THIRD WAVE 1667 and 1669
FILLES DU ROI
1667: BLANCHARD-BOURGEOIS-LEBRUN
1669: PELLETIER-DODIN-JALAIS
Details for the ship voyages of my French ancestors are described in a 4 part blog post:
Part 1: First Wave 1635 to 1659 Link Part1
Part 2: Second Wave 1663 to 1665 Link Part2
Part 3: Third Wave 1667 and 1669 This blog post
Part 4: Ship Voyage for Pierre Jamme dit Carriere 1687 Link Part4
Here is a link to the Introduction to the Atlantic Crossings of my French Ancestors that can be found on the 17th Century footprints tab on this website.
EXPLANATION: FIRST A SHIP VOYAGE LOG THEN SOME DETAILS FOR MY ANCESTORS
I have been able to determine some crossing details for only some of my ancestors (about 1/3).
This is because the maritime records for the French ancient regime have not survived. And the passenger lists that have survived or have been re-constructed are not complete.
Ship voyage logs have been prepared chronologically by year. For each ship voyage log I have included: the year, the number of ships that arrived from France, the departure port from France, the number of documented arrival passengers, the name of the ship that my ancestor sailed on, the size of the ship, the departure and arrival dates and the voyage length (number of days).
After the ship voyage is summarized, some details are provided about my ancestor who came to New France on the ship.
Prior to presenting the ship voyage logs with some ancestral details for the years 1667 and 1669, I will provide some background information about the Filles du Roi.
THE FILLES DU ROI FACTS AND FIGURES
MY ANCESTRAL LINEAGE INCLUDES 9 FILLES DU ROI
In part 2 of this blog post, Atlantic crossing details were provided for 2 Filles du Roi that are part of my ancestry -Catherine Fievre and Marie Chevreau. This blog post will provide Atlantic crossing details for 6 more Filles du Roi connected to my ancestry. There is only one Filles du Roi in my ancestry, Marie Major (who married Antoine Roy Desjardins), that I have not been able to identify the ship she sailed on to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Records indicate she arrived in 1668.
1667
The fleet includes 10 ships bound for New France. One is from Dieppe, all the other ship depart from La Rochelle.
There are 98 documented arrival passengers.
Ship: LE SAINT LOUIS
Size 300 Tons, departed Dieppe on June 16 and arrived at Quebec on September 25, voyage of 101 days, which is a very long ship voyage.
This ship image is believed to be very similar to the Saint Louis.
The actual number of arrival passengers on this ship is not well documented, the Jesuit journals and the Intendant Jean Talon do not agree on the numbers.
There are 63 named Filles du Roi (Daughters of the King), 5 named passengers and perhaps up to 100 unnamed workers onboard. The sheep, the horses and the workers that arrive on this ship are all of dubious quality according to Jean Talon! There is some controversy over the treatment of the Filles du Roi received on this voyage and to prevent further turmoil, Jean Talon suggests that a “guardian” (driver) be sent together with the women on all future voyages.
There are 3 Filles du Roi on board Le Saint Louis with a connection to my ancestry:
Marie Blanchard (from Rouen, Normandy) is my 9th great grandmother (matrilineal line ascending from my grandfather Edoire Jolicoeur).
Marie was born on January 15, 1647 in the parish of Saint-Nicaise, Rouen, France. Her mother appears to have died when Marie was only 2 years old. She was 30 years old when she arrived in New France. Her dowry from the king was 50 pounds. She married Mathieu Michel Brunet dit Letang, on October 11, 1667 in Quebec city (Notre Dame de Quebec). They had 10 children, in a span of 20 years. 7 of the children survived to adulthood.
Mathieu and Marie settled at Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Champlain near Trois Rivières where they had 9 children. They relocated to the island of Montreal in 1687, which was prior to the birth of their last child in 1688. Marie was 50 years old when she had her last child! Mathieu received a land concession in 1689 at the Cote de St Paul.
In 1685, Mathieu Brunet dit Letang left Marie and her children for at least 2 years while he travelled to the back country on a fur trade expedition. Two sons Jean (born 1668) and Michel (born 1674) became voyageurs.
Mathieu Brunet dit Letang died in 1708, leaving Marie a widow at the age of 61 years. Marie remarried Yves-Luc Lucas at Lachine. No marriage document has been found, but he is recorded as her spouse on her death certificate. Marie (age 75) was buried in Lachine on July 29,1722.
Here is a certificate from the Society of Filles du Roi and Soldiers of the Carignan Regiment which certifies that I am a direct descendant of Marie Blanchard:
Catherine Bourgeois (from Rouen, Normandy) married Rene Binet who is the French forefather to my great-great grandmother Emelie Binet who was born in 1826.
Catherine was baptized on February 17, 1633 at St Gervais parish in Rouen, France. Her father was a lawyer in the parliament of Rouen. This likely explains her unusually large dowry of 300 pounds.
