Agathe de Saint-Père
Agathe de Saint-Père (1657–1748) was a French-Canadian business entrepreneur and inventor.
Career
She married Pierre Legardeur de Repentigny in 1685 and resided in Montreal. As a married woman she was legally a minor under the guardianship of her spouse, but as her husband signed a power of attorney for her giving her permission to conduct business, she became a major figure in Canadian business life. She engaged in the fur trade, agriculture and textile industry. She also developed a new form of textile, which she presented to the king, was given a patent for, and had manufactured and sold.[1]
Awards and honours
In 2016, de Saint-Père was named a Person of National Historic Significance. She was cited as "representative of the significant economic role played by women of New France".[2]
References
- Madeleine Doyon-Ferland, "SAINT-PÈRE, AGATHE DE," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed June 12, 2016, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/saint_pere_agathe_de_3E.html.
- "de Saint-Père de Repentigny, Agathe (1657–1748) National Historic Person". Government of Canada. Retrieved 2 November 2017.