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"The Filles du Roi" 1663 -1673

          Continued excerpts from Thomas Laforest's, Our French-Canadian Ancestors - vol 1:

    These young ladies volunteered to make the dangerous two month crossing in exchange for a dowry.  She also received 50 livres (1 livre was equal to 1 pound sterling) if she married a soldier or habitant, 100 livres if she married a officer.  But what did the girl receive before leaving France?  The one thing all the girls had in common was poverty, hence a real need to be outfitted.

    " To this statutory grant (the dowry cited above) other essential expenses were added.  The first disbursement was set 100 livres: 10 for personal and moving expenses, 30 for clothing and 60 for the passage.  In addition to the aforesaid clothing, the following: a small hope chest, 1 head dress, 1 taffeta handkerchief, 1 pair of shoe ribbons, 100 sewing needles, 1 comb, 1 spool of white thread, 1 pair of stockings, 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair of scissors, 2 knives, 1,000 pins, 1 bonnet, 4 lace braids and 2 livres in silver money.  On arrival the Sovereign Council of New France provided the girls with some clothing suitable to the climate and some provisions drawn from the Kings warehouse."

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