The founding mothers
Fourteen of the women in this pedigree came to New France as filles du roi or filles à marier. Every one of them was found by climbing, not by looking them up.
Two programmes
Before 1663, women came to the colony as filles à marier — recruited privately, and through the religious networks that supplied Montréal, by families and merchants who paid their passage. From 1663 to 1673 the Crown ran the filles du roi: passage paid by the king, a dowry on arrival, and a deliberate effort to settle a colony that had far more men than women.
Neither was a title anyone carried in life. Both are categories historians drew afterwards, from ships' lists, contracts and accounts — which is exactly why a name on a roster is evidence of a name, and not yet evidence of a person.
The count
14 of the 69 women this pedigree holds. Seven came under each programme.
Filles du roi
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P-0119 Marie Faucon Probable
Her line down: #91 → #45 Marie Chartier → #22 Joseph Stive → #11 Véronique St Ive(?) → #5 Véronique Lériger de Laplante → #2 Louis Comte, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0133 Marie Debure Probable
Her line down: #95 → #47 Angélique Bernard → #23 Suzanne Boutin → #11 Véronique St Ive(?) → #5 Véronique Lériger de Laplante → #2 Louis Comte, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0074 Jeanne Denot Probable
Her line down: #105 → #52 Joseph Robidou (père) → #26 Joseph Robidou → #13 Marguerite Robidoux → #6 François David → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0076 Jeanne Petit Probable
Her line down: #107 → #53 Jeanne Seguin → #26 Joseph Robidou → #13 Marguerite Robidoux → #6 François David → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0098 Marguerite Raisin Probable
Her line down: #111 → #55 Marie Deniger → #27 Marie-Anne Meny → #13 Marguerite Robidoux → #6 François David → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0048 Anne Seigneur Probable
Her line down: #115 → #57 Marie-Anne Bessette → #28 François Aguenier → #14 François Aguenier → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0034 Catherine Ducharme Probable
Her line down: #121 → #60 André Roy → #30 Louis-Laurent Roy → #15 Catherine Roy → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
Filles à marier
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P-0072 Marie Chedeville Probable
Her line down: #75 → #37 Marie Demers → #18 Gabriel Boutrice → #9 Geneviève Boutrice → #4 Pascal Comte → #2 Louis Comte, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0084 Catherine Charles Probable
Her line down: #77 → #38 Urbain Jetté (fils) → #19 Geneviève Jetté → #9 Geneviève Boutrice → #4 Pascal Comte → #2 Louis Comte, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0131 Suzanne Rocheteau Probable
Her line down: #93 → #46 Jacques Boutin → #23 Suzanne Boutin → #11 Véronique St Ive(?) → #5 Véronique Lériger de Laplante → #2 Louis Comte, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0104 Marie Frit Probable
Her line down: #225 → #112 Paul Aguenier → #56 Louis Aguenier → #28 François Aguenier → #14 François Aguenier → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0111 Françoise Morin Probable
Her line down: #237 → #118 Étienne Demers Demers Dumais → #59 Marguerite Dumais → #29 Marguerite Gibault → #14 François Aguenier → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0113 Catherine Forestier Probable
Her line down: #239 → #119 Marie-Jeanne Ménard Ménard Fontaine → #59 Marguerite Dumais → #29 Marguerite Gibault → #14 François Aguenier → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
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P-0127 Jeanne Merrin Probable
Her line down: #247 → #123 Michelle Perin → #61 Suzanne Gourdon → #30 Louis-Laurent Roy → #15 Catherine Roy → #7 Catherine Aguenier → #3 Rose David, St-Constant, February 1, 1830.
What we counted, and did not conclude
Of the fourteen, the records hold a signature claim for eleven: seven could not sign, four signed. For three there is nothing either way, and the page says nothing either way.
La Rochelle appears four times; Rouen, Paris and Picardy twice each; Saintonge, Poitou and Charenton once. One origin Gagné could not establish.
Fourteen is too few to draw a pattern from. It is tempting to read something into who signed and who did not, or into how often La Rochelle appears — and this project's own rule is to count before pattern. The counts are above. The pattern is not claimed.
Why every one of these says Probable
Not one of the fourteen is graded Proven, and none of them can be from a roster alone. A published list is a claim about a name: it says that a woman so called came under one programme or the other. Tying that name to the woman in this pedigree takes a document that names her husband, and agreement between the two. Where Gagné names the husband and he matches a family held here, the designation earns Probable — and stops.
The rule is METHOD 13, and it was written the day these fourteen were found.