The Castaway Noblewoman of New France: A 16th Century Survival Story

How Marguerite de La Rocque survived years alone on the Île des Démons

Jan 29, 2025

Image attribution: Natalie Lucier, CC BY 2.0

In the mid-1500s the voyage from France to Canada (then called New France) was perilous at the best of times. As a young woman, sailing to New France promised to be an adventure of epic proportions. How exciting and intimidating it must’ve been. But imagine crossing the Atlantic and finally seeing land only to be marooned on a lonely, isolated island in this strange new, wild world.

And then imagine what it must’ve felt like to be left with only some meager supplies, your maidservant, and your new lover who you’ve only just met on the ship that you now watch pull away. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Marguerite de La Rocque. She was a French noblewoman who ended up abandoned on a remote island off the coast of Quebec in the mid-16th century.

Today, as part of Canadian Survival Stories Week, I want to tell you how she lived through these impossible circumstances and why her name still resonates with us centuries later.

Marguerite de La Rocque was born around 1515 into a life that should have been quite safe and privileged. She owned land in Périgord and Languedoc, and some documents even call her the co-seigneress of Pontpoint. She was related—possibly as a cousin—to Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, an important figure chosen by the French crown to lead a settlement in New France.

In 1542, Roberval set out to cross the Atlantic.

His mission was to stake French claims in the New World and possibly discover wealth along the way. Marguerite joined him on this voyage, probably excited by the idea of adventure or simply following family obligations. After all, it was no small feat to leave behind the familiar comfort of French manors for the uncertain coasts of North America.

But the danger of the open sea turned out to only be the beginning.

During that voyage, Marguerite found herself romantically involved with a young man aboard the ship. We don’t know a lot about him—just that he was also on the expedition, was unmarried like her, and that their relationship caused a serious conflict with Roberval. Historians aren’t certain if Roberval was upset because of strict religious beliefs or because he feared a scandal.

Regardless, he put into motion one of the most extreme punishments possible.

Roberval decided to leave Marguerite behind on an island often referred to as the Île des Démons (the Island of Demons). While the exact island is still debated, it’s thought to be near the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Quebec, close to modern-day Harrington Harbour. In the minds of European explorers, and possibly indigenous peoples who inhabitated the areas nearby, this island was rumoured to be haunted or filled with wild beasts.

Now, it was going to be Marguerite’s home.

She wasn’t left completely alone at first. Roberval marooned her with her young lover and her maidservant, Damienne. It’s likely they had a limited supply of food, a few firearms called arquebuses, and some gunpowder. But no matter how well-equipped they might have seemed, the island was cold, remote, and unforgiving. Survival was anything but guaranteed.

The group soon faced bitter weather.

The Gulf of St. Lawrence can drop to brutally low temperatures, especially for those with no proper shelter. Trying to find edible plants in such a short growing season would have been a test of nerve, and storms off that coast can be ferocious. Imagine the wind whipping away every scrap of warmth you manage to gather, all while you worry about wolves, bears, or other predators that roam in search of food.

And this was just the start of Marguerite’s ordeal.

You can imagine that none of the trio—Marguerite, her lover, or Damienne—had much experience with the wild conditions they faced. Cold winds blasted across the Gulf, and ice made even the simplest tasks exhausting. As supplies ran low, desperation set in. They had to figure out how to catch fish, gather plants, and hunt the animals roaming the island. Most challenging of all, Marguerite gave birth to a baby during this ordeal.

Tragically, the child did not survive, adding heartbreak to an already dire situation.

In the months that followed, both her lover and Damienne also died. Whether it was illness, starvation, or the relentless cold, we don’t know. What we do know is that Marguerite eventually found herself completely alone. Imagine the loneliness that sank in after burying the only two people who had shared her fate. No quick rescue boat. No comforting words. Just the sound of wind and crashing waves.

Still, Marguerite did not give up.

