Filles à marier
The filles à marier are the often-forgotten predecessors of the filles du roi. They are the earliest founding mothers of New France, ancestors of many French Canadians, Quebeckers and even Americans.
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The Filles à marier (1634-1662)
Many of us are familiar with the Filles du roi, the group of women who were recruited to come to New France between 1663 and 1673. Much lesser-known are the Filles à marier (the "girls to marry" or "marriageable girls") who came before them. Unlike the Filles du roi, their passage wasn't paid for by the French crown, nor did they receive the “king’s gift” when they married. They were courageous pioneers indeed, coming to the new world for one purpose alone: the possibility of a better life. This is especially true considering the reputation of Canada at the time as a wild and savage land.
1695 plan of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal by Gédéon de Catalogne (Wikimedia Commons)
The Filles à marier were recruited by individuals, such as merchants or seigneurs, or religious societies such as the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal or the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. They signed a contract in France, normally to work as a servant. It was understood, however, that their primary objective once the contract was over was marriage and settlement. The contracts did not include return passage to France. Once the contract was signed, the Fille à marier would board a ship for Québec, from La Rochelle or Dieppe. She normally travelled alone, not as part of a larger, organized group.
These single women could expect a ship voyage of at least 6 weeks with other passengers, crew, animals, water reserves, cannons and various merchandise. Passengers slept in extremely cramped quarters in the ship’s hold and conditions were far from hygienic, especially when people were overcome with sea sickness. Almost 10% of passengers died on their way to New France.
While fulfilling the duties outlined by their contracts (and waiting to be married), most of the women were housed by religious societies such as the Ursulines in Québec or the Filles de la Congrégation Notre-Dame in Montréal. Others stayed in colonists' homes.
In this new world, the women faced dangers that would have been non-existent in France: threats from the Haudenosaunee (then called the Iroquois) and long, harsh Canadian winters. The land that colonists were given to settle was most often wooded and needed clearing, and their “home” would have likely consisted of a ramshackle cabin. They also faced the threats of epidemics and other diseases, along with the dangers of childbirth.
So why would a single woman in the 17th century want to cross an ocean and take these enormous risks? In France, women did not have a choice in who they married. Arranged marriages were the norm in all classes of society, with the bride's family expected to provide a dowry. Should a girl not be able to marry, her only other options were to become a nun or work as a servant. In New France, given the gender imbalance in the colony's early days, the Filles à marier could have more of a say in who she married.
“A First Settlement,” drawing by W. H. Bartlett (National Gallery of Canada)
Filles à marier Facts:
Their average age was 22
57% were from rural areas; 43% from urban areas
20.6% were related to previous immigrants
62% settled in Québec, 23% in Montréal, 15% in Trois-Rivières
9.5% were widows
They had an average of 6.7 children.
A circa 1695 drawing of the Récollets chapel in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood of Québec (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)
Contrary to rumours at the time, some of which still linger today, the women who came to New France were not prostitutes or "filles de joie" who were rounded up and deported from France. Governor Pierre Boucher of Trois-Rivières confirmed that all women who boarded ships for New France needed an attestation of good behaviour to travel [see the Filles du roi page for more info].
A total of 262 Filles à marier came to New France between 1634 and 1662, representing a quarter of all single women who arrived under the French Regime (half were Filles du roi).
“French Peasant Girl” (artist unknown), New York Public Library
Author Peter Gagné defines a Fille à marier as meeting the following criteria:
Arrived in New France before September 1663
Was of "marriageable" age (12 to 45)
Married or signed a marriage contract in New France, or signed an enlistment contract
Was not accompanied by both parents
Was not accompanied by a husband or going to join a husband
Reference: Peter J. Gagné, Before the King’s Daughters: The Filles à Marier, 1634-1662 (Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Quintin Publications, 2002).
To hear Gagné discuss the Filles à marier on the Maple Stars and Stripes podcast, click here.
