Notes for Isabelle Élizabeth Salle

Notes for Isabelle Élizabeth Salle

[1208635.GED] Information taken from the books: Commentaries on some Avoyelles Families by William Nelson Gremillion, Sr. and Loucille Edwards Gremillion Library of Congress No. 82-082935 and Vol. 2 , No. 80-84469.

According to Micheal Marcotte's records, Elizabeth Salle, was born in Paris, Saint-Medard parish. Arrived in Quebec as "FILLE du ROI' in 1670.

THE KING'S D AUGHTERS "LES FILLES DU ROI" by Robert Chenard
FRENCH CONNECTION April 30 & May 14, 1995 issues of the Morning Sentinel & Kennebec Daily Journal.
"From the time of the earliest French colonization of Quebec in 1604 until 1663, there were only a handful of families living in that region. The majority of its small population was made up of hunters, trappers, French soldiers, a few explorers, a few priest, and some sailors. French and England, long at odds and in competition with each other, were then attempting to expand their new colonies, to exploit the land and its resources, and to establish stronger and more viable colonies in the New World. In 1629, the population of Quebec , then the only settlement in the present province of Quebec, had a resident population of only 21. By 1639, that number had grown to 139 from new settlers and some births. By 1662, the population had increased almost 10-fold to 1,100. By this time, the English colonies in America were growing rapidly. About this time, the French hierarchy decided to adopt a new plan to help establish a stronger and more permanent foothold in its North American colony, which had, by then, expanded to three principle towns on the St. Lawrence River: Quebec, Trois Rivieres, and Montreal (known as Ville Marie back then). The plan was to encourage single and widowed young women to go to New France (Quebec), marry one of the single or widowed Frenchmen there, raise a family, and establish themselves there as permanent colonists. Compared to France, the New World was a harsh place with its lack of amenities, its ever-present danger from rebellious Indians, its harsh winters, and its isolation from the rest of the civilized world. It took a considerable amount of planning, time, and salesmanship on the part of those pursuing this plan to convince young women to take part in this new
and risky venture. The recruitment program was initiated around 1661 and the recruiters went to a number of cities where there were large orphanages - a good source for potential candidates. Paris and other cities had several such orphanges where conditions, even in comparison with life in that period
of time, were deplorable. As an incentive to enlist, the young girls were to be awarded with a gift (dowry) of from 50 French pounds and up.. The Royal treasury provided the necessary funds and it was fully
supported by the King of France. Thus, these recruits came to be called "les filles du roi" - the King's daughters. A number of those recruited also had money and property of their own, as much as 3,000 pounds, received as an inheritance from their deceased parents. Fifty pounds was a substantial amount of money in those days. For example, a common laborer would have to work almost a year to make such a sum and a surgeon made from 100 to 150 pounds a year. Thus, many orphaned girls saw this
as an opportunity for adventure, money, marriage, and getting out of their situation. Recruited during th eleven years of this program were 414 orphaned girls. From 1663 to 1673 a total of 774 "Filles du Roi"
made the journey to New France. The best year was in 1669 when 135 new "Filles du Roi" were from Rouen, 35 from La Rochelle, and the rest from other towns and cities. Three were from other countries - England, Germany, and Portugal. Some of the girls who were orginally recruited went only as far as the port of embarkation such as Dieppe in Normandy. When they saw what they were getting into, their minds quickly changed and withdrew from the "adventure." The first stop in la Nouvelle-France was Quebec (city) where most of them disembarked and remined. Shortly after their arrival, the girls were
usually escorted to a pl..."