Individual Details
Elizabeth Blay
(1648 - 28 Nov 1692)
Elizabeth Blay was born in 1652 in Rouen, a prominent city in the Normandy region of France known for its deep Catholic roots and strong ties to maritime trade [1]. Like many women of her generation who faced limited prospects in France, Elizabeth responded to the call of New France, embarking on a life-changing journey across the Atlantic as one of the Filles du Roi—the “Daughters of the King” [2].
Sponsored by the crown as part of an ambitious effort to build and stabilize the population of the colony, Elizabeth arrived in Québec with a royal dowry of 200 livres and a gift of 50 livres from King Louis XIV himself [3]. These funds, intended to help her establish a household and encourage settlement, reflected the importance placed on her role in shaping the future of the fledgling colony.
Elizabeth’s first marriage took place on 7 October 1669, when she wed Pierre Roche in Ste-Famille, one of the earliest parishes established on Île d'Orléans, just east of Québec City [4]. Their union marked the beginning of her life in New France, where she would assume the many responsibilities of a colonial wife—maintaining a household, raising children, and helping forge a new society in a rugged and unfamiliar land.
Following Pierre Roche’s death, Elizabeth remarried on 28 April 1677, once again in Ste-Famille, this time to Vincent Guillot, another settler in the region [5]. Together, they continued the work of family and community-building in a colony still in its formative years.
Elizabeth spent over two decades contributing to the development of New France, both through her personal resilience and her growing family. She passed away on 28 November 1692 in Québec, a city that had grown significantly since her arrival as a young bride [6]. Through her courage, adaptability, and commitment, Elizabeth Blay remains a lasting symbol of the vital role the Filles du Roi played in shaping French-Canadian heritage.
Footnotes
1. Rouen parish baptismal records, Normandie, France, ca. 1652.
2. Colonial immigration documents, Filles du Roi program, 1663–1673.
3. Notarial records, immigration and dowry contracts, New France, 1669.
4. Marriage register, Ste-Famille Parish, Île d’Orléans, 1669.
5. Marriage register, Ste-Famille Parish, Île d’Orléans, 1677.
6. Burial record, Québec Parish, 1692.
Events
| Birth | 1648 | St-Eustache de Paris, France |  | ||
| Christen | 1648 | Saint-Eustache, Paris, Île-De-France, France | | ||
| Marriage | 7 Oct 1669 | Ste-Famille, Iles-D'Orléans, Québec, Canada - Living | | ||
| Marriage | 28 Apr 1677 | Ste-Famille, Iles-D'Orléans, Québec, Canada - Vincent Guillot | | ||
| Death | 28 Nov 1692 | Hôtel-Dieu, Québec, Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France | | ||
| Burial | 29 Nov 1692 | Chapelle Hotel-Dieu de Quebec, Québec, Québec, Canada | | ||
| Related2Me.ca | 11 Jun 2025 | https://related2me.ca/2025/06/11/elizabeth-blay-1652-1692/ | |||
| Alt name | Elizabeth Blais | ||||
| Alt name | Elisabeth Blais Debled | ||||
| Alt name | Élizabeth Blay | ||||
| Alt name | Élizabeth Lebled | ||||
| Alt name | Isabelle Blais | ||||
| Reference No | A643 M131 | |
Families
| Spouse | Vincent Guillot (1645 - 1716) |
| Child | Madeleine Guillot (1681 - 1722) |
| Child | Anne Guillot (1682 - 1736) |
| Child | Marguerite Guillot (1684 - 1741) |
| Child | Catherine Guillot (1688 - 1770) |
| Spouse | Living |
| Father | Claude Blay (1610 - ) |
| Mother | Marguerite Verrier (1615 - 1669) |
Endnotes
1. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
2. "Canada, Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8999-37QJ?cc=1321742&wc=HCS3-W38%3A24018201%2C24018202%2C24018203 : 16 July 2014), Sainte-Famille > Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1666-1790 > image 186 of 1399; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal. .
3. "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DJ-S6C4 : Tue Apr 01 03:44:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Élisabeth Blais..
4. "Canada, Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8999-37QJ?cc=1321742&wc=HCS3-W38%3A24018201%2C24018202%2C24018203 : 16 July 2014), Sainte-Famille > Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1666-1790 > image 186 of 1399; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal. .
5. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
6. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
7. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
8. "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DJ-S6C4 : Tue Apr 01 03:44:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Élisabeth Blais..
9. "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DJ-S6C4 : Tue Apr 01 03:44:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Élisabeth Blais..
10. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Albert Jean Joseph Perreault," pp. 1-361; Unpublished family tree, 2024-07-26, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.
11. Diane Lebrun , "Ancestors of Marie St-Hilaire," pp. 1-205; Unpublished family tree, 2025-02-09, Al Perreault, Calgary, AB, Canada.