List of the Filles à Marier
The following is a list of the Filles à marier as defined by Gagné in his 2002 book [based on his definition, some women may have been added or removed since publication; this list is the original]:
Alton, Étiennette dite Antoinette
Anet, Jeanne
Armand, Marie
Arnu, Marthe
Artus, Michelle
Aubert, Marguerite
Auneau, Jeanne
Banne, Gillette
Banse, Marguerite
Barbeau, Suzanne
Barré, Gabrielle
Beaucier, Jeanne
Beaudoin, Madeleine
Beaudry, Perrine
Bénard, Catherine
Bénard, Françoise
Benet, Marie Suzanne
Bérard, Marie
Betfer/Betford, Suzanne
Bidard, Marie
Bigot, Françoise
Bigot, Jeanne
Bigot, Marguerite
Bissonnet, Marie
Bitouset, Jeanne
Boileau, Marguerite
Boissel, Marie
Bonin, Marie
Borde/Desbordes, Jacquette/Jacqueline
Boudet, Romaine
Bourdon, Marie
Bourgouin, Marie Marthe
Boyer, Anne
Boyer, Marie
Breton, Marguerite
Brière, Jeanne Angélique
Bugeau, Suzanne
Camus, Catherine
Camus/Le Camus, Élisabeth
Capel, Françoise
Cartier, Hélène
Cerisier, Jeanne
Chapelier, Marie
Charles, Catherine
Charlot, Marguerite
Châtaigné, Marie
Chatel, Hélène
Chaverlange, Jeanne
Chefdeville, Marie
Chevalier/Lechevalier, Anne
Cholet/Chaulet, Marie
Chotard, Jeanne
Colin, Catherine
Couteau/Cousteau, Marie Madeleine
Crampon, Catherine
Crépeau/Crépel, Françoise
Crevet, Marie
D’Assonville, Gabrielle
De Lamarque, Anne
De Lambourg, Esther
Delaunay, Anne
Delaunay, Jeanne
Delavaux, Catherine
De Liercourt, Anne Antoinette
Deligny, Marie
De Mousseau, Louise
Denoyon, Suzanne
De Poitiers, Marie Charlotte
De Richecourt dite Malteau, Jeanne
Desbordes, Mathurine
Després, Anne
Després, Geneviève
Després, Marguerite
Desvarieux, Vincente
Doucet, Marie Madeleine
Doucinet, Marguerite
Drouillard, Marie Madeleine
Drugeon, Élisabeth
Dubois, Madeleine
Duchesne, Nicole
Duguay/Dugué, Jeanne
Dumesnil, Marie
Dupont, Marie Madeleine
Durand, Anne Antoinette
Duteau, Madeleine
Duteau dite Perrin, Marie Michelle
Duval, Louise
Duval, Suzanne
Duverger, Françoise
Duverger, Suzanne
Émard, Anne
Fabrècque, Madeleine
Fafard, Françoise
Fayet, Marie
Ferra, Marie
Forestier, Catherine
Fougerat, Charlotte
François/Lefrançois, Marie Madeleine
Freslon, Jacqueline
Frit, Marie
Gachet, Marie
Gamache dite Lamarre, Geneviève
Garnier, Jeanne
Garnier/Grenier, Louise
Gauchet de Belleville, Catherine
Gaulin, Marguerite
Gausse dite Le Borgne Françoise
Gelé, Louise
Girard, Marie
Giraud, Isabelle dite Marie
Gobinet, Élisabeth dite Isabelle
Godard, Jeanne
Godard, Marie
Godeau, Marie
Godin/Bodin, Jeanne
Godin, Perrine
Gouget, Catherine
Grandin, Marie
Grandry, Marie
Grenier, Antoinette
Grenier, Françoise
Grignault dite Gobineau, Marie
Guillebourdeau, Marguerite
Hagouin, Élisabeth
Hardy, Marie Anne
Hautreux, Marthe
Hayet, Marguerite
