Most items are still available, though we are running low on some titles. The program was designed to boost new frances population both by encouraging male immigrants to settle there, and by promoting marriage, family formation and. She landed in new france, single, impoverished, and 27, in. Among the filles du roi was marthe quittel, the first of my female ancestors in my mothers line in north america. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Most were single french women and many were orphans. This made the king happy beause the only reason he is doing this is to make the population of quebec grow.
What is fact cannot be changed r espected historians have studied the filles du roi in earnest. Kings daughters americanfrench genealogical society. That is what happened after the arrival of the last contingent of filles du roi, in 1673. Researching your french canadian filles du roi pioneer ancestors. The reasons for the need of more women in new france and how it was organized and by who.
At this time 50 livres was a large amount of money because compared that to a surgeon at the time, a surgeon would have had to work one year to earn 100 livres. Two years ago in 1671 there were about 700 births due to the coming of le fille du roi. The late seventeenth century was a crucial era in establishing territorial claims on the north american continent. This epic explores an early period of canadian history with gorgeous costumes, a focus on important themes, and a musical score that interweaves french, kanienkeha mohawk and english. Over the next ten years, an estimated 800 young women settled in new france under the same program. The author sergine desjardins gave a most stimulating talk on these courageous women and on the life of. This is a very informative book about the arrival in the 17th of the filles du roi. It is an important part of the history of quebec and canada. This book is one of the dear canada series, which are historical novels, written in diary format, about fictional girls during different periods of canadian history. Thinking about my filles du roi ancestors genealogy ensemble. Dear canada make history your own scholastic canada.
Once les filles du roi got married, the couple would recieve 2 chickens, 2 pigs, an ox, a cow and more. In the early 1670s, about young women nicknamed the kings daughters arrived in new france to. Aug 26, 20 in all, about 900 to 1,100 filles du roi came to canada. Les filles du roi the kings daughters, a gorgeous new trilingual musical written in english, french, and kanien. The filles du roi, 1663 1673, peter gagne writes, despite the fact that the sending of filles du roi to new. In order to strengthen frances hold on the quebec colony, louis xiv sent 770 women across the atlantic at royal expense in order to populate new france. And its a story of much courage, stamina, will and many choices.
Most french canadians are descended from 800 women known. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. The program was designed to boost canadas population both by encouraging male immigrants to settle there, and by. In all, about 900 to 1,100 filles du roi came to canada. Filles du roy francoamerican women library home at. A book about her life started to take shape in my head roughly eight years later, in 2002. The filles du roi, 16631673this is a twovolume set of biographies of the filles du roi. Since that time, these women known as the filles du roi, have often been reduced to a footnote in history books, or else mistakenly slandered as women of questionable morals. The introduction explains the need for the program, compares it to similar initiatives by the british and spanish, dispels misconceptions about the filles du roi and gives a history of the program in canada.
Gagne as filles du roi it is likely that more will appear on this list as ancestors are located through future research. Denzel washingtons life advice will leave you speechless listen this everyday and change your life duration. The filles du roi kings daughters were unmarried women and sometimes widows who were sponsored by the king to immigrate to new france between 1663 and 1673. They were part of king louis xivs program to promote the settlement of his colony in canada. The program was designed to boost new frances population both by encouraging male immigrants to settle. I knew very little about them, and did not have any idea that i was descended from more than two dozen filles du roi, as well as the earlier filles a marier, and so many of the founding fathers. Potential filles du roi were often found in orphanages by french recruiters. Written by her eighth great granddaughter 300 years after her death, jeanne chevalier fille du roi is an engaging story, full of facts, mysteries, and unknowns. Thats why only woemen that are old enough to give birth. Both books are written in diary form and both are believable historical fiction. They must have arrived in new france before september 1663 and not be considered one of the filles du roi. Fiction featuring les filles du roi kings daughters score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. A distinction was made between kings daughters, who were transported to new france and received a dowry at the kings expense, and women who emigrated voluntarily using their own money.
Exceptions to the 50 livres rule were revealed by the historian and demographer yves landry, who observed that only 250 of the 606 marriage contracts made by les filles du roi, that is 41 per cent, carry any mention of a dowry granted by the king. Nov 24, 20 the filles du roi, or kings daughters, were some 770 women who arrived in the colony of new france canada between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of king louis xiv of france. Today, the filles du roi are a celebrated part of french canadian heritage, much like the mayflower pioneers in america. Most individuals with french canadian ancestry have several filles du roi ancestors. The king bestowed upon them a dowry of between 50 and 300 livres and named them filles du roi. The filles du roi daughters of the king in 1665, there were only seventy houses in quebec. Most people of frenchcanadian descent can trace their roots back to at least one of these women. Lots of hardtofind history and genealogy books for those seeking their quebec. Filles du roi 8 works search for books with subject filles du roi.
