The Filles a Marier

1634-1662

Most of us are familiar with the story of the King's Daughters or Fille Du Roi; the state sponsored program that brought almost 800 single women to Quebec in the early days of the French settlement, but what is not so well known is the story of the Fille a Marier.  Between 1634 and 1662; 262 young ladies braved the elements to begin an uncertain future in the backwoods of Canada. When the Company of 100 Associates began their settlement scheme, their plan of recruiting only families proved to be too costly, so instead they signed on single men; tradesman and labourers; who would be indentured for three years.  However, this meant that more than 80% of the colonists were men, so even if they decided to stay at the end of their term, there was little hope of them starting a family, unless they chose a Canadian girl. But, since her family would never allow her, or her children, to leave their village; the company directors needed to avoid this from happening. So instead, they began recruiting "marriagable young girls", who would first sign a contract in France and then be given passage and a small dowry to become the wife of a Quebec settler.  You might wonder why these young girls (many under 16), would risk the dangers and hardships, which by now most of France were well aware of; but believe it or not; for many it was the best option. At the time, marriages were arranged, so if the girl's family did not have the means to provide a sutable dowry, her only option was to become a nun, if she was Catholic; or marry beneath her station.  In the case of the young Filles a Marier, though a marriage contract must be signed before departure, she had every right to refuse the union, once she met her husband-to-be.  As a matter of fact, many of them did just that, and were provided safe passage home. Below is a list of all the women brought over under this plan.  Some were sponsored by their church, a company associate or merchant.  Others were of minor noble families; cousins or sisters of men already in the colony.  Marguerite Bourgeoys and Jeanne Mance, also escorted several, training them in the necessary domestic skills, and ensuring that they would be well looked after.  Later, critics of the plan tried to say that all the girls were prostitutes taken off the streets of Paris, but this was rarely, if ever, the case.  Most settled down, raised families and formed the roots of many French-Canadian families.

Meet the Filles A Marier

Méry, Françoise Mésangé, Marie Métayer, Marie Meunier, Françoise Michelande, Madeleine Migaud, Suzanne Mignon, Jeanne Morin, Claire Morin, Françoise Morineau, Jeanne Morisseau, Marg-Madeleine Mullois de Laborde, Madeleine Nadreau, Françoise-Jacqueline Nau-Fossambault, M-Catherine Nau de Fossambault, Michelle Oudin, Marie Pacreau, Marie Panie, Isabeau Panie, Marie Paré (Paris), Claire-Françoise Parenteau or Parentelle, Marie Patou, Catherine Paulo, Marie Pavie, Marie Pelletier, Jeanne Pelletier or Peltier, Marie Péré, Marie or 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 or Pournain, Marie Radisson, Élisabeth Radisson, Françoise Rebours, Marguerite Renaud, Marie Renaudeau, Judith-Catherine Renaudin Blanchetière, Marie Reynier, Christine Richard, Marie Rigaud, Judith Riton, Marie Rocheron, Marie Rocheteau, Suzanne Rolland, Nicole Rousselier, Jeanne Roy, Jeanne Roy, Marie Saint-Père, Catherine Saint-Père, Jeanne Saulnier (Duverdier), Françoise Sauviot, Marguerite Simon, Marie Sinalon, Jeanne Soldé, Jeanne Soulinier, Marie Surget, Madeleine Targer, Élisabeth (or Isabelle) Taupier, Marie Testard, Jeanne Teste, Marie Thavenet, Marguerite-Josèphe Therrien or 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 or Vivier, Jacquette Voidy, Jeanne

Achon, Ozanne-Jeanne (Anne) Alton, Étiennette or Antoinette Anet, Jeanne Armand, Marie Arnu, Marthe Artus, Michelle Aubert, Marguerite Arneau, Jeanne (Marie-Marthe) Banne, Gillette Banse, Marguerite Barbeau, Suzanne Barré, Gabrielle Beaucier, Jeanne Beaudoin, Madeleine Beaudry, Perrine Bénard, Catherine Bénard, Françoise Benet, Marie-Suzanne Bérard, Marie Betfer or Bedford, Suzanne Bidard, Marie Bigot, Françoise Bigot, Jeanne Bigot, Marguerite Bissonnet, Marie Bitouset, Jeanne Boileau, Marguerite Boissel, Marie Bonin, Marie Borde or Desbordes, Jacquette Boudet, Romaine Bourdon, Marie Bourgouin, Marie-Marthe Boyer, Anne Boyer, Marie Breton, Marguerite Brière, Jeanne-Angélique Bugeau, Suzanne Camus, Catherine Camus or Le Camus, Élisabeth Capel, Françoise Cartier, Hélène Cerisier, Jeanne Chapelier, Marie Charles, Catherine Charlot, Marguerite Châtaigné, Marie Chatel, Hélène Chaverlange, Jeanne Chefdeville, Marie Chevalier or Lechevalier, Anne Cholet or Chaulet, Marie Chotard, Jeanne Colin, Catherine Cousteau, Marie-Madeleine; Crampon, Catherine Crépeau or 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 dit 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 or Dugué, Jeanne Dumesnil, Marie Dupont, Marie-Madeleine Durand, Anne-Antoinette Duteau, Madeleine Duteau dit Perrin, Marie-Michelle Duval, Louise Duval, Suzanne Duverger, Françoise Duverger, Suzanne

Émard, Anne Fabrècque, Madeleine Fafard, Françoise Fayette, Marie Ferra, Marie Forestier (Fortier), Catherine Fougerat, Charlotte François, Marie-Madeleine Freslon, Jacqueline Frit, Marie Gachet, Marie Gamache, Geneviève Garnier, Jeanne Garnier or Grenier, Louise Gauchet de Belleville, Catherine Gaulin, Marguerite Gausse dit Le Borgne Françoise Gelé, Louise Girard, Marie Giraud, Isabelle dit Marie Gobinet, Élisabeth dit Isabelle Godard, Jeanne Godard, Marie Godeau, Marie Godin or Bodin, Jeanne Godin, Perrine Gouget, Catherine Grandin (Grandry), Marie Grandry, Marie Grenier, Antoinette Grenier, Françoise Grignault dit 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 or Hurelle, Catherine Jaleau dit Ploumelle, Jeanne Jamare, Marie Jarel or Jaroux, Suzanne Jarousseau, Suzanne Jobin, Françoise Joly, Marie Jopie, Anne Lagrange, Jacqueline Lamoureux, Antoinette dit Louise Landeau, Marie-Noëlle Languille, Marie Latour dit Simonet, Catherine Leboeuf, Marguerite Marthe Lebreuil, Louise-Thérèse-Marie Leclerc, Adrienne Leclerc, Marguerite Leclerc, Marie Ledet or Léodet, Anne Le Flot, Michelle Le Laboureur, Anne Lelièvre, Françoise Lemaître, Denise Lemoine or Le Moyne, Anne Lemoine or Le Moyne, Jeanne Lerouge dit St-Denis, Jeanne Leroux, Mathurine Leson, Anne Letard, Marie Longchamp, Geneviève Loppé, Renée Lorgueil, Marie Lorion, Catherine Lotier (Lothier), Catherine

Maclin, Marguerite Macré or Maqueray, Geneviève Manovely de Rainville, Geneviève Marchand, Catherine Marecot (Marcotte), Madeleine Marguerie, Marie Martin, Anne Mathieu, Catherine Mazouer or Mazoué, Marie Méchin, Jeanne Méliot, Catherine Mercier, Jeanne Merrin or Mairé, Jeanne

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