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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