Tag: Fournel

Jacques Fournelle (~1699-1774) and Marie Jacob (1695-1758)

This is the 10th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

Jacques FOURNELLE was the youngest son of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON. He was born about 1699 in Saulnes (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France). At the time of his birth, there were seven siblings living at home: Françoise b. 1678, Nicolas b. 1683, Jean b. 1686, Henri b. 1688, Jeanne b. bet. 1689-1693, Sébastienne b. abt. 1692, and Marie b. 1696.

Jacques may have had a younger sister, Marie Catherine, born after 1699 and before the death of their mother Catherine SETON on 21 September 1702.1

Following the death of their mother, the youngest children were likely cared for by their oldest sister Françoise who was 24 years old. She did not marry until 1708 when Jacques was about 9 years old.2

Over the years, Jacques’ older siblings married and started their own families. On 4 Feb 1717, Jacques and his sister Jeanne were chosen to be the godparents of their nephew Jacques COURTOIS, the 5th and youngest child of their oldest sister Françoise. They were both unmarried. The baptismal record of this child is the first record to mention Jacques FOURNELLE in relation to his siblings.3

On 24 November 1720 Jacques and his brother Jean witnessed the marriage of his sister Sébastienne to Jean FRANÇOIS (1681-1741) in Saulnes. She was to be the last of his siblings to marry.4 The residences of her brothers are not mentioned in the record. Jean was married and known to be living in Rodange.

Jacques was probably living at home with his father Jean FOURNEL and his sister Marie Catherine. She would serve as the godmother of Jeanne’s and of Sébastienne’s children in 1721. The two baptismal records would be the first and last records to document this sister if she was not Marie.5,6

Jacques’ father Jean FOURNEL died on 3 September 1721 in Saulnes and was buried in the church cemetery the same day. Jacques’ brothers Jean and Nicolas witnessed the death record.7

Jacques Fournelle and Marie Jacob marry

Jacques married Marie JACOB, daughter of François JACOB and Madeleine CLESSE of Hussigny, following the death of his father in 1721 and probably before 1724. Although no marriage record is available, abstracts of judicial and notary records show Jacques FOURNELLE and Marie JACOB were married.

Jacques and his wife Marie were a married couple living in Hussigny when they sold part of a meadow to Simon JACOB and his wife Marguerite NOEL on 30 June 1725. They were therefore married before this date.8

The fact that Jacques and his family lived in Hussigny from about 1724 until their deaths made researching this family a challenge. There are no birth or baptismal records for the years that Marie was of the childbearing age.

Jacques and Marie had two daughters: Marguerite, born about 1724, and Elisabeth, born about 1726. No baptismal records are available, and, although both married and had children, marriage records were not found for them.

Judicial and notary records

To work around the paucity of vital records for Hussigny-Godbrange, the compiler of the family book for the town recorded abstracts of judicial records found for family groups during the period.

Aimé Tarnus, compiled Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, a family book for the town of Hussigny that is lacking church records for the years between 1716-1765 with only 1753-1756 and 1758 being available. To get around the lack of records for the town, Mr. Tarnus consulted records of the Archives Départementales de Moselle, the Archives Départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle, the National Library in Paris, and the Luxembourg National Archives. A good part of the work in the departmental archives, other than the church and civil records, was done using the judicial archives and the notary deeds.

Over the years, Jacques FOURNELLE, and his wife Marie JACOB disposed of a variety of assets including meadows, fields of hemp, fruit orchards, and a house. The abstracts of the notarial records give little information on the property and only the names of the parties. It isn’t known if they were selling property that once belonged to Jacques’ family or to Marie’s. [The Series E records are not available online.] 

In 1734 the FOURNEL siblings sold land they likely inherited from their parents Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON.

M. et M. 23 E 147 : le 06/09/1734, Jean FOURNIER, lab. à G. et Nicolas FOURNIER, lab. à H., Jean COURTOIS, marchand à Sosnes, en qualité de père et tuteur des enfants de lui et de + Françoise FOURNEL, sa fe. en 1ères noces, Jacques FOURNIER; curateur, vendent à Gérosme PERTRISOT, man. à La Sauvage et Jeanne FOURNIER, sa fe., une masure et un jardin etc…

Le 06/09/1734, Jacques FOURNEL, man. à H., vend à Jean FRANÇOIS, man. à Sosnes la Basse, et Sébastienne FOURNEL, sa fe., une masure à Sosne etc…

Jean, Nicolas, Françoise’s widower, and Jacques sold a dwelling and a garden to their sister Jeanne and her husband. Jacques sold a dwelling to his sister Sébastienne and her husband.9

On 18 January 1743, Jacques FOURNELLE of Hussigny, uncle of the bride, was present at the marriage of his niece Jeanne FOURNELLE, daughter of Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN, and Henri DE CHAIVE.10 Jacques’ presence at the marriage of his brother Jean’s daughter confirms Jacques FOURNELLE, a laborer of Hussigny, is the son of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON.

A new recordset: inventaires après décès

On 8 April 1748, an inventory after death (inventaire après décès) for Julien FOURNELLE was witnessed by his uncle Jacques.11 This was the first of several inventaires après décès that Jacques witnessed over the years.

I only recently learned about this set of records when I followed-up on a link Elise Lenoble mentioned in a recent post on her blog Auprès de nos Racines. Her post Inventories after death or How to enter an ancestor’s house, with the French title
Les inventaires après décès ou Comment entrer dans la maison d’un ancêtre, gives an amazing insight into the lives of French ancestors using these inventories.

Drawn up shortly after a person’s death, the inventory after death contained a list of goods owned by the family and an appraisal. The furniture, clothing, kitchen utensils, tapestries, etc., a description of the dwelling, land owned, and contracts or debts of the deceased were included. The inventaires après décès are not only helpful in learning more about how an ancestor lived but also determining when they died. Jacques’ nephew Julien died during the years when death records are missing and his inventory after death, drawn up shortly after his death, gives us a more precise window for his date of death.

Jacques and Marie’s daughters marry

About 1749 or earlier, Jacques and Marie’s daughter Marguerite married Mathias LIBERT (1727-1760) of Audun-le-Tiche (Moselle, France). They were the parents of four known children. The oldest, a son Charles, was born about 1749. His year of birth has been estimated from the age given at the time of his second marriage in 1810. The three other children left records with precise dates of birth in 1753, 1754, and 1757.

Jacques and Marie’s daughter Elisabeth married Charles WACHONRUE (1725-1793) before 18 January 1751 when they were cited in a land deed as husband and wife.12 The land they purchased in 1751 was sold on 28 May 1753 to Jean François Henry Gérard Baron d’HUART.13

Elisabeth and Charles were the parents of four known children. The date of birth of their first child Marie Barbe is not known and has been estimated at about 1751. A marriage record for their second child gives a date of birth in 1753 and baptismal records were found in 1755 and 1758 for the third and the fourth child.

On 6 August 1753 Jacques FOURNELLE witnessed the death record of his brother Henri.14 The brothers lived in the same town and Jacques appears to have been close to his brother’s family. Two and a half years later, he was a witness at the marriage of his nephew Henri, son of Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS.15

Jacques and Marie sell their house

On 5 April 1756 Jacques and his wife Marie sold their house to their son-in-law Charles WACHONRUE.16 His wife Elisabeth was not mentioned in the abstract. On the same day, Jacques and Marie also sold a field of hemp to Jean WILLOTTE. This was the last mention of Jacques selling property.

The last of Jacques and Marie’s eight grandchildren, Marguerite WACHONRUE was born on 10 September 1758 and baptized the following day.17 Her godfather was Mathias LIBERT, husband of her maternal aunt, Marguerite FOURNELLE. The godfather is not explicitly noted as the child’s uncle but this record gives some support to Marguerite and Elisabeth being sisters.

Jacques is widowed

1758 Death Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 268/R 1 vue 38 de 677.

Marie JACOB, wife of the surviving “Jacques Fournier” died three months later on 7 December 1758 in Hussigny at the age of 63 years.18 In the presence of her family and neighbors, she was buried in the parish cemetery.

Jacques’ son-in-law Mathias LIBERT died in January 1760 at the age of 33. This is known as his inventory after death was filed on 30 January 1760 and was witnesses by Jacques FOURNELLE, Henri FOURNEL (Jacques’ nephew), Jean JACOB, and Antoine LAINE (husband of Marie LIBERT, Mathias’s brother).19 The fact that Jacques was a witness lends support to the assumption that Mathias was Jacques’ son-in-law.

Jacques, age 60, was mentioned in a judicial record on 23 February 1760.20 His occupation was charbonnier, a person who makes, sells, or delivers charcoal. In the years since his marriage, he had disposed of all of his property and still had to make a living. He was a widower with two daughters, one widowed and one married, and eight grandchildren. And he was still giving moral support to his brother Henri’s sons.

Jacques, the caretaker of his sibling’s family

On 8 February 1763, Jacques once again was a witness to the marriage of one of his nephews, Dominique, son of Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS.21 Dominique was widowed less than a year later when his wife died giving birth to their son Mathias. By the end of the following year, Dominique was at the notary and, with the assistance of his brother Henri and Pierre and their uncle Jacques, was having a marriage contract drawn up for his second marriage.22 On 28 December 1765, Jacques was one of the witnesses to the marriage of Dominique FOURNEL and Barbe SCHMIT.23

More inventories after death

1766 Death Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 268/R 1 vue 48 de 677.

On 9 May 1766, Jacques and Marie’s daughter Elisabeth died in Hussigny at the age of about 40. She was buried the following day.24 A little over two weeks later, on 27 May 1766 her inventory after death was filed and Jacques FOURNELLE was one of the four witnesses.25 Ten months later, Elisabeth’s widower, Charles WACHONRUE married again. He would have another son with his second wife.

1774 Death Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 268/R 1 vue 83 de 677.

Eight years after Elisabeth’s death her father Jacques died. Marguerite’s oldest son Charles LIBERT and her cousin Henri FOURNEL (son of Henri) were the witnesses on the death record of her Jacques FOURNELLE. He died on 9 December 1774 and was buried the following day.26 On the day Jacques FOURNELLE’s was buried his inventory after death was filed. He was described as a poor beggar for the last 10 years.27

1788 Death Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 268/R 1 vue 237 de 677.

Fourteen years later Marguerite FOURNELLE died on 12 November 1788 in Hussigny and was buried the following day. Her sons, Charles and Antoine, both married and living in Villers-la-Montagne were the witnesses on her death record.28

Jacques’ son-in-law Charles WACHONRUE was still living. He died five years later on 30 January 1793 in Hussigny.29 All of the parents of the grandchildren of Jacques and Marie were now deceased.

Jacques and Marie’s grandchildren

Five of the eight grandchildren of Jacques and Marie are known to have survived their grandfather Jacques FOURNELLE. They lived to see the turn of the century and three more marriages in 1800, 1801, and 1810.

Jean WACHONRUE (1755-1805) married Jeanne Hélène VRILLARD before 1786, lived in Paris for a while, and then moved to Itteville, south of Paris in the department of Essonne, where he died in 1805. His wife predeceased him. They had at least three children.

Marie Barbe WACHONRUE (1751-1818) married Joseph PHOND (1751-1833) before 1782. They were the parents of two known children. She died 2 February 1818 in Hussigny. Her widower married again four months later to Marie Barbe’s first cousin once removed, Anne Marie LIBERT (1782-1860), daughter of Antoine LIBERT.

Antoine LIBERT (1753-1833) was widowed in 1799. He’d married Elisabeth CLAUSSE (1750-1799) in 1775 and they had eleven children between 1775-1794. He married again a year later to Catherine MORANT (1757-?) on 17 December 1800. Antoine died 8 December 1833 in Haucourt-Moulaine.

Marie Catherine LIBERT (1757-1836) married Jean ANTOINE (1731-1820) on 20 Dec 1801 in Hussigny. She was 44 years old and this was her first marriage. Her brother Antoine and her cousin Marie Barbe WACHONRUE’s husband Joseph PHOND were two of the witnesses. Marie Catherine died on 13 February 1836 in Hussigny. She had no known children.

Charles LIBERT (1749-1812) was widowed in 1809 when his wife Barbe NICOLAS died. He’d married Barbe who was ten years older and a widow in 1772. They had 9 children between 1773-1782 including two sets of twins. He married again a year later to Madeleine SALIN (1765-1827) in Thil on 20 December 1810. Madeleine was the 2nd great-granddaughter of my 9th great-grandparents François SALIN and Catherine MASSON. Charles died in 1842 in Mercy-le-Bas at the age of about 93 years. His death record indicates he was 105 years old at the time of his death. This is an exaggeration as his mother would have been only 13 years old at the time of his birth. His 1810 marriage record gives a more accurate age of 60 years, i.e. born about 1749.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 300 of 529.  1708 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Françoise Fournel (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 234 of 529. 1717 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807d29ad : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 178 of 529. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 2nd entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b09bb : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  5. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 78 of 296. 1721 Baptismal Record of Marie Catherine Pétrisot (right page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SCK?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  6. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 184 of 529. 1721 Baptismal Record of Marie Catherine François (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b4610 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  8. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 533, family 2028, abstract of a notary record. “Notaires de V.-la-M. : le 30/06/1725, Jacques FOURNIER, man. à H., et Marie JACOB, sa fe., vendent à Simon JACOB, lab. à H., et Marguerite NOEL, sa fe., une demi-fauchée de pré située sur le ban de Belvaux etc…” ↩
  9. Ibid., page 535, family 2029, abstract of a notary record for the sale of land. “M. et M. 23 E 147 : le 06/09/1734, Jean FOURNIER, lab. à G. et Nicolas FOURNIER, lab. à H., Jean COURTOIS, marchand à Sosnes, en qualité de père et tuteur des enfants de lui et de + Françoise FOURNEL, sa fe. en 1ères noces, Jacques FOURNIER; curateur, vendent à Gérosme PERTRISOT, man. à La Sauvage et Jeanne FOURNIER, sa fe., une masure et un jardin etc…
    Le 06/09/1734, Jacques FOURNEL, man. à H., vend à Jean FRANÇOIS, man. à Sosnes la Basse, et Sébastienne FOURNEL, sa fe., une masure à Sosne etc…” ↩
  10. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > images 197 and 198 of 328. 1743 Marriage Record, right page, last entry (part 1). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06e6ad : accessed 9 July 2020). 1743 Marriage Record, right page, last entry (part 2). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06f031 : accessed 9 July 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., page 536, family 2031, abtract of an inventory after death. “Mos. B 8647 : le 8/4/1748, inv. ap. + Julien FOURNELLE ; Ts. Jacques FOURNELLE, Henry FOURNELLE, Nicolas PETIT et François BALTUS, tous de Hussigny.” ↩
  12. Ibid., page 1428, family 5741, abstract of a purchase. “M. et M. 23 E 102 : le 18/01/1751, Jean JACOB, lab. à H., au nom de Charles LOUIS, son beau-frère, vend a Charles WOICHONRUPT, cordonnier à H., et Elis. FOURNIER, sa fe., un jour 1/2 de terre à la pièce Grégoire pour 64 livres 10 sols etc…” ↩
  13. Ibid., page 1428, family 5741, abstract of a sale. “M. et M. 23 E 104 : le 28/05/1753, Charles WACHONRUE, cordonnier à H., et Elis FOURNIER, sa fe., vendent à Jean François Henry Gérard Baron d’HUART un jour 1/2 de terre sur le finage de H. à la pièce Grégoire pour 66 livres de France etc…” ↩
  14. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 455 of 529 . 1753 Death Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808948e4 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3> image 123 of 328. 1756 Marriage Record (right page, top entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f040929 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  16. FB of Hussigny-Godbrange, page 1428, family 5741, abstract of a notary record of sale. “M. et M. 23 E 20 : le 05/04/1756, Jacques FOURNEL, man. à H., et Marie JACOB, sa fe., vendent à Charles WACHONRUE, man. à H., une maison à H. etc…” ↩
  17. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 37 of 677. 1758 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010531a887 : accessed 6 October 2020). ↩
  18. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 38 of 677. 1758 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010531aec1 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  19. FB of Hussigny-Godbrange, page 893, family 3439, abstract of the inventory after death. “Mos. B 8657 : le 30/01/1760, inv. ap. + de Mathias LIBERT. Ts. : Antoine LAINE, Jacques FOURNEL, Henry FOURNEL et Jean JACOB.” ↩
  20. Ibid., page 535, family 2028, abstract of a legal record. “Mos. B 8719 : le 23/02/1760, Jacques FOURNEL, charbonnier à H., a 60 ans.” ↩
  21. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 69 of 328. 1763 Marriage Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f0253fe : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 60 of 328. 1765 Marriage Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f021335 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  23. FB of Hussigny-Godbrange, page 529, family 2015, abstract of the marriage contract between Dominique Fournel and Barbe Schmit. “M. et M. 23 E 114 : le 18/12/1765, CM. entre Dominique FOURNEL, man. à Sosne la basse, assisté de Henry et Pierre FOURNEL ses frères, Jacques FOURNELLE de H., leur oncle, et Barbe FELMIN(?) fa. de Mathieu, marchal ferrant à Tiffer., et de Cath. GODFRIN etc….” ↩
  24. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 48 of 677. 1766 Death Record (right page, last entry).
    (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b0105321182 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  25. FB of Hussigny-Godbrange, page 1427, family 5741, abstract of inventory after death. “Mos. B 8662 : le 27/05/1766, inv. ap. + de Elis. FORNELLE. Ts. : Jacques FOURNEL, Joseph BARY, Jean MIRGAINE et Jean VUARCOLIER.” ↩
  26. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 83 of 677. 1774 Death Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010532f877 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  27. FB of Hussigny-Godbrange, page 535, family 2028, abstract of inventory after death. “Mos. B 8669 : le 10/12/1774, inv. ap. + de Jacques FOURNEL de H., pauvre mendiant depuis environ 10 ans.” ↩
  28. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 237 of 677. 1788 Death Record (right page, first full entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b0105383e99 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  29. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 560 of 677. 1793 Death Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b01054a92b3 : accessed 6 Octobe 2020). ↩

Sébastienne Fournel (~1692-1752) and Jean François (~1681-1741)

This is the 9th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON married about 1677. Sébastienne was their sixth known child and third daughter. Her birth followed that of her siblings:

Baptismal records for Herserange, the parish Saulnes was attached to, are non-existent for the years 1689-1693. When Sébastienne died in 1752 her age at death was 60 therefore she was born about 1692. Due to the paucity of records, no baptismal entry was found.

She was not the last of Jean and Catherine’s children. She had two more (perhaps three) siblings before her mother died on 21 September 1702.1

      • Marie (1696-?)
      • Jacques (1699-1774)
      • Marie Catherine (?-?) (records have not been found to prove or disprove Marie Catherine was the same person as Marie)

Sébastienne was about 10 years old when her mother died. Her oldest sister Françoise was 24 years and probably spent the next six years raising her siblings before she married in 1708 at the age of 29. This marriage was followed by the marriages of Sébastienne’s two oldest brothers in 1710 and 1713.

A month after the 1710 marriage, Sébastienne became the godmother of her sister Françoise’s daughter Sébastienne COURTOIS baptized on 27 July 1710 in Saulnes. The godmother was 18 years old.2

1713 Baptismal Record of an illegitimate child named Jean. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 274 de 529

The 1713 marriage took place in January. A few months later, Sébastienne’s relationship with a man produced a son born and baptized on 9 December 1713 in Saulnes. The mother declared at the time of birth that the father was Jean CHOLOT. She gave her son the name Jean. His godparents were Jean DELVA and Marie FOURNEL.3 Marie was his mother’s younger sister. Bastienne, as she was sometimes referred to, was not married to Jean CHOLOT. It isn’t known if the child was given his father’s surname as no further record has been found.

The children of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON appear to have married in order of birth. I’ve never heard of this being a pattern families followed. Following the marriages of her brother Henri who married before 1716 and her sister Jeanne in July 1720, it was Bastienne’s turn to marry.

1720 Marriage Record of Jean François and Sébastienne Fournel. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 178 de 529

Sébastienne FOURNEL married Jean FRANÇOIS on 24 November 1720. Sébastienne was 28 years old and her groom was 39. Jean was from Crusnes (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France) and the widower of Marie MARCHAL. Sébastienne’s brothers Jean and Jacques FOURNEL were her witnesses. Witnesses for Jean were his brother (of the same name) Jean FRANÇOIS and his cousin François NICOLAS.4

Ten months after her marriage, Sébastienne and her siblings lost their father Jean FOURNEL when he died on 3 September 1721 in Saulnes.5

Bastienne and her husband Jean had seven children

Marie Catherine FRANÇOIS was born and baptized on 19 October 1721. Her godparents were Jean BOULANGER and Marie Catherine FOURNEL, the child’s aunt.6 It’s possible that the godmother was a younger sister and not Marie FOURNEL born in 1696. Marie Catherine FRANÇOIS never married and died at the age of 37 on 16 February 1759. The witnesses at the time of her death were Philippe BAILLIEU, a priest, and Jean Baptiste THOMAS, a synodal (member of the church council).7

Jean FRANÇOIS was born and baptized on 20 December 1722. His godparents were Jean CLAUDE, a young man, and Margueritte FRANÇOIS, a young girl. Both of the godparents were from Bréhain-la-Cour.8 No further trace of Jean has been found.

Jean Baptiste FRANÇOIS was born on 25 September 1724 and baptized two days later. His godfather was Jean COURTOIS and his godmother was Marguerite LELIEVRE. His name on his baptismal record was Jean.9 He married Marie Françoise THOMAS (1728-1796) on 27 February 1754 in Herserange. Witnesses to the marriage were his cousin Henry FOURNELLE and his uncle Jacques FOURNELLE; Jean and François THOMAS were witnesses for the bride. His name on his marriage record was Jean Baptiste FRANÇOIS.10 The couple were the parents of at least seven children born between 1755-1772 (research is ongoing). Jean Baptiste died on 14 April 1795 in Saulnes.11 His wife died the following year.12

1726 Baptismal Record of Anne Sébastienne François. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 216 de 529

Anne Sébastienne FRANÇOIS was born on 23 September 1726 and baptized the following day. Her godfather was Pierre FOURNIER, a young man, and her godmother was her cousin Anne Sébastienne COURTOIS.13 Note: In this record, the father’s first name Jean was crossed out and replaced by François. No further trace of Anne Sébastienne has been found.

Charles FRANÇOIS was born on 12 October 1728 and baptized the following day. His godparents were Charles PELARDIN and Elisabeth PELARDIN.14 This baptismal record is so light that I could not read the surname of the godfather and had to rely on information found in the family book for Saulnes. No further trace of Charles has been found.

Marguerite FRANÇOIS was born on 10 March 1730 and baptized two days later. Her godparents were Jean SMELER, a young man, and Marguerite DROUET, a young girl.15 Marguerite married François DOMANGE (he signed DEMENGE) on 3 November 1785. Per this marriage record, Marguerite was the widow of Michel BAILLIEU. Her groom was a sergeant in the Régiment Royal de Roussillon and permission was given by his commanding officer, the Marquis de Vauborel, brigadier of the King’s armies, colonel of the royal regiment of Roussillon. Marguerite’s brother Jean Baptiste was a witness at the marriage.16 Marguerite died on 1 March 1799 at the age of 68.17 Her first marriage has not been researched, i.e. it is not known if she had children.

Marie Joseph FRANÇOIS was born on 14 December 1731 and baptized two days later. Her godfather was Jean THOMA, a young man, and Marie LELIEVRE.18 Marie Joseph served as the godmother of her niece Marie Joseph, daughter of Jean Baptiste FRANÇOIS and Marie Françoise THOMAS, on 15 July 1755 when she was 23 years old.19 No further trace of Marie Joseph has been found.

Confusion concerning Jean FRANÇOIS’ name

1741 Death Record of Jean François. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 525 de 529

Sébastienne’s husband Jean FRANÇOIS died on 19 October 1741 at the age of 60. Informants on the death were François COLLIGNON, the schoolmaster, and Pierre THEATE, a laborer, both of Herserange.20 On the death record the first name Jean was marked through and François written above. This correction is also marked out. Was the correction made at the time the record was produced or did someone make the changes later?

This question made me take another closer look at all records mentioning Jean FRANÇOIS. When Bastienne and Jean married his brother who had the same name was one of his witnesses. Both were named Jean. All baptismal records of the children except one has Jean as his first name. When his daughter Anne Sébastienne was baptized in 1726 her father was listed as Jean FRANÇOIS. With another pen and in possibly other handwriting, Jean was marked out and François was written above. In 1754 when his son Jean Baptiste married, he was named as the son of the deceased Jean FRANÇOIS. In 1759 when his oldest daughter died, his name was given as François FRANÇOIS. This was written at the time the record was produced and was not a correction.

One more record was found with the name François FRANÇOIS.

1752 Death Record of Sébastienne Fournelle. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 459 de 529

Sébastienne was a widow for 11 years and died on 29 December 1752, at the age of 60 like her husband. Witnesses to her death record were Philippe BAILLIEU, a priest, and Jean PERLOT, a laborer from Herserange. Sébastienne was described as the widow of François FRANÇOIS.21

Why were records found in 1741, 1752, and 1759 with the husband of Sébastienne named François instead of Jean? Why was the change also made to the birth record of only one of the children, Anne Sébastienne in 1726? Perhaps future research into Jean Baptiste and Marguerite, the only two children who married, will bring more to light to the question.

Three of Sébastienne’s siblings survived her. Henri died the following year, Jeanne died after 1756, and Jacques died in 1774.

Jacques FOURNELLE was the last of the children of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON to marry. He will be featured in the next post.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 284 of 529. 1710 Baptismal Record (left page, bottom entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380807750 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 274 of 529. 1713 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807f3dc5 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 178 of 529. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 2nd entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b09bb : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 184 of 529. 1721 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b4610 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 434 of 529. 1759 Death Record (right page, 2nd to last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380882189 : accessed 27 September 2020). ↩
  8. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 191 of 529. 1722 Baptismal Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b8609 : accessed 27 September 2020). ↩
  9. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 107 of 529. 1724 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380784d9f : accessed 27 Septembre 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > images 135 of 328. 1754 Marriage Record for Jean Baptiste François and Marie Françoise Thomas (part 1) (right page bottom). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f046f98 : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 160 of 376. 1795 Death Record – part 2 (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf68310c : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  12. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 163 of 376. 1796 Death Record of Marie Françoise Thomas (left page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf684cd4 : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  13. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 216 of 529. 1726 Baptismal Record (left page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807c6ee1 : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  14. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 175 of 529. 1728 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807aa4c8 : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R > 1 image 132 of 529. 1730 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807921a9 : accessed 16 September 2020). ↩
  16. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 24 of 376. 1785 Marriage Record of François Domange and Marguerite François (bottom left page, top right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf64355e : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  17. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 172+173 of 376. 1799 Death Record – part 1 (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf689bb0 : accessed 29 September 2020) and 1799 Death Record – part 2 (left page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf68a40f : accessed 29 September 2020). ↩
  18. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 140 of 529. 1731 Baptismal Record (left page, third entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380796c05 : accessed 16 September 2020). ↩
  19. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 140 of 529. 1731 Baptismal Record (left page, third entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380796c05 : accessed 16 September 2020). ↩
  20. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 525 of 529 . 1741 Death Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808d4979 : accessed 27 September 2020). ↩
  21. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 459 of 529. 1752 Death Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380898021 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩

Jeanne Fournel (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme Pétrisot (~1680-1761)

This is the 8th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

Jeanne FOURNEL was the fifth child and second daughter of Jean and Catherine of Saulnes (Herserange, Meuthe-et-Moselle, France). She was most likely born bet. 1689-1693 when birth records for Herserange, the parish the village of Saulnes was attached to, are missing.

Jeanne’s life is documented with baptismal records of children for whom she was a godmother, her marriage record, the birth records of her children, the marriage record of her son, and the death record of her daughter. There is, however, no death record at this time which might indicate her age at death, i.e. giving a more accurate estimate for her year of birth.

Her sister Sébastienne was also born during this period and her birth has been estimated at about 1692 as her age at death in 1752 was given as about 60 years.1

A timeline was set up for the FOURNEL-SETON family with all events available for the parents and their children. Jean and Catherine’s children appear to have become godparents in order of birth, with one exception.

      1. Françoise: godparent in 1697 and 1705
      2. Nicolas: godparent in 1707
      3. Jean: godparent in 1708
      4. Henri: godparent in 1715 (an earlier godfather event may have been missed)
      5. Jeanne: godparent in 1708 and 1717
      6. Sébastienne: godparent in 1710
      7. Marie: godparent in 1713
      8. Jacques: godparent in 1717
      9. Marie Catherine: godparent in 1721 (twice)

Her parents had been married for about 14 years when Jeanne was born. Her older siblings were Françoise (1678-1729), Nicolas (1683-1748), Jean (1686-1749), and Henri (1688-1753). Three siblings were born following Jeanne’s birth: Sébastienne abt. 1692, Marie in 1696, and Jacques about 1699. Marie Catherine may have been her youngest sibling (born before 22 September 1702) or another name used by her sister Marie.

Jeanne’s mother Catherine SETON died on 21 September 1702 in Saulnes and was buried in the church cemetery in Herserange.2 Jeanne was likely not yet a teenager when her mother died.

In January of 1708, Jeanne’s oldest sister Françoise married Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745).3 On 14 October 1708 Jeanne became the godmother of her nephew Jean COURTOIS,  Françoise and Jean’s first child.4

More marriages took place in the following years. Jeanne’s brother Nicolas married in 1710 in Réhon and her brother Jean in 1713 in Rodange. Her brother Henri likely married before 1716.

By 1717 Jeanne’s sister Françoise had five children and Jeanne became the godmother of the COURTOIS’ sixth child Jacques on 4 February 1717.5

1720 Marriage Record of Hieronymus Petrisen and Joanna Furnelle. Courtesy of FamilySearch.

Jeanne FOURNEL married Jérôme PETRISOT on 28 July 1720 in Obercorn (Luxembourg).6 The marriage record is a three-liner in the parish book. The groom was from Lasauvage and the bride from Saulnes. Their parents’ names are not given. The groom’s first name was Hieronymus, the German version of Jérôme, in the parish book.

Jérôme was a widower and about 40 years old at the time of his marriage to Jeanne. He was first married to Margareta MIDON on 6 January 1704.7 They were the parents of four children born in 1705, 1711, 1715, and 1718. His first wife likely died 1718-1720. Death records are not available for these years in Obercorn. Only one of the children of this marriage is known to have survived. Claude PETRISOT (1711-1792) married twice and was the father of at least 10 children.

Different spellings of the surname PETRISOT: Petriseau, Pétrisot, Peltrisot, Petrizeau, Petrisotte, Petrisen, and Petryseau. I have consistently used PETRISOT to avoid confusion.

