Adelphia Powers-Binga

Adelphia Powers-Binga is the mother of Adelaide Binga wife of Thomas Cotillier. She was called a Jewish Doctor in old Buffalo NY. some say she was only a mid-wife. She was born before 1845 and wed William Binga, also of Buffalo. The couple later came to Detroit, where William was a barber owning his own shop on Woodward ave. Adelphia's family owned hotels and banks in NY. and graciouly passed the knowledge of the trade onto her son Jesse Binga, the first black bank owner in Chicago Illinois.

Jesse Binga born 1865-1950

Jesse Binga lived a full life as he traveled the USA from on end to the other working his way as a barber. He ventured as far west as California and made stops in Utah and Iowa before settling in Chicago Illinois. He is the first black bank owner in that state and perhaps all of America. He owned property in both Chicago and Detroit often called the Binga flats. He met with some wrong doing and spent time in prison due to banking business. Years later he was pardoned by Dwight D Eisenhower, then worked in a church until his death in 1950, history books teach the facts about his life in schools today. Jet magazine had an article on him which stated he went from rags to riches and back to rags. He was the brother of Adelaide Binga and son of William Binga and Adelphia Powers both of Buff. NY...later Detroit in 1850.

James, Jesse and John Cotillier

These are three of the four sons of Thomas and Adelaide Cotillier. An older brother Abram was born in 1871 worked Brown's and Ryan as a laborer in Saginaw Michigan. James worked as a sailor, janitor and real-estate agent in Detroit before 1920, Jesse the tallest of the three and named after the brother of his mother(Jesse Binga, first black bank owner in Chicago illinois) was a janitor and courier in Detroit in 1914, Their older sister Elizabeth Cotilier b. 1864 had wed Azier Palmer famous for owning masses of Detroit real-estate. She hired them both as agent for James and courier for Jesse. John it appears was never in Detroit, he instead was listed as a policeman in Flint Michigan about 62 miles north of Detroit. James is found in the 1930 census as being 51 years of age and living in Monroe Mich. In his younger years he was thin and tough known for carrying a straight razor. He was quick to fight even though he walked with a noticable limp because of a bad foot. John is found in 1920 census as Catellier age 36 and 1930 as Cotillier all the time residing in Flint Michigan where he was a policeman. As a young man he did hang out with his brothers but later distanced himself from them an passed for white. He actually gave one daughter Helen Coutillier to his sister Anna to raise because she was born with dark eyes. Jesse is found in 1930 as Catiller age 47 living in Chicago Illinois with wife Sollie and a roomer named Felix Catiller relation to Jesse unknown. He as the others were heavy dreinkers and loved a good time. His size alone enabled him to put fear in a man in many a saloon as he stood over 6 foot 7 inches tall...according to his nephew mrris Ford-Cotllier son of Adelphia.

James and Bride

John Cotilier

John's first wife and children

Etta Gleason, was John's first wife standing on the far left here....her children Helen. James, Anna

John's second wife Marvene of Georgia

Adelphia Cotillier born 1870

Adelphia Cotilier is the second daughter of Thomas and Adelaide Cotillier, born in Detroit Michigan in 1870. She was ofter called Dolly and later wed Charles Ford of Saginaw Michigan. Both had a natural immunity to smallpox and gave aid to the Mt. Pleasent reservation indians when no one else would go near them. Later Charles would go on to race harness horses at the Saginaw State Fairgrounds. She was the mother of Richard Ford, Theodore Ford, Glenn, Charles jr, Morris, George and two daughters Jesse and Marion. Adelphia died at the young age of 42 of typhoid pnemonia.