She had firearms (heavy arquebuses) that Roberval had left behind, though at some point she likely ran out of gunpowder. Before that happened, she reportedly hunted large animals such as bears and caribou. Sources say she grew skilled at reloading quickly, sometimes carrying more than one firearm so she could fire twice in a row. When the gunpowder was gone, she may have set traps for smaller animals, collecting whatever she could for meat and skins.

But hunting wasn’t her only method of getting food.

She gathered roots, berries, and other wild plants. When the weather allowed, she fished in the frigid waters, a risky move in an environment where just a slip into the sea could be deadly. Stories claim she became so determined that even the memory of noble comforts didn’t stop her from doing whatever it took to stay alive.

What goes on in the mind of someone alone for years, unsure if rescuers will ever arrive?

People who later spoke with Marguerite reported that she tried her best to hold onto some sense of normal life. She is said to have dressed for dinner and set a place at the table, even though there was nobody else there. Some might call that a ritual to stay grounded—something to fight off the despair of isolation. We can only guess at how crucial those small acts were in keeping her hope alive.

She also faced a terrifying wildlife scene.

Early explorers called this place the “Isle of Demons,” partly because of the strange noises made by birds like gannets or the sight of animals like walruses. To a French noblewoman, these creatures must have looked alien. She might have believed demons really roamed the island until she got close enough to see they were just unusual animals. Even so, the howling of the wind, the cries of seabirds, and the dangers of wolves or bears would have created a nightmarish setting.

Loneliness plus fear can break the strongest spirit. Yet Marguerite survived, day after day, month after month.

It’s believed that after two to five years alone—historians disagree on the exact timeline—Marguerite’s long wait came to an end when Basque fishermen arrived. They were passing through the Gulf, probably in search of cod or whales, and ended up on the island. We don’t know whether they stumbled upon her by chance or saw a signal, but that encounter brought Marguerite’s ordeal to a close.

When she returned to France, her story spread like wildfire.

Tales of a noblewoman surviving in a distant land filled with “demons” and wild beasts grabbed everyone’s attention. She became a celebrity—a figure who symbolized perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. People wanted to hear every detail about how she hunted, what she ate, and how she passed the time during those lonely, bitter days.

Writers soon took up her story.

Queen Marguerite of Navarre included it in her work called The Heptameron (published after her death in 1558). Another man named André Thévet claimed he met Marguerite in person. He wrote about her experiences, detailing how she adapted to life on the island and discussing the heartbreak she endured. Over time, Marguerite’s tale was woven into various literary pieces—poems, plays, and history books—each adding its own interpretation.

The facts can be hard to pin down now, but the core truth remains: she survived where most would have died.

Interestingly, Marguerite’s life after rescue wasn’t overshadowed by scandal, as you might expect. Instead, she became respected for her courage and eventually took on a new path. She apparently worked as a schoolmistress in the region of Nontron, at a place called the Chateau de La Mothe. You might wonder how someone goes from island castaway to teacher, but that’s exactly the kind of resilience that defines her life.

Marguerite’s marooning happened off the coast of what is now Quebec, and this event is part of Canada’s history—even if she herself returned to France afterward.

It shows just how challenging it was for early Europeans to survive in North America’s environment. It also reminds us that endurance can come from the unlikeliest people in the most unexpected places.

In our modern world, it’s hard to imagine that kind of isolation.

But if you’ve ever felt alone and unsure how to move forward, perhaps you can take a bit of Marguerite’s story with you. She reminds us that willpower and creativity can carry us through dark and lonely times—and that there’s always a chance of rescue when we least expect it.

And that’s why Marguerite de La Rocque’s marooning stands out as one of the most dramatic survival stories in Canadian history, one that still has the power to captivate us, centuries after she found her way home.

What Do You Think About Marguerite de La Rocque’s Story?

Have you heard of Marguerite’s story before?

This story has had many retellings over the years, are you familiar with the story but remember it differently? Can you imagine what would’ve possessed Roberval to think it was justifiable to leave Marguerite on the Île des Démons?

Take a sec. to type a comment and share your thoughts and stories. As always, I look forward to reading them all.

Thanks a bunch for reading this story. It’s a pleasure to share Canadian stories like this with you.

Have a rad rest of your day!