There were some aboriginal women,
Micmac, Abenakis, Algonquins,
Hurons, Mohawks, Cree, Montagnais,
who often were living with Frenchmen and had their children.

Most other women came from France.
They were wives of settlers or widows with their children.
Those families with girls who grew in New France were married between 11 and 13 years old.

Another segment of feminine population were the "filles du roy" which came in three waves:

1653 and 1659: Filles du roi recruted directly by Marguerite Bourgeoys or Jeanne Mance,
with a very small dowry and a linen chest who arrived in 1653 on the ship
Saint-Nicolas de Nantes or in 1659

1663-1673: 1st Filles du Roy coming from College St-Cyr, recruted across France under the orders of Louis XIV, pupils of Mme de Maintenon, with a good size dowry and linen chest.

1680-1690: Last contingents from St.Cyr, with almost no dowry, due to the complaints of te King's ministers, but with a Linen Chest.

A 1680 example of a trousseau chest and it's contents: « 1 kerchief, 1 bonnet, 1 pair of stockings, 1 ribbon for shoes, 4 laces, 1 pair of gloves, 100 needles, 1 spool of white thread and 1 of black thread, 1,000 pins, 1 pair of scissors, 1 comb, 2 knives, perhaps 50 livres. »

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Women & Filles de Roy