King's Daughters
Encyclopedia
The King's Daughters were between 700 and 900 French
women (accounts vary as to the exact numbers) who immigrated to New France
(now part of present-day Quebec
) between 1663 and 1673 under the monetary sponsorship of Louis XIV
. The government sponsored them so settlers in the colony could marry and start families to populate New France. They were also occasionally known as the King's Wards, where "wards" meant those under the guardianship of another.
, Jean Talon
proposed that the King sponsor passage of at least 500 women. The King accepted. Eventually nearly twice the number were recruited. They were predominately between the ages of 12 and 25, and many had to supply a letter of reference from their parish priest before they would be chosen for emigration to New France.
The title "King's Daughters" was meant to imply state patronage, not royal or even noble parentage. Most of these women were commoners of humble birth. They received a dowry
from the King of 50 livres
(the dowry was higher if they married an army officer) and had the costs of their transport
ation covered. Many "Daughters" were poor, especially those from Île-de-France
and Normandy
. They were considered "orphans", by virtue of having lost at least one parent, though not necessarily both. Some had both parents living but needed to go out on their own.
).
Non-French women joined the immigrant "Daughters". For instance, Marie de L'Incarnation wrote that in 1668, there was one girl each from Holland, Germany
, Spain
and Portugal
. Most of the girls were from middle or lower-class families. The dowry plus a certain degree of greater social freedom were enough to attract them to New France.
, Trois-Rivières
, and Montreal
. Most had few difficulties finding a husband, as single men waited at the docks to begin courting them. If both parties were satisfied with each other, they would seek out a notary
to draw up a marriage contract. Usually they were married within a few weeks in a religious ceremony at the church. Many filles du roi were married within a month of their arrival in New France.
An early problem in recruitment was the women's adjustment to the new agricultural life. As Marie de L'Incarnation wrote, the filles du roi were mostly town girls, and only a few knew how to do manual farm work. This problem remained, but in later years, more rural girls were recruited.
There were approximately 300 more recruits who did not marry in New France. Some had changes of heart before embarking from the ports of Normandy, some died during the journey, some returned to France to marry, and a few never did marry.
There is a misconception that many filles du roi were recruited from among the lowest class of the population of Paris, and that many were prostitutes. This story is based on a few Parisian prostitutes being arrested in the 17th century and transported to a penal colony
in the Antilles
islands. Later historians mistakenly lumped them with the filles du roi, as if ridding France of criminals by banishment to Caribbean
farms was part of the same program as recruiting women of childbearing age to help populate its Canadian colonies.
According to the author Peter Gagné, there is no record of any of the Caribbean women having gone to Canada. Out of nearly 800 filles du roi, only one, Catherine Guichelin, was charged with prostitution
while living in Canada. She appeared before the Sovereign Council of New France
under the charge of carrying out "a scandalous life and prostitution" on 19 August 1675. Her two children were 'adopted' by friends, and she was banished from Quebec City. She was reported to have turned to prostitution after her husband, Nichols Buteau, abandoned the family and returned to France. She later gave birth to many children out of wedlock. Guichelin had at least two marriage contracts cancelled. She also wed twice more after returning to Sorel, Quebec, then Montreal, Quebec.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
women (accounts vary as to the exact numbers) who immigrated to New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
(now part of present-day Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) between 1663 and 1673 under the monetary sponsorship of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. The government sponsored them so settlers in the colony could marry and start families to populate New France. They were also occasionally known as the King's Wards, where "wards" meant those under the guardianship of another.
Origins
In the mid-17th century, there was a severe imbalance between single men and women in New France. The bulk of the French population in early New France were male voyageurs, soldiers, or priests. Most female immigrants had to pay their own passage, and few single women wanted to leave their familiar places to move and settle in the harsh climate and conditions of New France. The majority of the women in the colony were indentured servants or nuns. For a long time, the French government had considered New France as an outpost rather than a colony, and was not concerned with increasing the population. The growth of population in the English colonies awakened concern among some officials. To increase population and the number of families, the Intendant of New FranceIntendant of New France
New France was governed by three rulers: the governor, the bishop and the intendant, all appointed by the King, and sent from France. The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice . He also presided over the Sovereign Council of New France...
, Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
proposed that the King sponsor passage of at least 500 women. The King accepted. Eventually nearly twice the number were recruited. They were predominately between the ages of 12 and 25, and many had to supply a letter of reference from their parish priest before they would be chosen for emigration to New France.
The title "King's Daughters" was meant to imply state patronage, not royal or even noble parentage. Most of these women were commoners of humble birth. They received a dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
from the King of 50 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
(the dowry was higher if they married an army officer) and had the costs of their transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation covered. Many "Daughters" were poor, especially those from Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
and Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. They were considered "orphans", by virtue of having lost at least one parent, though not necessarily both. Some had both parents living but needed to go out on their own.
