Who Were the Filles du Roi?
Between 1663 and 1673, nearly 800 young women — known as the Filles du Roi or “Daughters of the King” — left France for New France (now Quebec, Canada). Sponsored by King Louis XIV, these women were sent to help populate the colony and provide wives for the male settlers, soldiers, and fur traders already living there.
At the time, New France faced a serious gender imbalance. For every one woman, there were six to ten men. Without families, the colony’s future looked uncertain. The solution? Send over marriageable women — most of them orphans or from poor families — and provide them with dowries and supplies to start a new life.
Why Were They Called “Daughters of the King”?
These women weren’t royal by blood, but they were financially supported by the king. Louis XIV offered each woman a dowry (around 50–100 livres), free passage to New France, and sometimes additional household goods. In return, the women were expected to marry quickly and raise large families to help grow the population.
Life in the New World
Life in 17th-century Canada was hard. Winters were brutal, resources were limited, and frontier life was full of danger. But the Filles du Roi were incredibly resilient. Many married within weeks of arrival, often choosing their husbands themselves. By the end of the program, they had helped lay the foundation for generations of French Canadians.
It’s estimated that today, millions of people in North America can trace at least part of their ancestry back to one of these pioneering women.
Legacy
The Filles du Roi are celebrated today as founding mothers of French Canada. They represent courage, hope, and the essential — though often overlooked — role of women in shaping history.
Here are my relatives that were Filles du Roi / King’s Daughters
- Anne Marie Bellehache (1652-1688)
Anne Marie Bellehache, born in 1652 in Rouen, France, immigrated to New France as a Fille du Roi. She married Gilles L’Espine Bourret on September 9, 1673, in Charlesbourg, Québec, where she lived until her death on December 7, 1718. Anne Marie contributed to early colonial society and has enduring descendants. - Catherine Baillon (1645-1688)
Jeanne Anguille, born in 1647 in France, immigrated to Québec as a Fille du Roi in 1671. She married François-Jacques Allard that same year and became a key figure in founding Charlesbourg. Together, they had several children who further established the Allard lineage in New France. Jeanne passed away on 12 March 1711. - Elizabeth Blay (1652-1692)
Elizabeth Blay, born in 1652 in Rouen, France, immigrated to New France as a Fille du Roi. After marrying Pierre Roche in 1669 and later Vincent Guillot in 1677, she contributed significantly to the colony’s development. Blay passed away in Québec in 1692, symbolizing the importance of women’s roles in early French-Canadian society. - Jeanne Anguille (1647-1711)
Jeanne Anguille, born in 1647 in France, immigrated to Québec as a Fille du Roi in 1671. She married François-Jacques Allard that same year and became a key figure in founding Charlesbourg. Together, they had several children who further established the Allard lineage in New France. Jeanne passed away on 12 March 1711. - Marguerite Abraham (1645-1695)
Name: Marguerite AbrahamBirth: 1645 St-Eustache de Paris, France. Marriage: 6 Nov 1665 Ste-Famille, Iles-d’Orléans, Québec, Canada to Ozanie-Joseph Lavigne Nadeau. Death: 9 Nov 1695 Age: 50 – Beaumont, Québec, Canada. Fille… Read more: Marguerite Abraham (1645-1695) - Marguerite Binaudière (1641-1705)
Marguerite Binaudière, born in 1641 in France, immigrated to New France as a Fille du Roi, marrying Claude Guyon in 1688 at age 47. She contributed to her community in Ste-Famille, where she lived until her death in 1705. Her life illustrates the vital role women played in colonial development. - Marie Angelier (1651-1709)
Marie Angelier, born around 1651 in France, was a notable Fille du Roi who married Vivien Rochereau in 1670 after arriving in Québec. They settled in Cap-Rouge, raising six children and contributing to early Canadian society. Marie lived until 1709, witnessing the transformation of the colony from a struggling outpost to a flourishing settlement.
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