Les Filles du Roi were approximately 800 unmarried women sponsored by King Louis XIV of France to immigrate to New France 1663-1673 with the aim of solving the gender imbalance in the Colony. These women, ages 16-40, were married to labourers and soldiers from the Carignan-Saliéres regiment. They were to settle the colony with the goal of maintaining French Dominion and the French Language.
Supplied with dowries from the King, the filles du roi travelled to the New World with monies, clothes, living supplies, transportation and promise of a place to live once there. This 'king's dowry' was about 50livres total: 5livre recruitment fees, 15livre for trousseau (clothes), 30livre for passage.
A Hope Chest included: 1 Comb, 2 Coiffes (Hoods– one taffeta, one gauze), a belt, a pair of hose, a pair of shoes, a pair of gloves, a bonnet, shoelaces, four sets of laces (dress), 100 needles, case, thimble, white and grey thread, scissors, pins, two knives and cloth for handkerchiefs, collars, wimples and pleated sleeves.
Upon arriving, the women had choice over which man to marry.
These maternal ancestors of Québec and 1000s of North Americans today must be admired for their courage. Each woman headed into the unknown leaving France behind. They entered wilderness conditions, harsh winters, sicknesses and death. Many were married multiple times (upon the deaths of husbands) and with a payment received for the birth of children – often 10-15 children per woman was usual.
An example of such a courageous woman is Élisabeth-Agnès ‘Isabelle’ Lefebvre
Isabelle was born about 1654 in Paris, France. She arrived in New France as a fille du roi 31 July 1670 aboard the ship La Nouvelle France. Her dowry was estimated at 200livres plus the kings dowry of 50livres.
Isabelle first entered a marriage contract with one Nicolas Nateau but cancelled this in September of 1670.
A contract of 03 October 1670 was written by the Notary Romain Becquet for the marriage of 14 October between François Thibaut and Élisabeth Agnês Lefebvre. François had been a servant in the home of Robert Parré since 1665.
In the 1681 Census, the young family are documented as owning 1 gun and 4 horned beast of 5 arpents in value.
A 16-year-old Isabelle would give birth to 12 children from 1673 until 1695 in Cap St-Ignace, dying there July 1725, age 70.
She is a 9x great grandmother in the Huggins Family Tree.
Do you have a Fille du Roi in your family ? Do you celebrate her hardships and hope?
Sources:
Wein, T., & Gousse, S. (2022). Filles du Roi. Retrieved 25 July 2022, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/filles-du-roi
Mainprize, Suzanne. ‘Heathers Huggins,’ family tree story; Quintrees, 2021.
Comentários