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Confrontation of Marie-Françoise Thomelet, 14th witness, with Angélique, audience of 3 in the afternoon, 17 May 1734.

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Confrontation done By Us Pierre Raimbault King's counsellor Lieutenant General, Civil Et Criminel, at the Seat of the Jurisdiction Royal of Montreal at the Request of the King's prosecutor, plaintiff And Litigant Accuser Against Marie Joseph Negress Slave of dame widow francheville, prisoner In the gaols of This city And thibault accused and Accomplice; of the witnesses heard at The Information done by Us on the fourteen of April And This, In the Execution of Our ordinance of the six and 8th of the said Month of April with which Confrontation we proceeded as does Follow.

On Monday the seventh of May
Seventeen Hundred thirty-four at
three in the afternoon In the Chambers
of the Gaol of This
city

Had brought Before Us by the

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Gaol keeper the said Accused whom we Confronted with marie francoise thomelet fourteenth witness heard at the Said Information And upon taking the oath to tell the Truth And Interrogated to Say If they Know of each other, they Said that it was so, following which we gave a Reading to the Said Accused of the first articles of the Deposition of the said witness, Containing her name, surname, age, status And Residence, And Her Declaration that she is not family, allied to, Servant nor Domestic to the Accused, And Asked the Said accused to state presently any Reproaches Against the said Thomelet witness, that If Not done And failing to do So she will have no Recourse after having been read the Deposition And Re-examination of the said witness in accordance with the Ordinance that we gave her to Hear; the said Accused stated that she had no Reproaches, that the said thomelet might very well have lied in her deposition.

This done we proceeded with a Reading to the said accused of the deposition And Re-examination of the said thomelet

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And upon hearing it, the Said Accused Stated “My poor traversy [Thomelet], I did not say at all that I would have My Mistress Burned.” And the said Thomelet stated that Her Deposition And Re-examination are truthful and Maintained This to the Accused, and said of the said Negress present that she heard her speak as stated in her Deposition And Re-examination And explained that the said Negress Being with Her at the coste de St Michel to assist in the Gutting of the pigs, on The eve of St Thomas last, Upon her Stating to the said accused “My poor, you Are forever Malevolent; if you do not Content your Mistress, She will sell you” She Responded, “If She sells me, I will have her Burned or Torched,” to which She replied to the Said Negress, “If you have her Burned you will be hanged.” The said Negress began to Snigger And Spring in her seat, And Lay Down. And the Said Negress Stated that the said thomelet Is Wretched to State as Much, that It is Not the truth. A Reading done of the present confrontation to the said thomelet And to the said accused of the present Confrontation [sic] Each persisted on their own Behalf

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And Declared to not know how to Write nor Sign, as requested.

[signed] P. Raimbault

[signed] C. Porlier
clerk

Source: Archives nationales du Québec, Centre de Montréal, Procedure Criminel contre Marie Joseph Angélique negresse — Incendiere, 1734, TL4 S1, 4136, Juridiction royale de Montréal, Confrontation of Marie-Françoise Thomelet with Angélique, May 17, 1734.

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