Individual Details
Elizabeth Doucinet
(17 May 1647 - 19 Nov 1710)
The Journey of Elizabeth Doucinet (Fille Du Roi):
A Pioneer of CharlesbourgEarly Years in Calvinist La Rochelle (1647–1665)
Elizabeth Doucinet was born on May 17, 1647, in the Atlantic port city of La Rochelle, France. She was the daughter of Pierre Doucinet, a master shoemaker (maître cordonnier), and Florence Canteau (also recorded as Fleurance Quantelle). Raised within La Rochelle’s Huguenot enclave, she was baptized two days after her birth, on May 19, 1647, at the Protestant Calvinist Temple of La Villeneuve.
During her youth, religious tension and economic challenges prompted many families in Aunis to look toward New France. Elizabeth’s older sister, Marguerite Doucinet, embarked for the colony as a fille à marier in 1662, marrying Philippe Mathou dit Labrie in Quebec later that year.
Crossing the Atlantic as a Fille du Roi (1666)
Following her sister's footsteps, 19-year-old Elizabeth made the crossing to Canada in the summer of 1666 as one of the Filles du Roi ("King's Daughters"). Financed by King Louis XIV to help populate the colony, she brought a substantial dowry of goods valued at 200 livres. Like many Calvinist emigrants entering Catholic New France, she formally abjured her Protestant faith to settle in the colony.
Upon her arrival in Quebec City, she met Jacques Bédard, a 21-year-old master carpenter (maître charpentier) and fellow native of La Rochelle, who had immigrated around 1660 and converted to Catholicism in 1662. Jacques was the son of Isaac Bédard and Marie Girard.
On August 24, 1666, the couple appeared before notary Romain Becquet in Quebec City to sign their marriage contract in the presence of colonial dignitaries including Intendant Jean Talon, Governor Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles, and Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy. Elizabeth and Jacques were officially married on October 4, 1666, at the Church of Notre-Dame de Québec.
Court Testimony and the Witchcraft Incident (1671)
The young couple settled in the parish of Charlesbourg, near Quebec City, where Jacques built a home and farmed their land grant. In the summer of 1671, Elizabeth found herself involved in a notable local legal dispute.
Appearing before the Provost Court of Quebec, Elizabeth gave testimony concerning rumors of sorcery surrounding a woman named Perrine Moreau. Elizabeth testified that she had heard from a neighbor, Jacques Cassian, that Moreau's parents were sorcerers whose wooden clogs (sabots) allegedly burst into flames and exploded as if filled with gunpowder. She further recounted that another woman had asked for a new pot and needles to perform a ritual, believing Moreau was responsible for her husband's death. The testimony offers a rare window into the folk beliefs, anxieties, and community dynamics of early colonial Quebec.
Life, Homesteading, and Family Growth (1668–1694)
Over twenty-six years, Elizabeth and Jacques raised a large family at Charlesbourg, having 17 children together (including a set of twins):
1. Marie Bédard (b. May 5, 1668)
2. Étienne Bédard (b. June 1, 1669)
3. Charles Bédard (b. December 3, 1670; d. December 29, 1670)
4. François Bédard (b. December 3, 1671)
5. Élisabeth Bédard (b. June 16, 1673)
6. Jacques Bédard (twin, b. February 11, 1675)
7. Louis Bédard (twin, b. February 11, 1675)
8. Marie Madeleine Bédard (b. February 25, 1677)
9. Pierre Bédard (b. August 31, 1678; d. 1703)
10. Catherine Bédard (b. January 29, 1680)
11. Françoise Bédard (b. November 21, 1681; d. December 18, 1681)
12. Thomas Bédard (b. October 18, 1682)
13. Charles Bédard (b. January 26, 1685)
14. Marguerite Bédard (b. January 26, 1687)
15. Marie Anne Bédard (b. August 31, 1689)
16. Marie Jeanne Bédard (b. July 11, 1691)
17. Marie Josèphe Bédard (b. January 18, 1694)
The 1681 Census of New France records the household in Charlesbourg with 36-year-old carpenter Jacques, 32-year-old Elizabeth, six of their surviving children, 1 firearm (fusil), 2 horned cattle, and 12 arpents of cleared, cultivated land.
