First found in Normandy where this distinguished family were anciently seated. Engenoulf de L'Aigle was the son of Fulbert de Beine, founder of the castle of l'Aigle on the River Risle in the arrondisement of Mortagne in Orne. Engenoulf had three sons, Roger who was slain in 1060, Richard who joined Duke William in his conquest of England and was granted the lands on which the Battle of Hastings took place, and Gilbert who was given the castle of Exmes by Duke Robert of Normandy who made him Viscount of that county. He was buried at Saint Sulpice after being mortally wounded in battle.

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name L'Aigle has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name L'Aigle were Charles and Marie Daigle who settled with Simon in Maryland in 1763; Christopher Daigle settled in Virginia in 1652.

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