Marguerite de La Rocque
Encyclopedia
Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval (fl
1536–1542) was a French
noblewoman who spent some years marooned on the Île des Démons in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, off the coast of Quebec
. She became well known after her subsequent rescue and return to France; her story was recounted in the Heptaméron
by Queen Marguerite of Navarre
, and in later histories by François de Belleforest
and André Thévet
.
and homage
in 1536 for her lands in Périgord
and Languedoc
. She was co-seigneuress
of Pontpoint
, with relative Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, a nobleman privateer
favoured by Francis I of France
. (The exact relationship remains unclear. André Thevet
claimed Roberval was her uncle, while François de Belleforest
indicated they were brother and sister. Historian Elizabeth Boyer
suggests they were in fact cousins.)
In 1541 Roberval was made Lieutenant General of New France
, and the following year set out for the New World, accompanied by Marguerite, who was still young and unmarried. During the journey, she became the lover of a young man. Displeased with his young relative's actions, Roberval left Marguerite on the "Isle of Demons", near the Saint Paul River. While possibly motivated by his strong Calvinist morals, it is likely he was also driven by financial greed, since his debts were high, and Marguerite's death would be to his benefit. Also marooned were Marguerite's lover, and her maid-servant Damienne. In the Heptameron, the Queen of Navarre claims the lover was set down first, with Marguerite opting to join him; Thevet claims the young man swam to join Marguerite.
Marguerite's lover is intentionally unidentified in early histories; while presented in the Queen of Navarre's work as an unskilled labourer, this was, in part, to hide his identity, preserving the reputation of his aristocratic family.
While it is unlikely she was pregnant when first abandoned, Marguerite gave birth to a child while on the island. The baby died, as did the young man and the maid servant. It is likely the baby died due to insufficient milk, Marguerite's diet being poor. Marguerite survived by hunting wild animals, and was rescued by Basque fishermen some years later.
The "Island of Demons" (or spirits) is part of a group later known as the Isles de la Demoiselle, presumably after her (French demoiselle means "young lady"); specifically, the island is believed to be the one now known as Hospital Island (or Harrington Island), where oral tradition is able to identify the cave Marguerite sheltered in.
in her work Heptaméron (published posthumously in 1558), in François de Belleforest
's Histoires tragiques (5th Volume, 1570) and, later, André Thévet
's Cosmographie. She became a schoolmistress, and settled in Nontron
, living in Chateau de La Mothe. There is no record of any action or charges brought by her against Roberval. Her death date and place is unrecorded. (Roberval died in 1560.)
In addition to her early chroniclers, Marguerite de la Rocque's story has provided inspiration for several modern writers. In 1975, historian Elizabeth Boyer
wrote the novel Marguerite de la Roque: A Story of Survival; Charles Goulet's 2000 novel was entitled The Isle of Demons, and Joan Elizabeth Goodman wrote a novel for young adults in 2002, entitled Paradise. In 2003, Douglas Glover
published Elle: A Novel, which won 2003 Canadian Governor’s General book prize. Canadian playwright Robert Chafe
wrote a bilingual play Isle of Demons, first produced in 2004. Canadian poet bpNichol
depicted her in his poem "lament". 19th century Montreal poet George Martin published his poem about the incident – Marguerite, Or The Isle Of Demons in an 1887 book of the same name. The book was republished in 1995 and is still available. Sara Maitland
discusses the story in A Book of Silence (2008) and in a short story, "The Tale of the Valiant Demoiselle," in Far North and Other Dark Tales (2008). Maitland also mentions a narrative poem by Isabel Ecclestone McKay (1916). In 2008, Annamarie Beckel wrote Silence of Stone (Breakwater Books) another novel based on the story of Marguerite de la Rocque and switches back and forth between Marguerite on the island to Marguerite as headmistress.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1536–1542) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
noblewoman who spent some years marooned on the Île des Démons in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
, off the coast of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. She became well known after her subsequent rescue and return to France; her story was recounted in the Heptaméron
Heptameron
The Heptameron is a collection of 72 short stories written in French by Marguerite of Navarre, published in 1558. It has the form of a frame narrative and was inspired by The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio...
by Queen Marguerite of Navarre
Marguerite de Navarre
Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre...
, and in later histories by François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest was a prolific French author, poet and translator of the Renaissance. He was born in a poor family and his father was killed when he was seven...
and André Thévet
André Thévet
André de Thevet was a French Franciscan priest, explorer, cosmographer and writer who travelled to Brazil in the 16th century...
.
Early life
Marguerite de La Rocque's place and date of birth are unknown, but records attest to her declaration of fealtyFealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas , is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Typically the oath is made upon a religious object such as a Bible or saint's relic, often contained within an altar, thus binding the oath-taker before God.In medieval Europe, fealty was sworn between...
and homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
in 1536 for her lands in Périgord
Périgord
The Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir , the Périgord Blanc , the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre...
and Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. She was co-seigneuress
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of Pontpoint
Pontpoint
Pontpoint is a town in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-External links:* * *...
, with relative Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, a nobleman privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
favoured by Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. (The exact relationship remains unclear. André Thevet
André Thévet
André de Thevet was a French Franciscan priest, explorer, cosmographer and writer who travelled to Brazil in the 16th century...
claimed Roberval was her uncle, while François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest was a prolific French author, poet and translator of the Renaissance. He was born in a poor family and his father was killed when he was seven...
indicated they were brother and sister. Historian Elizabeth Boyer
Elizabeth Boyer (feminist)
Dr Elizabeth Boyer is an American lawyer, feminist and writer. In 1968, she founded the Women's Equity Action League as a moderate feminist movement for professional women. It provided dissent against the National Organization of Women's pro-choice stance. Amongst other issues, WEAL worked to...
suggests they were in fact cousins.)