1721 Baptismal Record of Maria Catharina Petrizeau. Courtesy of FamilySearch.

Jeanne and Jéròme’s first child was born on 20 August 1721 in Lasauvage. She was named Marie Catherine when she was baptized the same day. Her godparents were Gregoire DRESSER and “Maria Catharina FURNIER” of Saulnes.8 As the mother’s maiden name was also written FURNIER in the baptismal record, the godmother would have been Marie Catherine FOURNEL.9

On 3 September 1721 Jeanne’s father Jean FOURNEL died and was buried in the church cemetery, two weeks after his granddaughter Marie Catherine was born.10

1721 Baptismal Record of Joes Paulus Petriseau. Courtesy of FamilySearch.

Two years later, Jeanne gave birth to a son. Jean Paul was born on 23 September 1723 in Lasauvage and baptized the same day. His godparents were Jean Paul BARON and Marie COMTE (sic, Lecomte) of Lasauvage.11

Jérôme PETRISOT had a sister Marie married to Grégoire LECOMTE. The godmother Jeanne and Jérôme chose for their son Jean Paul could be a niece or his sister Marie. Although women were usually named with their maiden names in these records, there are cases where the husband’s name was listed.

While the Jeanne FOURNEL and Jérôme PETRISOT raised their children in Lasauvage over the next two decades, Jeanne lost her siblings: Françoise in 1729, Nicolas bef. 1748, Jean in 1749, Sébastienne in 1752, and Henri in 1753.

On 4 June 1756, Jeanne and Jérôme’s son, Jean Paul PETRISOT married Anne LADURELLE (1726-1812) in Herserange.12 Witnesses to the marriage were Jean Paul’s half-brother Claude PETRISOT and his cousin Jacques LECOMTE as well as the bride’s father Simon LADURELLE and her brother Jean Baptiste LADURELLE. The parents of both the bride and groom were named without mention of any of the parties being deceased.13 Jacques LECOMTE was the son of Grégoire LECOMTE and Marie PETRISOT, sister of Jean Paul’s father Jérôme.

Almost exactly a year later, the first grandchild of Jeanne FOURNEL arrived. Marie Jeanne PETRISOT was born on 6 June 1757 in Lasauvage. Her godfather was Joseph PETRISOT of Lasauvage (oldest son of Claude PETRISOT, half-brother of Jean Paul); her godmother was Marie Jeanne LADURELLE of Rodange, sister of the mother.14

Three years later, Catherine PETRISOT was born in Lasauvage on 12 May 1760. She was baptized the same day. Her godfather was a man with the first name Franciscus (last name illegible, poss. Hermann) and her godmother was Catherine PETRISOT. Both godparents were from Lasauvage.15 The godmother is not identified as such but was likely Jean Paul’s sister Marie Catherine.

Jeanne’s husband Jérôme PETRISOT died on 10 March 1761 in Lasauvage and was buried in the church cemetery in Obercorn.16 There is no mention of his being the husband or widower of Jeanne FOURNEL.

No record of death has been found for Jeanne. Her death can only be estimated. She died after 24 June 1756 when she was mentioned in her son Jean Paul’s marriage record. It cannot, at this time, be determined if she predeceased her husband.

Jean Paul moved his family to Saulnes by 1763. If Jeanne was still living at the time, she may have joined his family. On 24 March 1763, Marie Françoise PETRISOT was born to Jean Paul and his wife Anne. She was baptized the next day. Her godparents were Joseph COLLINET, son of Claude COLLINET, and Marie Françoise THOMAS, daughter of Jean Baptiste THOMAS of Saulnes.17

The fourth and last grandchild of Jeanne FOURNEL was Jean Baptiste PETRISOT born in Saulnes and baptized on 1 May 1766. His godparents were Jean Baptiste GRAISSER and Madelaine DROPSY.18

Five months later, the four children lost their father and Anne LADURELLE was widowed. Jean Paul PETRISOT died on 4 October 1766 in Saulnes. Witness to his death record was his father-in-law Simon LADURELLE.19 Anne would remarry a year later.

1773 Death Record of Catharina Petriso, daughter of Hyeronime Petriso and Joanna Fournelle. Courtesy of FamilySearch.

Jean Paul’s sister Marie Catherine, who remained in Lasauvage, died there on 29 May 1773 and was buried the following day in Obercorn.20 She was never married. Her parents were mentioned by name in her death record but not if they were living or deceased.

Both of Jeanne FOURNEL and Jérôme PETRISOT’s children were now deceased. Jeanne’s only living sibling was her youngest brother Jacques FOURNELLE who died the following year on 9 December 1774 in Hussigny.21

The four grandchildren of Jeanne FOURNEL married in 1787, 1788, 1792, and 1798. They all lived into their seventies.

A note of interest before I close this post. Catherine PETRISOT, the second oldest grandchild of Jeanne FOURNEL, married her second cousin Nicolas LUX, a grandson of Françoise FOURNEL.22

Five down and two to go. Next up is Sébastienne FOURNEL, the youngest daughter of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON to marry and have a family.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) image 459 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1752 Death Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380898021 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) image 300 of 529. 1708 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Françoise Fournel (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 303 of 529. 1708 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd to last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380816b4f : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 234 of 529. 1717 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807d29ad : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  6. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 6 of 296. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9SK3?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 10 of 296. 1704 Marriage Record (right page, 1st entry for 1704). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-9SFK?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 24 September 2020). ↩
  8. Ibid., Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 78 of 296. 1721 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SCK?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  9. Note concerning the godmother: Sébastienne FOURNEL married Jean FRANCOIS on 24 November 1720, four months after Jeanne married Jérôme. Their first child was born on 19 October 1721 and also named Marie Catherine. The godmother was Marie Catherine FOURNEL of Saulnes. The godmother of both Jeanne and Sébastienne’s daughters must be the same person. The question remains, was she a daughter of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON born before Catherine’s death or was she their daughter Marie who was born 9 June 1696? No further records have been found for Marie FOURNEL or Marie Catherine FOURNEL. ↩
  10. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  11. Luxembourg Church Records, Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 84 of 296. 1723 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SQL?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 11 August 2020). ↩
  12. Note: Jean Paul PETRISOT was my 1C7R and Anne LADURELLE was my 1C8R. My common ancestors with Jean Paul are my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON. My common ancestors with Anne are her grandparents Pierre LADURELLE and Jeanne SALIN, my 8th great-grandparents. ↩
  13. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 125 of 328. 1756 Marriage Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f041bfb : accessed 24 September 2020). ↩
  14. Luxembourg Church Records, Obercorn > Baptêmes 1728-1778 > image 46 of 103. 1757 Baptismal Record (left page, 7th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-9Z6D?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-HZW%3A1500974001%2C1501099482 : accessed 11 August 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Obercorn > Baptêmes 1728-1778 > image 50 of 103. 1760 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-9ZB9?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-HZW%3A1500974001%2C1501099482 : accessed 11 August 2020). ↩
  16. Ibid., Obercorn > Mariages 1727-1770, sépultures 1727-1737, 1740-1778 > image 18 of 96. 1761 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-99CH?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-44M%3A1500974001%2C1501083590 : accessed 23 September 2020). ↩
  17. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 71 of 328. 1763 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f0261d4 : accessed 24 September 2020). ↩
  18. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 49 of 328. 1766 Baptismal Record (left page bottom and right page top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f01bd40 : accessed 24 September 2020). ↩
  19. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 413 of 529. 1766 Death Record (left page bottom, right page top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538086e9da : accessed 24 September 2020). ↩
  20. Luxembourg Church Records, Obercorn > Mariages 1727-1770, sépultures 1727-1737, 1740-1778 > image 43 of 96. 1773 Death Record (right page, 1st full entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-9B7?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-44M%3A1500974001%2C1501083590 : accessed 11 August 2020). ↩
  21. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 83 of 677. 1774 Death Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010532f877 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Saulnes 1782-1822 > B., M., S. (1782-1792), N., M., D. (1793-1822) > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 36 and 37 of 376. 1788 Marriage Record (right page, bottom) part 1. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf648f1e : accesed 18 August 2020) and 1788 Marriage Record (left page, top) part 2. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf64957b : accessed 18 August 2020). ↩

Henri Fournel (1688-1753) and Anne Launois (1692-1758)

This is the 7th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

1766 Baptismal Record of “Henry Fournier.” Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 55 de 529.

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753), the fourth child and third son of Jean and Catherine, was born 2 June 1688 in Saulnes (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France). His godparents were Henry LOUIS and Barbe DROUET. His father’s name was written as Jean FOURNIER and his mother’s name was blank followed by sa mère, or his mother.1 At home were his oldest sister Françoise (10 yo) and his brothers, Nicolas (5 yo) and Jean (2 yo).

Following Henri’s birth, four more children were born to Jean and Catherine: Jeanne (bef. 1691), Sébastienne (abt. 1692), Marie (1696), and Jacques (abt. 1699). As mentioned in previous posts, Marie may have gone by Marie Catherine or there was another sister (born before 21 September 1702) whose birth/baptismal record has not been found. No marriage or record of death has been found for Marie or Marie Catherine.

Henri was fourteen years old when his mother Catherine SETON died on 21 September 1702.2

Henri’s older siblings married in 1708, 1710, and 1713. A marriage record for Henri has not been found. He was not married when he served as the godfather of Barbe COURTOIS, daughter of his sister Françoise FOURNEL and Jean COURTOIS, on 20 June 1715. He was described as un jeune garçon or young boy indicating he was not married.3 Interesting is that the godmother of the child was a young girl named Barbe DROUET, the same name but not the same person as Henri’s godmother in 1688.

Henri Fournel marries Anne Launois

It is known that Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS were a married couple. They had three known sons who married after Henri’s death. These marriage records confirm the parents to be Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS. Birth records for the sons have not been found and their years of birth have had to be estimated from their age at death.

  • Henri was born about 1716 and died 27 Aug 1782 at the age of 66 years.
  • Mathias was born about 1733 and died 22 Feb 1793 at the age of 66 years.
  • Dominique was born about 1735 and died 25 Jun 1785 at the age of 50.

The estimated years of birth for the sons would suggest Henri and Anne were married about 1716. They may have had more children between 1716-1733. One more son has been found as will be discussed at the end of this post.

Henri’s father Jean FOURNEL died 3 September 1721 in Saulnes.4

The next three decades are unaccounted for – no birth, marriage, or death records.

Marriages of the sons of Henri and Anne

1753 Death Record of “Henry Fournelle.” Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 455 de 529.

Henri died at the age of 65 (the record notes 60 years) on 6 August 1753. He is identified as the husband of Anne LAUNOIS. His son Henri and his brother Jacques were the informants on the record.5

1756 Marriage Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 3 vue 123 de 328.

Three years after the death of Henri, the first of his sons was seen marrying in Herserange. Henri FOURNEL married Marie Claire BOULANGER (1737-1810) on 26 February 1756.6 The groom signed his name in block letters. They were the parents of 12 children born between 1757 and 1781. Five did not survive to adulthood. Five of the daughters are known to have married. No further records were found for a son and a daughter.

Henri and Marie Claire’s first-born Marie Joseph was the only grandchild Anne LAUNOIS would know. The elder Henri’s widow Anne died at the age of 66 on 14 February 1758. Philippe BAILLIEU, a priest, and Dominique FOURNEL, her son, were the informants on her death record.7

Five years after the death of his mother, Dominique FOURNEL married Marie COMES (1734-1764) on 8 February 1763 in Herserange.8 Marie died on 13 January 1764 following the birth of their son Mathias.9

1765 Marriage Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 3 vue 60 de 328.

Dominique married again on 28 December 1765 in Herserange to Barbe SCHMIT (1744-1812).10 She gave him six children, two of whom are known to have married and continued the line.

1766 Marriage Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 3 vue 49 de 328.

About 4 months after Dominique’s second marriage, his wife’s sister Magdelaine SCHMIT (1736-1786) married his brother Mathias FOURNEL on 1 May 1766 in Herserange.11 Magdelaine was Barbe’s older sister. Mathias and Magdelaine had five children, only two reached adulthood and married.

The deaths of the sons of Henri and Anne

Henri, the son of Henri and Anne, died on 27 August 1782 at the age of 66 in Saulnes.12 His widow, Marie Claire BOULANGER outlived him dying on 9 December 1810 in Messancy (Belgium) at the age of 73 years.13

Dominique died on 25 June 1785 at the age of 50.14 His widow Barbe SCHMIT died 7 April 1812 at the age of 68.15 Both died in Saulnes.

Mathias’ wife Magdelaine SCHMIT predeceased him on 24 August 1786 at the age of 50.16 Mathias died on 22 February 1793 at the age of 66 years.17 Both died in Saulnes.

The discovery of a fourth son

An examination of the relationships of persons mentioned in the baptismal records of all of Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS’ grandchildren brought to light another son of the FOURNEL-LAUNOIS couple.

Pierre FOURNEL was the godfather of Marie Catherine, the daughter of Mathias FOURNEL and Magdalaine SCHMIT, baptized on 16 April 1767.18 His relationship to the child and/or parents was not given.

On 18 August 1771, Pierre was the godfather of Pierre, a son of Henri FOURNEL and Marie Claire BOULANGER. The godfather’s relationship was noted as the uncle of the child.19

Pierre was also the godfather of Marie Joseph, daughter of Dominique FOURNEL and Barbe SCHMIT. She was baptized on 18 June 1774 and her godfather was her uncle.20

As Pierre FOURNEL was identified as an uncle of two of the three children, does this mean he was a brother of the children’s fathers?

Aimé Tarnus, compiled Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, a family book for the town of Hussigny that is lacking church records for the years between 1716-1765 with only 1753-1756 and 1758 being available. To get around the lack of records for the town, Mr. Tarnus consulted records of the Archives Départementales de Moselle, the Archives Départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle, the National Library in Paris, and the Luxembourg National Archives. A good part of the work in the departmental archives, other than the church and civil records, was done using the judicial archives and the notary deeds.

In Mr. Tarnus’ family book of Hussigny, I found the following abstract of a  notarial record he attributed to Henry FOURNELLE, a laborer from Hussigny, born about 1713, married to Anne ADAM. Henry died 6 January 179321 and his wife Anne died 17 August 1783.22 This individual has not been researched other than locating the death records. It is, at this time, unknown if he is related and how.

M. et M. 23 E 114 : le 18/12/1765, CM. entre Dominique FOURNEL, man. à Sosne la basse, assisté de Henry et Pierre FOURNEL ses frères, Jacques FOURNELLE de H., leur oncle, et Barbe FELMIN(?) fa. de Mathieu, marchal ferrant à Tiffer., et de Cath. GODFRIN etc…23

The abstract mentions Dominique FOURNEL, a laborer from Saulnes, assisted by Henry and Pierre FOURNEL, his brothers, and Jacques FOURNELLE of Hussigny, their uncle. STOP. I suspect a transcription error in the second half. The transcriber was not sure about the surname of the lady Barbe FELMIN(?) and included the question mark.

This abstract is referring to a marriage contract (see the abbreviation: CM.) drawn up by a notary between Dominique FOURNEL and Barbe SCHMIT before their marriage. The record is dated 18 December 1765 while the marriage took place on 28 December 1765.  Barbe SCHMIT was the daughter of Mathias SCHMIT and Catherine GODFRIN of Differdange (seen as Tifferdange in early records).

