| Filles du Roi |
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The Filles du Roi (the King's Daughters) is a term used to refer to the approximately 800 young French women who immigrated to New France between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program sponsored by King Louis XIV of France. The program was designed to boost New France's population both by encouraging male colonizers to settle there, and by promoting marriage, family formation and the birth of children. While women and girls certainly immigrated to New France both before and after this time period, they were not considered to be filles du roi, as the term refers to women and girls who were actively recruited by the government and whose travel to the colony was paid for by the king. The title “King’s Daughters” was meant to imply state patronage, not royal or even noble parentage. Most of these women were commoners of humble birth. Almost every person of French-Canadian descent can claim at least one of these young women in their heritage. They were also occasionally known as the King's Wards.(Sources: Wikipedia and the American-French Genealogical Society)
The list to the right are those Filles du Roi from whom we have proven descent. |
Genealogy of the Bryan and Martin Families
1647 - 1689 (~ 42 years)
