Exploring Marriage in 18th Century France: Rolland-Cruchon Case

This essay explores 18th-century French society through Christopher Moorey's analysis of the marriage between Jacques Rolland and Marie-Louise Cruchon in Louisbourg. It examines the social and economic factors influencing marriage during this period, contrasting the perception of marriage as a private affair with its broader societal implications. The essay argues that the marriage of Rolland and Cruchon was driven more by social and economic considerations than by love, reflecting a common practice in New France where marital alliances were often used to maintain or improve social standing. The analysis draws on Allan Greer's work to highlight the importance of marriage for survival and social stability in the challenging environment of New France, emphasizing that marriage served as a means of securing economic advantages and integrating into the social fabric of the time.

Running head: HISTORY
18th century society in France
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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HISTORY
Introduction
The essay of Christopher Moorey, ‘the marriage of Marie-Louise Cruchon’, gives a
clear view of the harbor town of Louisbourg in Ile Royale. The essay analyses the marriage
of Jacques Rolland who was an apprentice merchant who originally belonged to the Breton
village of Hede and Marie-Louise Cruchon who was the elder daughter of the widow named
Therese Boudier Cruchon. Moore lays in his interest in the courtship of Marie-Louise
Cruchon and Louisebourg. The courtship period turned to marriage finally in the year 1742.
Later because of the interest of Rolland in the town of Louisebourg he was found to elope in
Louiseboug without his wife and without considering about his career. The incident turned
out to be a humiliating one. At one level the essay concentrates on the offering of the history
of the marriage of Marie and it pays attention to offer a glimpse into the society of
Louisbourge. This is one shade that the essay offers. The other shade that the essay offers is
that it makes effort to put forward the factors that are associated with marriage in France1.
The factors that were considered in the marriage of Marie and Rolland were compared to the
factors that existed in marriages in France2. Marriage has been used as an effective vehicle for
the understanding of the essential characteristics of the colonial society in the eighteenth
century in France. The mind-set of the people in France regarding marriage has been
highlighted in the essay.
Thesis statement: there are instances in the essay where the marriage of Rolland and
Marie has been considered to be an effort to maintain the social status. Therefore
1 Roulston, Chris. Narrating Marriage in Eighteenth-Century England and France. Routledge, 2016.
2 Tooley, Brenda. Gender and utopia in the eighteenth century: essays in English and French utopian writing.
Routledge, 2016.

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HISTORY
marriage was a fake and an institutionalized concept that was sometimes performed to
maintain the status of the individual in the society.
Discussion
The perception of marriage was considered to the major point of concern in the entire
essay. The popular perception of marriage has been considered to be the major aspect of the
essay. In some parts marriage is considered to be the private domestic act. The vows are
taken in front of the society but the concept is supposed to be a private affair and it is
supposed to reside behind the closed doors of the house. Moore tries to reconsider this
perception3. The institution of marriage has always been considered from a larger point of
view. The marriage does not restrict itself between a man and a woman but it has huge scope
in the society. The concept is always jugged from the angle of the society. The social
consequences are associated with the institution of marriage. The marriage offers them the
designation of husband or wife. It assigns certain role to the respective persons. It has created
a model in the society. The husband are expected to perform certain pre-decided set of rules
and the wife is also expected to perform certain rules that been designed by the society. The
husband is supposed to be the bread-winner and he is supposed to go out of the house and
fetch money for his family. The wife is expected to stay at home and indulge in the house-
hold works. She is expected to be submissive and obey to the instructions given by her
husband. The husband is the bread-winner of the family and therefore he can put some order
to his wife to do the work and expect absolute obedience from his wife4. In the eighteenth
3 Pasco, Allan H. Revolutionary love in eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century France. Routledge, 2016.
4 Spangler, Jonathan. The society of princes: the Lorraine-Guise and the conservation of power and wealth in
seventeenth-century France. Routledge, 2017.

