B. 5 Aug 1688 in La Prairie, New France
M. (1) 17 Feb 1716 in La Prairie, New France
Wife: Marie-Jeanne Boyer
M. (2) 9 Sep 1732 in Boucherville, New France
Wife: Marguerite Robert
D. 20 Jun 1734 in Longueuil, New France
For Charles Diel, fur trading was practically in his blood. He was born across the river from Montreal in La Prairie on August 5, 1688 to Charles Diel and Marie-Anne Picard. This was at a time when men in that region launched expeditions into the west in order to acquire furs from the Great Lakes Indians. Charles’ father was heavily involved in such efforts, and had signed a contract to go up the Ottawa River just days before young Charles was born. There were nine children in the family, but one of Charles’ brothers died young, and another was captured by Iroquois, never to return home. His mother died when he was 8-years-old, and his father was left to raise the children alone.
It’s likely that Charles’ father influenced him to take up fur trading. The earliest record showing him going on an expedition was in 1713, when on October 1st of that year, he was hired for a trip to Detroit. Typically a trip that left that late in the year meant he would have wintered there before returning in the spring with a canoe full of pelts. Charles was 25, so it probably wasn’t his first time on an expedition. Another contract dated May 28, 1718 had Charles making another journey to Detroit. It’s not known how many other times Charles traveled to the fur trading outposts, but he never made his permanent home in the west.
On February 17, 1716, Charles married the daughter of a fur trader, Marie-Jeanne Boyer. Just a year later, she gave birth to twin girls; the couple would eventually have nine children, including a set of twin boys. The family made their home in La Prairie, which became Longueuil when part of the town was split off. Sadly, Marie-Jeanne passed away on December 23, 1730 before any of the children came of age. Charles took a second wife on September 20, 1732, a widow named Marguerite Robert. Their time together was short because on June 20, 1734, Charles died.
The family tradition of fur trading was carried on by Charles’ sons. Oldest son Charles signed up for expeditions in 1747 and 1751, Eustache was known to have made 8 trips to outposts on the Great Lakes, and Joseph had at least two fur trading journeys. And son Antoine made his life in the west, first settling at Kaskaskia (present-day Illinois) and later at Ste-Genevieve, one of the earliest settlements in what is now Missouri.
Children (all by Marie-Jeanne Boyer):
1. Marie-Jeanne Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 18 Feb 1769, La Prairie, Quebec; M. Jean-Baptiste Robidoux (1712-?), 28 Apr 1738, Longueuil, New France
2. Marie-Louise Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 30 Apr 1730, New France
3. Anne Diel — B. 20 May 1720, La Prairie, New France; D. 25 Feb 1737, New France
4. Charles Diel — B. 29 Jan 1722, La Prairie, New France; M. Marie-Felicite Suave (1727-1759), 15 Jan 1746, Ste-Anne-de-Bellvue, New France
5. Antoine Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jul 1775, Ste. Genevieve, Illinois Territory; M. Elisabeth Aubuchon
6. Eustache Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 27 Jul 1793, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec; M. (1) Angelique Caille (1728-1772), 7 Apr 1750, La Prairie, New France; (2) Therese Rivard (1733-1787), 29 Aug 1774, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec
7. Joseph-Marie Diel — B. 21 Mar 1726, Longueuil, New France
8. Jeanne-Marie-Anne Diel — B. 11 Sep 1727, Longueuil, New France; D. 21 Nov 1760, La Prairie, New France; M. François Dupuis (1709-1764), 14 Feb 1752, La Prairie, New France
9. Marie-Josephe Diel — B. 18 Aug 1729, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jan 1788, Les Cèdres, Soulanges, Quebec; M. Andre Lalonde (1717-1800), 7 Apr 1750, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
