M. 22 Sep 1665 in Château-Richer, New France2
Husband: Barthélemy Verreau
D. 25 Dec 1722 in Château-Richer, New France3
Marthe Quitel was one of a small number of French Protestant women who signed up to be a Fille du Roi, but she had to give up her religion in order to do so.
Marthe came from Rouen, France, born in about 1638 to Denis Quitel and Louise Bénard.1 Nothing is known of her family except that her parents must have been followers of Calvinism,4 a religion that had large numbers of people in southern France, but was a small minority in the north. Protestants in Rouen were mainly of the merchant class, people who were generally wealthier and better-educated than those who were Catholic. It’s known that Marthe could sign her name,4 an indication that she had at least some schooling.
Saint-Maclou Church in Rouen, near where Marthe was said to have lived.
When Marthe was in her mid-20s, the French government was seeking to populate New France, so they offered a deal to get young women to marry settlers in return for passage and a dowry. Marthe signed up in 1665, probably because she had no other way to support herself. She boarded the ship Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Dieppe, which carried about 90 Filles du Roi and 30 male indentured servants across the Atlantic, arriving in Quebec City on June 18, 1665.5
Marthe foreswore Calvinism in a ceremony the very next day4 because Protestants were strictly forbidden to live in the colony. She was then was placed in the home of Nicolas Marsolet;5 most Filles du Roi were housed in a convent—not in private homes—as they awaited marriage. Marsolet was a former interpreter and clerk in the fur trade who had been in New France since its beginnings.6 He was also from Rouen,6 which may be one of the reasons Marthe stayed at his house. Within six weeks, she became engaged to Barthélemy Verreau, a blacksmith, and the contract signing took place in the Marsolet home. On September 22nd, Marthe and Barthélemy were married at the church in Château-Richer.2
Marthe and Barthélemy lived in Château-Richer for the rest of their lives. Between 1667 and 1684, Marthe had nine children. After Barthélemy died on December 17, 1700,7 Marthe turned to her son François to take care of her in return for all of her husband’s land.5 She died suddenly on Christmas Day of 1722.3 After her death, her son had “25 Masses celebrated for the repose of her soul.”5 Among Marthe's descendants is Justin Bieber.8
Children:
1. Antoine Verreau — B.13 Jan 1667, Château-Richer, New France;9 D. 16674
2. Jeanne Verreau — B. 15 Nov 1668, Château-Richer, New France;10 D. 22 Oct 1711, Quebec City, New France;11 M. (1) Pierre Cloutier (1667-~1702), 16 Feb 1696, Château-Richer, New France;12 (2) Jacques-Baptiste Cauchon (1663-1726), 16 Apr 1703, Château-Richer, New France13
3. Joseph Verreau — B. 27 Jan 1671, Château-Richer, New France;14 D. 28 Feb 1671, Château-Richer, New France15
4. Marie Verreau — B. 18 Mar 1672, Château-Richer, New France;16 D. 25 Feb 1703, Château-Richer, New France;17 M. Pierre Dumas dit Langoumois (~1668-?), 16 Feb 1699, Château-Richer, New France18
5. Marguerite Verreau — B. 26 Apr 1674, Château-Richer, New France;19 D. 24 Nov 1748, L'Ange-Gardien, New France;20 M. Jacques Boutillet (1668-1749), 12 Jan 1699, Château-Richer, New France21
6. Prisque Verreau — B. Sep 1676, Château-Richer, New France;22 D. before 16814
7. Barthélemy Verreau — B. 13 Jul 1678, Château-Richer, New France;23 D. Jun 1718, Château-Richer, New France;24 M. Marguerite Prieur (1691-1758), 13 Feb 1708, Quebec City, New France25
8. François Verreau — B. 20 Mar 1682, Château-Richer, New France;26 D. 1 Jun 1754, Château-Richer, New France;27 M. Genevieve Gagné (~1707-1743), 20 Jan 1724, Château-Richer, New France28
9. Anne Verreau — B. 10 Jul 1684, Château-Richer, New France;29 D. 1 Dec 1749, Château-Richer, New France30
Sources:
1 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Marthe Quitel
2 Marriage record of Barthélemy Verreau and Marthe Quitel, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Marthe Quitel, Q., C. P. R.
4 King’s daughters and founding mothers: the filles du roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001, p. 476
5 Navires Venus en Nouvelle-France (defunct website)
6 “Marsolet de Saint Aignan, Nicolas,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography
7 Burial record of Barthélemy Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
8 FamousKin.com listing for Marthe Quitel
9 Baptismal record of Antoine Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
10 Baptismal record of Jeanne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
11 Burial record of Jeanne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
12 Marriage record of Pierre Cloutier and Jeanne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
13 Marriage record of Jacques-Baptiste Cauchon and Jeanne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
14 Baptismal record of Joseph Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
15 Burial record of Joseph Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
16 Baptismal record of Marie Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
17 Burial record of Marie Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
18 Marriage record of Pierre Dumas dit Langoumois and Marie Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
19 Baptismal record of Marguerite Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
20 Burial record of Marguerite Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
21 Marriage record of Jacques Boutillet and Marguerite Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
22 Baptismal record of Prisque Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
23 Baptismal record of Barthélemy Verreau (younger), Q., C. P. R.
24 Burial record of Barthélemy Verreau (younger), Q., C. P. R.
25 Marriage record of Barthélemy Verreau and Marguerite Prieur, Q., C. P. R.
26 Baptismal record of François Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
27 Burial record of François Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
28 Marriage record of François Verreau and Genevieve Gagné, Q., C. P. R.
29 Baptismal record of Anne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
30 Burial record of Anne Verreau, Q., C. P. R.