Les filles du roi 7 books meet your next favorite book. A good dramaturg would definitely help tighten things into what could be a glorious, and important, new canadian musical. The filles du roi became the founding mothers of french canadians, for whom these women are a source of historical pride. Anyone who can prove descendency from a filles du roi is eligible for membership in the society of filles du roi. The first contingent of 36 filles du roi landed in 1663. The majority of its small population was made up of hunters, trappers, french soldiers, a few explorers, a few priests, and some sailors. The first time i heard the name of jeanne marguerite chevalier was over twenty years ago.
Despite the heat and the oppressive humidity, costumed women commemorated the role of the filles du roi in founding the colony. The program was designed to boost canadas population both by encouraging male emigrants to settle there, and by promoting marriage, family formation and the birth. Their marriages were by mutual agreement and their many descendants are proud to be filles du roi, the kings daughters. They appear to have combed through every scrap, every log and church record, and all government archives. A groundbreaking biographical dictionary of the nearly 800 women and girls sent from france to populate quebec between 1663 and 1673. How a fille du roi brought the mothers curse to canada. Research by the historical demographer yves landry determines that there were in total about 770 to 850 filles du roi who settled in new france between 1663 and 1673. They emigrated to new france between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program sponsored by louis xiv. And its a story of much courage, stamina, will, and many choices. Filles du roi the frenchcanadian heritage society of michigan.
Their transportation to canada and settlement in the colony were paid for by the king. See more ideas about canadian history, history and genealogy. In addition to cowriting the book and lyrics for les filles du roi, mcisaac will also step onto the stage as marie jeanne, the 16yearold fille du roi who, along with her younger sister, has volunteered to emigrate from france to nouvellefrance new france, as a ward of. The cheyenne story is an adult book, whereas the helene st.
Les filles du roi the kings daughters acadian genealogy. Gagne published by quintin publications, orange park, 20012008. Kings daughters and founding mothers 2001 edition open. The filles du roi, 16631673, peter gagne writes, despite the fact that the sending of filles du roi to new france was a statesponsored program, it seems that no official master list or yearly passenger listing for the vessels that carried these women were kept. There was an announcement today, all the orphan girls if they choose to can go to new france and marry. Dec 06, 2011 the filles du roi kings daughters were unmarried women and sometimes widows who were sponsored by the king to immigrate to new france between 1663 and 1673.
Les filles du roi au xviie siecle suivi dun repertoire biographique des filles du roi. The introduction explains the need for the program, compares it to similar initiatives by the english and the spanish, dispels misconceptions about filles du roi and gives a history of the program in canada. About 80% of the filles du roi were from the paris, normandy, and western regions of france. Researching your french canadian filles du roi pioneer. Onge story is a scholastic publication for juveniles. If they were, they have not survived to our day or have never been found. Sep 19, 2017 the filles du roi became the founding mothers of french canadians, for whom these women are a source of historical pride. Most french canadians are descended from 800 women known as. Both the societe dhistoire des filles du roy in quebec, and the american french genealogical society in rhode island provide information, education, and genealogical research regarding the filles du roi. There is much to like in les filles du roi, but it at times felt on the verge of collapsing under its own weight. Written by her eighth great granddaughter 300 years after her death, jeanne chevalier fille du roi is an engaging story, full of facts, mysteries and unknowns.
More than 350 years ago the kings daughters or filles du roi arrived in quebec. Filles du roy is a term used to refer to the approximately 800 young french women who immigrated to new france between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program sponsored by louis xiv. Taken all together, their works comprise an astounding body of data about the 800 courageous women sent to canada by the king of france in the 17th century in an effort to boost the colonys. Kateris older brother jeanbaptiste, who trades with the french colonists in their fort. From the time of the earliest french colonization of quebec in 1604 until 1663, there were only a handful of families living in that region. In the mid 1990s, i took my french students on a field trip to montreal, and came across a book about les filles du roi. Brought over from france around the mid1600s through a program instituted by louis xiv, the filles du roi roy came to new france to marry the men who far outnumbered the women and populate the colony. The vd theory is postulated by yves landry in his book, where he cites statistics about fille du roi fertility and longevity. Les filles du roi with book and lyrics by corey payette and julie mcisaac. The filles du roi, or kings daughters, were some 770 women who arrived in the colony of new france canada between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of king louis xiv of france. A 11 feb 2019 from file saved 12 nov 2018 list sourced from yves landrys book, les filles du roi au xviie siecle 20 see more. In the early 1670s, about young women nicknamed the kings daughters arrived in new france to help populate the colony. If you would like to know whether one of your ancestors was a fille du roi, there are. Others came from rural areas, and a few were from other countries.
A grand old restaurant in montreal was named after the filles du roi. There is no person of franconorth american descent who does not count one of them among his or her ancestors. Marguerite bourgeoys was the first person to use the expression filles du roi in her writings. Because private interests gave priority to bringing over male workers, the french government and religious community attempted to correct the gender imbalance in the colonies.
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