Who were the filles du roi?
Answer
About 770 single French women whose passage to New France between 1663 and 1673 was paid by King Louis XIV's government to encourage marriage with male colonists and grow the colony's population; an estimated two-thirds of French Canadians today descend from at least one fille du roi.
Explanation
The filles du roi (king's daughters) were about 770 single French women whose passage to New France between 1663 and 1673 was paid by King Louis XIV's government to encourage marriage with male colonists and grow the colony's population. The programme was designed by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and managed in New France by Intendant Jean Talon and the Sulpician Marguerite Bourgeoys, who founded the Congrégation de Notre-Dame in Montreal to host the new arrivals. An estimated two-thirds of French Canadians today descend from at least one fille du roi.
Most filles du roi were recruited from the General Hospital of Paris (the Hôpital général de la Salpêtrière) or from Normandy and the Île-de-France. Many were orphans, poor working-class women, or daughters of lower-ranking soldiers and officers. About 80 per cent were aged between 16 and 26 on arrival. Each received a small dowry from the Crown, typically consisting of clothing, household goods, a small sum of money (50 livres for the poorest, more for those with some social standing), and one ox. Some were paired with husbands before sailing; most chose their own husbands in New France within a few weeks or months of arrival.
The programme transformed the demographic balance of New France. Before 1663 the colony had a severe shortage of women: in 1666 the population was about 3,200 with men outnumbering women by roughly 6 to 1 in many age groups. By 1672 the population had almost doubled to about 6,700, with a much more balanced sex ratio that made natural population growth possible. Combined with high birth rates (typical large families of 8 to 10 children) and Talon's pro-natalist marriage bonuses, New France's population grew rapidly throughout the late 17th and 18th centuries.
Notable filles du roi included Marguerite Bourgeoys's associates and many founders of large French-Canadian families. Genealogists have documented the lives of almost all 770 filles du roi, with comprehensive records published by Yves Landry in his 1992 book 'Orphelines en France, pionnières au Canada'. The Société des filles du roi et soldats du Carignan, founded in 2010, recognises descendants of the filles du roi and the Carignan-Salières Regiment soldiers. Many Quebec heritage organisations and interpretive centres commemorate their role, including the Maison Saint-Gabriel in Pointe-Saint-Charles (the original Bourgeoys reception house) and the Filles du Roy Monument in Quebec City.
Why this matters for your test
The filles du roi were essential to New France's demographic survival and are direct ancestors of most French Canadians today. Recognising the 1663 to 1673 immigration of about 770 women gives candidates two specific anchors.
Source: Library and Archives Canada; Dictionary of Canadian Biography