The places of residence of Henry, Pierre, and Jacques are not noted. However, Dominique was the only person of this name in Saulnes around 1765. He has been proven to be the son of Henri FOURNEL and Anne LAUNOIS as were his brothers Henri and Mathias through their marriage records. In turn, the elder Henri FOURNEL and Jacques FOURNELLE were both sons of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON. Jacques witnessed his brother Henri’s death record in 1753 and is referred to as his brother.

The Henry FOURNEL mentioned in the abstract is not the Henry FOURNELLE (b. abt. 1713 and died 1793) that Mr. Tarnus attached this abstract to in his book. Although the compiler attributed the record to the incorrect person, his inclusion of this information in his book helped to prove Pierre FOURNEL was the son of Henri FOURNEL and his wife Anne LAUNOIS. Pierre’s life has been documented for the years 1765 when he assisted his brother when a marriage contract was drawn up and in 1767, 1771, and 1774 when he was the godfather of his nieces and nephew. It is, however, not known when he was born, if he married, or when he died.

In the next two posts, I will be writing about Jeanne and Sébastienne, daughters of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON, before I get to their youngest son Jacques who was mentioned several times in connection to his brother Henri of this post.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 55 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1688 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538076c2be : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 253 of 529. 1715 Baptismal Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807dfa71 : accessed 16 August 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 455 of 529 . 1753 Death Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808948e4 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3> image 123 of 328. 1756 Marriage Record (right page, top entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f040929 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 438 of 529. 1758 Death Record (age at death 66 years) (left page bottom and right page top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538088633f : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  8. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 69 of 328. 1763 Marriage Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f0253fe : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  9. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 417 and 418 of 529. 1764 Death Record, part 1 (right page, bottom entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538087212c : accessed 14 September 2020) and 1764 Death Record, part 2 (left page, top entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380872e64 : accessed 14 September 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 60 of 328. 1765 Marriage Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f021335 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 49 of 328. 1766 Marriage Record (left, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f01bd40 : accessed 10 September 2020). ↩
  12. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 9 of 376. 782 Death Record (age at death 66 years) (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf63e59f : accessed 10 September 2020). ↩
  13. Belgique, Luxembourg, registres d’état civil, 1580-1920, (images), FamilySearch (België Nationaal Archief, Brussels / Belgium National Archives, Brussels), Messancy > Actes 1810-1817 > image 63 of 368. 1810 Death Record No. 34 (age at death 77). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRXG-NM7?cc=2138510&wc=S51W-N3F%3A367348201%2C367562201 : accessed 10 September 2020). ↩
  14. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 22 of 376. 1785 Death Record (age at death 50) (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf642ad3 : accessed 14 September 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 262 of 376. 1812 Death Record (age at death 68) (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf6c4d95 : accessed 14 September 2020). ↩
  16. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 29 of 376. 1786 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf645095 : accessed 10 September 2020). ↩
  17. Ibid., Saulnes > 1782-1822 > 5 Mi 492/R 1 > image 152 of 376. 1793 Death Record (age at death about 60) (left page, first full entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ed0f349/54ae6cf67ece0 : accessed 10 September 2020). ↩
  18. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 42 of 328. 1767 Baptismal Record (left page, bottom and right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f018da6 : accessed 16 September 2020). ↩
  19. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 18 of 328. 1771 Baptismal Record (left page, bottom entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f00ab31 : accessed 16 September 2020). ↩
  20. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 221 of 328. 1774 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f07d615 : accessed 14 September 2020). ↩
  21. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 559 of 677. 1793 Death Record of Henry Fournel
    (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b01054a7deb : accessed 23 September 2020) ↩
  22. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange > 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 167 of 677. 1783 Death Record of Anne Adam. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010535bdd6 : accessed 23 September 2020) ↩
  23. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, Tome 2 (2002-Fortier à 4096-Mohy), page 529, family 2015 Fournelle Henry husband of Anne Adam. “M. et M. 23 E 114 : le 18/12/1765, CM. entre Dominique FOURNEL, man. à Sosne la basse, assisté de Henry et Pierre FOURNEL ses frères, Jacques FOURNELLE de H., leur oncle, et Barbe FELMIN(?) fa. de Mathieu, marchal ferrant à Tiffer., et de Cath. GODFRIN etc…”] ↩

Jean Fournel (1686-1749) and Jeanne Berkin (1683-1759)

This is the 6th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

The third child of Jean and Catherine was my 6th great-grandfather Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749).

1686 Baptismal Record of Jean Fournel. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 42 de 529

Jean was born and baptized on 9 May 1686 in Saulnes (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France). His godparents were Jean QUERIN and Marie Madeleine CHERLOT (a variation of CHOLOT).1 He was welcomed into the family by his eight-year-old sister Françoise and his nearly three-year-old brother Nicolas.

Jean had five more documented siblings. A brother Henri was born when Jean was 2, a sister Jeanne at 4, a sister Sébastienne at 5, a sister Marie at 10, and a brother Jacques at 12. Marie may have also been known as Marie Catherine. Proof has not been found that Marie and Marie Catherine were the same person. It’s possible that Marie Catherine was another sister, possibly born between 1800-1802.

Jean was sixteen when he and his siblings lost their mother Catherine SETON on 21 September 1702. She died in Saulnes where the family lived and was buried in the church cemetery.2

The FOURNEL family, father Jean and the children, remained together until Jean’s oldest sister Françoise married in January of 1708.

Later in the year, on 22 August 1708, young Jean became the godfather of Elizabeth, a daughter of Nicolas RAISER and Catherine TONNELIER. A family relationship with this couple is not known. Jean’s surname was written FOURNY on the baptismal record.3

Jean’s next oldest sibling, Nicolas married in June 1710. Jean was now the oldest child living at home with his widowed father Jean and his younger siblings.

Jean marries and starts a family

Jean married Jeanne BERKIN, daughter of Domange BERKIN and Anne WARCOLLIER, on 22 January 1713 in Rodange (Luxembourg).4 Jeanne was three years older than Jean having been baptized on 18 May 1683 in Rodange.5 She was likely born the same or previous day as it was the custom to baptize children as soon as they were born.

Present at the marriage of Jean and Jeanne were Jean FOURNEL (father of the groom), Nicolas FOURNEL (brother of the groom), Nicolas BERKIN (brother of the bride), and Jean WARCOLLIER (cousin of the bride). All of these persons signed the marriage record along with Jean and Jeanne – with their marks.

1713 Marriage Record of Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 266 de 529

The parents of the bride were named but there is no mention of their being alive and present at the marriage. In-depth research has not been done on the BERKIN (also seen as BERQUIN) and WARCOLLIER lines. The father of the bride, Domange BERKIN may have been deceased at the time of the marriage of his daughter Jeanne. The mother of the bride, Anne WARCOLLIER died 13 years later, on 12 April 1726. The phrasing of the marriage record suggests the bridal couple were assisted by their parents and friends and then continues by naming the ones who signed or witnessed the marriage.

A little less than seven months after the marriage, the first child of Jean and Jeanne was born. Pierre FOURNELLE, my 5th great-grandfather, was born and baptized on 12 August 1713 in Rodange. Pierre WARCOLLIER, a young man from Lamadelaine, and Marguerite MARC, a young woman, were the godparents of Pierre.6

The second child of Jean and Jeanne took a bit more time to join the family. Nearly four years later Christianne was born and baptized on 11 April 1717. Her godparents were Samson HOTTON of Russange and Christianne LELIÉVRE.7 [Note: Samson HOTTON was the son of Jean HOTTON and Elisabeth BERKIN (parentage unknown, an aunt or sister of Jeanne BERKIN?]

Jean FOURNEL, now the father of a son and daughter, may have been present at the marriage of his sister Jeanne on 28 July 1720 in Obercorn to Jérôme PETRISOT. The marriage entry in the church records gives only the names of the bride and groom.8 We do know that Jean witnessed the marriage of his sister Sébastienne to Jean FRANÇOIS on 24 November 1720 in Saulnes as he and his brother Jacques were present and assisted the bride.9

Two months later, the third child of Jean and Jeanne was born. Their daughter Anne Marie was born and baptized on 21 January 1721, a day before their seventh wedding anniversary. The godparents of the child were Jean’s brother Jacques FOURNEL and a young lady named Anne Marie LELIÉVRE.10 The relationship to Christianne’s godmother is unknown. [Note: Jeanne BERKIN’s sister Barbe BERKIN married Nicolas LELIÉVRE before 1703. Are Christianne and Anne Marie children of this marriage?]

While marriages and births were being celebrated, the elder Jean FOURNEL, widower of Catherine SETON, must have been in declining health. He was last seen as a witness at his son Jean’s marriage in 1713. On 3 September 1721, Jean FOURNEL died at the age of 66 years in Saulnes. His two oldest sons, Nicolas and Jean were witnesses to his death and burial record.11

The following spring the fourth child of Jean and Jeanne was born in Rodange on 30 March 1722. Jacques was baptized the same day in the presence of his godparents, Jacques FELTEN and Elizabeth LEINS. The surname of the father and son was spelled FOURNIER on this record.12

Jeanne, the youngest child of Jean and Jeanne, was born and baptized on 27 August 1725 in Rodange. Her godparents were Jacques MARC (signed MARQUE), a young man, and Jeanne KERGEN of Russange.13 [Note: 1. This is the second child with a godparent with the surname MARC. What is the significance of this choice? 2. Is there more than one connection to the village of Russange for the FOURNEL and BERKIN families – other than the HOTTON-BERKIN connection?]

Jean FOURNEL was a witness at the marriage of his sister-in-law Barbe BERKIN to Michel THOMA on 8 February 1728 in Rodange.14 Barbe had been a widow since 1712 when her first husband Nicolas LELIÉVRE died. Also present at the marriage was Nicolas BERKIN, sister of the bride. This record is proof that Nicolas, Barbe, and Jeanne were siblings.

Jean FOURNEL was a witness at the marriage of his friend Laurent BOULANGER to Anne BURKEL on 16 February 1738.15

The children are old enough to marry

In 1743, Jean and Jeanne’s children were grown up and old enough to marry.

Their youngest child, daughter Jeanne married Henri DE CHAIVE (1704-1789) on 18 January 1743 in Herserange. Jeanne was 17 and Henri was 38 years old. Jeanne’s father Jean and her uncle Jacques were witnesses at the marriage as well as Jacques BURQUELLE and Pierre JACQUINET.16 The couple lived in Rodange and had five sons. Of these, three died at a young age and one has not been found after his baptism. Only one of the sons married and continued the line. His marriage to his second cousin Marie Catherine BERKIN, granddaughter of Jeanne BERKIN’s brother Nicolas, would be fruitful. She bore him 13 children although not all would reach maturity.

A month later, Jean and Jeanne’s oldest child married. Their twenty-nine years old son Pierre FOURNELLE (1713-1765) married the twenty years old Jeanne NEU (1723-1783) in Aubange (Belgium) on 25 February 1743. Permission for the marriage to take place in Aubange, (demissoriale pour union) was acquired from the parish of Herserange and recorded in that register.17 The bride was from Athus (Belgium). The marriage was recorded in the Aubange church register.18 This couple, my 5th great-grandparents, will be discussed in more detail in a later post. [Note: Today Rodange is a tri-border area – the geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries meet – Luxembourg, Belgium, and France.]

Jean FOURNEL was 58 years old when he witnessed the marriage of his nephew by marriage Jacques LOUIS, son of Jacques LOUIS and Elisabeth BERKIN (Jean’s wife Jeanne’s sister) on 16 November 1744 in Rodange. Jean was described as a member of the church council (synodal) or sinodal de cette paroisse.19

Five years later, Jean FOURNEL died at the age of 62 years on 21 January 1749, the day before his 36th wedding anniversary. He was an ancien sinodal (an elder synodal or member of the church council) and was buried in the choir of the chapel of Rodange.20 Jean’s brother-in-law Nicolas BERKIN (seen here as BERQUIN) was a witness to the record.

1749 Death/Burial Record of Jean FOURNEL. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 469 de 529
1749 Death/Burial Record of Jean FOURNEL. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 469 de 529

This is the first time one of my ancestors had a special burial. As the sinodal, my 6th great-grandfather was a  representative for the village of Rodange which was dependant on the parish of Herserange. From his death/burial record, it would appear that Rodange had a chapel in 1749. I asked one of my genealogy contacts in Luxembourg about the “choir of the chapel” and did a bit of research on the architecture of Catholic churches. In the past, behind the front altar, there were a few steps up to a raised dais with a railing behind which the main altar was found. The area around the main altar —the choir or chancel— was reserved for the clergy who performed services. The chancel was considered one of the most desirable burial locations in early times. I haven’t been able to learn if the chapel still exists in Rodange or if the present church might be built on the same spot. I’ve visited churches in Europe with inscribed stone slabs laid into the floor to mark the burial place of important deceased persons never realizing I might have an ancestor buried in this way.

Life in the family after the death of Jean FOURNEL

It’s not known if daughters Christianne and Anne Marie were still at home with their mother Jeanne and brother Jacques after the death of their father. No records have been found for marriages or deaths of either of them.

Jacques married Barbe CLEMENT in Herserange on 31 August 1756.21 He was 34 and she was 21. The marriage lasted only nine years as Jacques died at the age of 43 on 29 March 1766 in Saulnes.22 They were the parents of four children, one of whom died at the age of one month. Their only daughter died at the age of eleven. No trace of their youngest son was found after his baptism. Their oldest son married, had a large family, and lived in Obercorn and later in Mamer. It is not known how long Barbe lived nor where she died.

A decade after the death of Jean FOURNEL, his widow Jeanne BERKIN died on 16 February 1759 in Rodange at the age of 75. Her oldest son Pierre was one of the two informants. Jeanne was buried in the cemetery of Rodange.23

Of the three living children of Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN, Pierre FOURNELLE was the first to pass away on 23 July 1765 in Rodange. He was 51 years old.24 As mentioned earlier, Jacques died the following year in Saulnes at the age of 43.

Following the deaths of Pierre and Jacques, Jeanne FOURNELLE, the youngest child of Jean and Jeanne, was the only living child. On 20 March 1779, she stood up as the godmother of her grandson Jacques, the 7th child of her only living son Jean Henri André DE CHAIVE and his wife Marie Catherine BERKIN.25 Jeanne lost her husband Henri DE CHAIVE on 23 October 1789 in Rodange.26 He was 85 years old. She died on 15 December 1802 in Hussigny (Meurthe-et-Moselle) where her son lived at the age of 77.27

I spent extra time on this post as Jean FOURNEL, son of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON, and Jeanne BERKIN were my 6th great-grandparents, i.e. my direct line. Working through the records for this family group brought to light relationships with the BERKIN and WARCOLLIER families which will help in later research Jeanne’s parents Domange BERKIN and Anne WARCOLLIER.