Notable Coutillier's

Nicolas Courtilier/Coutillier and Jenne Pagot (Pa Joo) were responsible for bringing the Coutilier family to Quebec Canada in 1578 from France. Nicolas Joseph Courtillier resided in Canada in 1850's lets us know that a descendent did remain in the north. Thomas and John Cotillier 1600-1609 Canada would venture down into New Brunswick (NewYork) Edward Felix Cotilla in PA. in 1650, he wed Ann a negro of Portugal...both were French speaking however she was a christian which all the family became after her. Edward was probably catholic. Abram Catillier (Negro son of the above) wed Katherine Jewell in VA, near 1652. Katherine Jewell Cattilla-Cotillier, she was a white woman living in Elizabeth City co. in 1652. She wed first negro Abram Catillier (negro and a frenchman) He died young shortly after the death of his daughter Mary. Katherine alone and unable to provide for three children gave her middle son William Cattilla to the courts to be an indentured servant to Willam Boosh/Booth for thirty years. She did stay close and see to his upbringing and that Boosh saw to his education and providing a heifer to be given him and it's yield at the time of his release which Boosh testified in court that he did comply as agreed. She later wed her neighbor Steven Pond a white planter. At sixty years of age Katherine settled the will of her neighbor Jane Merry and the woman honored her by giving wrtten notice that her daughter Mary Catillier would be admitted into a select league of social white women. William Cattilla-Cotilier born 1670 in Virginia. William is the only Cattilla ever enslaved as an indentured servant by his mother for his upbringing. There was no welfare system in this time and often the courts would take a free born child if it could not provided for by it's parents. He sued for his freedom near age 24 and won his case. (see vitual Jamestown) Later he wed and his daughter bare a bastard child of her body and could not pay the fine of 500 lbs....Will took on the burden and stated he would pay the fine and provide up keeping on the child....he failed and received 25 lashes of a whip! Mary Cattilla-Cotillier born 1675 was the sister of Willam above and Matthew born 1669. Whe was close to her mother all her life well into her 40's. She was a mulattoe daughter of Abram (negro) and Katherine a white woman. She had several bastard children born of her from an Englishman John Berry of Elizabeth city co. VA. A daughter Ann by Christopher Robinson and others, yet she managed to get herself admitted into a league of social white women of Virginia at the death of her neighbor Jane Merry when she was thirty along with her mother Katherine Jewell Cattilla. (see virtual Jamestown ...for her many adventures wit the law) Abram Cottillier (Mulatto) born about 1730-33 wed Sarah perhaps a cousin. He fought in the revolutionary war at the Battle of Yorktown which was near his home in VA. He was listed as a free man of color in the Old Sailors and Marines book by J W Gathaway. He wed Mary Francis a cousin later in owned several slaves..... Abram Cotillier son of above was born in 1760 he fought in the war of 1812...and was a resident of Lundenburg Co. Virginia for many of the years of his life. He too was a mulattoe and owned several slaves...... John Cottilier born about 1792-98 mulattoe son of the above. He wed first a woman of the Virginia negro Smith family and fathered several kids. Then wed Elizabeth Berry born 1810 of VA. he owned a home in Berkeley co as well as Henrico co for a short time until the family moved north in 1849, He owned 9 slaves and was a planter for a time....was educated and is respondsible for correcting the spelling of our surname....in VA from 1640-1800 it spelled Cattilla...John saw to it that Cottillier was returned not used since 1609-1630 John Cotilier born 1831, was the son of John above. In 1870 he was in Detroit married to Mary Cotillier with his daughter Rosa one years old. He was a cook on a boat along side his brother Thomas on the Detroit River, it served as a floatig party store where traders could purchase goods up and down the river. He later followed his brother Thomas to Saginaw Michigan. Thomas B Cotilier born 1833 to John Cotilier b 1798 and Elizabeth Berry b 1810. He is the brother of John above. He wed first Emma Swan of VA. who came with him to Michigan in 1863...He then wed Adelaide Binga in 1864 in Michigan. Together they moved to Saginaw where he worked at several jobs. One of which was a dreyman (large wagon and strong teamof horses used for hauling) and a saltmaker as well as a cook. In 1870 Thomas stated that he was only 24 and his bride 22 when in fact he was 37. In 1906 he died in Saginaw Michigan his death record said he was 73....his wife died in 1922 her death record said she was then 78. Thomas 's first thought by the family to be deceased was found living in northern Michigan. Son's and grandson's used to say Thomas would leave for short periods of time stating he was going to Spain. The thing is he was not Spainish and had been an American for six generations and was decendent of the French. Perhaps he was seeing to his other family in the north and I often wonder why of his four sons none was named after him. Seems he was well loved. He is my personal favorite sharing a likeness and a birthdate June 10th. James Cotilla-Cotilla...born 1844 was the brother of Thomas and John...he was 16 and on his on i Virginia in 1850. Not much else can be found. Thomas named his second son after him. George Cotillier born 1838 also the brother of the above men. Is mulattoe in 1870 Virginia and a blacksmith. He never left Virginia with the others and was a Smith for both north and south during the civil war.....after the war was over his place was still standing and never burned out. Later he resided in West Virgina until his death. He had a nephew working with him Edward Catillier age 22 listed as his helper. Silvia Cotilla-Cotilier, she was listed as a negro in 1870 forty years of age in PA.....she could be found in Georgia in the same year of the census. not married she was born in 1830. (both Silvia and Albert were born in Virginia) Albert Cotillia-Cotillier age 42 in 1870 PA. Negro and probably brother of Silvia. he had a son Alfred Cotilier living in PA. with him. (perhaps the children of john's first wife surname Smith) John Cotilier born 1884 was the son of Thomas Cotillier b 1833. he grew up in Saginaw and later became a policeman in Flint Michigan, he passed for white and gave one daughter to his sister Anna to raise because she was born with dark hair and dark eyes. He can be found in the 1920 census and 1930 census under Catellier and Cotillier. James Cotilier born 1879 listed as ngroe is the brother of John above his parents were Thomas Cotillier and Adelaide Binga. He grew up in Saginaw Michigan and along with his brothers visted many of the lcal saloons. He was hot tempered as a youth and quick to start a fight , carried a straght razor and walked with a noticable limp due to a club foot. He later wed and resided in Monroe Mchigan. (Frenchtown) found in the 1930 census. Jesse Catillier born 1883 was the taller brother of the above. listed as a negro in 1930 census of Chicago Illinois with his wife Sollie believed to be oriental. Also there was a roomer there named Felix Catiller relationship unknown. Minutier Central Des Notares Paris France Denis Courtillier 1595-1616 cxv11 Pierre Courtillier 1555-1578 cxv11 Louis Courtellier 1662-1678 LXIX George Courtenay of 1745 England, a capt. on her queens navy. He patrolled the waters near Vancouver Island , Canada....often stated that he fished those waters from his vessel. Courtenay city is named after him. In 1847, George Libscomb in his "History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham" listed the following Representatives in Parliament for High Wycombe. Thomas Le Tayleur 1295, Adam de Guldeford 1298, Peter le Cotillier 1306-1308 In London England, in the election of 1298 in May on the Thursday of Ascension Henry le Galey's mayor called together six members all his aldermen Walter of Finchingfield, John of Cambridge, Richard of Gloucester, William Mazeliner, William of Bertoyne, Thoams Romeyn, and one (Soloman le Cotillier) who were all to go to the king's Parliament at YORK. Notables cont....

