“Fille du Roi” – National Archives of
Canada
Many
of the women who came to New-France arrived as the “Fils du Roi”, or “daughters
of the King”. These women agreed to travel to the new settlements in New-France
and marry a settler there in exchange for a 50 pound dowry from the French
King. Of the nearly 1000 women who
undertook the journey, about 800 made it to Canada.
They
made contracts of marriage with the men who had originally settled the New
World and usually married within a few days or weeks of the contract signing.
Often the women broke the contracts, only to remake them or make new contracts
with other men.
Ancestors
of the DeLoria/Myette families, who arrived in the New World as “Filled u Roi”
include:
Click on any of the names above to go
directly to their entry.