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FORESTIER, Catherine

FORESTIER, Catherine

Female Abt 1634 - 1694  (60 years)

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  • Name FORESTIER, Catherine 
    Birth Abt 1634  La Rochelle, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Female 
    Arrival 1657  Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Differentiator Filles a Marier, Before the King's Daughters 
    Fille a Marier Yes 
    Residence Between 1669 and 1671  Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    The family moved here; they were one of the first families to do so and colonize this land 
    Death 31 Mar 1694  Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Person ID I13866  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

    Father Living 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother COIFFE, Julienne,   b. Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Apr 1650, Notre-Dame, La Rochelle, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F11491  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family MENARD LAFONTAINE, Jacques,   b. Abt 1632, Mervent, Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Jan 1707, Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 75 years) 
    Marriage 19 Nov 1657  Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    • Neither spouse could sign their name
    Children 
    +1. MENARD FONTAINE, Marie,   b. 7 Sep 1659, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jul 1726, Chambly, La Vallée-du-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     2. LAFONTAINE, Marguerite Menard,   b. 5 Sep 1658, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1666 (Age < 7 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. LAFONTAINE, Jean-Baptiste Menard,   b. 27 Nov 1660  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. LAFONTAINE, Louis Menard,   b. 28 Jul 1662, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. LAFONTAINE, Maurice Menard,   b. 7 Jun 1664  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. LAFONTAINE, Jean Menard,   b. 16 Mar 1666  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. LAFONTAINE, Marguerite Menard,   b. 22 Jan 1668  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. LAFONTAINE, Jeanne-Francoisse Menard,   b. 24 May 1669  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     9. LAFONTAINE, Anne Menard,   b. 2 Apr 1671, Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     10. LAFONTAINE, Marie-Madeleine Menard,   b. 19 Jan 1675   d. 30 Jan 1675 (Age 0 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     11. LAFONTAINE, Therese Menard,   b. 4 Oct 1676, Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     12. LAFONTAINE, Jacques Menard,   b. 17 Aug 1678, Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Jan 1707 (Age 28 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F11470  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - Abt 1634 - La Rochelle, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsArrival - 1657 - Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 19 Nov 1657 - Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - The family moved here; they were one of the first families to do so and colonize this land - Between 1669 and 1671 - Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 31 Mar 1694 - Boucherville, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Marriagable Girls Before the King's Daughters    		Marriagable Girls Before the King's Daughters

    Albums
    Before the King’s Daughters: Filles a Marier (1634-1662)    		Before the King’s Daughters: Filles a Marier (1634-1662) (5)
    The Filles à Marier were courageous and pioneering women who shaped the early days of New France. Between 1634 and 1663, these "marriageable girls" embarked on a journey from France to the untamed wilderness of what is now Canada, driven by a desire for autonomy and a better life.

    Unlike their successors, the Filles du Roi, the Filles à Marier were not sponsored by the state and did not receive a dowry from the King. Their decision to migrate was a bold one, motivated by the prospect of greater freedom and the unprecedented opportunity to choose their own husbands – a stark contrast to the rigid norms of arranged marriages back in France.

    Their impact on the colonization of New France was profound. Of all the single women who arrived in New France through 1673, a quarter were Filles à Marier. These 262 women, often recruited and chaperoned by religious groups, played a pivotal role in the early population growth of the colony.

    Life in New France was far from easy. These resilient women faced the perilous ocean crossing, the constant threat of conflict with the Iroquois, the rigors of subsistence farming, brutal winters, and the ever-present danger of disease. Yet, they persevered. Most were married and began families within a year of their arrival, laying the foundations of a new society in a harsh but promising land.

    To be recognized as a Fille à Marier, a woman had to arrive in New France before September 1663, be of marriageable age (12 through 45), and either marry or sign a marriage contract in the colony, without being accompanied by both parents or a husband.

    In our family history, the legacy of the Filles à Marier is deeply ingrained. My husband and I are descended from at least 49 of these remarkable women, and our research continues to uncover more connections. Each of them not only survived but thrived in the face of adversity, contributing to our rich ancestral tapestry.

    This section is dedicated to their stories, their struggles, and their triumphs. As we explore the lives of these extraordinary women, we pay homage to their spirit and the indelible mark they left on our family and the history of New France.

  • Sources 
    1. [S1896] Peter J. Gagne, Before the King's Daughters: The Filles a Marier, 1634-1662, (Name: Quintin Publications; Location: Pawtucket, RI; Date: 2002;), Listing for Forestier, Catherine, pgs 135-137.


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