Disappearing Acts: Marguerite de la Rocque

Marguerite de la Rocque (c. 1542) was meant to disappear. That’s what her older relative, Sieur de Roberval, intended to happen when he marooned Marguerite on an uninhabited Canadian island. But against all odds, she survived instead. 

For Further Reading:

• The Elusive Isle of Demons | Worlds Revealed
• LA ROQUE, MARGUERITE DE – Volume I (1000-1700) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography
• Alone Among Demons: Marguerite de la Roque 
• Meet Marguerite de Roberval, Canada’s female Robinson Crusoe 

Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities. For others, a disappearance was the end to their stories, but the beginning of a new chapter in their legacies. This month we’re telling the stories of these women: we’re talking about disappearing acts.

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Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller,
to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage,
disappearing into new identities. For others, a disappearance was the
end of their stories, but the beginning of a new
chapter of their legacies. This month, we're telling the stories

(00:25):
of these women. We're talking about disappearing acts. Sometimes people
don't disappear by choice. In fifteen forty two, a French
ship sailed away from a remote island along the coast
of modern day Canada. From its deck, sailors could make
out the figures of three people standing on the shoreline.
The captain had spoken the crew was leaving a young

(00:46):
woman and her two companions behind on the unsettled island,
with its wild beasts and foul weather. They were sure
to vanish from history, but somehow one of them survived.
Let's talk about Marguerite de la Raque. We don't know
much about Marguerite's personal history, except that she was born
in the early sixteenth century in France. We also know

(01:09):
that she was related to Jean Francois de la Roque,
a powerful noble in the French court, he was more
commonly referred to by his title Sieur de Roberval. In
fifteen forty two, Roberval captained of voyage to a colony
in present day Quebec. Back then, Canada was still a
French colony. Marguerite accompanied him, but her presence on board

(01:30):
the ship ended in scandal. Roberval discovered Marguerite was having
a secret affair with a young man aboard whose identity
is not known. Roberval condemned his young relative's promiscuity and
delivered a harsh punishment. He ordered his crew to row
Marguerite and her handmaid Demienne out to an unsettled island
on the Saint Lawrence River. It was called Eel de

(01:53):
des Mondes, the Isle of Demons. Rumors swirled that the
place was evil and haunted, and Robervl wha all was
marooning Marguerite and Damienne there with no plan to ever return.
As the crew prepared to leave the two women behind stranded,
Marguerite's lover leaped off the boat to join her in exile.

(02:15):
Other stories speculate that he forced his way off the
ship against Reberval's wishes. Another theory is that he was
forced at gunpoint to join his paramour and banishment. Those
details have been lost to time. We do know that
as Rubberval sailed away, he left three behind with only
some food and a few firearms to aid them in survival.

(02:38):
It was a desperate situation, even in the summer months.
The island was cold by evening, Unfamiliar wild animals howled
furiously at night, and the small party fought wirelessly to

(03:00):
keep them at bay. Their days were spent scouting around
rock pools for fresh water and foraging for food. Marguerite's
lover built a signal fire to alert any passing ships
to their presence, but months passed and no help came. Soon,
Marguerite realized she was pregnant. At first, she held on

(03:21):
to hope that they would be rescued and she and
her lover could raise their newborn together back in France,
But as their baby's birth approached, the young man fell ill.
With no medical attention and so little food, he died.
As winter approached, the two women continued to struggle against
the harsh climate. Marguerite learned to hunt with the guns

(03:43):
left behind by rubber val bringing down caribou and bears
for sustenance. When the baby was born, an extra mouth
to feed became an even greater strain. Desmienne grew weaker
and more hopeless. She died too. Now just Marguerite was

(04:04):
left to try and keep her baby alive, but it
was no use. The conditions were too rough. Marguerite buried
all three of the souls that had ended up on
the Isle of Demons. With her alone and exhausted, Marguerite
grew more desperate. She was sure she'd die on the
island as well. With no one left to dig her grave,

(04:27):
she continued to hunt wild game, dressing herself in fur
and skins for warmth. At night, she fought off predators
in the dark by herself. Then, more than two years
into her exile on the Isle of Demons, a fishing
ship appeared on the horizon. As the boat drew nearer,

(04:47):
the crew on board must have thought she was one
of the demons said to haunt the island. She looked
the part, ragged and hungry and dressed in animal skins,
But no, she was still just a frenchwoman, one who
need to be rescued. The fishermen took her on board,
and Marguerite sailed with them back to France. Against all odds,

(05:10):
she had refused to disappear into the Canadian wilderness. Marguerite's
story of survival was recorded by two contemporaries, Andrea Taveai,
a Catholic clergyman, and Queen Marguerite de Navarre. Their versions
remain the clearest pictures we have of what Marguerite experienced
on the island, but both tales were likely influenced by
her banisher Roberval's perspective and were not edited by Marguerite herself,

(05:35):
so it's hard to know what details were changed, added
or left out. The tale has been retold and fictionalized
many times throughout history, but the full story of Marguerite's
exile remains a mystery. Even the Isle of Demons has
vanished today, we're not sure exactly which present day Canadian
island it was. All month we're talking about disappearing acts.

(05:58):
For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at
Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister
and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow.