She is notable for leading several successful business enterprises after the death of her husband, Louis Fornel.
Marie-Anne Barbel married Jean-Louis Fornel, son of a wealthy merchant family, in December 1723.
Guests such as the governor le marquis de Vaudreuil and intendant Michel Bégon attended the wedding.
[1] Marie's brother-in-law, Joachim Fornel, was a parish priest as well as Canon of the Quebec Cathedral Chapter (both prestigious positions).
[6] In 1743, Fornel's involvement in the fur industry gives him less time to take care of his retail business in Quebec.
[1] This division of property was dictated under the Custom of Paris which served as the legal framework for most of France's overseas colonies beginning in 1454.
[8] As the Custom dictated, Marie-Anne was entitled to one half of the couple's Communaute des biens (community of property), the rest going to child heirs.
Most important for Barbel, though, is that once the husband dies, the widow receives authority of the community, la puissance paternelle, to manage all the belongings.
[10] In effect, this means that widows have equal status as men and this allowed several women to pursue successful business careers.
[13] She also expanded her posts to four other locations in this time, at Ile Jeremie, Riviere Moisie, Chicoutimi, and Malbaie.
Barbel requested that the Jesuits expand her land by nineteen arpents, the amount taken by the river, or that they pay her 6 000 livres in damages.
First of all, a lot of her real estate in Quebec was damaged from the bombing, including her store in Place Royal.
When Louis Fornel initially died, Barbel decided not to dissolve the community of property because some of her children were still young.
According to scholar Lilianne Plamondon, Marie-Anne Barbel's life is an example of the diverse kinds of women that existed in New France.
In the history of New France, much attention is given to women such as Marguerite Bourgeoys, Marie de l'Incarnation, and Jeanne Mance.