Next up will be Jean’s brother Henri who unlike Jean remained in his native Saulnes.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 >  image 42 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1686 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380766086 : accessed 10 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 302 of 529. 1708 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538081603f : accessed 31 August 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 266 of 529. 1713 Marriage Record of Jean Fournel and Jeanne Berkin (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807ed8f7 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 28 of 529. 1683 Baptismal Record (3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075f780 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 272 of 529. 1713 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807f1dbe : accessed 11 September 2013). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 236 of 529. 1717 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807d3ca6 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  8. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 6 of 296. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9SK3?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  9. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 178 of 529. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 2nd entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b09bb : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 179 of 529 . 1721 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b1406 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  12. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 >image 187 of 529. 1722 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b6129 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  13. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 211 of 529. 1725 Baptismal Record (right page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807c3c3a : accessed 9 July 2020). ↩
  14. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 171 of 529. 1728 Marriage Record (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807a8049 : accessed 14 July 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 485 of 529. 1738 Marriage Record right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808aece0 : accessed 9 September 2020). ↩
  16. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > images 197+198 of 328. 1743 Marriage Record, right page, last entry (part 1). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06e6ad : accessed 9 July 2020) and 1743 Marriage Record, right page, last entry (part 2).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06f031 : accessed 9 July 2020). ↩
  17. Ibid., Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 200 of 328. 1743 Pierre Fournelle and Jeanne Neu marriage record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f070323 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  18. Belgique, Luxembourg, Registres paroissiaux, 1618-1868, (images), FamilySearch (original records at België Nationaal Archief, Brussels / Belgium National Archives, Brussels), Paroisse d’Aubange (Luxembourg) > Film #619924 DGS #007944121 > Baptêmes 1729-1783 Mariages 1729-1776 Sépultures 1729-1776 > Image 342+343 of 605. 1743 Marriage Record, part 1 (right, bottom). (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZV-FS5T-F?i=341&cat=74664 : accessed 26 November 2017) and 1743 Marriage Record, part 2 (left, top). (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZV-FS55-K?i=342&cat=74664 : accessed 26 November 2017). ↩
  19. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 193+194 of 328. 1744 Marriage Record, part 1 (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06bdc9 : accessed 6 Spetmeber 2020) and 1744 Marriage Record, part 2 (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06c729 : accessed 6 September 2020). ↩
  20. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 469 of 529.  1749 Death Record (bottom left and top right). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808a0bb3 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  21. Ibid., Herserange >1743-1791 > 5 Mi 259/R 3 > image 126 of 328. 1756 Marriage Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f0423eb : accessed 10 July 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 412 of 529. 1766 Death Record (right page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538086dcc5 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  23. Idib., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 434 of 529. 1759 Death Record (right page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380882189 : accessed 1 July 2020). ↩
  24. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 416 of 529. 1765 Death Record (left page, 1st complete entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538087141a : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  25. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Rodange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 4 of 108. 1779 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32463-15032-95?cc=2037955 : accessed 1 September 2020). ↩
  26. Ibid., Rodange > Baptêmes 1767-1777, 1779-1796, confirmations 1791, mariages 1767-1777, 1779-1795, sépultures 1767-1777, 1779-1797 > image 95 of 102. 1789 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32463-15224-80?cc=2037955 : accessed 9 July 2020). ↩
  27. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange 1714_1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 621 of 677. 1802 Death Record (right page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b01054ebc5f : accessed 9 July 2020). ↩

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

This is the 5th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

To add more depth to the lives of our ancestors and their families it’s helpful to collect all documents created during their lifetimes. For the French/Luxembourgish families I’m presently working on, the research was made easier by consulting the family books of the towns they lived in. These books are compiled by researchers using church and civil records for birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burial for all families who lived in the town of interest. Some compilers go beyond the simple dates and place information found in BMD records.

Aimé Tarnus, who compiled Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, the family book on the town Nicolas FOURNEL lived in during his adult life, wrote a very interesting introduction explaining the records he used for the book during more than 13 years of research.

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, Hussigny is lacking church records for the years between 1716-1765 with only 1753-1756 and 1758 being available. To get around the lack of records for the town, Aimé Tarnus consulted records of the Archives Départementales de Moselle, the Archives Départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle, the National Library in Paris, and the Luxembourg National Archives. A good part of the work in the departmental archives, other than the church and civil records, was done using the judicial archives and the notary deeds.

Nicolas FOURNEL (1783-~1748), my 6th great-granduncle, was the oldest known son of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702).

1683 Baptismal Record. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 28 de 529

His sister Françoise was five years old when Nicolas was born and baptized in Saulnes on 30 September 1683. His godparents were Nicolas BOUILLON and Margueritte EVRARD, wife Bernard COURTOIS.1 The baptismal record was missing information and this had to be deducted from the known factors. Jean and Catherine’s naming their first son Nicolas could be a clue to his paternal grandfather’s identity, assumed to be the Nicolas FOURNELLE who died abt. 1675/6 in Saulnes.2

Nicolas and his older sister Françoise had seven or eight more siblings: Jean, Henri, Jeanne, Sébastienne, Marie, Jacques, and possibly Marie Catherine. At this time, I have not been able to prove or disprove Marie and Marie Catherine were one and the same person.

Nicolas lost his mother at the age of 18 when Catherine SETON died on 21 September 1702 in Saulnes.3

At the age of 24, he was chosen to be the godfather of Marie, daughter of Jean DROUET and Jeanne REMY, when she was baptized on 3 October 1707 in Saulnes.4

Nicolas’ older sister Françoise (1678-1729) married Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745) on 23 January 1708.5

Two years later Nicolas married Barbe AGARANT (1678-1758) in Réhon on 29 June 1710. Nicolas was 26 years old and Barbe was about 32 years old. He was described as un jeune garçon de Sosne, paroissien de Herserange or young boy of Saulnes, a parishioner of Herserange. His surname was spelled FOURNIER. Barbe was the widow of Jean BERNARDIN. The entry in the Réhon parish record does not name Nicolas’ parents however we can assume they were Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON as they were the only couple in Saulnes of this surname and with children of marrying age.6

Barbe was not only a widow but also the mother of three children ages 2, 5, and nearly 7. She was about two months pregnant when Nicolas witnessed, along with his father Jean, the marriage of his brother Jean on 22 January 1713 in Rodange (Luxembourg).7 Jean married Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759) – the couple were my 6th great-grandparents.

1713 Baptismal Record of Julien “FURNIER.” Image courtesy of FamilySearch

On 31 August 1713, at the age of 35, Barbe gave birth to a son in Hussigny. Julien FOURNEL’s baptism took place on the same day and was recorded in the parish records of Obercorn. His godparents were Julien MERGEN and Maria GERARD, both of Hussigny.8 The baptismal record was found in Obercorn as Hussigny belonged to the parish of Obercorn (Luxembourg) up until 15 February 1714.9 If any other children were born and/or died after 1714 they are lost as there are no records in Hussigny.

In 1720 Nicolas’ sisters Jeanne and Sébastienne married and started families.

The following year, Nicolas of Hussigny and his brother Jean of Rodange witnessed the death record of their father Jean FOURNEL on 3 September 1721 in Saulnes.10

Nicolas’ youngest brother Jacques FOURNELLE married after the death of their father and before 1724.

Nicolas’ occupation was a laborer in several of the records Aimé Tarnus found in the archives. On 18 May 1728, he was listed as the mayor of Hussigny.11

Nicolas and Barbe’s only known child, Julien FOURNEL married Catherine BERNARDIN (1705-1775) after 4 February 1733. Her relationship to her mother-in-law Barbe’s first husband Jean BERNARDIN and the children from that marriage has not been determined.

No marriage record was found for Julien who had at least three children with his wife Catherine between about 1737-1747. Estimated years of birth have been calculated using their death records.

An interesting document was discovered by Aimé Tarnus concerning Catherine’s first pregnancy used to calculate when the marriage took place. On 4 February 1733 Catherine BERNARDIN made a declaration de grossesse or declaration of pregnancy naming Julien FOURNEL as the father.

Declaration of pregnancy

What is a declaration of pregnancy? Why were these documents created? What was included in them? Where are they found?

To fight against abortions, clandestine childbirths, abandonment, and prevent infanticides, an edict was proclaimed under Henry II in February 1556. The edict of 25 February 1708 under Louis XIV reaffirmed the edict of 1556 against the concealment of pregnancy and childbirth. Unmarried girls and widows were forced to declare their pregnancy free of charge before a notary or a lieutenant of justice.12

The declaration included the circumstances in which the woman had become pregnant and the identity of the father of the child. The statement that was given by the young lady usually had the names of her parents, where she was from, and her age. If the name of the father wasn’t given, sometimes during childbirth at the instigation of the priest or the magistrate, they tried to obtain a confession. Information on the circumstances may have been recorded in the baptismal register during the baptism of the child.

Every three months during the sermon in the parish church the congregation was reminded of their duty to report pregnancies.

During the Revolution in 1789, declarations of pregnancies had fallen more or less into disuse depending on the region.

Declarations of pregnancy are filed in the judicial archives in series B in the departmental archives.

The declaration of pregnancy made by Catherine BERNARDIN may have included information that Julien FOURNEL abused her as a very short extract by Mr. Tarnus indicates.13 However, the judicial archives’ Series B would need to be consulted to confirm the circumstances of the pregnancy.

As the baptismal records for 1733 are not available, there is no record of birth for a child born to Catherine and Julien.

Volume 1 of 3 of the family book “Histoires des Familles Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900” by Aimé Tarnus accessed in the Luxracines archives.

Other events were taking place in the Nicolas FOURNEL family during these times.

On 17 February 1734 two transactions were found in which Nicolas and his wife Barbe were selling real estate. They sold land to Pierre DIDION14 and part of a house in Hussigny to Nicolas GILLARDIN and Elisabeth BERNARDIN. Elisabeth was Barbe’s oldest child from her first marriage.15

On 19 March 1737 Nicolas and his wife sold land to Nicolas SPELTZ.16

Catherine FOURNEL, a daughter of Julien and Catherine, was born about 1738. Anne FOURNEL was born about 1746 and Michel FOURNEL was born about 1747.

By 29 October 1748, Nicolas FOURNEL was deceased. His widow owned money to an unknown person (record damaged).17

On 7 April 1749 Barbe declared that she was no longer able to provide for her food and maintenance, selling land to her daughter Elisabeth BERNARDIN and her husband Nicolas GILLARDIN.18

This was exactly one year after the affairs of her son Julien FOURNEL, deceased, were being taken care of by his uncles Jacques and Henry FOURNEL.19 Julien FOURNEL died shortly before 8 April 1748. Was his father deceased by this time and is this the reason his uncles were taking care of the inventory?

Barbe lived another decade, dying on 7 March 1758 in Hussigny at the age of 80.20 She did not live to see her three FOURNEL grandchildren marry.

Catherine FOURNELLE married Jacques LAFONTAINE (1721-1796) on 30 April 1765 in Crusnes (Meurthe-et-Moselle). The groom was an invalid soldier and 16 years older than the bride. Henry FOURNEL (son of the above mentioned Henry FOURNEL d. 1753), the bride’s first cousin once removed,  witnessed the marriage as her curator.21

Anne FOURNEL married François FRANÇOIS on 4 August 1767 in Hussigny. Henry FOURNEL also witnessed this marriage.22 This couple had a daughter in 1767 and a son in 1769.

Michel FOURNEL married Suzanne HUMBERT on 7 January 1772 in Baslieux (Meurthe-et-Moselle).23 Of the nine children born to them between 1772 and  1792 only two grew to adulthood and married.

1775 Death Record of Catherine BERNARDIN. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 48/R 2 vue 369 de 607

Catherine BERNARDIN, the widow of Julien and mother of the three children, died 3 January 1775 at the age of 75. Her son Michel FOURNEL and her son-in-law François FRANÇOIS were witnesses to the death record.24 There is, however, an error in the death record. Catherine is named as the widow of Michel FOURNEL instead of Julien. The witnesses’ relationship with her was mentioned therefore we can assume the husband’s name was a clerical error.

Two of the three grandchildren of Nicolas FOURNEL and Barbe AGARANT remained in the area. Michel died 31 October 1799 at the age of 5225 and Anne FOURNEL died 16 June 1808 at the age of 6226, both in Baslieux.

The oldest granddaughter, Catherine had three children in Crusnes in 1765, 1767, and 1769 before moving to Chalon-sur-Saône (Bourgogne) where she gave birth to a daughter in 1775. The family moved to Salins-les-Bains (Jura) in eastern France by 1779 where Catherine had two more children with her invalid soldier husband. She died in Salins-les-Bains on 9 February 1818 at the age of 80.27

Next week, the third child of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON, will be discussed – my 6th great-grandfather Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749).

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 28 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1683 [illegible] Baptismal Record (right page, 5th entry). This document is in poor condition. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075f780 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 21 of 529. Abt. 1675/6 Death Record (left page, 6th entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075bfd4 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1> image 311 of 529. 1707 Baptismal Record of Marie Drouet, godfather Nicolas Fourny. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538081d08c : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 300 of 529. 1708 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Françoise Fournel (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Réhon 1710-1792 > 5 Mi 450/R 2 > image 373 of 767. 1710 Marriage Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10eca1233/54b0f2e7a367b : accessed 7 August 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 266 of 529. 1713 Marriage Record of Jean Fournel and Jeanne Berkin (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807ed8f7 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  8. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 51 of 296. 1713 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9S4G?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 11 August 2020). ↩
  9. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, Introduction in the front matter of the book. ↩
  10. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  11. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “Mos. B 8696 : le 18/5/1728, Nicolas est maire de H.” ↩
  12. GénéaFrance, a practical guide to French research. http://www.geneafrance.org/rubrique.php?page=grossesse and http://www.geneafrance.org/rubrique.php?page=naturel ↩
  13. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 536, family  2031. “Mos. B 8715 : le 4/2/1733, declaration de grossesse de Catherine BERNARDIN, fa. De + Julien c\ le dénommé Julien FOURNELLE qui a abuse ets… (copies)” ↩
  14. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “M. et M. 23 E 91 : Le même jour [17/02/1734], ils vendent à Pierre DIDION, meunier à H., 3 verges de terre etc…” ↩
  15. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “M. et M. 23 E 91 : le 17/02/1734, Nicolas FOURNIER, Lab. à H. et Barbe AGARAND, sa fe., vendent à Nicolas GILLARDIN, man. à H., et Elis. BERNARDIN, sa fe., une partie d’une maison à H. etc…” ↩
  16. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “M. et M. 23 E 148 : le 19/03/1737, Nicolas FOURNIER (FOURNEL dans l’acte), lab. à H., et Barbe AGARANT sa fe., vendent à Nicolas SPELTZ, marchand àG. un jour de terre à la Mère Colle etc… pour 54 livres” ↩
  17. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “M. et M. 23 E 158 : le 29/10/1748, Barbe AGARANT, Vve. de Nicolas FOURNEL, dmt. à H. doit une somme d’argent à ? (abimé)” ↩
  18. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 537, family  2033. “M. et M. 23 E 100 : le 7/4/1749, Barbe AGARANT, Vve. de Nicolas FOURNEL, dmt. à H., déclare ne plus être en état de subvenir à sa nouriture et à son entretien, elle vend à Nicolas GILLARDIN et Elis. BERNARDIN, sa fe., 5 verges 1/2 à H. etc…” ↩
  19. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900, page 536, family  2031. “Mos. B 8647 : le 8/4/1748, inv. ap. + de Julien FOURNELLE ; Ts. Jacques FOURNELLE, Henry FOURNELLE, Nicolas PETIT et François BALTUS, tous de Hussigny.” ↩
  20. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Hussigny-Godbrange 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 35 of 677. 1758 Death Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b0105319c69 : accessed 24 August 2020). ↩
  21. Ibid., Crusnes 1648-1794 > 5 Mi 148/R 1 > image 551 of 767. 1765 Marriage Record (left page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e965042/54aecd1d0c6e6 : accessed 28 August 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange 1714-1809 > 5 Mi 268/R 1 > image 57 of 677. 1767 Marriage Record (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b0105324541 : accessed 28 August 2020). ↩
  23. Ibid., Baslieux 1728 17925 Mi 48/R 2 image 338 of 607. 1772 Marriage Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e858cf3/54ad67298249f : accessed 28 August 2020). ↩
  24. Ibid., Baslieux 1728-1792 > 5 Mi 48/R 2 > image 369 of 607. 1775 Death Record (right page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e858cf3/54ad672995ac0 : accessed 24 August 2020). ↩
  25. Ibid., Baslieux > 1793-1872 > 5 Mi 48/R 4 > image 318+319 of 633. 1799 Death Record (part 1)(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e85a63d/54aeac6e57e1e : accessed 7 August 2020) and 1799 Death Record (part 2)(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e85a63d/54aeac6e589fd : accessed 7 August 2020). ↩
  26. Ibid., Baslieux 1793-1872 > 5 Mi 48/R 4 > image 411 of 633. 1808 Death Record (right page, 1st entry).
    (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10e85a63d/54aeac6eb3669 : accessed 28 August 2020). ↩
  27. Archives départementales du Jura (39), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://archives39.fr/), Salins-les-Bains, commune > 3E/6899 > image 130 of 244. La réutilisation des données publiques: Par délibération du 11 décembre 2018 complétée par celle du 23 avril 2018, le Département du Jura a adopté le principe de la réutilisation libre et gracieuse sous licence Etalab version 2.0 pour tous les documents et données conservés aux Archives du Jura pouvant relever du cadre de la réutilisation, à l’exception donc des documents et données où s’exerce le droit d’auteur. Le réutilisateur est tenu d’indiquer la source des documents et données sous la forme suivante : Archives départementales du Jura (forme abrégée Arch. dép. Jura ou AD 39), la cote du document ou donnée, la date (ou date de la dernière mise à jour), son analyse ou sa description synthétique. 1818 Death Record No. 25. (http://archives39.fr/ark:/36595/a011423563654bsRFPP/27d46d830b : accessed 24 August 2020). ↩

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

This is the 4th in a series of posts on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. After setting up the stage, introducing the main characters and supporting cast, I am now discussing each of the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702). All posts written to date are listed at the end of this post.

