Peter J. Gagné’s new book about the Carignan Regiment of New France just published

The American-French Genealogical Society in Rhode Island has published Peter J. Gagné’s new book, From Soldiers to Settlers: The Carignan Regiment in Canada.

This two-volume book, containing more than 700 pages of research, made it’s debut last week at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC) in Manchester, New Hampshire where Mr. Gagné gave the lecture, From Soldiers to Settlers: The Carignan-Salières Regiment, followed by a book signing in the exhibit hall.

Here’s a brief description about the book:

In 1665, Louis XIV sent a regiment of about 1,200 men to New France to put an end to the constant threat posed by the Iroquois and to secure the colony that would become modern-day Quebec. At the end of their three-year mission, the soldiers and officers were encouraged to settle in Canada.

Hundreds of them remained in the colony, many founding families with the Filles du Roi — the King’s Daughters — sent from France to tie the colonists to the land by marriage. But who were these men? While having a Carignan soldier in one’s ancestry is a badge of honor in French Canadian genealogy, identifying the individual soldiers and officers can be complex and even confusing.

For the first time in English, this book does just that — identify as many soldiers and
officers as possible. It tells the stories of their lives and how these brothers-in-arms
often became brothers-in-law or otherwise remained close, even after their service was over.

The book is available from the AFGS bookstore.

Peter Gagné is also the author of King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du
Roi and Before the King’s Daughters: The Filles à Marier.

Originally from the United States, Mr. Gagné has been the reference archivist at the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City since 2007. He appeared on the Tom Bergeron episode of Who Do You Think You Are? and has consulted for Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry Gates, Jr.

His book, King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1673, was published in 2022 and was available in Canada, last year, from Indigo. It includes biographies of all the Filles du Roi. No word on whether his new book about the Carignan Regiment will be available for sale in Canada.