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HISTORY
century marriage was designed in this particular form and the people religiously practiced
this concept of marriage5. This idea of marriage would serve as a background of analyzing
the marriage between Jacques and Marie. The marriage of Marie and Jacques was considered
to be a fake one. According to Moore the marriage was absolutely an alliance. Rolland was
aware of the fact that his activities were making him more popular and famous in
Louisebourg, he became aware that if he married someone from a local family he would able
to develop as a businessman. The events prior to this made Rolland aware that if he married a
local girl he would be able to make good business. This is the reason he married the wealthy
daughter of a merchant. This is the common scenario in France. Novice merchant Blaise
Lagoanere had married the eldest daughter of a wealthy employer Michael Daccarette who
accured a good number of clients. Making a good social reputation was an extremely
important factor that was considered in France. This is the reason Rolland tried to make
social connections and he tried to establish himself in the social connections in France 6.
The social standing in New France discusses about the time when Rolland tried to
establish himself among the social circles of Louisbourg. On the other hand, Marie Louise
Cruchon’s mother, Therese Boudier Cruchon, was trying to maintain the social standing of
the family. Therese Boudier became the head of their household, just after her husband, Jean
Rene Cruchon died. The death of Jean Rene Cruchon had left the whole family struggle down
the poverty line. The family got doomed and had to live upon the meager income, which was
5 Broude, Norma. Feminism and art history: Questioning the litany. Routledge, 2018.
6 Barker-Benfield, G. J. "Mary Wollstonecraft: eighteenth-century commonwealthwoman." In Mary
Wollstonecraft, pp. 47-67. Routledge, 2017.

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HISTORY
garnered by the limited craft work7. In order to maintain their societal standing, the Cruchon
family presented a deceptive outward appearance.
However, their struggle of holding their outward appearance did not last for long. As
soon as they got introduced to Jacques Rolland in the year 1741, at a social function, Therese
Boudier took a turn and tried to build up a relationship with Rolland. This whole situation
turned up into marriage. Jacques Rolland married the widow’s eldest daughter. However,
Rolland was neither a civil officer not a socially desirable military officer. He was completely
dependent upon Theresa Boudier’s wage earning potential. Therefore, along with the alliance
an official marriage was born8.
The socio economic forces which forged into the alliance of Rolland Cruchon
marriage at Louisbourg, was typical for the New France. In Allan Greer’s book, titled ‘The
People of New France’ presented an overview of social history in the New France. This
offered almost a similar picture of the marriage just as the essay of Moore. However, Greer
suggested that arrange marriages are the ones, which were almost unheard at the then
society9. He further argued that it is more beneficial to find a husband and set up a household,
considering the challenges attached to the single life, in the then society.
The people of the New France tried to avoid single life completely and they had a
belief that it was difficult to stay along forever. They took marriage very seriously and had a
notion that marriages are the means of survival in the pioneering difficulties or challenges
7 Sonenscher, Michael. Work and wages: natural law, politics and the eighteenth-century French trades.
Cambridge University Press, 2012.
8 Roulston, Chris. Narrating Marriage in Eighteenth-Century England and France. Routledge, 2016.
9 Sutton, Geoffrey V. Science for a polite society: Gender, culture, and the demonstration of Enlightenment.
Routledge, 2018.

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HISTORY
which existed in New France. Greer mentioned in his book that it was kind of difficult to
imagine a pioneering life without someone or without a soul mate with the prospects of
children. Therefore, this fact emphasized upon the importance upon marriages and children,
which became the mode of survival for all human beings10.
Moreover, Greer stressed upon the fact that marriages are immensely crucial for the
human beings for surviving into the society of the then France. In addition to this, the
stressing of the importance of marriage for the survival of human beings also meant that the
women of New France had to depend upon someone for their survival. It also gave an idea
that the women got married early and had child bearing years in New France, as compared to
the European counterparts. As far as the men were concerned in the New France, marriages
for them meant that they became the bread winner of the family11. The men of the then
society had to support the burgeoning family.
Furthermore, the socio economic duties of the men often gave an idea that they had to
spend more time away from their families for military expeditions or trade operations.
Therefore, by using this perception of weddings and marriages, it can be said that several
factors came into play in the then society, along with marriages. The marriage between
Jacques Rolland and Marie Louise Cruchon was more of an alliance, than pure love. The
merchant activities of Rolland meant that he was becoming well known in Louisbourg12.
Rolland was much aware that getting married to a local girl would prove to be
beneficial for him. He will be able to establish his business over there and become a
10 Blackbourn, David, and Richard Evans. The German Bourgeoisie (routledge Revivals): Essays on the Social
History of the German Middle Class from the Late Eighteenth to the Early Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2014.
11 Cunningham, Hugh. Children and childhood in western society since 1500. Routledge, 2014.
12 Anderson, Matthew Smith. Europe in the eighteenth century 1713-1789. Routledge, 2014.

