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Filles du Roi


Between 1663 and 1673, 768 Filles du Roi or "King’s Daughters" emigrated to New France under the sponsorship of the French government as part of the overall strategy of strengthening the colony until it could stand on its own without economic and military dependence on France.

In 1663, the King took over direct control of the government of New France and initiated an organized system of recruiting and transporting marriageable women to the colony. On September 22, 1663, thirty-six girls –the first group of Filles du Roi– arrived in Québec.

The recruiting of Filles du Roi took place largely in Paris, Rouen and other northern cities by merchants and ship outfitters. A screening process required each girl to present her birth certificate and a recommendation from her parish priest or local magistrate stating that she was free to marry. It was necessary that the girls be of appropriate age for giving birth and that "they be healthy and strong for country work, or that they at least have some aptitude for household chores."

The cost of sending each Fille du Roi to New France was 100 livres: 10 for the recruitment, 30 for clothing and 60 for the crossing itself. Upon arrival, the Filles received suitable clothing and some provisions.

All of the Filles du Roi first landed at Québec City where 560 remained, with 133 being sent to Montréal and 75 to Trois-Rivières.

When selecting a Fille du Roi, the suitor looked beyond outward appearances and considered the practical attributes of a bride that would be adapted or disposed to the rigors of the colony. The preference seems to have been for peasant girls because they were healthy and industrious, as opposed to city girls who were often considered lightheaded and lazy.

Every Fille du Roi had the right to refuse any marriage offer that was presented. In order to make an informed decision to accept a would-be husband, the girls asked questions about the suitor’s home, finances, land and profession. Having a home of one’s own was one of the most important considerations for a Fille du Roi.

In addition to any dowry of goods that the bride may have brought with her from France, each couple was given an assortment of livestock and goods to start them off in married life: a pair of chickens and pigs, an ox, a cow and two barrels of salted meat. The King’s Gift of 50 livres is believed to have been a customary addition to the dowry, but only 250 out of 606 known marriage contracts make reference to an additional dowry given by the King. Once married, there was an incentive to have large families. A yearly pension of 300 livres was granted to families with ten children, rising to 400 livres for 12 children and more for larger families.

In September 1673 the last shipment of Filles du Roi arrived from France, and the program ended. The population of New France had risen to 6,700 people, an increase of 168% in the eleven years since the program had begun.

Source: Peter J. Gagné, King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1673, (Pawtucket, RI: Quinton Publications, 2001)


Histoire du Québec 6 - Les Filles du Roi (in French)


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Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Gillette SAVARD (1648, Champagne, France - 16 April 1703, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada (Saint-Jean))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne SAVONNET (1647, , France - 12 March 1721, Rivière-Ouelle, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-Liesse))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne SEDERAY (1651, , France - 5 July 1741, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada (Three Rivers))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne SEIGNEUR (1 March 1649, Rouen, France - 4 July 1733, Chambly, Québec, Canada (Saint-Joseph-de-Chambly))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie SEL (DECELLES) (1647, Rouen, France - 13 June 1719, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada (Saint-Jean))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine SENECAL (1649, , France - , Batiscan, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan) (Saint-François-Xavier))
(Adrien SENÉCAL & Guillemette ROLLEVILLE)

Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne SERVIGNAN (16 February 1646, Irancy, Yonne, France - 21 February 1683, Longueuil, Québec, Canada (Saint-Antoine-de-Longueuil))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne SICARD dite DESCHAMPS (1650, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Nicole SOUILLARD (1642, , France - 25 March 1707, La Durantaye, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine SURET (1645, Paris, France - 30 October 1728 , Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))
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Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne TALBOT (1 August 1651, Rouen, France - 4 August 1740, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie TARGER (22 February 1642, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France - , , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne-Elisabeth TARRAGON (20 May 1652, , France - , , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne TAVERNIER (1641, , France - 11 January 1694, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Martine TAVREY (1646, Notre-Dame-du-Chemin, Orleans, Loiret, France - 24 July 1713, Donnacona, Québec, Canada (Saint-Jean-Baptiste-des-Écureuils) (Les Ecureuils))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne TELLIER (1631, , France - 25 June 1705, Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marguerite TENARD (1646, , France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Geneviève TERILLON dite TESSIER (1653, Champagne, France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Mathurine THIBAULT (1632, , France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne-Jeanne THIREMENT (1644, Paris, France - 1 November 1679, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie-Madeleine THIVIERGE (1651, , France - 16 December 1700, Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Madeleine-Judith THOINE dite VALLEE (1648, Saint-Lô, Normandie, France - 1694, )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Anne THOMAS (1646, , France - 12 April 1724, Cote St-Leonard, Quebec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Françoise TIERCE (1656, Paris, France - 20 April 1724, Berthierville, Québec, Canada (Berthier-en-Haut) (Ste-Genevieve-de-Berthier))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Madeleine TISSERAND (TISSERAN) (1650, , France - 13 October 1705, Saint-François-du-Lac, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine TOPSAN (1638, Dieppe, France - 28 November 1693, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada (Saint-Jean))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie-Jeanne TOUSSAINT (1652, , France - 16 December 1708, Champlain, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne TOUZE (17 November 1640, St-Pierre-de-Dreux, Beauce, France - 3 July 1726, Contrecœur, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Trinité-de-Contrecoeur))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Françoise TROCHET dite RICHARD (1641, , France - 15 May 1706, Neuville, Portneuf, Québec, Canada (Saint-François-de-Sales))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Ursule-Madeleine TURBAR (TURBAL) (1649, Paris, France - 25 November 1739, L'Ancienne Lorette, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation))
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Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marguerite VAILLANT (1646, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France - 27 November 1704, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VALADE (1644, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France - 9 January 1719, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul))
(André VALADE & Sarah COUSSEAU)

Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Perrette-Marie VALLEE (3 July 1644, St-Sulpice, Chalons en Champagne, Marne, France - 5 May 1676, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VARA (1653, , France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine VARIN (1641, , France - 27 January 1706, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VARIN (1644, Rouen, France - 25 March 1701, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine VERRIER (1646, , France - , )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marguerite VIARD dite BOURBIER (1652, , France - 27 December 1715, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VIE (1648, Paris, France - 28 July 1691, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
(Robert VIE & Sainte PAULIN)

Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Catherine VIEILLOT dite MARANDA (20 October 1642, Rouen, France - , Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie-Thérèse VIEL (4 April 1650, Rouen, France - 1710, )
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VIGNY (1655, Paris, France - 24 June 1742, Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada)
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Jeanne VILAIN (1655, Paris, France - 18 December 1711, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul))
(Jean VILAIN & Marguerite DE REISNES)

Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Louise VITARD (1646, , France - 15 June 1715, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada (Saint-Louis))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marguerite VITRY (24 February 1647, Rouen, France - 14 February 1724, Neuville, Portneuf, Québec, Canada (Saint-François-de-Sales))
Fille du Roi  female ancestor  Marie VOGUER (17 August 1647, , France - 26 April 1712, Neuville, Portneuf, Québec, Canada (Saint-François-de-Sales))
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