ANCESTOR SPOTLIGHT: CHARLES CHARTIER b. 1811

ANCESTOR SPOTLIGHT: CHARLES CHARTIER

Charles Chartier was born Aug 11, 1811 on the US/Canada borders. He was the 2nd child born to Charles Chartier & Mach-e. His father was remarried 1-2 other times and had several other children. His mother, Mach-e, was an Indian Woman. 

Check out the spotlight on Mach-e to read more about her.

Here is a story I found about his birth place: 
"According to the journal of Father Pierz, Charles Chartier was born at Ile la Croix.  Ile la Croix is a large island in the boundary waters between Minnesota and Ontario, on the water trail between Kamanistiqua and Fort Francis used by the traders of the North West Company.  Today it is in both Minnesota and Ontario.  In about 1810 the United States/Canadian border had not been established; it was in Native American territory.  It was recorded as "Ile la Croix" by David Thompson in about 1805, and still appears as such on some maps.  It would have been well known to Father Pierz, and people of his time who had travelled in that area.
Though Charles was baptised at L'Assomption, Quebec, he was born at Ile la Croix.  His father was a voyageur for the North West Company.  His mother was an Ojibwa woman.  He was brought to L'Assomption where he was baptised and raised not by his step-mother (his father's other wife), but by his grandmother."

Charles married Marie Appoline "Pauline" Debussat on Feb 27, 1843 in L'Assomption, Quebec, Canada. Together they had 10 children. Pauline died in 1861. 

Charles died June 25, 1896 in Belle Prairie, MN. He is buried at Holy Family Church Cemetery in Belle Prairie, MN. 

Here is a story I found about his hertiage...
"In an affidavit in the County of Morrison (State of Minnesota) dated 21 Dec. 1889 Charles Chartier swore that “he is a mixed blood of the Chippewa tribes of the State of Minnesota. That as he is informed and believes, his Grandmother was a full blood Chippewa Indian woman; that her daughter, affiants, mother married a man by his name., Charles Chartier.  That before her marriage her name was Margaret Grant, the daughter of J. B. Grant, a trader among the Indians. “Later on in this affidavit Charles states that he himself, this affiant, is one-half Chippewa blood, his father as well as his mother being each half blood Chippewa Indians.”  The problem with this statement is that there is no proof that Charles’ father was a 1/2 breed. Charles Chartier was also known as Sha-tay-ke-wainze which probably was a name given to him by Indians. Even though Charles was born in Wisconsin, it seems that he and his brother “lived with his father and squaw mother near Winnipeg, Canada; that the father took said Charles CHARTIER  and brother with him to Canada.” After Charles and his brother were baptized, they must have  returned to the west because it seems a child was born to Charles Chartier and a Sautich woman. However, Charles is found in Quebec in 1853. Madison Overmoen determined that this family left Quebec in late 1853 or 1854. They may have moved to Bourbonnais, Ill, and stayed there approximately one year; then traveling by ox cart to Belle Prairie, Minn. Charles Chartier’s obituary indicates that the family “removed from Illinois” to Belle Prairie in 1852”. According to the Naturalization Index “Charles Chartier arrived in Minnesota 10th Sept 1854.” The date of the documentation is  October 1869."









4 comments:

  1. The other problem with the affadavit statement is that it is the first time I have seen it stated that his mother was a half-breed. I'm trying to understand the full truth behind his story, because some sources say his mother is Margaret or Marguerite Chartier, formerly L'Grand. But most sources say his mother is Marguerite Machequayzaince Songab - a full blood native of the Ojibwe. I have the latter listed in my family trees, but I'm trying to piece together all of the different stories and discrepancies.

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  2. I have also been doing extensive research on Charles Chartier born 1811.
    From my research, here is what I understand:

    There are 3 Charles Chartiers. This affidavit is about Charles B. Chartier III based on the dates and other info I have seen about this affidavit. His father is Charles Chartier II (born 1811), who's mother I also have as Marguerite Machequayzaince Songab. Charles "Sha-tay-ke-wainze" Chartier the 1st, a Trader for the Northwest Company, married Marguerite after her husband Peter Grant left her. I have read that he had two boys with her, Charles the 2nd and Timothy or Thomas was the other son. But I read somewhere that Charles the 1st kidnapped the sons and took them to Canada to return to his other wife and for the boys to be raised by their Grandmother. I read that the second boy (Timothy or Thomas?) Must not have made it, because there are no other records of him after that.

    Supposedly, Marguerite was so distraught by the kidnapping for many years, that her family omitted this history from their family tree.

    I read somewhere that this particular affidavit was when Charles B the 3rd had an accident, leaving his unable to work, so he had to provide his Native Ancestry and went to live on White Earth Reservation.

    There are a number of inconsistencies with this affidavit though... #1, Marguerite was not the daughter of JB Grant, but she was the wife of Peter Grant, and that her father was Dakota Sioux. Many records list him as Delonaise.

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    Replies
    1. The second son was Antoine. He was born in 1813 in Manitoba and he was also taken to be raised by his grandmother, Marie Rose Dufault (m. Charles B Chartier) in Quebec. He ended up marrying Felonise Serard from Lanaudiere, Quebec, Canada and they eventually moved to Ontario, Canada. They had a daughter Leaugh (Leah) Chartier in 1852. Antoine died in 1878 and his wife in 1898.

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  3. Sorry for some of my errors... *Appoline Debussat

    Also, the Charles in this affidavit died in 1896, while I have his father, Charles the 2nd dying in 1864.

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