Arrival in New France
A total of 737 Daughters were married in New France, mostly to farmers. Some married soldiers (the greater part of them soldiers of the Carignan-Salières RegimentCarignan-Salières Regiment
The Carignan-Salières Regiment was a Piedmont French military unit formed by merging the Carignan Regiment and the Salières Regiment in 1659. The regiment began their existence in combat against the Ottoman Empire before being reorganized to consist of twenty-four companies before being sent to...
).
Non-French women joined the immigrant "Daughters". For instance, Marie de L'Incarnation wrote that in 1668, there was one girl each from Holland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Most of the girls were from middle or lower-class families. The dowry plus a certain degree of greater social freedom were enough to attract them to New France.
Integration into New France society
The women disembarked in Québec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Most had few difficulties finding a husband, as single men waited at the docks to begin courting them. If both parties were satisfied with each other, they would seek out a notary
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
to draw up a marriage contract. Usually they were married within a few weeks in a religious ceremony at the church. Many filles du roi were married within a month of their arrival in New France.
An early problem in recruitment was the women's adjustment to the new agricultural life. As Marie de L'Incarnation wrote, the filles du roi were mostly town girls, and only a few knew how to do manual farm work. This problem remained, but in later years, more rural girls were recruited.
There were approximately 300 more recruits who did not marry in New France. Some had changes of heart before embarking from the ports of Normandy, some died during the journey, some returned to France to marry, and a few never did marry.
Notable descendants of the King's daughters
- Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
player Bernie Boom Boom GeoffrionBernie GeoffrionJoseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
was a direct descendant of Marie Priault, a King's daughter who married Pierre Joffrion, a farmer and former grenadier from the Carignan-Salières Regiment shortly after her arrival in 1669. - One of the descendents of Catherine Guichelin became a founding father of OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada's capital. Louis Coutlée descended from one of Catherine's illegitimate children (Marie Vacher). He was the first sheriff of Ottawa (after serving in the lower Canadian Militia during the Anglo-American War of 1812 with his father.) - Coutlee's son, Dominique-Amable CoutleeDominique-Amable CoutléeDominique-Amable Coutlée was a merchant, farmer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Soulanges in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1858 to 1861 and in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1871 as a Conservative.He was born in Saint-Joseph-de-Soulanges,...
, served as a member of Parliament in Canada.
Rumours and legends
Because the ships bearing les filles arrived at Québec first before proceeding to Trois-Rivieres and Montréal, the men of Québec had the first choice. This is still cited as the reason Québec women are (allegedly) better-looking than their upstream sisters.There is a misconception that many filles du roi were recruited from among the lowest class of the population of Paris, and that many were prostitutes. This story is based on a few Parisian prostitutes being arrested in the 17th century and transported to a penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
in the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
islands. Later historians mistakenly lumped them with the filles du roi, as if ridding France of criminals by banishment to Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
farms was part of the same program as recruiting women of childbearing age to help populate its Canadian colonies.
According to the author Peter Gagné, there is no record of any of the Caribbean women having gone to Canada. Out of nearly 800 filles du roi, only one, Catherine Guichelin, was charged with prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
while living in Canada. She appeared before the Sovereign Council of New France
Sovereign Council of New France
The Sovereign Council of New France was a political body appointed by the King of France and consisting of a Governor General, an Intendant of New France answered to the French Minister of the Marine, And also the Bishop witch helped with laws and land...
under the charge of carrying out "a scandalous life and prostitution" on 19 August 1675. Her two children were 'adopted' by friends, and she was banished from Quebec City. She was reported to have turned to prostitution after her husband, Nichols Buteau, abandoned the family and returned to France. She later gave birth to many children out of wedlock. Guichelin had at least two marriage contracts cancelled. She also wed twice more after returning to Sorel, Quebec, then Montreal, Quebec.
See also
- Baleine Brides, French women who immigrated to Louisiana in 1721
Further reading
- King's Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1673, Peter J. Gagné, 2 volumes, Quintin, 2000)
- Les Filles du roi au xvii'ème siècle, Yves Landry (Leméac, 1992)
- King's Daughters, The, Joy Reisinger and Elmer Courteau (Sparta, 1988)
- Alone in an Untamed Land: The Filles du Roi Diary of Hélène St.Onge, Maxine Trottier (fiction)
External links
- La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan: Organization for the descendants of the Daughters
- A list of the Daughters and their husbands, Andre Therriault
- "Filles du Roi", Morning Sentinel & Kennebec Daily Journal
- The documentary, The Scattering of Seeds: the Creation of Canada
- Filles du roi
- Fille du roi Catherine de Baillon was a descendant of CharlemagneCharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...