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HISTORY
successful businessman. These particular events in the Louisbourg have demonstrated the fact
marrying a local girl was a good decision of Rolland. It meant that Roland had a good sense
in business and he was more of business minded person, rather than an emotional fool.
Novice merchant Blaise Lagoanere got married to Michel Daccarette’s eldest daughter.
Michel Daccarette was a wealthy employer and by marrying his daughter, Blaise Lagaonere
acquired a good number of the clients in the whole procedure13.
However, it is seen that a fellow employee of Daccarette, Jean Baptiste Lascorret
failed in the business ventures which he tried to establish in Louisbourg. It can also be said
that he did not have any social connections or say, marital ties. Lascorret attempted to leave
Louisbourg and did everything to start a new venture in Caribbean. At this time, Rolland
established himself by tying his knot and mixing into the societal circles of the then
Louisbourg. Therefore, it can be argued that instead of seeing or perceiving the overall
concept of marriage as a solely private domestic act, it should be seen as some public
institution which shapes as well as reflects the required societal characteristics14.
The essay of Moore explored the popular perception of marriages as well. In the
North America, popular perception of weddings is similar to a private domestic act. Even
though the customarily vows are being exchanged within the public settings, the institution
seems to be a private matter which resides behind the four walls of the families15. It is
important to rethink his overall perception.
13 Kettering, Sharon. French Society: 1589-1715. Routledge, 2014.
14 Trumbach, Randolph. The rise of the egalitarian family: Aristocratic kinship and domestic relations in
eighteenth-century England. Elsevier, 2013.
15 Cunningham, Hugh. Children and childhood in western society since 1500. Routledge, 2014.

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HISTORY
Conclusion
To conclude, on exchanging the customarily vows and tying the knots between the
man and the woman, the marriage institution always have larger societal consequences. It can
be said from the overall history of Jacques Rolland and Marie Louise Cruchon that marriages
was much business oriented in the New France. Marriages have wider social dynamics and it
can be placed in between the New France societies and Louisbourg. Therefore, from the
analysis the essential characteristics of the eighteenth century colonial society of New France
can be identified, which was deeply embedded into the socio economic factors.

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HISTORY
References
Anderson, Matthew Smith. Europe in the eighteenth century 1713-1789. Routledge, 2014.
Barker-Benfield, G. J. "Mary Wollstonecraft: eighteenth-century commonwealthwoman."
In Mary Wollstonecraft, pp. 47-67. Routledge, 2017.
Blackbourn, David, and Richard Evans. The German Bourgeoisie (routledge Revivals):
Essays on the Social History of the German Middle Class from the Late Eighteenth to the
Early Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2014.
Broude, Norma. Feminism and art history: Questioning the litany. Routledge, 2018.
Cunningham, Hugh. Children and childhood in western society since 1500. Routledge, 2014.
Kettering, Sharon. French Society: 1589-1715. Routledge, 2014.
Pasco, Allan H. Revolutionary love in eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century France.
Routledge, 2016.
Roulston, Chris. Narrating Marriage in Eighteenth-Century England and France. Routledge,
2016.
Sonenscher, Michael. Work and wages: natural law, politics and the eighteenth-century
French trades. Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Spangler, Jonathan. The society of princes: the Lorraine-Guise and the conservation of power
and wealth in seventeenth-century France. Routledge, 2017.
Sutton, Geoffrey V. Science for a polite society: Gender, culture, and the demonstration of
Enlightenment. Routledge, 2018.

9
HISTORY
Tooley, Brenda. Gender and utopia in the eighteenth century: essays in English and French
utopian writing. Routledge, 2016.
Trumbach, Randolph. The rise of the egalitarian family: Aristocratic kinship and domestic
relations in eighteenth-century England. Elsevier, 2013.