DESVARIEUX, Vincente
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Photos Marriagable Girls Before the King's Daughters
Albums 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.
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Name DESVARIEUX, Vincente [1] Birth 1622 (then Ste. Vincent d'Aubermail), Saint-Vincent-Cramesnil, Normandy, France [1]
Gender Female Arrival 1642 Canada [1]
Differentiator Fille a Marier, Before the King's Daughters, Jim's Side Fille a Marier Yes Immigration 1642 Quebec, Canada Death 2 Jan 1695 Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada [1]
Person ID I13132 My Genealogy Last Modified 15 Jul 2024
Father Living Relationship natural Mother Living Relationship natural Family ID F9538 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family GAGNON, Pierre II, b. 14 Feb 1612, La Ventrouze, Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France d. 17 Apr 1699, Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada
(Age 87 years)
Marriage 14 Sep 1642 Chapelle de Quebec, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Children 1. GAGNON, Pierre Paul, b. 5 Sep 1649, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. 10 Aug 1687, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada
(Age 37 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
▻ FORTIN DIT BELLEFONTAINE, Barbe Blanche m. 6 Feb 16692. GAGNON, Jean (Twin), b. 1643 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 3. GAGNON, Anne (Twin), b. 1643 d. Bef 1666 (Age < 22 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 4. GAGNON, Jeanne, b. 3 Aug 1648 d. 7 Sep 1648 (Age 0 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 5. GAGNON, Joseph, b. 19 Feb 1652 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 6. GAGNON, Rene, b. 19 Sep 1653 d. 7 Oct 1653 (Age 0 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 7. GAGNON, Marie Madeleine, b. 12 Feb 1655, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
8. GAGNON, Raphael, b. 22 Jul 1658 d. Between 1667 and 1681 (Age 8 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 9. GAGNON, Noel, b. 10 Feb 1660 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] 10. GAGNON, Pierre III, b. 10 Aug 1646, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada d. 10 Aug 1687, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada
(Age 41 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
Family ID F9436 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 15 Jul 2024
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Event Map = Link to Google Earth
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Notes - Pierre Gagnon, born in February 1612 in La Gaignonnière, Tourouvre, Perche, France, was baptized on February 14, 1612, in the church of Sainte-Madeleine de La Ventrouze. He was the son of Pierre Gagnon and Renée Roger. Pierre's journey to New France marked the beginning of a significant family line in Quebec's history.
Around 1640, Pierre emigrated to New France with his brothers Mathurin and Jean, joining their sister who had previously settled with her husband, Eloi Tavernier. Their widowed mother, Renée Roger, also made the journey, cementing the Gagnon family's commitment to the new colony.
Upon arrival, the Gagnon brothers quickly established themselves as industrious settlers and entrepreneurs. They acquired farms along the coast between Château-Richer and Sainte-Anne, while also engaging in trade in Quebec City during the winter months. On August 14, 1651, they purchased land in the Lower Town of Quebec, and on October 6, 1658, they acquired a store, demonstrating their business acumen.
Pierre's personal land grant in Château-Richer measured 6.5 arpents of river frontage by 126 arpents deep, a substantial property that would become the foundation of his family's legacy in the area. He engaged in some land transactions, notably ceding half an arpent to Nicholas Lebel on May 13, 1657, only to reclaim it on December 29, 1668.
On September 14, 1642, Pierre married Vincente Desvarieux in Notre-Dame de Québec. Vincente, born around 1624 in St-Vincent d'Aubermail, Caux, Normandy, France, was the daughter of Jean Desvarieux and Marie Chevalier. She likely arrived in New France as a fille à marier, one of the young women sent to the colony to help establish families.
Pierre and Vincente had ten children together:
Jean (1643-1699)
Anne (1643-1666)
Pierre (1646-1687)
Jeanne (1648-1648)
Pierre-Paul (1649-1711) - became a priest
Joseph (1651-1680)
René (1653-1653)
Marie-Madeleine (1655-1677) - became a nun
Raphaël (1658-1681)
Noël (1660-1708)
Their family life reflected the challenges and triumphs of early colonial life. While they lost several children at a young age, others went on to play significant roles in the religious and social fabric of New France. Pierre-Paul became one of the first Canadian-born priests, while Marie-Madeleine entered the Augustinian convent, known for her piety and devotion.
Pierre was confirmed in the Catholic faith on August 10, 1659, by Bishop Laval in Notre-Dame de Québec, underscoring the importance of religion in the family's life.
The 1666 census listed Pierre as a 50-year-old merchant, living with Vincente and their children in Beaupré. By 1681, at the age of 70, Pierre was recorded as owning 2 guns, 22 horned animals, and 40 arpents of cultivated land, indicating the family's prosperity and established position in the community.
Vincente Desvarieux passed away on January 2, 1695, in Château-Richer, where she was buried the following day. Pierre lived for a few more years, dying on April 17, 1699, at the age of 87. He was buried the next day in the cemetery of La-Visitation-de-Notre-Dame parish in Château-Richer.
- Pierre Gagnon, born in February 1612 in La Gaignonnière, Tourouvre, Perche, France, was baptized on February 14, 1612, in the church of Sainte-Madeleine de La Ventrouze. He was the son of Pierre Gagnon and Renée Roger. Pierre's journey to New France marked the beginning of a significant family line in Quebec's history.
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Sources - [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 Desvarieux, Vincente, pgs 114-115.
- [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 Desvarieux, Vincente, pgs 114-115.