de ce enquis suivant
lordce.
Cailler Notre Basset........(paraphe)Fin de contrat
23 September 1684
Obligation by Pierre Lefebvre, Anthoine Cailler, Charles Diel to Sr Hyllaire Bourgine
In front of Beninge Basset,
Royal Notary in the land and lordship of
L'Isle de Montreal in New France,
appeared the undersigned witnesses,
the Sirs Pierre Lefebvre, Antoine
Cailler, and Charles Diel, inhabitants
residing ordinarily in La Prairie St. Lambert,
of present on the River de Montreal,
which have recognized and confessed
to owe much for himself, alone, and (for) each of the others,
and for all, without discussion (litigation?) nor division,
renounced (waived) the said division and surety
to Sir Hillaire Bourgine, bourgeois merchant
of the said Montreal, there residing
at the present, and accepting the sum
of two thousand six hundred and sixteen Livres
six sols because of the merchandise that
the said debtors have renounced and confessed
have been given and delivered to them by him, Sieur
Créancier, (the creditor, Sieur Bourgine) for the voyage
and that they leave presently to the wilds
of Ottawa? following the permit which
was given to Sr Leger Hebert by Monsignor the Général, Governor and
Lieutenant for the King in this
end of page 1
country of New France and dated of
twenty-four May last, and for transportation
that was done by the debtors for the said
Mister Hébert by an act made and passed in front of
said notary the twentieth of the said month of
September to him this year.
if agreed with said payment
of which sum of two thousand six hundred and sixteen pounds six sols
the said debtors have pledged, promised,
binding themselves jointly and severally, agreed,
to pay to the said Sieur Bourgine in good
fur in the courtyard in this country, and at the
base of the general storehouse in this land,
and this not later than the end of the month
of September of next year which will
count (number?) one thousand six hundred eighty-five. And
for the execution hereof, the said debtors
have elected their irrevocable home in
this said city in the home of Mr. Jean
Aubuchon dit Lespaerance (unreadable).
by thus promissing and obliging,
(? each in right himself ?), the said declare
severally as void.
end of page 2
Renouncement drawn up and passed at the
Montreal office of the said notary one thousand six hundred
eighty-four the third day of September after noon in the presence of
Mister Jean Gamache, in the presence of Cailler, witnesses, and living
in with said Cailler, the said Lefebvre
and Diel having declared not knowing how to write
or sign when asked following the ordonance.
Cailler
BASSET (paraphe)
end of contract
What we know of these persons:
JEAN AUBUCHON: He was murdered in his bed while on a business trip to Montreal. He was Elizabeth Aubuchon's great-grandfather. Elizabeth married Antoine Diel, Charles Diel and Marie Anne Picard's grandson, in Kaskaskia.
BENIGNE BASSET: Bénigne Basset was the first notary of Ville-Marie (Montréal). He was also a Land-Surveyor and registrar. He was born in 1639 making him 45 years old at the time of the writing of this contract. His "dit" name was des Lauriers. He arrived in Montréal around 1657 and died in 1699.
ANTOINE CAILLÉ: Antoine Caillé was a Blacksmith. Born around 1647 he is therefore 37 years old at the time of the fur trip. His dit names were "Brulefer and Biscornet ". Origin unknown. He married Anne Aubry in Laprairie around 1674. He was a servant at the Québec seminary in the years 1667/1668. He was recruited to go to war against the Tsonontouans, and as reward for his services against the Iroquois he is given a "congé" or leave to go on a fur trip in 1688. (This "congé" he will sell to André Danny or Dauny who will go with Charles Diel on his 1688 fur trip)
JEAN DENIAU Jean Deniau was born in 1629, making him 55 at the time he acted as guarantor for Charles Diel and his partners. His parents were from Brittanie. He married Helene Dodin (Daudin) 25 NOV 1663. He came to New France with the "Grande Recrue" of 1653, arriving in Quebec on 22 SEP 1653 aboard the same ship with Hugues Picard, father of Marie Anne Picard. He was Marie Anne's god father. Jean Deniau and Helene Dodin were killed by the Iroquois on 12 AUG 1695.
PIERRE LEFEBVRE: Pierre Lefebvre was a neighbor of Charles Diel owning land in the Mouillepieds (wet feet). Born in 1648, dead in 1694. He is therefore 36 years old at the time of the trip. He is the son of Robert Lefebvre and Jeanne Autin of Sainte-Trinité de Bois-Guillaume, near Rouen. (In present day France, in Bois-Guillaume there are people with the family name of Dyel). He therefore was also from Normandie like Charles Diel. He married Marie Gagné. The day after adhering to the contract he sells his barge and all his riggings to Antoine Brunet for the amount of 240 livres. And on 15 October 1684 he pays back an amount of 27 livres to Jacques Beauvais. Therefore, the partners must have left for their fur expedition after that date, it must already have been quite cold when they left for good. Pierre Lefebvre will also go on a fur trading expedition with Charles Diel in 1688.
JEAN LESIEUR dit La Calot (the guide): Jean Lesieur was born in 1651. He is therefore 33 years old in 1684. Origin unknown. He married Marie Charebert around 1672. He lives in Champlain and is involved in the fur trade. In 1678, owing money to Jean Lemoyne, his grain is seized. Around 1684 he must have moved into the Seigneurie of Sainte-Trinitée. He signs another fur trading contract 17 May 1685 with other people.