When the French Were Here
Champlain Quadricentennial
Samuel de Champlain, A Life
Marriage Troubles
There, he was introduced to Hélène Boullé, daughter of the secretary to the king’s bedchamber and the sister of Champlain’s second-in-command, Eustache Boullé. Marriage to the daughter of a wealthy courtier not only brought Champlain a connection at court but a hefty dowry of 6000 livres. It was a princely sum: a later viceroy of New France would buy the entire colony for that sum. Within three days of meeting Hélène, Champlain, a bachelor of forty, decided to marry—a twelve year old! The marriage contract stipulated that they could not consummate the marriage for two years until Hélène turned fourteen, but Champlain would not have to wait to receive three-fourths of her dowry.
Two months after the wedding ceremony in Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church in Paris, Champlain sailed again to Canada. He promptly built a fort at Lachine and named it Sainte- Hélène, in her honor. Then, at Quebec, he planted rose bushes.
By the time he returned to his bride six months later, there were still only 85 French in all New France. There were already 500 English in Jamestown. Champlain used this fact to lobby at court. Publishing a new map and writing memoranda, he petitioned the new king for greater support for the colony. Louis responded by granting a cousin a twelve-year trading monopoly. He gave Champlain the power of command.
Soon after his return to Quebec in 1613, the English attacked Acadia and destroyed Port-Royal. The attack gave Champlain the argument he needed at court. The next year, he brought priests with him to convert the Indians and permission to attack another Iroquois fort, this time south of Lake Oneida. This mission failed. Champlain was wounded again this time by two arrows, one in his knee. He had to be carried for days back to the Huron base, where he languished all winter. When he was able to return to France and his bride, his horse stumbled and fell on him “and nearly killed me.” He lost more weeks recuperating in an inn.
For each of the first ten years of his marriage, Champlain only spent a few winter months with Hélène and then returned to Canada. He hired a maid for her and kept close ties with her parents. He also gave her a handsome allowance that enabled her to live well at court. It was a typical marriage of convenience of their time. While he was away, Hélène managed his business interests. In 1618, he received the final one-fourth of her dowry but by now he was a wealthy man, making a fortune in the fur trade, each year bringing back his trove of pelts for sale.
When Hélène was 22, Champlain finally invited her to accompany him to live in Quebec. To the astonishment of her family, she agreed. Hélène was stunned by what she found on the riverbank at Quebec, an abandoned chateau, if she could call it that, overgrown with weeds and with an endlessly leaking roof. Life in Quebec was primitive at best. The couple had no child, although Champlain had adopted an Indian boy, Savignon, who traveled everywhere with him as his interpreter. The wonder was that Hélène, used to the luxuries and fine foods of Paris, endured for four years before returning to France. She never returned to America. They remained separated for five years.