During the next few weeks, I will analyze and write about the seven children of Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702) who married and had children.

In this post, I will go into the life of their oldest known child, Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729).

1678 Baptismal Record of Françoise FOURNELLE. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 19 de 529.

Françoise, my 6th great-grandaunt, was born on 18 March 1678 in Saulnes and baptized the same day. Her godparents were Guillaume DASSIS and a lady by the first name of Françoise.1 Her parents, Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON had likely married the previous year. As mentioned in previous posts on her parents, the spelling of the surname FOURNEL varied and was seen as FOURNELLE in this record.

Françoise was five years old when her brother Nicolas was born on 30 September 1683 in Saulnes.2 Other siblings were born when she was 8, 10, 12, 13, 18, and 20 years old. Her mother Catherine died on 21 September 1702 in Saulnes when Françoise was 24 years old.3

As a young single woman, Françoise became the godmother of two children born in her village. Etienne DELVA and Françoise LOUIS chose her to be their son Jean’s godmother on 26 September 1697 when she was 19 years old.4 Jean DROUET and Jeanne REMY requested her to be the godmother of their son François on 27 September 1705 when she was 26 years old.5

1708 Marriage Record of Jean COURTOIS and Françoise FOURNEL. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 300 de 529.

At the age of 29, Françoise became the wife of Jean COURTOIS. They were married on 23 January 1708 in Saulnes. Jean was 23 years old and the son of Jean COURTOIS and Barbe FRANÇOIS. Witnesses to the marriage were Jean’s step-father Henry STRAUT and his older brother Bernard COURTOIS as well as Françoise’s father Jean FOURNEL and her good friend Laurent BOULANGER.6

The groom, Jean COURTOIS lost his father at the young age of four months. His father died in Verdun while traveling in February of 1685.7 This was mentioned in the Herserange church records. I searched through the church records of Verdun but was unable to find a mention of the death. Verdun was a large city at the time with more than a half dozen parishes. Jean’s mother must have remarried as a step-father is named in her son’s marriage record. Further research is necessary to confirm the spelling of the step-father’s name.

Françoise and Jean’s first child was born ten months after their marriage on 14 October 1708. Their son Jean was baptized two days later on 16 October. His godparents were Jean BOULANGER and his maternal aunt Jeanne FOURNEL (seen as FOURNY on the record).8

When Françoise was eight months pregnant with her second child, her brother Nicolas married in Réhon to Barbe AGARANT on 29 June 1710.9

A daughter, Sébastienne COURTOIS was born on 26 July 1710 and was baptized the following day. The second child of Françoise and Jean had as godparents Jean DROUET and her maternal aunt Sébastienne FOURNEL (seen as FOURNY on the record).10

The third child of the couple was named Jean, born on 20 February 1712 and baptized the following day. His godparents were a young boy named Jean SMELER and a young girl named Catherine DASSIS.11 It is not unusual for more than one living child of a couple to be named the same. No death record nor other record has been found for the first son named Jean born in 1708. It’s possible the first son did not survive.

Françoise was pregnant with her fourth child when the next of her siblings married. Her brother Jean FOURNEL married on 22 January 1713 a young lady named Jeanne BERKIN in Rodange (present-day Luxembourg).12 Jean and Jeanne are my direct ancestors, my 6th great-grandparents.

A little over three months later, a daughter named Françoise was born on 2 May 1713 and baptized on 3 May 1713. Jean CHOLOT and Françoise HUGREL were named as her godparents.13 Per records found, all children of Françoise and Jean COURTOIS were born in Saulnes except for Françoise. Her birth/baptismal record was recorded in Larimont, a farm located northeast of Mexy, a village that was burnt down by the Swedes during the Thirty Years War. Herserange, the parish these villages belonged to, lies between Saulnes and Mexy.

The fifth child of this couple was born on 19 June 1715 and baptized the following day. The baby girl was named Barbe after her godmother Barbe DROUET. Her godfather was her maternal uncle Henri FOURNEL (seen as Henry FOURNY on the record).14

On 3 February 1717 Françoise gave birth to her last child, a son named Jacques. He was baptized the following day in the presence of his maternal aunt and uncle, Jeanne FOURNEL and Jacques FOURNEL.15

When Françoise was 42 years old, two of her sisters married. Jeanne FOURNEL married Jérôme PETRISOT in Obercorn, Luxembourg on 28 July 1720.16 Sébastienne FOURNEL married Jean FRANÇOIS on 24 November 1720 in Saulnes.17

A year after her sisters’ marriages, Françoise and her siblings lost their father, Jean FOURNEL who died 3 September 1721 in Saulnes.18

Françoise’s baby brother Jacques FOURNEL married Anne LAUNOIS before 1724. This was likely the last of her siblings she would see married as she died on 13 October 1729 at the age of 51 years. Her husband, who reported the death, gave her age as 45.19

Jean COURTOIS remarried less than two months later on 2 December 1729.20 He chose as his bride Catherine DASSIS, likely the young girl who served as the godmother of his son Jean in 1712. They would have four children during their first decade of marriage. Jean COURTOIS died 30 May 1745 at the age of 60.21

Of the six children of Françoise FOURNEL and Jean COURTOIS, only one has been found to have married and continued the line.

Sébastienne COURTOIS (1710-1766) married Dominique LUX (1706-1766) about 1735. This is a rough guestimate. They had five known children. Baptismal records for three of the five (born in 1745, 1750, and 1752) and marriages and death records for all five were found. The years of birth for the two children with missing baptismal records have been estimated from their age at death. They were born about 1736 and about 1741, i.e. the estimated marriage in 1735.

The two youngest children, Nicolas LUX and Michel LUX married their second cousins Catherine PETRISOT and Marie Jeanne FOURNELLE, both great-grandchildren of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON, taking the family full circle.

1766 Death Record of Anne Sébastienne COURTOIS. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 412 de 529.

Sébastienne, in later years, was known as Anne Sébastienne, the name on her death record. She died on 20 February 1766 at the age of 55.22 The record names her as the daughter of the deceased Jean COURTOIS “dit la fleur” and wife of Dominique LUX. The only other record I found that refers to Jean COURTOIS as “La Fleur” was the death record of his second wife, Catherine DASSIS the following year.23

Anne Sébastienne’s husband Dominique died a week later on 27 February 1766 at the age of 60.24

Françoise FOURNEL and her husband Jean COURTOIS raised their family in Saulnes where her parents had raised her and her siblings. In my next post, we will see her brother Nicolas FOURNEL marry in a nearby village and raise his family in yet another village.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 19 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1678 Fournel, Françoise baptismal record (middle of right page under Sosne).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075b0db : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 28 of 529. 1683 Baptismal Record (right page, 5th entry). This document is in poor condition. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075f780 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange  1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 333 of 529. 1702 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 370 of 529. 1697 Baptismal Record of Jean Delva, son of Etienne Delva and Françoise Louis (right page, 3rd entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538084ad28 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > images 347+348 of 529. 1705 Baptismal Record of François Drouet, son of Jean Drouet and Jeanne Remy (right page, bottom and left page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380838767 : accessed 7 August 2020 and http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380839331 : accessed 7 August 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 300 of 529. 1708 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Françoise Fournel (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 39 of 529.  1685 Death Record (left page, 6th entry). “Sonne…. février 1685 est mort Jean Courtois … de Verdun étant en voyage, est inhumé dans le cimetière de La Haye du dit Verdun.” (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380764a6b : accessed 21 August 2020). ↩
  8. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 303 of 529. 1708 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd to last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380816b4f : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  9. Ibid., Réhon 1710-1792 > 5 Mi 450/R 2 > image 373 of 767. 710 Marriage Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10eca1233/54b0f2e7a367b : accessed 7 August 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 284 of 529. 1710 Baptismal Record (left page, bottom entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380807750 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 276 of 529. 1712 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380801422 : accessed 15 August 2020). ↩
  12. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 >  image 266 of 529. 1713 Marriage Record of Jean Fournel and Jeanne Berkin (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807ed8f7 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  13. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 270 of 529. 1713 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807f0933 : accessed 16 August 2020). ↩
  14. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 253 of 529. 1715 Baptismal Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807dfa71 : accessed 16 August 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 234 of 529. 1717 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807d29ad : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  16. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 6 of 296. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9SK3?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  17. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 178 of 529. 1720 Marriage Record of Jean François and Sébastienne Fournel (left page, 2nd entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b09bb : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  18. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  19. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 114 of 529. 1729 Death Record (left page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380788d8e : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  20. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1> image 129 of 529. 1729 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Catherine Dassis. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538079078d : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  21. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 503 of 529. 1745 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808bfaf1 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Herserange 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 412 of 529. 1766 Death Record (left page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538086dcc5 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  23. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 410 of 529. 1767 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538086c273 : accessed 21 August 2020). ↩
  24. Ibid., Herserange 1668-1773) > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 412 of 529. 1766 Death Record (bottom left and top right). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538086dcc5 : accessed 18 August 2020). ↩

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

This is the third post in a series on my earliest FOURNELLE ancestors. In Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1), I set up the stage for the series with a discussion of surname variations for FOURNELLE, a short history of the village of Saulnes (France), and an explanation of the availability of the records. In Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2), I added the main characters as I proved the children of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON of Saulnes in the parish of Herserange, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.

Now it’s time to introduce some of the supporting cast.

In my last post, I brought the reader’s attention to the mark Jean FOURNEL used to sign his wife’s 1702 death/burial record1, the 1708 marriage record of his daughter Françoise to Jean COURTOIS2, and the 1713 marriage record of his son Jean to Jeanne BERKIN.3

In all of these records, he used what looks like a capital A for his mark. In 1696, Jean HAIS used the same mark to sign the baptismal record of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON’s daughter Marie.4:

Who was Jean HAIS? Was the mark used by him and Jean FOURNEL a family symbol or a symbol of an occupation? If it was a mark used by the family, how was Jean HAIS related to Jean FOURNEL?

During the years 1678-1700 when Jean and Catherine were having children, there were no other records in Saulnes for persons with the surnames FOURNELLE (or other variations) and SETON.

The surname SETON was only found for one person in Saulnes – for my 7th great-grandmother, Catherine SETON (1657-1702). In records of some of her children, the name was spelled SATON. Other possible spellings, i.e. CYTON, SATIN, SETIN, and SAITEONE, were found in the index of the FamilySearch collection, France, Births and Baptisms, 1546-1896 in the department of the Meurthe-et-Moselle in the towns of Ansauville, Lunéville, Pont-à-Mousson, and Toule for the period 1600-1700. Although Catherine didn’t appear to have relatives in Saulnes with the surname, she could have had maternal relatives in the area. Another possibility is that Jean FOURNEL brought his bride to Saulnes from who knows where.

The records of Herserange, the parish Saulnes was part of, began ten years before Jean and Catherine’s first child was born in 1678. In these ten years, I found several records for persons using the FOURNELLE, FOURNEL, FOURNY spelling of the surname of interest.

Nicolas FOURNELLE…

…named as a godfather in a baptismal record
1672 Baptismal Record of Nicolas HENRION with godfather Nicolas FOURNELLE. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 13 de 529

As can be seen in the image above, the earliest records of Herserange are not in the best condition. In the entry above, on 16 April 1672, a Nicolas FOURNELLE is named as the godfather (parrain, spelled parin in these early records) of a child named Nicolas, son of Arnould HENRION. The godmother’s name was likely in the missing section on the left. She was either the wife or daughter of Grégoire DIEUDONNÉ.5

…named in a death/burial record
A page from the church register. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 21 de 529

A large part in the middle area of the left side of the page of the church register is missing including where the entry of interest was made. Here is a transcription of the record with the missing parts in brackets.

Sosne
[date] est mort Nicolas FOURNELLE muni
[de foi des sacrements et] inhumé au cimetière de Herserange.

1675/6 Death/Burial Record of Nicolas FOURNELLE. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 21 de 529 (cropped)

About 1675/6 Nicolas FOURNELLE died in Saulnes provided with the sacraments and buried in the cemetery of Herserange.6 The estimated year of death has been assumed from the entries that include dates. No age at the time of death is seen in the incomplete death/burial entry.

There were no further entries for a Nicolas FOURNELLE. It’s a good possibility that the records are for one person.

Anne FOURNELLE, wife of Jean HAIS

Four baptismal records were found for children whose father was named Jean HAIS (with alternate spellings being HEIS, HAYS, and HAISSE).

1668 Baptismal Record of Margueritte HAIS. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 9 de 529 (cropped)

On 30 December 1668, Margueritte, daughter of Jean HAIS, was baptized in Saulnes. The godfather was François BOURMON and the godmother was Margueritte DOLHAY, both of Hussigny.7 The mother’s name was not given.

The first letter of the godfather’s name is missing on the record. In the Familles de Saulnes de 1668 à 1920, the compiler read the name as BOURMON.8 I originally thought the name was FOURNIER and was a bit disappointed when I checked the family book for Saulnes.

1672 Baptismal Record of Margueritte HAIS. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 13 de 529 (cropped)

On 8 February 1672 in Saulnes, Margueritte, daughter of Jean HAIS, was baptized. The godfather was Nicolas BILLON and the godmother was Margueritte LOUIS.9 As in the previous record, the mother was not named.

1672 Baptismal Record of Anne MARTIN with godmother Anne FOURNELLE. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 15 de 529 (cropped)

Eight months later, on 18 October 1672, Anne, daughter of Anthoine MARTIN, was baptized in Saulnes. The godfather was a man with the first name Jean; the godmother was Anne FOURNELLE. The record indicates she was the wife of Jean FOURNELLE.10

The priest made an error when he entered the name of the husband or, as has been seen in other records, the husband was also known by his wife’s surname. The compiler of Familles de Saulnes de 1668 à 1920 made the connection and listed the godmother Anne FOURNELLE as the wife of Jean HAIS.11

Anne FOURNELLE was the wife of Jean HAIS as we will see in the next entry.

