Roy Ancestry – France to Canada (Part 2)

Louis LeRoy (1611-1661) and Anne LeMaitre (1617-1718)

 

As previously mentioned in the Roy Ancestry – France to Canada (Part 1), the ancestors of the Roy family have many stories to tell. When Louis LeRoy was born about 1611, in Dieppe, Haute-Normandie, France, his father, Pierre LeRoy , was 42 and his mother, Francoise Collin, was 39. Louis married Anne LeMaitre on April 27, 1638 in the church of St. Rémy de Dieppe in Normandy, France.  

St. Rémy de Dieppe

France - Port of Dieppe

Louis and Anne had one child, Nicolas LeRoy, during their marriage. Nicolas was baptized in the same church on May 25, 1639. Photos of Dieppe are available online (clicking on “Le centre ville” near the middle of the map will present a slideshow of  the church of St. Rémy de Dieppe and the surrounding area).  Little is known abot the life of Louis but the records suggest that he died on December 25, 1661, in his hometown, at the age of 50.

Dieppe area of France

Anne LeMaitre was born in September 1617. She married Louis LeRoy when she was 20 years old and, as previously noted, they had one son together. After Louis died in 1661, Anne would have been dependent on her son for her livelihood. She emigrated to New France in 1662 along with her only son Nicolas, his wife and their two children (Louis Jr and Nicolas Jr). The reason for the move is unclear but, as Anne is listed as a “fille du roi” (King’s Daughters), it is probable that she was sent by the King of France and that her son and his family followed hoping for a better life in the new world.

 

17th century sailing ship

The title “King's Daughters” was meant to imply State patronage, not royal or even noble parentage. To increase the population and the number of families in New France, Jean Talon proposed that the King sponsor passage of at least 500 women. The king agreed, and eventually nearly twice the number were recruited. They were predominately between the ages of 12 and 25, and many had to supply a letter of reference from their parish priest before they would be chosen for emigration to New France. The “filles du roi” had a remarkable amount of choice when it came to their husbands. Men looked for healthy, industrious women who could bear children and help with the work. Women sought men with a home, land, money and a job. Upon marriage, the new couple received an ox, a cow, two chickens, two pigs, 2 barrels of salted meat and 11 crowns from the State.

Anne was 44 years old when she arrived, at the upper end of the age limit for “filles du roi”, and past her childbearing years. This is probably why it took her longer to find a husband. Eventually she met and married Adrien Blanquet dit LaFougère (son of André Blanquet and Perette Caperon) a 59-year-old widower who had recently emigrated from France. Their marriage contract was signed on October 25, 1663 and witnessed by Jean Gloria, a notary who also financed her son’s trip across the Atlantic. The marriage was celebrated on November 7 in Notre-Dame, Québec. Adrien had one daughter by his previous wife (Catherine Lafrenière), but Marie (1630-1709) was already 33 at the time of her father’s remarriage. She was married and living with her husband’s family.

l’Île d’Orléans - New France

Anne and Adrien made a home on l’Île d’Orléans. Adrien worked as a saddler and farmer. In 1667 census, they owned 5 animals and 12 acres of land. By then, he was declared guardian of the fruits produced on the estate of the late Thomas Douaire. By 1681, their lands had diminished to 6 acres. Adrien died before 1684, leaving Anne a widow once more. She did not marry a third time. There is little information about Anne’s life between her husband’s death and her own, a period which spanned about 34 years. At least one source suggests that she worked as a midwife.

Anne LeMaitre died on October 1, 1718 (having reached the age of 101) at Montmorency, l’Île-d’Orléans, Québec, Canada. For the continuation of the Roy Ancestry – France to Canada, see Part 3.

Roy Family Ancestry