Les filles du roi: daughters of the king

Between the years 1663 and 1673, women were recruited to sail across the Atlantic to marry the French trappers and farmers who had settled in New France. These women, who agreed to marry the Frenchmen once they arrived, were called ‘les filles du roi’, or ‘daughters of the king’.

There is some disagreement as to the social status of these women, with some sources saying they came from destitute areas, others maintaining they were a little higher up on the social scale. Some of the women were known to be orphans or to be from hard-working farm families.

There were women from many cities and towns across France, as well as a few from England, Portugal, and Germany. One thing is certain: contrary to some reports, they were not prostitutes.

When their ships arrived in port they were met by nuns who escorted them to the convents or private homes. They were watched and cared for until they were chosen for matrimony.

With very few exceptions the women were chosen by a Frenchman for marriage . The men were motivated byseveral factors . Not only did most of them want wives and families, but the king had declared that men who remained single would have sanctions placed against them, curtailing their right to trade in the fur business. Women did not stay in New France if they were not chosen.

The New World was a difficult adjustment for the women. The climate was different and the living conditions were harsh. But as they were mostly of hardy stock they thrived, and by the end of the decade virtually all were married and the population was roughly 50:50 men to women.

Filles de qualité: daughters of quality

In addition to the regular filles du roi, there was a group of women who belonged to the rich upper class who were sent to New France as well. This was a far smaller group of about 40, and they were called the ‘filles de qualité’, or ‘daughters of quality’. They brought large dowries of their own and married men who were placed higher socially than the masses, often officers in the Carignan-Salières Regiment in Québec.