1680 Baptismal Record of Catherine HAIS. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 25 de 529 (cropped)

On 28 December 1680 Catherine, daughter of Jean HAIS and Anne FOURNELLE, was baptized in Saulnes. Her godfather was Pierre DASSIS and her godmother was a lady by the first name of Catherine.12

Could the missing the surname of the godmother be SETON? Baby Catherine was the first child of Jean HAIS and Anne FOURNELLE to be baptized after Jean FOURNELLE married Catherine SETON. Jean and Anne had no sons who would have had Jean FOURNELLE as a godfather.

A fourth child born in 1673 will be discussed in the next section.

No further children were born to the HAIS-FOURNELLE couple in the parish of Herserange.

There is a good possibility that they moved to the neighboring Hussigny as in 1696 one Jean HAIS was the godfather of Marie, daughter of Jean FOURNELLE and Catherine SETON.

1696 Baptismal Record of Marie FOURNEL with godfather Jean HAIS. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 365 de 529 (cropped)

On 9 June 1696 in Saulnes, a child Marie was baptized in the presence of her godfather Jean HAIS (HEINS) of Hussigny and her godmother Marie LEJEUNE of Aix. Her parents’ names were listed as Jean FOURNY and Catherine SETON.13

Pierre FOURNY

1673 Baptismal Record of Maria HAIS with godfather Pierre FOURNY. Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 16 de 529 (cropped)

On 5 June 1673, a baby girl was baptized with the name Maria. Her godfather was Pierre FOURNY and her godmother was Maria HENRION. The child’s surname was HAIS but neither the name of her father nor her mother survived as part of the page is missing. 14

Analysis of the records

Was Nicolas FOURNELLE the father of these three persons living in the same town with the same, if differently spelled, surname?

  • Anne FOURNELLE, wife of Jean HAIS
  • Pierre FOURNY
  • Jean FOURNEL, husband of Catherine SETON

From the records found, I estimated their years of birth. Anne was born before 1646 if she married about 1667 at the age of 21 and was the mother of all daughters of Jean HAIS (Heis, Hays, Haisse). Pierre was born before 1652 assuming he was a young man in 1673 when he became a godfather. Pierre was likely older than Jean who was first seen in records in 1678. Jean was born about 1655 per his death record.15

The estimates for the birth years of Anne (bef. 1646), Pierre (bef. 1652), and Jean (abt. 1655) place them in the same generation. As Saulnes was a very small village in the years from 1646 to 1655, it is likely that they were siblings and possibly the children of the Nicolas FOURNELLE who died there in 1675/6.

Another event may point to Nicolas being the father. Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON became parents only after the death of Nicolas. Their firstborn son was named Nicolas. Did they choose a godfather with the first name Nicolas to follow a tradition of naming the firstborn children after the paternal and maternal grandparents, the first male child being named after the paternal grandfather?

At this point, I believe Nicolas FOURNELLE who died in Saulnes in 1675/6 was most likely the earliest FOURNELLE ancestor.

It would appear that I am now at an impasse with the supporting cast I’ve found. The descent of Anne FOURNELLE and Jean HAIS through their daughters born 1668 to 1680 is made more difficult due to the variants seen for the HAIS surname. No leads have been found for Pierre FOURNY.

This leaves Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON’s children and their descendants. Of their children, seven married and will each be discussed in separate posts in the coming weeks.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) image 333 of 529. New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1702 Catherine Seton death record, age at death about 45 yrs (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  2. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 300 of 529 . 1708 Marriage Record of Jean Courtois and Françoise Fournel (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  3. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 266 of 529 . 1713 Marriage Record of Jean Fournel and Jeanne Berkin (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807ed8f7 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 365 of 529. 1696 Marie Fournel baptismal record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380847004 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 13 of 529. 1672 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380759111 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 21 of 529. 1675/6 Death Record (left page, 6th entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075bfd4 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 9 of 529. 1668 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380757038 : accessed 15 July 2020). ↩
  8. Catherine Goncalves, Bernard Batrthélémy, René Bréden, Aimé Tarnus, Familles de Saulnes de 1668 à 1920, three volumes published by the Cercle Généalogique du Pays de Longwy, p. 1305-1306 family 3362. ↩
  9. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle, Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 13 of 529. 1672 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380758a4c : accessed 14 July 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 15 of 529. 1672 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807597ad : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  11. Familles de Saulnes de 1668 à 1920, p. 1937-1938, family 4969, Anthoine Martin and his wife Françoise. ↩
  12. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle, Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 25 of 529. 1680 Baptismal Record (left page, 5th entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075dfa2 : accessed 29 July 2020). ↩
  13. Ibid., Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 365 of 529. 1696 Marie Fournel baptismal record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380847004 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  14. Ibid., Herserange > 1668- 1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 16 of 529. 1673 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380759dd3 : accessed 4 July 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > image 183 of 529 . 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Last week, in part 1 of this series, I discussed the surname variations for FOURNELLE, gave a short history of the village of Saulnes (France), and explained where the records for the family of interest were found.

Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702) of Saulnes in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France were my 7th great-grandparents. They are presently the most distant ancestral couple for the FOURNEL/FOURNELLE branch of my family tree.

As noted in the short history of Saulnes, the village was uninhabited in 1646. In 1698, fifty years after the end of The Thirty Years’ War, 8 farmers, 13 skilled workers, and 4 widows lived in Saulnes’ 25 houses and 11 hovels.1 The information came from a report of the general condition of the provost of Longwy made in the year 1698 for Saulnes (état générale de la prévôté de Longwy fait en 1698). This list includes the names of the farmers: Drouet, Arnoult, Thomas, Magnier, Istase, André, and La Fontaine (2). Jean Henrion was the only skilled worker named.2 It would appear that the FOURNEL family was not farming in the late 1600s and Jean FOURNEL may have been a skilled worker.

The population of Saulnes during the period Jean and Catherine lived there plays an important part in the research concerning their children. They were the only couple having children with the FOURNEL surname in Saulnes during the years from 1678 to 1702.

Proving the children of Jean FOURNEL (1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (1657-1702)

To be recognized as a legally married couple on their children’s baptismal records, Jean and Catherine had to have been married before the birth of their first known child. This would place their marriage at about 1677 when Jean was 22 and Catherine 20. Their ages have been estimated from the age given at the time of their deaths. Marriage records for this period are lacking in Herserange. The records of the children, mentioning their parents as a couple will have to suffice as evidence that they were married.

The Herserange collection of records used to document this family group covered the years from 1668 to 1773. The circa 10 years before the marriage of Jean and Catherine were reviewed several times in hopes of finding other records mentioning them separately and/or as a couple. Miscellaneous records for other persons with the FOURNELLE surname or associated with the surname were found and will be discussed in Part 3. No records were found for any other person with the surname SETON.

When the pages of church register for Hesperange were digitized they were fragile and not in very good condition. Many of the old pages were missing parts along the edges. This resulted in incomplete records.

These are the children I found for Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON:

          1. Françoise baptized 18 March 1678
          2. Nicolas baptized 30 September  1683
          3. Jean baptized 9 May 1686
          4. Henri baptized 2 June 1688
          5. Jeanne born before 1691
          6. Sébastienne born about 1692
          7. Marie baptized 9 June 1696
          8. Jacques born about 1699

Five of the eight children’s baptismal records were found in the church records of Herserange from 1678 to 1688. Baptismal records are missing for the years from 1689 to 1693, a period when two of the children were born. Although records are available from 1694 to the time the youngest child is believed to have been born, no baptismal record was found.

The Eight FOURNEL Children

Françoise baptized 18 March 1678
Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 19 de 529

Jean FOURNELLE and Catherine SETON’s first known child was Françoise baptized on 18 March 1678 in Saulnes, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. They are clearly named as her parents in this record. Her godfather was Guillaume DASSIS. Her godmother was a lady named Françoise – her surname was cut off on the right side as the edges of the page have deteriorated.3

Françoise married Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745) on 23 January 1708 in Saulnes. The marriage record includes the names of her parents.4

Françoise died on 13 October 1729 in Saulnes. Her husband gave her age as 45 years although she was actually six years older.5

Nicolas baptized 30 September 1683
Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 28 de 529

The baptismal record of the second child of Jean and Catherine is missing information.

On the last day of September 1683 in Saulnes, a child [name is missing] was born to [first name missing] FOURNELLE and Catherine SETON and baptized. The verb baptizé is masculine and confirms the child was male. The godfather was [first name missing] BOUILLON and the godmother was Margueritte [illegible maiden name] [one or more missing words] COURTOIS.6

As the husband of Catherine SETON is known to have been Jean FOURNEL it can be assumed that the father’s missing name was Jean. The godmother Margueritte was most likely the wife of Bernard COURTOIS, the only Courtois with a wife named Margueritte at this time. Her maiden name was EVRARD per their 1740 death records.7,8

As the baptismal record is for a male child, he would have the same name as his godfather. Other records have been found that indicate Nicolas FOURNEL was the oldest known son of Jean and Catherine. A Nicolas BOUILLON was in Saulnes at this time. He witnessed the death entry of his wife Jeanne PIERON on 11 January 1694 in Saulnes.9 As no other baptismal record was found for a son named Nicolas, I find it very likely that Nicolas was the name of the child baptized on 30 September 1683.

Nicolas was the godfather Marie, daughter of Jean DROUET and Jeanne REMY, baptized on 3 October 1707 in Saulnes.10 He was described as un jeune garçon or a young boy or man meaning he was not yet married. His surname was spelled FOURNY.

Nicolas married Barbe AGARANT (1680-1758) on 29 June 1710 in Réhon, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. As in the baptismal record mentioned above, he was described as un jeune garçon de Sosne, paroissien de Herserange or young boy of Saulnes, a parishioner of Herserange. His surname was spelled FOURNIER. Barbe was the widow of Jean BERNARDIN.11 The entry in the Réhon parish record does not name Nicolas’ parents however we can assume they were Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON as they were the only couple in Saulnes of this surname and with children of marrying age.

Nicolas and his family lived in Hussigny, a town whose records are lacking for the period he would have been having children up until the death of his wife in 1758.

Several more records were found that connect Nicolas to the Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON family. They will be discussed later in this post.

Jean baptized 9 May 1686
Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 42 de 529

Jean was baptized on 9 May 1686 in Saulnes. His godparents were Jean QUERIN and Marie Madeleine [illegible]. His parents’ names were Jean FOURNIER and Catherine. Space was left on the record for the maiden name of his mother but never filled in.12

Jean married Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759) on 22 January 1713 in Rodange, Luxembourg. His father Jean FOURNEL was present at the marriage. His older brother Nicolas was a witness at the marriage.13

Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN were my 6th great-grandparents.

Henri baptized 2 June 1688
Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 55 de 529

Henri was baptized on 2 June 1688 in Saulnes. His godparents were Henry LOUIS and Barbe DROUET. His parents were listed as Jean FOURNIER and his wife. As with Jean’s baptismal record, space was left for the mother’s name but not filled in.14

Henri FOURNEL married Anne LAUNOIS. A marriage record has not been located. She was named as his wife in his death record when he died on 6 August 1753 in Saulnes. The record was witnessed by his son Henri and his brother Jacques.15

Several marriage records of sons of Henri and Anne were found. They name them as a couple and parents of the children. They will be cited in the section on Henri’s brother Jacques.

Jeanne born before 1691

A baptismal record was not found for Jeanne who was born before 1691.

Jeanne FOURNEL was the godmother of Jean COURTOIS, son of Françoise FOURNEL and Jean COURTOIS, who was baptized on 14 October 1708.16

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 234 de 529

She was also the godmother of his brother Jacques baptized on 4 February 1717.17 In this record, Jeanne was clearly named as the aunt of the child proving she was the sister of Françoise, i.e. the oldest daughter of Jean and Catherine.

Jeanne FOURNEL married Jérôme PETRISOT ( -1734) on 28 July 1720 in Obercorn, Luxembourg. She was a young lady from Saulnes and the names of her parents are not mentioned.18 Their first child was born on 20 August 1721. She was named Maria Catharina for her godmother Marie Catherine FOURNEL.19

Jeanne was still living on 6 September 1734 when she and her husband acquired property (a hovel, a garden, etc.) from Jean FOURNIER, Nicolas FOURNIER, Jean COURTOIS (representing the children of the deceased Françoise FOURNIER), and Jacques FOURNIER. The notarial records for this transaction have not been viewed.20

Sébastienne born about 1692

Sébastienne was born about 1692. No baptismal record was found due to missing records.

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 178 de 529

On 24 November 1720, she married the widower Jean FRANÇOIS (1692-1741) in Saulnes. Witnesses to the marriage were Jean FOURNEL and Jacques FOURNEL, both referred to as her brothers. She is described as a young lady from Saulnes and her parents are not named.21 As she was the sister of Jean and Jacques (younger brother seen below) we can assume she was the daughter of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON.

Sébastienne FOURNELLE died on 29 December 1752 in Saulnes at the age of about 60 years. This record was used to calculate her year of birth.22

Marie baptized 9 June 1696
Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 365 de 529

On 9 June 1696 in Saulnes, a child Marie was baptized in the presence of her godfather Jean HEINS of Hussigny and her godmother Marie LEJEUNE of Aix. Her parents’ names were Jean FOURNY and Catherine SETON.23

Marie FOURNEL was the godmother of her sister Sébastienne’s illegitimate son Jean CHOLOT who was baptized on 9 December 1713 in Saulnes.24

Jacques born about 1699

Jacques, the youngest known child of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON, was born about 1699. His estimated year of birth has been calculated from his age at death. This places his birth before the death of Catherine SETON who died in 1702.

Jacques most likely married in Hussigny where he lived his adult life. As mentioned earlier in this post, Hussigny is lacking records for the years between 1716-1765 with only 1753-1756 and 1758 being available. Even without the Hussigny records, the youngest son of Jean and Catherine produced more records than any of his siblings that show his connection to them and therefore to their parents.

Jacques FOURNEL was the godfather of his nephew Jacques COURTOIS, son of Jean COURTOIS and Françoise FOURNEL, baptized on 4 February 1717 in Saulnes. He and his sister Jeanne were the godparents and referred to as the uncle and aunt.[See footnote #17 and image 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 234 de 529]

When Sébastienne married Jean FRANCOIS in 1720, Jacques and Jean FOURNEL were witnesses and referred to as brothers of the bride.[See footnote #21 and image 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 178 de 529]

Jacques married Marie JACOB most likely in Hussigny before 1724. The 1758 death record of Marie JACOB names Jacques as her husband.25

On 18 January 1743 Jacques FOURNEL of Hussigny was a witness to the marriage of his niece Jeanne FOURNEL to Henry DE CHAIVE. Jeanne was the daughter of Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN. Jacques was referred to as the uncle of the bride.26

Jacques was a witness at the marriages of two of his nephews, sons of Henri FOURNEL and his wife Anne LAUNOIS. On 26 February 1756 their son Henri married Marie Claire BOULANGER in the presence of Jacques FOURNEL uncle of the groom and others.27

On 8 February 1763 their son Dominique married Marie COMES in the presence of witnesses that included Jacques FOURNEL of Hussigny.28

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 3 vue 60 de 328

Dominique was widowed and married again on 28 December 1765 to Barbe SCHMIT. Jacques, his uncle from Hussigny, was a witness.29

Jacques died at the age of 75 years on 9 December 1774 in Hussigny and was buried the following day in the presence of parishioners including his nephew Henri FOURNEL (son of Henri and Anne) and his grandson Charles LIBERT (son of his daughter Marguerite).30

A ninth child for Jean and Catherine?

