The French noblewoman abandoned to a desolate island by her own kin
In short: In 1542, a young Frenchwoman was left to die on the Isle of Demons. Driven by possible greed and religious fervor, her relative abandoned her during a voyage to New France. What followed was a harrowing saga of survival, loss, and a legacy that has captivated storytellers for centuries.
The abandonment of Marguerite de La Rocque occurred during a 1542 expedition to New France led by Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, the Lieutenant General of the region. While the exact nature of their relationship is debated—with historians suggesting they were either siblings or cousins—Roberval’s decision to maroon Marguerite was likely motivated by a mix of Calvinist morality and financial desperation. Facing high debts, Roberval stood to benefit from Marguerite's death.
Marguerite was not alone on the island. She was accompanied by her lover, an unidentified young man, and her handmaiden, Damienne. Early accounts, such as the Queen of Navarre's Heptaméron, suggest the lover was an unskilled laborer, though this detail may have been a fabrication to protect his aristocratic family's reputation. The circumstances of their arrival vary; André Thevet claimed the man swam to join her, while the Queen of Navarre suggested he was set down first.
The period of isolation was marked by profound tragedy. Marguerite gave birth to a child on the island, but the infant died, possibly due to the poor diet that left Marguerite struggling to produce milk. The young man and the handmaess also perished. Marguerite survived by hunting wild animals until she was eventually rescued by Basque fishermen. Her survival is so enduring that the group of islands was later known as the Isles de la Demoiselle, and the site is now identified as Harrington Harbour, part of Quebec's Lower North Shore.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Marguerite de La Rocque
- Also: Wikidata — Marguerite de La Rocque · CC0
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