Apothecary: a pharmacy, from the Greek for “to put away”; usually a cabinet or box with small storage drawers to contain medicines, tonics and herbs
Armoire: large wardrobe with doors; originally from cupboards used to store “armour”
Arpent: a unit to measure length, similar to modern terms such as an acre or hectare
Bishop: In 17th century New France, he was the Pope’s representative as head of the Catholic Church in New France, appointed by the King
Cloistered: a term used to describe a religious order (usually nuns) that took solemn vows to remain in a convent and not go outside without permisssion. The RHSJ were cloistered until 1925
Compagnie des Cent-Associés: Company of One Hundred Associates, the company that owned New France from 1627 to 1663 and had a monopoly over its fur trade. It was replaced in 1663 by the Compagnie des Indes Occidentales.
Coureur des bois: literally, “runner of the woods”, an unlicensed fur trader who worked closely with the Natives
Governor General: King’s representative and highest dignitary in New France, controlled the military
Hospitalières: the French term for nuns dedicated to serving the sick. In New France, Augustinian nuns worked at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Quebec while in Ville-Marie (Montreal) it was the Congregation of the Daughters Hospitalières of Saint Joseph, known today as the Religious Hospitalières of Saint Joseph (RHSJ).
Îie d’Orléans: island near Quebec City in the St. Lawrence River. In 1650, it was called Île Sainte-Marie when populated by the Wendat (Huron), before the tribe was massacred by the Iroquois in 1656.
Intendant: appointed by the King, he administered the justice, internal affairs and finances of New France
Jesuits: Society of Jesus. The missionaries of a religious order in New France
Layperson: a spiritually devout person who is not a member of a religious order
La Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal: the Society of Our Lady of Montreal
Livres: basis of the French monetary system: one livre was worth 20 “sols”; one sol was worth 12 “deniers”
Pemmican: nourishing Native food of dried meat and berries
Récollet: the first missionaries on the St. Lawrence, they arrived in 1615 with Champlain
Sagamité: a nourishing soup made from Indian corn flour, fish and dried peas
Seigneurial System: land in New France was divided into sections called seigneuries; these were settled and farmed by tenants (or habitants) who, in turn, paid dues (usually a portion of their harvest) to the legal landowners or seigneurs.
Sisters of the Congregation: secular order, dedicated to teaching children, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys in 1658.
Sulpicians: priests from the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris; they arrived in New France in 1657 and became the seigneurs of Montreal in 1663.
Tourtiére: a French dish of ground meat in a pie shell
Ursulines: cloistered order of nuns, they arrived in Quebec in 1639 under Marie de I‘lncarnation to teach young girls. With them came the Augustinian Hospitalières from Dieppe, France, to work in the Hôtel-Dieu hospital of Quebec.
Voyageur: literally “traveller”. Such a man was usually licensed and hired by merchants to cover vast distances by canoe and trade furs with the Natives.
Wampum: a ceremonial Native belt of woven shells; during the fur trade, wampum was made from European glass beads and used as currency.