Two baptismal records were found that name Marie Catherine FOURNEL as a godmother in 1721. On 20 August 1721 Maria Catharina PETRISOT, daughter of Jérôme PETRISOT and Jeanne FOURNEL, was baptized in Obercorn. Her godmother was Maria Catharina FURNIER of Saulnes. The child’s mother’s maiden name was also spelled FURNIER.31

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 184 de 529

Two months later, Marie Catherine FRANÇOIS, daughter of Jean FRANÇOIS and Sébastienne FOURNEL was baptized in Saulnes. Her godmother was Marie Catherine FOURNEL described as her aunt.32

Was Marie Catherine the same person as Marie born in 1696?

No records have been found for the marriage or death of Marie FOURNEL or Marie Catherine FOURNEL. No baptismal record was found for a child named Marie Catherine FOURNEL. As I reviewed the records while writing about the children, I wondered if those found are for two separate persons. Should I enter Marie Catherine as a ninth child of my 7th great-grandparents? Could she have been born after Jacques and before the death of the children’s mother?

The Deaths of Jean FOURNEL and his wife Catherine SETON

Catherine SETON the wife of Jean FOURNEL died on 21 September 1702 in Saulnes of an unknown illness at the age of about 45 years. Was this following childbirth? Her husband Jean arranged the funeral and solemn services for three consecutive days for her soul to rest. He signed her death and burial entry in the parish record with his mark.33

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 333 de 529

When my 6th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN married in 1713, the elder Jean FOURNEL was present at the marriage and signed the parish register with the same mark as in 1702 when his wife died.[See footnote #13]

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 266 de 529

Jean also signed with his mark on the 1708 marriage record of his oldest child Françoise.[See footnote #4]

Image courtesy of Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), 5 Mi 259/R 1 vue 300 de 529

Jean FOURNEL outlived his wife Catherine by a few days less than 19 years. He died on 3 September 1721 in Saulnes. His two oldest sons Nicolas and Jean arranged for the funeral and solemn services for three consecutive days so that his soul would rest in peace.34

Did Jean FOURNEL’s mark have a special significance to him, his family, his occupation? Did anyone else in Saulnes or in the area use the same sign? These questions will be brought up again in part 3 of this series.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Histoire de Saulnes, online https://www.saulnes.fr/saulnes-historique/histoire-de-saulnes/ : accessed 10 July 2020. ↩
  2. Catherine Goncalves, Bernard Batrthélémy, René Bréden, Aimé Tarnus, Familles de Saulnes de 1668 à 1920 (three volumes) published by the Cercle Généalogique du Pays de Longwy, p. 9. ↩
  3. Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records (online http://www.archives.cg54.fr/), Herserange > 1668-1773 > 5 Mi 259/R 1 > Herserange B. (1668-1688, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), M. (1684-1686, 1688-1692, 1694-1742, 1745-1746), S. (1676-1679, 1681-1689, 1694-1742, 1745-1773) image 19 of 529 . New terms of use: En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation. 1678 Fournel, Françoise baptismal record (middle of right page under Sosne).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075b0db : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  4. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 300 of 529 . 1708 Courtois, Jean and Fournel, Françoise marriage record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380814b5d : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  5. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 114 of 529 . 1729 Françoise Fournel death record (age about 45 years) (left page, 3rd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380788d8e : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  6. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 28 of 529. 1683 Baptismal Record (right page, 5th entry). This document is in very bad condition. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075f780 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  7. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 79 of 529. 1740 Death Record (left page, first entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538077740c : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  8. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 79 of 529. 1740 Death Record (right page, first entry).(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538077740c : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  9. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 28 of 529. 1683 Baptismal Record (right page, 5th entry). This document is in very bad condition. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538075f780 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  10. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 311 of 529. 1707 Baptismal Record of Marie Drouet, godfather Nicolas Fourny. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538081d08c : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  11. Ibid., Réhon B., M. (1710, 1714-1715, 1733-1792), S. (1714-1715, 1733-1791) 1710-1792 > 5 Mi 450/R 2 image 373 of 767. 1710 Marriage Record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10eca1233/54b0f2e7a367b : accessed 7 Augut 2020). ↩
  12. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 42 of 529. 1686 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380766086 : accessed 10 July 2020). ↩
  13. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 266 of 529 . 1713 Jean Fournel and Jeanne Berkin marriage record (right page, top). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807ed8f7 : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  14. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 55 of 529. 1688 Henri Fournel baptismal record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538076c2be : accessed 2 July 2020). ↩
  15. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 455 of 529. 1753 Death Record (right page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53808948e4 : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  16. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 303 of 529. 1708 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd to last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380816b4f : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  17. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 234 of 529. 1717 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807d29ad : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  18. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 6 of 296. 1720 Marriage Record (left page, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9SK3?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  19. Ibid., Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 78 of 296. 1721 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SCK?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  20. Aimé Tarnus, Histoires des Familles, Hussigny-Godbrange de 1550 à 1900; Tome 2 (2002-Fortier à 4096-Mohy); page 535, family 2029, notary records Meurthe-et-Moselle 23 E 147 Étude Guyot, transférée à Villerupt (1719-1882). ↩
  21. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 178 of 529. 1720 François, Jean and Fournel, Sébastienne marriage record. (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b09bb : accessed 8 July 2020). ↩
  22. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 459 of 529. 1752 Death Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380898021 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  23. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 365 of 529. 1696 Marie Fournel baptismal record (right page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b5380847004 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  24.   Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 274 of 529. 1713 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807f3dc5 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  25. Ibid., Hussigny-Godbrange > 5 Mi 268/R 1 image 38 of 677. 1758 Death Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010531aec1 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  26. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 3 images 197 and 198 of 328. 1743 Marriage Record (part 1)(http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06e6ad : accessed 9 July 2020) and 1743 Marriage Record (part 2) (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f06f031 : accessed 9 July 2020) ↩
  27. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 3 image 123 of 328. 1756 Marriage Record (right page, top entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f040929 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  28. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 3 image 69 of 328. 1763 Marriage Record (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f0253fe : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  29. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 3 image 60 of 328. 1765 Marriage Record (left page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3ebca/54b536f021335 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  30. Ibid., Hussigny > 5 Mi 268/R 1 image 83 of 677. 1774 Death Record (right page). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea53d8a/54b010532f877 : accessed 2 August 2020). ↩
  31. Luxembourg Parish Records, Obercorn > Baptêmes 1704-1727, 1746, 1794-1797, 1800-1805, mariages 1795-1797, 1800-1807, sépultures 1794-1797, 1802-1807 > image 78 of 296. 1721 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SCK?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-N3T%3A1500974001%2C1500974302 : accessed 12 July 2020). ↩
  32. Archives Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 184 of 529. 1721 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b4610 : accessed 8 August 2020). ↩
  33. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 333 of 529. 1702 Catherine Seton death record, age at death about 45 yrs (right page, last entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b538082e2f7 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩
  34. Ibid., Herserange > 5 Mi 259/R 1 image 183 of 529. 1721 Death Record (left page, first entry). (http://archivesenligne.archives.cg54.fr/ark:/33175/s0054ad10ea3e74c/54b53807b3cf3 : accessed 7 July 2020). ↩

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

The FOURNELLE family has always been one of my favorites to research.

In 2013 I spent nearly a year working exclusively on finding the records for descendants of my 7th great-grandparents Jean FOURNEL (ca. 1655-1721) and Catherine SETON (ca. 1657-1702) of Saulnes, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.

The FOURNELLE line is my maternal grandmother’s paternal line. She carried the name as did her father, his father, their grandfathers, all the way back to…

Variations of the Surname

In the earliest records found, Jean FOURNEL was seen as Jean FOURNELLE in 1678 and 1683 (baptismal records of daughter Françoise and son Nicolas), as Jean FOURNIER in 1686 and 1688 (baptismal records of sons Jean and Henri), and as Jean FOURNY in 1696 (baptismal record of daughter Marie) and 1708 (marriage record of daughter Françoise). At the time of his wife Catherine’s death in 1702 and his own death in 1721, the name was spelled FOURNEL. In the next generations, the name FOURNEL was more frequently seen as FOURNELLE.

Several records dated before 1678 were found for persons in Saulnes with the FOURNELLE, FOURNEL, and FOURNY spelling. Persons who appear to have been related to Jean FOURNEL. Will they take the line back another generation?

The Origin of the Surname

Forneri, Forneris, or Fornero are trade names frequently encountered in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Riviera area. They are of Italian origin, not surprising as, historically, the Comté de Nice (County of Nice) was for a long time Italian rather than French. In short, forni-, forno-, forne- and all their variants originate “in the bakery” as they have a relationship with a “forn” or an oven. This is usually a bread oven but the root word is also seen in Fornès or Fornies, names associated with persons who cared for the lime kilns used to melt metals.

In eastern France, we find Forny and Forney or Fornier working on or having brick ovens. In the Vosges and Ardennes, the Fournaises worked with furnaces or larger ovens. It goes without saying that all “For-” are also found in the form “Four-” as in Fournès, Fourny, Fournier, and in Fournel, Fournelles, Fourniol, for the stove or smaller oven.

Fournillier, Fourniaud, or Fourniaux, depending on the region, include one who comes from the site where there are many furnaces. This would mean that the person may not have directly worked on or with an oven but simply lived in the community.1

A Brief History of Saulnes

The earliest records found for Jean FOURNEL and his wife Catherine SETON show they lived in Saulnes, in today’s Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France. Jean and Catherine, per the age given at the time of their deaths, both were born in the decade following the end of the Thirty Years’ War. This fact, as well as the history of Saulnes, had to be considered in my research.

Saulnes had 29 hearths in 1443, 9 in 1473, 4 in 1495 and 1531, and 12 in 1585. During this early period, households, for the most part, had only one hearth and the numbers likely reflect the number of families living in the village. In 1646 the village of Saulnes was not inhabited. The Thirty Years’ War fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648 resulted in the deaths of over 8 million people.

In 1687, several decades following the war, Saulnes was once again inhabited by 20 people. In 1698, 8 farmers, 13 skilled workers, and 4 widows lived in Saulnes’ 25 houses and 11 hovels. There were 20 households in the village in 1716 and 26 in 1739.

Saulnes, until the last century, was only a modest village of a few houses with no more than 400 inhabitants; the main resources were provided by cultivation, breeding, a few vineyards, and working iron.2

A forge existed in Saulnes in the second half of the 14th century. No records exist to date its erection. However, the forge was enumerated in a census in 1474 with a small blast furnace. It was abandoned in the middle of the 16th century. Did my ancestors live in the area during this period? Did they work the forge and is this how they came to be named FOURNELLE?

Location of the Records

During the years the family of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON lived in Saulnes, the village was identified as Sosnes or Sonne in the church records, and, as seen above, grew from having 20 persons to 26 households.

Nearly all records for this family group were found in the 1668-1773 collection for the commune of Herserange in the Archives of the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle in France. This collection of parish records includes the villages of Herserange, Saulnes, Rodange (today a part of Luxembourg), Mexy, and Longlaville.

The priests who kept the records noted the name of the village the record was created above each entry. This was extremely helpful when skimming through the records. However, I found that due to the newness of the records seven years ago, I missed things that turned up while I was reviewing the records in the last few weeks.

Availability of the Records

In 2013 images from the French archives’ sites were not allowed to be used on the internet or for commercial purposes without written permission. At the time this was not a problem for me as I was using them for my personal research only. I did not know that the following year I would begin blogging and wouldn’t be able to use the images in blog posts.

The visionneuse, or image viewer, didn’t have an option to save a permalink of the image seven years ago. I wrote source citations that included the waypoints (path) to easily locate the record if necessary. This must have been foresight.

The French archives sites have evolved since 2013 and many are now including permalinks. I have over 500 citations for records found in the Meurthe-et-Moselle area that will eventually need to be fixed. In the past few weeks, I’ve been accessing the records, copying the permalinks, and downloading images in JPG format for the FOURNEL-SETON family group. It is slow going as I pay special attention to the other records recorded for the little village of Saulnes – searching for connections missed the first time around. [I’ve acquired new genealogy research skills since 2013 and am still learning.]

Another change on the French archives sites is their terms of use. Before you access the records, you are required to confirm the following:

En application du règlement sur la réutilisation des données publiques adopté par le conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle (délibération de sa commission permanente n°17, en date du 16 janvier 2017), je m’engage à mentionner la source du document téléchargé (Arch. dép. de Meurthe-et-Moselle, [suivi de la cote complète]), en cas de réutilisation.

In application of the regulation on the re-use of public data adopted by the departmental council of Meurthe-et-Moselle (deliberation of its permanent commission n ° 17, dated January 16, 2017), I undertake to mention the source of the downloaded document (Arch. Dep. De Meurthe-et-Moselle, [followed by the full path]), in the event of re-use.
[Google Translate]

I can now screenshot a record and use it in a blog post as long as I include the full path to the Archives Départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle. I believe this will be a good learning tool for my readers and a wonderful advertisement for the French archives sites that are more rarely used by non-Europeans.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Jean FOURNEL
Parents: TO BE PROVEN: Nicolas FOURNELLE
Siblings: TO BE PROVEN: Anne and Pierre
Spouse: Catherine SETON
Children: Françoise, Nicolas, Jean, Henri, Jeanne, Sébastienne, Marie Catherine, and Jacques
Whereabouts: Saulnes (Sonne, Sosne), Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 7th great-grandfather

1. Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON
2. Jean FOURNEL and Jeanne BERKIN
3. Pierre FOURNELLE and Jeanne NEU
4. Pierre FOURNELLE and Marguerite SCHMIT
5. André FOURNELLE and Marie Catherine PHILIPPART
6. André FOURNELLE and Odile Lucie SCHLOESSER
7. Jean Joseph FOURNELLE and Catharina FRANTZ
8. Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE and Nicolas WILDINGER
9. Living WILDINGER and Fred Roosevelt DEMPSEY
10. Catherine Ann DEMPSEY and Living MEDER

Now that I’ve covered the surname variations, a short history of Saulnes, and where the records were found, I’ll leave you until next week when I’ll begin to share the story of Jean FOURNEL and Catherine SETON’s family.

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 1)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 2)

Going Back to the Earliest Fournelle Ancestor (Part 3)

Françoise FOURNEL (1678-1729) and Jean COURTOIS (1684-1745)

Nicolas FOURNEL (1683-abt.1748) and Barbe AGARANT (abt.1678-1758)

Jean FOURNEL (1686-1749) and Jeanne BERKIN (1683-1759)

Henri FOURNEL (1688-1753) and Anne LAUNOIS (1692-1758)

Jeanne FOURNEL (~1691-aft. 1756) and Jérôme PÉTRISOT (~1680-1761)

Sébastienne FOURNEL (~1692-1752) and Jean FRANÇOIS (~1681-1741)

Jacques FOURNELLE (~1699-1774) and Marie JACOB (1695-1758)

© 2020, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

  1. Étymologique, Le Mot du Jour posted 20 October 2012; online http://www.etymo-logique.com/le-mot-du-jour/personnalites/forneri-pascal/ : accessed 11 Sep 2013. ↩
  2. Histoire de Saulnes, online https://www.saulnes.fr/saulnes-historique/histoire-de-saulnes/ : accessed 10 July 2020. ↩