Back in the 1600s, France explored, and ultimately decided to settle in, what is now Québec; at the time it was called Nouvelle-France (New France). As was common, men would travel by ship to such a land to determine its worthiness. As the area grew, the inhabitants were mostly men: fur traders, storekeepers, dockhands, priests, and soldiers. This doesn't work well if you're going to stay and grow a society. The King of France, seeing this problem, sent about 800 women there between 1663 and 1673. Those women came to be known as "Filles du Roi" or the "King's Daughters," a term coined by one of the nuns who would welcome and care for the women as they arrived. They are also often referred to as the founding mothers of New France.

Interestingly, there is a list of these women (actually, there are several sources of this list). I initially thought of such a list as finding that one of your ancestors had sailed to America on the Mayflower. But I've come to know that most everyone who has roots in Québec and French Canada, can claim at least one of these women as an ancestor. In my case, I'm aware of 45 such women from whom I descend.

These women did not have noble or royal blood; they were simply sponsored by King Louis XIV who paid for their voyage and gave them a dowry to help them establish families. Many women provided a letter of recommendation from their parish priest back home. Upon marriage, many were also given animals and supplies to help the couple establish their household and set a firm foundation for their family.

One of these remarkable women is Marie-Louise Lecoutre, my 8th great grandmother. On New Years Eve, 1666 (360 years ago), she married a man named Nicolas Crevier, my 8th great grandfather. This couple started a family; descendants of many generations followed, including me. The plan worked.

Many of these descendants still live in Canada, while many emigrated to their neighbor to the south, a new country called the United States of America, which formed 100 years later. In the U.S., their descendants landed in New England, others landed in the Dakotas, while even more came into upper Michigan and then Wisconsin.

Interestingly, Nicolas is the son of Christophe Crevier and Jeanne (Evard) Crevier, the first Creviers to emigrate from France to Québec. Pope Leo XIV also descends from this family.