M. (1) 1 Sep 1670 in Quebec City, New France2
Husband: Charles Petit
M. (2) 4 Feb 1674 in Quebec City, New France3
Husband: Jean Forget
M. (3) 28 Feb 1676 in Neuville, New France4
Husband: Urbain Fouquereau
M. (4) 2 Sep 1704 in Neuville, New France5
Husband: François Huard dit Laliberte
D. 22 Jan 1712 in Quebec City, New France6
The women who became Filles-du Roi — brides for men in 17th-century New France — came from a variety of backgrounds, and had a variety of personalities. One of the more colorful ones was Jeanne Rossignol, who married four times and butted heads a few times with some of her neighbors.
Jeanne was born in 1650 to Martin Rossignol and Renee Desjardins in Montfort-l'Amaury France,1 a town west of Paris; her baptism took place at Sainte-Pierre church on August 7th. It's not known if Jeanne had any brothers or sisters.
Jeanne's baptismal record.
After Jeanne's father died when she was a teen, her future looked uncertain; then she agreed to a contract to be a Fille du Roi, and boarded a ship to New France. Marriageable women were selected to help populate the French colony, a place where males far outnumbered females. As a Fille du Roi, she had her passage paid for and could receive a payment of 50 livres if she married a French settler. In addition, Jeanne arrived with 200 livres in goods to offer a prospective husband. She was chosen almost immediately by a man named Charles Petit, and they were married on September 1, 1670.2
Jeanne settled in Neuville with her husband and had two sons, but Charles died in 1673.7 She married a second husband Jean Forget on February 4, 1674,3 and they had one son, but Jean died two years later.8 She married a third time to Urbain Fouquereau on December 28, 1676.4 Jeanne and Urbain had eight children born between 1677 and 1696; then Urbain died in February 1700.9 On September 2, 1704, Jeanne married a fourth time to François Huard dit Laliberte, a widower.5
In 1673, Jeanne got in trouble with her neighbors Neuville. She filed a complaint against Suzanne Rousselin, another Fille du Roi, but lost the case when the court told her to “keep out of others’ business” and warned both not to insult each other. That same day, Jeanne was also brought under charges of slander by neighbors Jacques and Mathurine Renault. She lost this case too; the court decreed that “unless Jeanne could prove that Jacques was a thief and his wife a whore, she would have to make a ‘reparation of honor’ (public apology) to the couple, which she did.”10
Jeanne died on January 22, 1712, at Hôtel-Dieu, Quebec City’s hospital.6 Her fourth husband died there as well on August 24, 1722.10 Jeanne was the ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.
Children by Charles Petit:
1. Jacques Petit — B. about Oct 1672, Neuville, New France;11 D. 28 Oct 1714, St-François-du-Lac, New France;12 M. Marie-Charlotte Dubois (1691-?), 24 Nov 1712, St-François-du-Lac, New France13
2. Nicolas Petit — B. 4 Jan 1674, Neuville, New France;14 D. 2 Feb 1731, Cap-Santé, New France;15 M. (1) Marie-Marguerite Bertrand (1676-1726), 14 Sep 1700, Neuville, New France;16 (2) Marie-Jeanne Sylvestre (1686-1772), 24 Feb 1727, Neuville, New France17
Children by Jacques Forget:
1. Jean Forget — B. 31 Oct 1675, Neuville, New France;18 M. Therese Thibualt (1705-?), 13 Jul 1723, St-François, I.J., New France19
Children by Urbain Fouquereau:
1. Pierre Fouquereau — B. before 10 Aug 1677, Neuville, New France;20 D. before 168121
2. Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau — B. 22 Aug 1679, Neuville, New France;22 D. 31 Dec 1758, Riviere Oelle, New France;23 M. Pierre Soucy (1673-1760), 13 Jan 1699, Riviere Ouelle, New France24
3. Michel Fouquereau — B. 5 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France25
4. André Fouquereau — B. 20 Dec 1683, Neuville, New France;26 D. before 16 Nov 1722, New France;27 M. Françoise Aupry (1702-1776), 15 Apr 1720, Laprairie, New France28
5. Madeleine Fouquereau — B. 10 Jul 1686, Neuville, New France;29 M. (1) Jacques Richaume (1661-1713), 25 Feb 1710, Repentigny, New France;30 (2) Louis Cailloneau (1685-?), 8 Jan 1714, Repentigny, New France31
6. Guillaume Fouquereau — B. 23 Mar 1690, Neuville, New France;32 D. 22 Apr 1769, Repentigny, Quebec;33 M. Marie Anne Riviere (1699-1785), 20 Mar 1719, Repentigny, New France34
7. Marie-Anne Fouquereau — B. 3 Jul 1693, Neuville, New France;35 D. 7 Feb 1767, Pierrefonds, Quebec;36 M. Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers (1693-1772), 29 Nov 1719, Repentigny, New France37
8. Marie-Helene Fouquereau — B. 14 Feb 1696, Neuville, New France;38 D. 12 Dec 1736, St-Sulpice, New France;39 M. Michel Rivet (1689-1753), 18 Jan 1718, Repentigny, New France40
Sources:
1 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Jeanne Rossignol
2 Marriage record of Charles Petit and Jeanne Rossignol, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Jean Forget and Jeanne Rossignol, Q.C.P.R.
4 Marriage record of Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol, Q.C.P.R.
5 Marriage record of François Huard dit Laliberteand Jeanne Rossignol, Q.C.P.R.
6 Burial record of Jeanne Rossignol, Q.C.P.R.
7 Burial record of Charles Petit, Q.C.P.R.
8 Burial record of Jean Forget, Q.C.P.R.
9 Burial record of Urbain Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
10 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
11 Baptismal record of Jacques Petit, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Jacques Petit, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Jacques Petit and Marie-Charlotte Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Nicolas Petit, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Nicolas Petit, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Nicolas Petit and Marie-Marguerite Bertrand, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Nicolas Petit and Marie-Jeanne Sylvestre, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Forget, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Petit and Therese Thibault, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Pierre Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
21 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
22 Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Michel Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
26 Baptismal record of André Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
27 Burial record of André Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
28 Marriage record of André Fouquereau and Françoise Aupry, Q.C.P.R.
29 Baptismal record of Madeleine Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
30 Marriage record of Jacques Richaume and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
31 Marriage record of Louis Cailloneau and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
32 Baptismal record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
33 Burial record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Guillaume Fouquereau and Marie Anne Riviere, Q.C.P.R.
35 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
36 Burial record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
37 Marriage record of Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers and Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
38 Baptismal record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
39 Burial record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
40 Marriage record of Michel Rivet and Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