Catherine was 34 years old when she arrived in New France in September of 1667. She married Rene Binet who had arrived 2 years earlier (see part 2 of this blog post). They were married on October 19, 1667 at Notre Dame in Quebec City.
The couple settled at Beauport near Trois Rivières and they had 6 children over the course of 12 years. In the 1681 census the habitant family had 5 children around the table, 40 arpents of cultivated land, 10 horned animals and a gun. Their life together is described in Volume 20 of “Our French Canadian Ancestors”. They are recognized as a pioneer family in the community of Beauport.
Rene Binet was buried on May 15, 1699 in Beauport and Catherine Bourgeois was buried on September 27, 1702 in Beauport.
Marie Lebrun (from Dieppe, Normandy) married Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison. Their daughter Marie Barbary dit Grandmaison was the wife of Pierre Jamme-Carriere who is the French forefather to my 4th great grandmother Josephte Jamme-Carrier who was born in 1764.
Marie was baptized on December 3, 1643 at the parish of St. Jacques in Dieppe, France. Marie was 22 years old when she arrived in New France. She married Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison a soldier in the Carignan Saliére Regiment who had arrived in 1665 (see blog post 2). They were married on February 24, 1668 at Notre Dame de Montreal and settled in Lachine. Ten children were born during the years 1669 to 1689, 4 boys and 6 girls. Tragically Marie Lebrun (age 46) and Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison, their infant daughter, their eldest daughter and her new husband, and 3 other children would be killed by the Iroquois during the Lachine Massacre.
The story of the Lachine Massacre and other Iroquois attacks on the community of Lachenaie and their impact on my family history will be fully described in 2 future blog posts. 2 other members of the Barbary family were captured and lived with the Iroquois for more than 10 years. They were Marie Barbary dit Grandmaison who was the wife of Pierre Jamme-Carrier my French forefather and her younger brother Pierre. Their story will be described in part 4 of this blog post.
1669
The fleet includes 11 ships bound for New France. One is from Dieppe, all the others are from La Rochelle.
There are historical notes on the Navire Nouvelle France website indicating that more than 360 people sailed to New France during this year. However, there are only 175 documented arrival passengers.
Ship: LE SAINT-JEAN-BAPTISTE
300 Tons, departed Dieppe June 22 and arrived at Quebec in September, actual voyage length unknown.
Named arrival passengers on ship total 108, Filles du Roi contingent of 105 and 3 other passengers. 13 horses were unloaded from this ship, together with horses that arrived from 1663 to 1667, they are the ancestors of a large number of offspring which will give birth to a new horse breed -the Canadian horse.
One of the Filles de Roi who sailed on this ship has a connection to my ancestry:
Marie Pelletier (from Montargis, Centre-Val de Loire) married the French forefather (Mathurin Renaud) of my 7th great grandmother Marie Louise Renaud, who was born in 1705.
Marie Pelletier was born on May 12, 1645 in the parish of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in the town of Montargis (Loire valley), France. She was 24 years old when she arrived in New France. Her father had died when she was only 5 years old. Her first marriage was to Mathurin Renaud (Renault, Renauld) who had arrived in New France in 1662 together with his mother, her second husband and a younger sister. Marie received a dowry of 100 pounds from the King. Marie would marry a total of 3 times:
- October 7, 1669 Mathurin Renaud, born in France, died in 1677. Between 1670 and 1677, they had 4 children who were all baptized at Notre Dame de Quebec
- October 19, 1677 Pierre Canard, born in France, died in 1700. They had one child who was baptized at Charlesbourg in 1678.
- September 23, 1703 Jean Joubert, a miller, born in France, died in 1728, no children.
Marie Pelletier was buried on June 30, 1707 less than 4 years after her third wedding.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Ship (300Tons) would have been similar to this 17th Century Ship Image
Ship: LE POT DE BUERRE
150 Tons, departed La Rochelle, voyage dates unknown, arrival in Quebec estimated at end of June, 1669.
There are 28 named arrival passengers on this ship, including 17 Filles du Roi and 11 others.
Two of the Filles du Roi on board this ship have a connection to my ancestry:
Anne Dodin (Dodain) (from Ile de Ré, New Acquitaine) is the mother-in-law of my 6th great grandfather Francois Meloche born in France in 1676. She married Jean Mouflet dit Champagne (see part 2 of the blog post) a soldier of the Carignan Saliére Regiment. Their daughter Marie Mouflet married my 6th great grandfather Francois Meloche.