Hérault, Jeanne
Herlin, Anne
Houart, Catherine
Hubert, Marie Marthe
Hubou, Barbe
Hubou, Françoise
Hurault/Hurelle, Catherine
Jaleau dite Ploumelle, Jeanne
Jamare, Marie
Jarel/Jaroux, Suzanne
Jarousseau, Suzanne
Jobin, Françoise
Joly, Marie
Jopie, Anne
Lagrange, Jacqueline
Lamoureux, Antoinette dite Louise
Landeau, Marie Noëlle
Languille, Marie
Latour dite Simonet, Catherine
Leboeuf, Marguerite
Lebreuil, Louise Thérèse Marie
Leclerc, Adrienne
Leclerc, Marguerite
Leclerc, Marie
Ledet/Léodet, Anne
Le Flot, Michelle
Le Laboureur, Anne
Lelièvre, Françoise
Lemaître, Denise
Lemoine/Le Moyne, Anne
Lemoine/Le Moyne, Jeanne
Lerouge dite Saint-Denis, Jeanne
Leroux, Mathurine
Leson, Anne
Letard, Marie
Longchamp, Geneviève
Lorgueil, Marie
Lorion, Catherine
Lotier, Catherine
Maclin/Maquelain, Marguerite
Macré/Maqueray, Geneviève
Manovely de Rainville, Marie Geneviève
Marchand, Catherine
Marecot, Madeleine
Marguerie, Marie
Martin, Anne
Mathieu, Catherine
Mazouer/Mazoué, Marie
Méchin, Jeanne
Méliot, Catherine
Mercier, Jeanne
Merrin/Mairé, Jeanne
Méry, Françoise
Mésangé, Marie
Métayer, Marie
Meunier, Françoise
Michelande, Madeleine
Migaud, Suzanne
Mignon, Jeanne
Morin, Claire
Morin, Françoise
Morineau, Jeanne
Mullois de Laborde, Madeleine
Nadreau, Françoise Jacqueline
Nau de Fossambault, Marie Catherine
Nau de Fossambault, Michelle Thérèse
Oudin, Marie
Pacreau, Marie
Panie, Isabeau
Panie, Marie
Paré dite de Paris, Claire Françoise
Parenteau/Parentelle, Marie
Patou, Catherine
Paulo, Marie
Pavie, Marie
Pelletier, Jeanne
Pelletier/Peltier, Marie
Péré, Marie /Marie Suzanne
Perrault, Marguerite Cécile
Picard, Marguerite
Picoté de Belestre, Perrine
Pinet de La Chesnaye, Marie
Pinson, Marie Marthe
Poireau, Jeanne
Poisson, Barbe
Poisson, Mathurine
Pomponnelle, Marie
Pontonnier, Marie
Potel, Jacqueline
Pournin/Pournain, Marie
Radisson, Élisabeth
Radisson, Françoise
Rebours, Marguerite
Renaud, Marie
Renaudeau, Judith Catherine
Renaudin de la Blanchetière, Marie
Reynier, Christine
Richard, Marie
Rigaud, Judith
Riton, Marie
Rocheron, Marie
Rocheteau, Suzanne
Rolland, Nicole
Rousselière, Jeanne
Roy, Jeanne
Roy, Marie
Saint-Père, Catherine
Saint-Père, Jeanne
Saulnier dite Duverdier, Françoise
Sauviot, Marguerite
Simon, Marie
Sinalon, Jeanne
Soldé, Jeanne
Soulinier, Marie
Surget, Madeleine
Targer, Élisabeth/Isabelle
Taupier, Marie
Testard, Jeanne
Teste, Marie
Thavenet, Marguerite Josèphe
Therrien/Terrier, Perrine
Thomas, Marguerite
Tourault, Jacquette
Triot, Marie Madeleine
Trotin, Marie
Valade, Marie Barbe
Vauvilliers, Jeanne
Videau, Anne
Vié dite Lamotte, Marie
Viger, Françoise
Vignault, Jeanne
Vivran/Vivier, Jacquette
Voidy, Jeanne
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