Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie  Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie (1603 – 18 November 1671) was a French woman who started the Order of Ursulines of Quebec. Marie-Madeleine Chauvigny (also known as: de la Peltrie) was born in 1603 at Alençon, France, the daughter of Guillaume de Chauvigny, Sieur d’Alençon et de Vaubougon, and of Lady Jeanne Du Bouchet. With no male heir, Guillaume de Chauvigny tried to arrange aristocratic matches for his daughters. Marie-Madeleine, the youngest, despite inclination for the cloistered life, at the age of sixteen, found herself obliged to marry the Chevalier de Gruel, Seigneur de La Peltrie. From this marriage, which lasted only five years, there was born one daughter who died in infancy. Widowed at the age of 22, Mme de La Peltrie went into solitary retirement in order to avoid her father’s solicitous attempts to find her a second husband.  . Mme de La Peltrie was influenced by the "Jesuit Relations" to devote her life and fortune to North Amerindian missions. As a result of a serious illness, she made a vow to St. Joseph, promising, in return for her recovery, to go to Canada, to build a house there under his patronage. Upon the death of her father, her relations, thinking her unable to administer her fortune, sought to have her deprived of control over her estate. She appealed to the judicial court of Rouen, won her suit and, as a result, became mistress of her inheritance. Eager to leave for New France, Mme de La Peltrie went to Paris and consulted M. Vincent de Paul. Joseph Poncet was a Jesuit teaching in Orléans; his father was a member of the Company of One Hundred Associates chartered to trade in New France. While at Orleans, he met the son of the widow Marie Guyart. In February, 1639 he put her in touch with Madame de la Pettrie. Both accompanied him to New France. When she was unable to find space for her baggage on the ships leaving for America, Mme de La Peltrie chartered a vessel at her own expense and loaded it with provisions and furnishings.