Anne Dodin was born during the year 1651 in the town of Loix, Il de Ré, France. She was 18 years old when she arrived at Quebec city. Her husband Jean Mouflet dit Champagne was one of the more than 400 soldiers who decided to accept a land grant after his military service and build a new life in New France. Initially the couple lived near Trois Rivières, by 1981 they had relocated to the Lachine area where the 1681 census indicates that they had nine arpents in cultivation. They had 8 children, 3 boys and 5 girls that were born between 1670 and 1688. Their first 4 children were born near the first location and the last 4 children were born and baptized at Lachine. Tragically both Jean and Anne (age 28) were also victims of the Lachine massacre in August of 1689.
Marie Jalais (also from Ile de Ré, New Acquitaine) married the French forefather (Jean Lauze dit Matha) of my 6th great grandmother Marie Josephte Louise Lauze who was born in 1730.
Marie Jalais was born on May 5 and baptized on May 7, 1653 in the parish of Saint-Martin-De-Re, on L’Ile-de-Re, France. She was just 16 years old when she arrived in New France in 1669. In less than two months she married the former Carignan Saliére soldier, now turned habitant Jean Lauze dit Matha (see part 2 of this blog story.) They were married at Sainte Famille on L’Ile d’Orleans on August 26, 1669. They settled on the beautiful island and between the years of 1670 and 1676 they had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls.
Unfortunately Jean Lauze dit Matha is believed to have died between the years of 1679 and 1680. There is no definitive record of his death. Did he die fighting the Iroquois in a chance encounter or perhaps there was a drowning or other type of accident.
Marie was a young mother with 4 young children and she married a second time on July 9, 1680. Her second husband was Robert Leclerc, a carpenter who was originally from Rouen, France. Marie would have 10 more children! The Leclerc children (5 boys and 5 girls) were born between the years of 1681 and 1696. At least 2 children died as infants. The household was established by Quebec city. Marie died at the age of 68 at the Hotel Dieu in Quebec city on December 8, 1721.
This is a picture of the celebration and re-enactment of the arrival of the Filles du Roi that took place in 2013.
Sources:
Filles du Roi
There are 3 websites that were used to obtain details and documentation for the Filles du Roi.
https://fillesduroi.org/
This is the website of the Society of Filles du Roi and Soldiers of the Carignan Regiment. The organization was formed in 1994 to honor the memory of these courageous ancestors and foster a sense of pride in French-Canadian heritage. It promotes good genealogical practices and offers certificates to direct descendants once they submit acceptable documentation to prove their lineage for each Fille du Roi or Soldier. I obtained certificates for Marie Blanchard and Catherine Fievre in July 2021.
http://www.migrations.fr/
Although not secured, this is a tremendous website that documents the Filles du Roi and Carignan Saliére Regiment soldiers that came and settled in New France in the 17th Century. Many birth, marriage and burial records are available. Also small dossiers or stories have been compiled for many of these pioneers. Update: This website is no longer active – I have detailed extracts available upon request.
https://www.fichierorigine.com/
The Fichier Origine files document the family origins of the pioneers of New France, including many of the Filles du Roi. All of the Filles du Roi included in this blog post are documented on this website except for Anne Dodin (Dodain). Anne Dodin is however included on Migrations website and on the list of Filles du Roi published on the Society of Filles du Roi and Soldiers of the Carignan Regiment website.
Filles du Roi Images
There are many, many idealized, romantic and totally inaccurate images of the Filles du Roi’s arrival in New France readily available on the internet. The truth is that when these courageous women finally arrived in New France, many of them were very sick and all of them were very tired and had not bathed since departing France. They had spent their journey mostly below deck with livestock and rodents.
There is a website that challenges 4 myths about the Filles du Roi and presents biographies for each of the 18 Filles du Roi in their family history. It includes a representative image for each Filles du Roi that is in my opinion far closer to reality. See Lazare Cote Family History Website Accessed 2 August 2022.
Picture of Re-enactment of arrival of Filles du Roi celebrated 2013, reproduced from Article 734 of the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America: http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/en/ Accessed 4 August 2022
Marriage Act for Jean Mouflet dit Champagne and Anne Dodain
The copy of the original marriage act, the transcript and the graphic image of the Carignan soldier and the Filles du Roi were copied from the website https://www.migrations.fr/MARIAGES%20REGIMENT/mariages_regiment_m.htm Accessed 4 Aug 2022 Update: This website is no longer active.
Ship Images
Saint Louis Image Accessed 07 May 2021
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Image Accessed 07 May 2021
Ship Voyage Logs
Two websites were used extensively to document the Atlantic crossing of my ancestors:
Navire Nouvelle France Website https://naviresnouvellefrance.net/ Update this website is no longer active – I have detailed extracts available upon request.
Guy Perron Blog https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/
Other
T.J. Laforest, Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Palm Harbor, Florida: The Lisse Press, Volume 1 (Filles du Roi) Image, Volume 20 (Rene Binet)
Roland J. Auger, “Michel-Mathieu Brunet dit Lestang” 1993, Société généalogique Canadienne-Francaise, 21 pages.