ABSTRACT
Between 1633 and 1660, the year of the founders' deaths, the Daughters of Charity expanded tremendously, not only in numbers, but also in the number of locales and institutions in which they were called to serve. From the parishes of Paris the Daughters extended across much of France, earning a reputation for high-quality social services. From its inception, the Company of the Daughters of Charity depended upon income from two related, but independent sources: the French royal family and aristocratic women. The most well-known Ladies of Charity were those of the royal court. All of the Ladies of Charity were aristocratic women with access to wealth and political power. The hands-on work of caring for the sick and poor was not the responsibility of the Ladies, instead it fell to young women from poorer backgrounds who became Daughters of Charity.
