About 1652, my ninth grandmother, Marie Anne Lagou was born to Pierre Lagou and Marie Boiscochin in the parish of Saint-Etienne in Le Mans, Maine. At the age of 18, after her father’s death, she left her home and sailed to New France under the sponsorship of King Louis XIV of France. Later, she would become known as a filles du roi, or a King’s Daughter. She left France to marry and settle in the wilderness in the New World that France longed to develop. My grandmother arrived in Quebec in 1670 with a dowry of 200 livres.

On 8 September 1670, Marie Anne married my grandfather, Pierre Valliere at the church, Notre Dame, in Quebec. At that time, she was given the King’s dowry of 50 livres. My grandparents were unable to sign their marriage contract.

My grandfather, Pierre, was the child of Louis Valliere and Perrine Fournier, and he was born in Cognac, Saintes, Saintonge, France in 1647. My grandfather arrived in Quebec when he was 19 years old on 16 October 1666. He signed a contract with Pierre Parent to work off his debt and to become Parent’s servant. Pierre Parent was a farmer, butcher, and a quarry worker in Beauport, Quebec, Canada. For about three years, my grandfather worked for Parent to pay off his passage and other debts he may have owed.

“In the presence of Romain Becquet, Royal Notary of New France and undersigned witnesses, were present in person, Pierre Parent resident living on the coast of Beauport, who through his good willingness and wishes acknowledged and confessed to owe to the Sieur Pierre Jamin both for passage for the voyage and for an advance and food provided to Pierre Valliere which he has, on this day delivered to the said Pierre Parent for the service as a servant following and conforming to the indenture contract of the said Valliere signed in the presence of Langlois, Royal Notary in the city of La Rochelle on last fourteen May, placed in the hand of the said Parent, for which amount to One hundred one Livres ten sols, the said Pierre Parent promised and is obliged to pay to the said Siuer Jamin or to Siuer Daniel Bialle, merchant, presently in this city acting for the said Siuer Jamin in this business, in animal hides, eight days before the departure of the last ship which leaves this year from the port of this city to return to France, he is obligated by all his furnishings and real estate present and in the future, because this contract made and signed at Quebec in the study of the said notary. On the twelfth Day of October sixteen sixty six, in the presence of Sieur Jean Bellacq, body guard of Monseigneur de Tracey and Martin apprentice of Sieur de Martigeon living in the said Quebec. Witnesses who have signed these documents with the said Jamin and the notary and the said Parent stating not to know how to write nor sign according to the ordinance” (Pierre Valliere and Marie-Ann Lagou).

My grandparents had eight children. Pierre was baptized on October 4, 1671 and died eleven days later in Quebec. Marie-Anne was born on October 24, 1672 in Quebec.   Pierre was born on December 28, 1673 in Beauport, Quebec. Marie-Madeleine was baptized on April 7, 1676 at Quebec City. On February 24, 1678, my grandmother gave birth to twins, Remi and Jean. Jean died on March 24, 1678 and was buried at Quebec City. On October 22,1679, Jean was born, and he was baptized on November 2 of the same year.

My grandfather, Pierre, died sometime around October 1681, in Saint Augustine, Quebec, Canada, leaving my grandmother with six children who were all under the age of ten years. On 8 January 1682, my grandmother married Remi Dupille at Neuville. Together, the couple had six children. Jeanne-Angelique was born on November 29, 1683, and she was baptized on December 1, 1683. Marie-Francoise was born on January 7 and baptized on January 9, 1686. Francoise was born and baptized on May 29, 1687. Marie-Genevieve was born on March 13 and baptized on March 15, 1689. Marie Madeleine was born and baptized on July 17, 1691. Augustin was born on May 29 and baptized on May 30, 1695, and Therese was born on September 19 and was baptized on September 21, 1699.

Her second husband, Remi, was buried on December 7, 1700 at Saint-Augustin. My grandmother, Marie Anne died on December 16, 1728, and was buried on December 17 at Saint Augustin.

Works Cited

• Genealogical Research Library, Ontario, Canada. “Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s.” U.S. Federal Census Collection, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7920. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• “Discover What Makes You Uniquely You.” Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees&Amp; Family History Records, Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com.
• Edmund West, comp. Family Data Collection – Births, Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.,search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5769. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• Edmund West, comp. “Family Data Collection – Deaths.” Family Data Collection – Deaths, Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001., search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5771. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• Edmund West, comp. “Family Data Collection – Individual Records.” Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000., search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4725. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• Edmund West, comp. “Family Data Collection – Marriages.” Family Data Collection – Marriages, Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001., search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5774. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• GagneÌ, Peter J. King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: the Filles Du Roi, 1663-1673. Pawtucket (R.I.), Quintin Publications, 2003.
• Gale Research. “U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s.” Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7486. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• Genealogical Research Library, Ontario, Canada. “Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s.” U.S. Federal Census Collection, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7920. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• “Marne, France, Birth Index, 1528-1907.” Marne, France, Birth Index, 1528-1907, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1311. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• “Pierre Valliere and Marie-Ann Lagou.” Valliere/Valyear Family History, Weebly, vallierefamilyhistory.weebly.com/pierre-valliere-and-marie-ann-lagou.html. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• “Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968.” Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original Data -, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1091. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.
• Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890.” Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2177. Accessed 26 Mar. 2017.