Passing and Estate Settlement (1710–1711)
Elizabeth Doucinet died at Charlesbourg on November 19, 1710, at the age of 63, and was buried two days later in the parish cemetery. Her husband, Jacques Bédard, survived her by eight months, passing away on July 10, 1711.
On August 1, 1711, notary Jean-Robert Duprac drew up an extensive inventory of the real and personal property belonging to the estate. Shortly thereafter, on July 27, 1711 (officially registered August 5, 1711), formal letters of emancipation (lettres d'émancipation et de bénéfice d'âge) were granted to their underage daughters, Marie Jeanne (20) and Marie Josèphe (17½), allowing them to manage their inherited portions of the family's land and estate holdings.
Family Summary
• Parents: Pierre Doucinet (maître cordonnier) and Florence Canteau (of La Rochelle, France)
• Spouse: Jacques Bédard (married October 4, 1666, in Quebec City)
• Sister: Marguerite Doucinet (married Philippe Mathou dit Labrie on December 28, 1662)
References and Sources
1. Gagné, Peter J. King's Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663–1673. Quintin Publications, 2001, Vol. 1, pp. 223–224.
2. Landry, Yves. Les Filles du Roi au XVIIe siècle: Orphelines entre deux mondes. Éditions du Boréal, 2013, p. 98.
3. Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730. Presses de l'Université de Montréal, p. 72.
4. Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours. Vol. 1, p. 36.
5. Langlois, Michel. Dictionnaire biographique des ancêtres québécois (1608–1700).
6. Séguin, Robert-Lionel. La vie libertine en Nouvelle-France au XVIIe siècle. Leméac, 1972, pp. 80–84.
7. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). Actes notariés (Romain Becquet, 24 août 1666; Jean-Robert Duprac, 1 août 1711) et Registres de Charlesbourg et Notre-Dame de Québec.
8. Recensement de la Nouvelle-France (1681). Section Charlesbourg, compilé par Jean-Guy Sénécal.
A Pioneer of CharlesbourgEarly Years in Calvinist La Rochelle (1647–1665)
Elizabeth Doucinet was born on May 17, 1647, in the Atlantic port city of La Rochelle, France. She was the daughter of Pierre Doucinet, a master shoemaker (maître cordonnier), and Florence Canteau (also recorded as Fleurance Quantelle). Raised within La Rochelle’s Huguenot enclave, she was baptized two days after her birth, on May 19, 1647, at the Protestant Calvinist Temple of La Villeneuve.
During her youth, religious tension and economic challenges prompted many families in Aunis to look toward New France. Elizabeth’s older sister, Marguerite Doucinet, embarked for the colony as a fille à marier in 1662, marrying Philippe Mathou dit Labrie in Quebec later that year.
Crossing the Atlantic as a Fille du Roi (1666)
Following her sister's footsteps, 19-year-old Elizabeth made the crossing to Canada in the summer of 1666 as one of the Filles du Roi ("King's Daughters"). Financed by King Louis XIV to help populate the colony, she brought a substantial dowry of goods valued at 200 livres. Like many Calvinist emigrants entering Catholic New France, she formally abjured her Protestant faith to settle in the colony.
Upon her arrival in Quebec City, she met Jacques Bédard, a 21-year-old master carpenter (maître charpentier) and fellow native of La Rochelle, who had immigrated around 1660 and converted to Catholicism in 1662. Jacques was the son of Isaac Bédard and Marie Girard.
On August 24, 1666, the couple appeared before notary Romain Becquet in Quebec City to sign their marriage contract in the presence of colonial dignitaries including Intendant Jean Talon, Governor Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles, and Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy. Elizabeth and Jacques were officially married on October 4, 1666, at the Church of Notre-Dame de Québec.
Court Testimony and the Witchcraft Incident (1671)
The young couple settled in the parish of Charlesbourg, near Quebec City, where Jacques built a home and farmed their land grant. In the summer of 1671, Elizabeth found herself involved in a notable local legal dispute.
Appearing before the Provost Court of Quebec, Elizabeth gave testimony concerning rumors of sorcery surrounding a woman named Perrine Moreau. Elizabeth testified that she had heard from a neighbor, Jacques Cassian, that Moreau's parents were sorcerers whose wooden clogs (sabots) allegedly burst into flames and exploded as if filled with gunpowder. She further recounted that another woman had asked for a new pot and needles to perform a ritual, believing Moreau was responsible for her husband's death. The testimony offers a rare window into the folk beliefs, anxieties, and community dynamics of early colonial Quebec.
