M. 22 Oct 1663 in Quebec City, New France2
Wife: René Emond
D. 29 Dec 1708 in St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France3
During the 17th century, when the leaders of France decided to recruit prospective brides to help populate their colony in America, Marie LaFaye was among the first women to sign up.
Marie was born in about 1638 to Pierre LaFaye and Marguerite Constantin in the town of Saintes, located in western France.1,2 Nothing is known of her life until the spring of 1663 when she was recruited to join the first group of Filles du Roi.4 The government had the idea of paying young French women to marry the men living and working in New France. The colony had a shortage of females because there was no incentive for them to migrate, and this was seen as being vital to boost the population.
Of the 36 women who were sent that year, the majority were from the port city of La Rochelle, or places nearby like Saintes; smaller numbers came from Normandy and Paris.4 Marie and the rest boarded the ship L’Aigle d’Or, which along with another ship, La Flute Royale de Brouage, departed on June 16, 1663.4 There were large numbers of men who were passengers on both ships, most of whom were engaged servants. The crossing was extremely difficult, taking an agonizing three months. By the time both ships docked at Quebec City on September 22nd, the migrants had suffered an ordeal of disease and food shortages; it was said that 60 passengers among the two ships died at sea.4
Once in Quebec, Marie and the other Filles du Roi were housed at the convent run by Ursuline nuns.4 While those who arrived sick were nursed back to health, the rest met a stream of men who came to court them. The women each had the say as to who their new spouse would be, and the system worked very well, because many became brides very quickly. Marie found a husband in René Emond, and signed a marriage contract at the house of Sieur Jean Bourdon on October 19th.5 The wedding took place three days later, exactly one month after she had gotten off the ship. Marie and René made their home in Château-Richer, just downriver from Quebec City, and she became a mother for the first time the following August.6
Marriage record of Marie and René.
By 1666, Marie’s family moved across the river to St-François on Île d’Orleans,1 where most of her ten children were born. Their first farm was described as having 3 arpents under cultivation. On April 4, 1673, they sold their concession to move to another location, and the contract said the payment for their farm was in a quantity of wheat and “10 pounds of pot de vin for Marie LaFaye.”5 Wine was a valuable item in the colony at that time, and the wording in the contract suggests that Marie had requested it for her household.
Marie spent the rest of her years on the Île d’Orleans. At least six of her children survived to adulthood, but one daughter gave her parents trouble as a teenager. The girl was arrested for lying to authorities in 1696, and was sentenced to a public whipping in Quebec City.5 By August of 1705, René had died,5 and Marie handled a couple of transactions of land, likely selling off the farm in her old age. She passed away on December 29, 1708 and was buried the same day in St-François.3
Children:
1. Marie-Madeleine Émond — B. 31 Aug 1664, Château-Richer, New France; about 1699, New France;6 M. Nicolas Dupuis (~1642-1698), after 15 Nov 1681, New France7
2. François Émond — B. 28 Feb 1666, Château-Richer, New France8
3. Suzanne Émond — B. 1 Jan 1668, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;9 D. before 10 Dec 1710, (probably) Berthier-en-Bas, New France;10 M. Jean Pruneau (1668-?), 25 May 1691, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France11
4. Joseph Émond — B. 30 Dec 1669, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;12 D. before 31 Mar 1686, (probably) St-François, Île d'Orleans, New France13
5. Robert Émond — B. 20 Aug 1671, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;14 D. 2 May 1740, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;15 M. Catherine Dompierre (1673-1736), 22 Feb 1694, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France16
6. Anne Émond — B. 28 Dec 1673, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;17 D. 25 Oct 1677, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France18
7. René Émond — B. 26 Feb 1677, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;19 D. 1727, New France;20 M. Louise Senele (~1678-1703), 1697, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France21
8. Anne Émond — B. 27 Jul 1679, St-François, Île d’Orleans, New France;22 M. François Bretonnet (1668-?), 20 Apr 1706, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France23
9. Jeanne Émond — B. 24 Apr 1684, St-François, Île d’Orleans;24 M. Charles Belanger (1677-1750), 22 Apr 1713, Cap-St-Ignace, New France25
10. Joseph Émond — B. 31 Mar 1686, St-François, Île d’Orleans13
Sources:
1 Recensement de 1666 en Nouvelle-France
2 Marriage record of René Emond and Marie LaFaye, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Marie LaFaye, Q.C.P.R.
4 Navires venus en Nouvelle-France (website)
5 Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
6 Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Émond, Q.C.P.R.
7 Marriage record of Nicolas Dupuis and Marie-Madeleine Émond, Q.C.P.R.
8 Baptismal record of François Émond, Q.C.P.R.
9 Baptismal record of Suzanne Émond, Q.C.P.R.
10 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime Français, Vol. 22, Pierre-Georges Roy, 1970
11 Marriage record of Jean Pruneau and Suzanne Émond, Q.C.P.R.
12 Baptismal record of Joseph Émond (older), Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal record of Joseph Émond (younger), Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Robert Émond, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Robert Émond, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Robert Émond and Catherine Dompierre, Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of Anne Émond (older), Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of Anne Émond (older), Q.C.P.R.
19 Baptismal record of René Émond (younger), Q.C.P.R.
20 Généalogie du Québec et d’Amérique française listing for René Emond (younger)
21 Marriage record of René Émond and Louise Senele, Q.C.P.R.
22 Baptismal record of Anne Émond (younger), Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of François Bretonnet and Anne Émond, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Jeanne Émond, Q.C.P.R.
25 Marriage record of Charles Belanger and Jeanne Émond, Q.C.P.R.
