
Marie-Joseph Angélique was a Black woman enslaved in Montréal. After a fire destroyed Montréal’s merchants’ quarter in 1734, she was charged with arson. According to the story, Angélique committed the act while attempting to escape bondage. Despite the fact that there was never any evidence that Angélique was actually guilty of the crime, she was convicted, tortured, and hanged.
Angélique was born around 1705 in Madeira, Portugal. Little is known about her first 20 years of life. She first lived in New England before being purchased by François Poulin de Francheville, a French businessman, and taken to his home in Montreal. De Francheville died not long after she arrived, but his wife, Therese de Couagne, still owned Marie-Joseph. Marie-Joseph was renamed “Angélique” after her late daughter.
Angélique fell in love with a white servant. The pair plotted an escape in the middle of the winter of 1734. They fled together, hoping to reach New England and then Europe. However, bad weather forced them to stop near Montreal, where they were arrested and escorted back to town.
Because of their race, the Montreal community strongly opposed the couple’s love affair. Angélique was returned to the widow Francheville after her capture, and her planned escape went unpunished. Thibault, on the other hand, was imprisoned. Angélique paid him visits as often as she could, bringing him food and offering support. Thibault was released two months later, on April 8, 1734, two days before the Montreal fire.