B. Feb 1633 in Rouen, France
M. 19 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: René Binet
D. 28 Sep 1702 in Beauport, New France
While many of the Filles du Roi came from poor families, Catherine Bourgeois stood out as having a father with a good profession. She was born in February 1633 to Thomas Bourgeois and Marie Petit in Rouen, France, and baptized there on February 17th. Catherine had at least one brother and one sister.
Rouen was a thriving port city in the north of France, and was said to be one of the country's administrative centers. At the time of Catherine’s birth, her father was a "tabellion in the high justice of St. Gervais,” meaning he worked as a notary in one of the main churches. Later, he became a lawyer in the parliament of Rouen, which was a provincial appellate court.
Catherine apparently lived in Rouen until she was in her 30s, and seemed to be unmarried. By 1667, her father had died and perhaps it left her needing to find a secure future. That year, government officials recruited women from Rouen who were willing to move to America. The Filles du Roi program had been going on for the last few years, offering money and passage in exchange for a commitment to marry a New France settler, but many of the women had been uneducated peasants. The man overseeing the effort, Jean Talon, asked for some women from better backgrounds. It’s possible that’s why Catherine was chosen, even though at age 34, she was somewhat old to be a bride.
The ship that brought Catherine to New France was Le St-Louis, which sailed out of Dieppe on June 10, 1667. It was a difficult crossing, with the trip taking over three months. There were about 80 other women onboard, and upon arrival in Quebec on September 25th many of them had become sick. Catherine was courted, engaged and married within a month’s time; her new husband was René Binet, a former indentured servant. The marriage contract was signed on October 9th and the wedding took place on October 19th at Notre-Dame church in Quebec City. Catherine's dowry was worth about 300 livres.
The couple stayed in Quebec City, and Catherine gave birth to their first child the following year. They had a total five children, with the youngest born in 1680. The size of their family was smaller than most New France settlers, possibly because of her age when they married. In 1673, they moved to the town of Beauport.
Catherine and her husband spent their remaining years in Beauport. He died on June 15, 1699, and she died three years later on September 28, 1702.
Children:
1. Anne Binet — B. 21 Sep 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. Aug 1698, Charlesbourg, New France; M. (1) Pierre Dron, 25 Jun 1685, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Bouron, 7 Oct 1686, Beauport, New France
2. Louise Binet — B. 18 Mar 1670, Quebec City, New France; D. 3 Apr 1670, Quebec City, New France
3. Nicolas Binet — B. 11 Feb 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 Jul 1753, Beauport, New France; M. Genevieve Brisson, 12 Nov 1697, L’Ange-Gardien, New France
4. Joseph-François Binet — B. 22 Sep 1673, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Aug 1703, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Vachon, Feb 1698, Beauport, New France
5. René Binet — B. 10 Jan 1680, Beauport, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Société de généálogie de l’Outaouais (website)
History of Rouen (Wikipedia article)
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