Filles du Roi (King's Daughters)

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) (www.youtube.com)

  Marie CHAUVET (abt. 1641, , France - aft. 10 April 1709, , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec))

  Denise CHERFAULT (abt. 1641, Paris, France - 2 March 1711, Château-Richer, Québec, Canada (La Visitation-de-Notre-Dame de Chateau-Richer))

  Suzanne CHEVALIER (abt. 1643, , France - aft. 1 December 1698, Lauzon, Lévis, Québec, Canada (Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy))

  Madeleine CHRETIEN (bet. 1646-1652, Paris, France - 25 February 1709, Contrecœur, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Trinité-de-Contrecoeur))

  Catherine CLERICE (abt. 1653, Paris, France - 1 March 1715, Varennes, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Anne-de-Varennes))

  Perrine COIRIER (abt. 1644, , France - 18 December 1714, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))

  Denise COLIN (COLLIN) (abt. 1651, Paris, France - , )

  Marguerite COLLET (COLLETTE) (abt. 1653, Paris, France - 11 June 1730, Varennes, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Anne-de-Varennes))

  Marie-Catherine COTTIN D'ARRAS (abt. 1645, , France - 29 March 1690, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))

  Françoise COUSIN (abt. 1640, Paris, France - 19 December 1714, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))

  Charlotte COY dite COUET (abt. 1649, , France - 12 May 1707, Montréal, Québec, Canada )

  Martine CROSNIER (abt. 1645, , France - aft. 1713, Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Québec, Canada)

  Anne D'AILLY (DAILLIER) (abt. 1634, , France - 19 January 1704, Château-Richer, Québec, Canada (La Visitation-de-Notre-Dame de Chateau-Richer))

  Denise DAMANÉ (1641, Paris, France - 22 September 1704, Champlain, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation))

  Marie DAMOIS (1649, , France - 20 December 1708, Neuville, Portneuf, Québec, Canada (Saint-François-de-Sales))

  Marie-Catherine DE BAILLON (abt, 1645, , France - 27 January 1688, Rivière-Ouelle, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-Liesse))

  Catherine DE BELLEAU (abt. 1639, , France - , )

  Claude DE CHEVRAINVILLE dite LAFONTAINE (abt. 1645, Paris, France - 22 January 1691 , Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))
(Jacques CHEVRAINVILLE dit LAFONTAINE & Marguerite Leonarde BAUDON)

  Marie DE LACOUR (abt. 1644, Paris, France - , )

  Elisabeth DE LAGUÉRIPIÈRE (1638, Paris, France - 12 April 1723, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Marie DE LAMARRE (DELAMARRE) (16 August 1650, Rouen, France - 23 December 1708, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))

  Charlotte DE LARUE (abt. 1646, , France - 22 March 1711, Montréal, Québec, Canada )

  Suzanne DE LICERANCE (1644, , France - 25 December 1723, Laval, Québec, Canada (Saint François-de-Sales-de-l'Ile-Jésus))

  Marie DEBURE (abt. 1631, Rouen, France - 11 October 1700, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Marie-Claude DELAHOGUE (abt. 1651, , France - 25 August 1687, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Anne DELESTRE (29 November 1656, , France - 25 January 1685, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville))

  Jeanne DENOT (1645, Paris, France - 10 October 1710, La Prairie, Québec, Canada (St-Philippe) (St-Jean-François-Régis))

  Anne DEQUAIN (23 April 1645, , France - 7 February 1734, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Marie-Louise DESGRANGES (1648, , France - 11 November 1721, Neuville, Portneuf, Québec, Canada (Saint-François-de-Sales))

  Marie DESHAYES (1643, Rouen, France - 18 December 1707, Montréal, Québec, Canada )

  Madeleine DESPRÉS (abt. 1655, , France - 18 December 1712, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada )

  Marie DEVAULT (DEVEAU) (DEVEAULT) (3 April 1647, , France - 6 December 1687, Repentigny, Québec, Canada (La Purification-de-Repentigny))

  Anne DODIN (DAUDIN) (1649, , France - 25 October 1700, , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec))

  Barbe DORANGE (abt. 1650, , France - 14 September 1717, Beauport, Québec, Québec, Canada (Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité-de-Beauport))

  Élisabeth-Isabelle DOUCINET (17 May 1647, La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France - 15 November 1710, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))
(Pierre DOUCINET & Fleurence CANTEAU)

  Marie DUBOIS (14 May 1644, , France - 27 September 1734, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montréal, Québec, Canada* (L'Enfant-Jésus-de-la-Pointe-aux-Trembles))

  Barbe DUCHESNE (abt. 1650, , Switzerland - 10 July 1710, Montréal, Québec, Canada )

  Marie DUCOUDRAY (abt. 1650, Paris, France - 9 September 1710, Lauzon, Lévis, Québec, Canada (Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy))

  Helene DUFIGUIER (abt. 1643, Paris, France - 14 May 1673, , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec))

  Catherine DUPUIS (1644, Paris, France - 20 December 1682, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville))

  Françoise DURAND (1648, Dieppe, France - 15 September 1718, Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada)

  Marguerite DUSSON (1656, , France - 20 July 1731, Sorel, Québec, Canada)

  Marie-Michelle DUVAL (abt. 1652, , France - 2 June 1711, Charlesbourg, Québec, Québec, Canada (Bourg Royal))

  Antoinette-Catherine ÉLOY (1644, , France - 12 April 1728, Laval, Québec, Canada (Saint François-de-Sales-de-l'Ile-Jésus))

  Jeanne FAUCHEUX (10 June 1655, , France - 20 November 1721, La-Pérade, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade))

  Louise FAURE dite PLANCHET (abt. 1642, , France - 24 May 1714, Cap-St-Ignace, Québec, Canada (Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola))

  Catherine FIÈVRE (19 November 1646, , France - 13 June 1709, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Catherine FOURRIER (abt. 1650, Paris, France - 21 October 1726, Repentigny, Québec, Canada (La Purification-de-Repentigny))

  Marguerite FOY (1638, , France - 12 January 1718, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, Canada )

  Louise FROC (FRO) (abt. 1654, Paris, France - 3 February 1746, Québec, Québec, Canada (Quebec City))

  Marie GAILLARD dite DAIRE (abt. 1647, Rouen, France - 12 July 1736, Lachine, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Saints-Anges-de-Lachine))

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