M. about 1773 in (probably) Illinois Territory2
Wife: Elisabeth Clermond Dubord
D. 8 Jul 1813 in Vincennes, Indiana Territory3
Like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him, Charles Diel engaged in the fur trade in the Great Lakes region, and was also the fourth generation in a row with that name.
Charles was born on October 16, 1746 to Charles Diel and Felicite Sauve dit LaPlante in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue,1 their first child and only son; he had three younger sisters. His father seems to have died in 1756,4 and his mother remarried, but she died when Charles was 13-years-old.5
On May 29 1765, Charles agreed to a fur trading contract to travel to Michilimackinac for one year,5 putting his X on the document (he likely had no education as a boy). He was to be paid 300 livres for his work and supplied with some clothing. The contract said Charles was to leave immediately, and he must have traveled by canoe in a convoy to the remote trading post. By this time, England had control over all of New France, but fur trade was still thriving in places like Michilimackinac, which was recovering from an Indian uprising two years earlier known as Pontiac’s Rebellion.
On May 29 1765, Charles agreed to a fur trading contract to travel to Michilimackinac for one year,5 putting his X on the document (he likely had no education as a boy). He was to be paid 300 livres for his work and supplied with some clothing. The contract said Charles was to leave immediately, and he must have traveled by canoe in a convoy to the remote trading post. By this time, England had control over all of New France, but fur trade was still thriving in places like Michilimackinac, which was recovering from an Indian uprising two years earlier known as Pontiac’s Rebellion.
A young voyageur. (AI-generated image)
After 1765, there is no record of Charles until ten years later when he turned up at Post Vincennes on a baptism for his own child.7 He had married Elisabeth Clermond Dubord, a native of Detroit, sometime before that date.2 It may have been fur trading that brought Charles to Vincennes, but by there’s no evidence that he continued in that business, and most likely he supported his family as a farmer. He and his wife had eleven more children born between 1776 and 1798.
Charles was one of the men who made his mark on the Oath of Allegiance in Vincennes in 1778, pledging his support for the American side during the Revolution.8 Like all French people who lived in Vincennes, he was there when George Rogers Clark took charge of the fort in February 1779, and it’s likely that he helped the soldiers in some way.
.jpg)
Charles' mark on Vincennes Oath of Allegiance. Gueille was a variation of Diel.
After the war, the French settlers were considered to be patriots, and anyone who could prove they were the head of a household in 1783 received land. But in 1790, when Charles wanted to formalize the title for 136 acres, his claim was rejected because he had only cleared about 4 acres and he hadn’t planted any crops there.9
On July 22, 1808, Charles was involved in another land claim, this one for his late father-in-law’s estate.10 Elisabeth had died by then, so he represented his children as partial heirs to 400 acres of land, and Charles made his mark on the petition to settle the title. It’s not known how this was resolved.
Charles died on in Vincennes on July 8, 1813, and he was buried at St. Francis Xavier church cemetery.3 The line of French fur traders named Charles Diel stopped here.
Children:
1. Charles Guiel — B. 5 Sep 1775, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory;7 Marie Helen Jacqueau (?-1796) 4 Apr 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory11
2. Genevieve Guiel — B. 21 Aug 1776, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory12
3. Eustache Guiel — B. 16 Sep 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory13
On July 22, 1808, Charles was involved in another land claim, this one for his late father-in-law’s estate.10 Elisabeth had died by then, so he represented his children as partial heirs to 400 acres of land, and Charles made his mark on the petition to settle the title. It’s not known how this was resolved.
Charles died on in Vincennes on July 8, 1813, and he was buried at St. Francis Xavier church cemetery.3 The line of French fur traders named Charles Diel stopped here.
Children:
1. Charles Guiel — B. 5 Sep 1775, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory;7 Marie Helen Jacqueau (?-1796) 4 Apr 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory11
2. Genevieve Guiel — B. 21 Aug 1776, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory12
3. Eustache Guiel — B. 16 Sep 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory13
4. Louis Guiel — B. 21 Sep 1781, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory14
5. Dominique Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory15
6. Ursule Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory16
7. Josephine Guiel — B. before 25 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;17 M. François Turpin (1777-?), 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory18
5. Dominique Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory15
6. Ursule Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory16
7. Josephine Guiel — B. before 25 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;17 M. François Turpin (1777-?), 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory18
8. Joseph Gaile — B. before 18 Nov 1788, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;19 D. May 1835, Lawrence County, Illinois;20 M. Archange Baillargeon (1793-1849), before 18 Oct 1818, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana21
9. Françoise Diel — B. May 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;22 D. May 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory23
10. Susanne Diel — B. 3 Jun 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;24 D. after 4 Sep 1835, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;25 M. Dominic Legarde (1785-1835), Before 19 Oct 1815, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana26
11. Marie Diel — B. 3 Oct 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;27 D. 19 Oct 1848, Vincennes, Indiana;27 M. Joseph Metteix (1789-?), 8 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory28
12. Adelaide Diel — B. 6 Sep 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;29 D. 30 Nov 1800, Vincennes, Indiana Territory29
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Charles Diel, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Estimated marriage year based on birth of oldest child.