Coutililer's on board!

Nicolas and Jenne Coutant Courtier, were exiled from England to Amercan in 1756. W M Catillier in 1657 a ships capt . made several runs between America and the eastern world....May have actually brought slaves to the US as well as goods and other products. Antonie Courtinay 1719 listed as a French smuggler of Tobacco between the USA nad France Matthieu Coutinay 1719 listed as a proffessional of the military. Edwardo Cotilia and his son named the same come to America from Italy in 1854 named in ships log. Jean-Baptiste Cotelier (COTELERIUS) Patristic scholar and theologian, born December, 1629, at Nîmes; died 19 August, 1686, at Paris; The early education of this very gifted man was under the personal direction of his father, at one time a minister of the Reformed Church, but later a convert to Catholicity. So rapid was his progress in learning that he could fluently interpret the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek before the General Assembly of the French clergy at Mantes (1641). On the same occasion he showed his proficiency in mathematics, and made such a favourable impression on the clergy that they increased his father's pension from 600 to 1000 livres. To this sum 300 livres were added for the purchase of books; During the period of his theological studies at Paris (1641-47), Cotelier's brilliant intellectual qualities procured for him an introduction to the king (1644); He graduated as bachelor in theology in 1647 at the Sorbonne, of which he became a member in 1648, though he never received priestly ordination; In 1654, he accompanied Archbishop d'Aubusson de la Feuillade of Embrun to his diocese and became his counsellor. He returned, in 1659, to Paris and again devoted himself to study. With the philologist Du Cange he was commissioned in 1667 by Minister Colbert to investigate and catalogue the Greek manuscripts of the Royal Library. In 1676 he was appointed professor of the Greek language in the Collège Royal at Paris.

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