Life, Homesteading, and Family Growth (1668–1694)
Over twenty-six years, Elizabeth and Jacques raised a large family at Charlesbourg, having 17 children together (including a set of twins):
1. Marie Bédard (b. May 5, 1668)
2. Étienne Bédard (b. June 1, 1669)
3. Charles Bédard (b. December 3, 1670; d. December 29, 1670)
4. François Bédard (b. December 3, 1671)
5. Élisabeth Bédard (b. June 16, 1673)
6. Jacques Bédard (twin, b. February 11, 1675)
7. Louis Bédard (twin, b. February 11, 1675)
8. Marie Madeleine Bédard (b. February 25, 1677)
9. Pierre Bédard (b. August 31, 1678; d. 1703)
10. Catherine Bédard (b. January 29, 1680)
11. Françoise Bédard (b. November 21, 1681; d. December 18, 1681)
12. Thomas Bédard (b. October 18, 1682)
13. Charles Bédard (b. January 26, 1685)
14. Marguerite Bédard (b. January 26, 1687)
15. Marie Anne Bédard (b. August 31, 1689)
16. Marie Jeanne Bédard (b. July 11, 1691)
17. Marie Josèphe Bédard (b. January 18, 1694)
The 1681 Census of New France records the household in Charlesbourg with 36-year-old carpenter Jacques, 32-year-old Elizabeth, six of their surviving children, 1 firearm (fusil), 2 horned cattle, and 12 arpents of cleared, cultivated land.
Passing and Estate Settlement (1710–1711)
Elizabeth Doucinet died at Charlesbourg on November 19, 1710, at the age of 63, and was buried two days later in the parish cemetery. Her husband, Jacques Bédard, survived her by eight months, passing away on July 10, 1711.
On August 1, 1711, notary Jean-Robert Duprac drew up an extensive inventory of the real and personal property belonging to the estate. Shortly thereafter, on July 27, 1711 (officially registered August 5, 1711), formal letters of emancipation (lettres d'émancipation et de bénéfice d'âge) were granted to their underage daughters, Marie Jeanne (20) and Marie Josèphe (17½), allowing them to manage their inherited portions of the family's land and estate holdings.
Family Summary
• Parents: Pierre Doucinet (maître cordonnier) and Florence Canteau (of La Rochelle, France)
• Spouse: Jacques Bédard (married October 4, 1666, in Quebec City)
• Sister: Marguerite Doucinet (married Philippe Mathou dit Labrie on December 28, 1662)
References and Sources
1. Gagné, Peter J. King's Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663–1673. Quintin Publications, 2001, Vol. 1, pp. 223–224.
2. Landry, Yves. Les Filles du Roi au XVIIe siècle: Orphelines entre deux mondes. Éditions du Boréal, 2013, p. 98.
3. Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730. Presses de l'Université de Montréal, p. 72.
4. Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours. Vol. 1, p. 36.
5. Langlois, Michel. Dictionnaire biographique des ancêtres québécois (1608–1700).
6. Séguin, Robert-Lionel. La vie libertine en Nouvelle-France au XVIIe siècle. Leméac, 1972, pp. 80–84.
7. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). Actes notariés (Romain Becquet, 24 août 1666; Jean-Robert Duprac, 1 août 1711) et Registres de Charlesbourg et Notre-Dame de Québec.
8. Recensement de la Nouvelle-France (1681). Section Charlesbourg, compilé par Jean-Guy Sénécal.
Events
| Birth | 17 May 1647 | La Rochelle, Aunis, France | |||
| Christen | 19 May 1647 | La Rochelle, Aunis, France | |||
| Marriage | 4 Oct 1666 | Notre-Dame-De-Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France - Jacques Bedart | |||
| Death | 19 Nov 1710 | Charlesbourg, Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France |  | ||
| Burial | 21 Nov 1710 | Saint-Charles-Borromée, Charlesbourg, Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France | |
Families
| Spouse | Jacques Bedart (1644 - 1711) |
| Child | Estienne Bedart (1669 - 1703) |
| Child | Catherine Bédard (1680 - 1749) |
| Child | Thomas Charles Bedard (1682 - 1757) |
| Father | Pierre-Marie-Joseph Doucinet (1615 - 1670) |
| Mother | Fleurance Canteau (1620 - 1670) |