Voyage and marooning
Lieutenant General of New France
Lieutenant General of New France was the military post that governed early New France from 1598 until 1627. Before 1598, the office was briefly occupied from 1541 to 1543. The office was replaced by the title of Governor of New France in 1627...
, and the following year set out for the New World, accompanied by Marguerite, who was still young and unmarried. During the journey, she became the lover of a young man. Displeased with his young relative's actions, Roberval left Marguerite on the "Isle of Demons", near the Saint Paul River. While possibly motivated by his strong Calvinist morals, it is likely he was also driven by financial greed, since his debts were high, and Marguerite's death would be to his benefit. Also marooned were Marguerite's lover, and her maid-servant Damienne. In the Heptameron, the Queen of Navarre claims the lover was set down first, with Marguerite opting to join him; Thevet claims the young man swam to join Marguerite.
Marguerite's lover is intentionally unidentified in early histories; while presented in the Queen of Navarre's work as an unskilled labourer, this was, in part, to hide his identity, preserving the reputation of his aristocratic family.
While it is unlikely she was pregnant when first abandoned, Marguerite gave birth to a child while on the island. The baby died, as did the young man and the maid servant. It is likely the baby died due to insufficient milk, Marguerite's diet being poor. Marguerite survived by hunting wild animals, and was rescued by Basque fishermen some years later.
The "Island of Demons" (or spirits) is part of a group later known as the Isles de la Demoiselle, presumably after her (French demoiselle means "young lady"); specifically, the island is believed to be the one now known as Hospital Island (or Harrington Island), where oral tradition is able to identify the cave Marguerite sheltered in.
Later life
Returning to France after her rescue, Marguerite achieved some celebrity when her story was recorded by the Queen of NavarreMarguerite de Navarre
Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre...
in her work Heptaméron (published posthumously in 1558), in François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest
François de Belleforest was a prolific French author, poet and translator of the Renaissance. He was born in a poor family and his father was killed when he was seven...
's Histoires tragiques (5th Volume, 1570) and, later, André Thévet
André Thévet
André de Thevet was a French Franciscan priest, explorer, cosmographer and writer who travelled to Brazil in the 16th century...
's Cosmographie. She became a schoolmistress, and settled in Nontron
Nontron
Nontron is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:According to the historian Ribault de Laugardière, the name Nontron derives from the Tyrian language, from Nata and Dun...
, living in Chateau de La Mothe. There is no record of any action or charges brought by her against Roberval. Her death date and place is unrecorded. (Roberval died in 1560.)
Literary representations
The Queen of Navarre's account of Marguerite's adventures was a romantic tale, based on information provided by "Captain Roberval"; Thevet, who claimed he was told the story by Marguerite herself, offered more precise details, describing the journey, the colonists on board the ships, and the location of the Île des Démons. Text comparisons show that Thevet was, at least, familiar with the Queen's and de Belleforest's earlier accounts.Schlessinger & Stabler, p. xxiiiIn addition to her early chroniclers, Marguerite de la Rocque's story has provided inspiration for several modern writers. In 1975, historian Elizabeth Boyer
Elizabeth Boyer (feminist)
Dr Elizabeth Boyer is an American lawyer, feminist and writer. In 1968, she founded the Women's Equity Action League as a moderate feminist movement for professional women. It provided dissent against the National Organization of Women's pro-choice stance. Amongst other issues, WEAL worked to...
wrote the novel Marguerite de la Roque: A Story of Survival; Charles Goulet's 2000 novel was entitled The Isle of Demons, and Joan Elizabeth Goodman wrote a novel for young adults in 2002, entitled Paradise. In 2003, Douglas Glover
Douglas Glover (writer)
Douglas Glover BA, M.Litt., MFA is a Canadian writer. He was raised on his family's tobacco farm just outside Waterford, Ontario...
published Elle: A Novel, which won 2003 Canadian Governor’s General book prize. Canadian playwright Robert Chafe
Robert Chafe
Robert Chafe is a Canadian playwright. His play Afterimage won the Governor General's Award for English language drama at the 2010 Governor General's Awards. He was previously nominated for the same award at the 2004 Governor General's Awards for his plays Butler's Marsh and Tempting Providence.He...
wrote a bilingual play Isle of Demons, first produced in 2004. Canadian poet bpNichol
BpNichol
Barrie Phillip Nichol , who often went by his lower-case initials and last name, with no spaces , was a Canadian poet. He became widely known for his concrete poetry while living there in the 1960s...
depicted her in his poem "lament". 19th century Montreal poet George Martin published his poem about the incident – Marguerite, Or The Isle Of Demons in an 1887 book of the same name. The book was republished in 1995 and is still available. Sara Maitland
Sara Maitland
Sara Maitland is a British writer and feminist. An accomplished novelist, she is also known for her short stories. Her work has a magic realist tendency.-Biography:...
discusses the story in A Book of Silence (2008) and in a short story, "The Tale of the Valiant Demoiselle," in Far North and Other Dark Tales (2008). Maitland also mentions a narrative poem by Isabel Ecclestone McKay (1916). In 2008, Annamarie Beckel wrote Silence of Stone (Breakwater Books) another novel based on the story of Marguerite de la Rocque and switches back and forth between Marguerite on the island to Marguerite as headmistress.
External links
Further reading
- Boyer, ElizabethElizabeth Boyer (feminist)Dr Elizabeth Boyer is an American lawyer, feminist and writer. In 1968, she founded the Women's Equity Action League as a moderate feminist movement for professional women. It provided dissent against the National Organization of Women's pro-choice stance. Amongst other issues, WEAL worked to...
(1983) A Colony of One: The History of a Brave Woman, Novelty, Ohio: Verite Press - Stabler, Arthur P. The Legend of Marguerite de Roberval