▁before ▁and ▁after ▁this ▁time ▁period , ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁fill es ▁du ▁roi , ▁as ▁the ▁term ▁refers ▁to ▁women ▁and ▁girls ▁who ▁were ▁act ively ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁and ▁whose ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁col ony ▁was ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁the ▁king . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁occasionally ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁King ' s ▁W ards , ▁where ▁" wards " ▁meant ▁those ▁under ▁the ▁guard ians hip ▁of ▁another . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁▁ ▁New ▁France , ▁at ▁its ▁start , ▁was ▁mostly ▁populated ▁by ▁men : ▁soldiers , ▁fur ▁trad ers , ▁and ▁pri ests . ▁The ▁col ony ▁became ▁more ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁severe ▁im bal ance ▁between ▁single ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁in ▁New ▁France . ▁The ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁female ▁imm igr ants ▁had ▁to ▁pay ▁their ▁own ▁passage , ▁and ▁few ▁single ▁women ▁wanted ▁to ▁leave ▁home ▁to ▁move ▁and ▁sett le ▁in ▁the ▁har sh ▁climate ▁and ▁conditions ▁of ▁New ▁France . ▁The ▁population ▁growth ▁of ▁compet ing ▁English ▁colon ies ▁aw ak ened ▁concern ▁among ▁some ▁officials ▁about ▁France ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁maintain ▁its ▁claim ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World . ▁ ▁To ▁increase ▁the ▁French ▁population ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁families , ▁the ▁Int endant ▁of ▁New ▁France , ▁Jean ▁Tal on , ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁king ▁spons or ▁passage ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 0 0 ▁women . ▁The ▁king ▁agreed , ▁and ▁eventually ▁nearly ▁twice ▁the