1663
The Filles du roi, or King’s Daughters, were some 768 women who arrived in the colony of New France (Canada) between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of King Louis XIV of France. Most were single French women and many were orphans.
How many Filles du Roi did not survive the trip to Canada?
Out of nearly 800 filles du roi, only one, Catherine Guichelin, was charged with prostitution while living in Canada, after she was abandoned by her husband.
What did the Filles du Roi do?
The Filles du Roi, or King’s Daughters, had one mission: populate the colony of New France. From 1663 to 1673, these 800 or so women were shipped from France under the financial sponsorship of King Louis XIV to find male suitors and start families in one of the nation’s most geographically significant colonies.
What was life like for the Filles du Roi?
Most of the Filles du Roi were women born to wealthy families that had fallen on hard times. Without a substantial dowry, they could not hope to make a good marriage in France, and without a good marriage, their future was uncertain. The opportunity to start over with a dowry and guaranteed husband was appealing.
Why did the Filles du Roi come to Canada?
The king’s advisor, Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, sent the “Filles du Roi” as an incentive for male workers who had finished their contract and soldiers of the Carignan-Salières regiment (which had just been demobilized) to settle in the colony.
How did the Filles du Roi change New France?
The first King’s Daughters—or filles du roi—arrived in New France in 1663, and 800 more would follow over the next decade. The filles du roi became the founding mothers of French Canadians, for whom these women are a source of historical pride.
How old were the Filles du Roi?
Most were from urban areas. They were approximately 16 to 40 years old when they arrived, with an average age of 24. Between 1667 and 1672, many women (41%) were given a royal dowry of 50 livres tournois (pounds) in addition to their trousseau. Some received even higher amounts (100 or 200 pounds).
Who were the Filles du Roi?
The Filles du Roi were over 700 pioneer women who emigrated from France to Quebec in the middle of the 17 th century. They were called the King’s Daughters because the King of France (Louis XIV) had underwritten their expenses to voyage to La Nouvelle France (New France).
How old is the average fille du Roi leaving France?
Interestingly, most of the men they married in New France were from a rural setting. On average, a fille du roi leaving France was 23 years old.
Who were the king’s daughters of New France?
Definition The Filles du Roi (King’s Daughters) were unmarried women and sometimes widows who were sponsored by the king to immigrate to New France between 1663 and 1673. 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.
When did the first female immigrants to Canada come?
Even though the first women arrived in Canada in the 1630s, only the 800 or so who arrived during the first 11 years of royal government in New France were called Filles du Roi . The first female immigrants to Canada came either with their families or as nuns.