3 Indiana, Knox County: A Complete Survey of Cemetery Records, Vol. 5
4 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Crete and Marie-Felicite Sauve on 8 Jan 1757, Q., C. P. R.
5 Burial record of Marie-Felicite Sauve, Q., C. P. R.
6 Fur trade contracts for men named Diel, Centre du patrimoine website
7 Christening record of Charles Guiel, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
8 Vincennes Oath, 1778, Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, Illinois Library
9 American State Papers, Class 8, V. 2
10 Clermont, Widow petition of heirs to partition her land 1808, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
11 Marriage record of Charles Guiel and Marie Helen Jacqueau, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
12 Christening record of Genevieve Guiel, I., B. & C.
13 Christening record of Eustache Guielle, I., B. & C.
14 Christening record of Louis Guille, I., B. & C.
15 Christening record of Dominique Guiele, I., B. & C.
16 Christening record of Ursule Guiele, I., B. & C.
17 Christening record of Marie Josette Diel, I., B. & C.
18 Marriage record of François Turpin and Josephine Guelle, I. M.
19 Christening record of Joseph Diel, I., B. & C.
20 Death record of Joseph Gail, Ancestry.com
21 St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
22 Christening record of Françoise Diel, I., B. & C.
23 Burial record of Françoise Diel, I., D. & B.
24 Christening record of Susanne Guielle, I., B. & C.
25 Death record of Dominic Lagarde, I., D. & B.
26 Christening record of Joanne Lagarde, I., B. & C.
27 Christening record of Marie Guele, I., B. & C.
28 Marriage record of Joseph Metai and Marie Guele, I. M.
29 Christening record of Adelaide Guele, I., B. & C.
10. Susanne Diel — B. 3 Jun 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;24 D. after 4 Sep 1835, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;25 M. Dominic Legarde (1785-1835), Before 19 Oct 1815, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana26
11. Marie Diel — B. 3 Oct 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;27 D. 19 Oct 1848, Vincennes, Indiana;27 M. Joseph Metteix (1789-?), 8 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory28
12. Adelaide Diel — B. 6 Sep 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;29 D. 30 Nov 1800, Vincennes, Indiana Territory29
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Charles Diel, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Estimated marriage year based on birth of oldest child.
3 Indiana, Knox County: A Complete Survey of Cemetery Records, Vol. 5
4 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Crete and Marie-Felicite Sauve on 8 Jan 1757, Q., C. P. R.
5 Burial record of Marie-Felicite Sauve, Q., C. P. R.
6 Fur trade contracts for men named Diel, Centre du patrimoine website
7 Christening record of Charles Guiel, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
8 Vincennes Oath, 1778, Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, Illinois Library
9 American State Papers, Class 8, V. 2
10 Clermont, Widow petition of heirs to partition her land 1808, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
11 Marriage record of Charles Guiel and Marie Helen Jacqueau, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
12 Christening record of Genevieve Guiel, I., B. & C.
13 Christening record of Eustache Guielle, I., B. & C.
14 Christening record of Louis Guille, I., B. & C.
15 Christening record of Dominique Guiele, I., B. & C.
16 Christening record of Ursule Guiele, I., B. & C.
17 Christening record of Marie Josette Diel, I., B. & C.
18 Marriage record of François Turpin and Josephine Guelle, I. M.
19 Christening record of Joseph Diel, I., B. & C.
20 Death record of Joseph Gail, Ancestry.com
21 St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
22 Christening record of Françoise Diel, I., B. & C.
23 Burial record of Françoise Diel, I., D. & B.
24 Christening record of Susanne Guielle, I., B. & C.
25 Death record of Dominic Lagarde, I., D. & B.
26 Christening record of Joanne Lagarde, I., B. & C.
27 Christening record of Marie Guele, I., B. & C.
28 Marriage record of Joseph Metai and Marie Guele, I. M.
29 Christening record of Adelaide Guele, I., B. & C.
