Roland Montour
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The Montour family is a family of
Native-American Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...
and French descent that was prominent in
colonial New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to the G ...
and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
before and during the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. Because of the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
practice of reckoning descent through the female line, the family is known as "Montour" after the
matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...
.


Madam Montour

Madam Montour (1667–c.1753). Information on Madam Montour is fragmentary and contradictory. Even her given name is uncertain. According to her own account: Current research indicates that she was born Élisabeth (or Isabelle) Couc around 1667, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the daughter of Pierre Couc (ethnic French) and Marie Mitouamegoukoue (
Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...
). She was apparently married three times, the last to an
Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida N ...
man named Carondawanna (Karontowá:nen—''Big Tree''). He later took the English name "Robert Hunter" after the
Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...
, whom he met at the Albany Conference of 1711. Madam Montour had at least several children with Carondawanna: * Andrew (''Sattelihu'') * Margaret, known as ''French Margaret'' * a daughter, who may have been named Catherine * Lewis (''Tau-weson'') * Henry (most sources say Henry and Andrew were the same person: "Andrew Montour who by the name of Henry Montour,"—from his land grant) Carondawanna was killed about 1729 in battle with the
Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other ...
; after the death of her husband, Montour moved with her family to Otstonwakin, on the Lawi-sahquick (
Loyalsock Creek Loyalsock Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located chiefly in Sullivan and Lycoming counties in ...
), now Montoursville,
Lycoming County Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth. Lycoming County compris ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. She served as interpreter on several occasions, notably Albany in 1711, and
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
in 1727. Her skills were highly valued such that in 1719 the
Commissioners for Indian Affairs The Commissioners for Indian Affairs were a group of officials of colonial Albany, New York charged with regulating the fur trade and dealing with the Iroquois. History Originally the local magistrates, functioning informally, performed these tas ...
in Albany decreed that she should receive "a man's pay."


Andrew Montour

Andrew Montour (c. 1720–1772) was the eldest son of Madam Montour. He was commissioned a captain by the British in 1754 during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
. Later he commanded of a raiding party in Ohio in 1764 during
Pontiac's Rebellion Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a confederation of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans who were dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region follow ...
(1763-1766). He was granted land in Pennsylvania by the colonial government. He married
Sally Ainse Sally Ainse (also known as Sally Montour, Sara Montour, Sara Hands, Sara Hains, Sara Willson, and Sarah Hance) (c. 1728–1823) was an Oneida diplomat and fur trader, who was most commonly known as Sally throughout her life. As a girl she live ...
. His son John served on the side of the
colonists A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...
in the American Revolution. Another son,
Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...
, became a wealthy businessman and landowner in Canada.


Margaret Montour

Margaret Montour, (1690–), also known as French Margaret, the eldest daughter (some say niece) of Madam Montour, married an Katarioniecha (''Peter Quebeck''), a
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people (Kanien’kehá:ka), an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha), the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a ...
. They resided at a village called on a 1759 map "French Margaret's Town" (''Wenschpochkechung''), on the west branch of the Susquehanna at the mouth of
Lycoming Creek Lycoming Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Tioga and Lyco ...
(now
Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...
). The couple had at least five children: * Catherine (''French Catherine'') * Esther (''Queen Esther'') * Nicholas * a son who was killed around 1753 fighting the
Creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: * Creek people, a former name of Muscogee, Native Americans * C ...
* Mary, or Molly. Like her mother, Margaret Montour attended treaty conferences and often interpreted.


Lewis Montour

Lewis Montour, the son of Madam Montour, was killed during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
.


Catherine Montour

Catherine Montour (1710–c.1780), or French Catherine, was the daughter of French Margaret. She married Thomas Huston or Hudson (Telenemut). Their children were Roland, John, Amochol(son), and Belle. Catherine died c. 1780-81. Her home was a large village at the head of
Seneca Lake, New York Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes of the U.S. state of New York, and the deepest glacial lake entirely within the state. It is promoted as the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby. Be ...
called Shequaga, or Catherine's Town.


Esther Montour

Esther Montour, (c.1720–), called Queen Esther, was the eldest daughter of French Margaret. She married Echogohund, chief of the Munsee Delaware, and became their leader following his death. Her home was at Sheshequin (now Ulster Township, Pennsylvania). During the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, she was present at the
Battle of Wyoming The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militia and a force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois warriors. The battle took place in the Wyoming Val ...
(also known as the Wyoming Massacre) in 1778. According to some sources, enraged by the death of her son two days earlier, she participated in the torture and murder of thirty or so of the enemy; one source stated, "she was the most infuriated demon in that carnival of blood." Others dispute this, saying either that reports of atrocities were propaganda, or that Esther did not participate. According to
one story ''One Story'' is a literary magazine which publishes 12 issues a year, each issue containing a single short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained inciden ...
, she was killed by
Thomas Hartley Thomas Hartley (September 7, 1748December 21, 1800) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician from York, Pennsylvania. Early life and education Hartley was born in Colebrookdale Township in the Province of Pennsylvania. At 18 years of a ...
later that year. But other sources state that she died around 1800 on
Cayuga Lake Cayuga Lake (, or ) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under long. Its average width is , and i ...
in New York.


Mary Montour

Mary Montour was the daughter of French Margaret Montour. She married Kanaghragait (John Cook), called "The White Mingo" (died 1790). Mary was baptized in Philadelphia by a Catholic priest. In 1791, when the Moravian mission moved from New Salem ( Petquotting) to Canada, Mary accompanied them. She was fluent in "English, French, Mohawk (her mother tongue), Wyandot uron Ottawa, Chippewa, Shawnese, and Delaware."


Roland Montour

Roland Montour (–1780?), also spelled ''Rowland'', was the eldest son of Catherine Montour. He was married to a daughter of the Seneca chief
Sayenqueraghta Sayenqueraghta (1786) was the war chief of the eastern Seneca tribe in the mid-18th century. He was born the son of Cayenquaraghta, a prominent Seneca chief of the Turtle clan in western New York. He lived most of his life at Kanadaseaga, near the ...
, known as "Old King" or "Old Smoke," and
Cayuga Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada *Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinois ...
wife. Both were members of nations in the Iroquois Confederacy. He was active in the American Revolution on the British side. He participated in the raid that captured Benjamin Gilbert. He is reputed to have died in September 1780, in
Painted Post, New York Painted Post is a village in Steuben County, New York. The village is in the town of Erwin, west of the city of Corning. The population was 1,809 at the 2010 census. The name comes from a Seneca carved post found by explorers at the junction ...
of wounds received in the Sugarloaf Massacre at
Little Nescopeck Creek Little Nescopeck Creek is a tributary of Nescopeck Creek in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through Butler Township, Sugarloaf Township, and Conyngham. The watershed of the creek has an ...
, Pennsylvania. But, sources say he lived for several years after the massacre.


"Stuttering John" Montour

John Montour (–c.1830; also known as "Stuttering John") was the son of Catherine Montour, the younger brother of Roland. He died about 1830 at Big Tree, New York.


John Montour

John Montour (1744–1788) was the son of Andrew Montour. He fought on the British side in the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
until 1778, when he was imprisoned in Detroit by Henry Hamilton for helping some prisoners escape. After this he switched sides and supported the rebel Colonists. His mother was a
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
, the granddaughter of Sassoonam and his wife.


Nicholas Montour

Nicholas Montour (1756–1808) was the son of Andrew Montour and Sally Ainse. He was a fur trader, seigneur, and political figure in Lower Canada.


Simplified family tree

Many details are unclear and contradictory. This chart shows two possible identifications for Madam Montour (green boxes), and two possible lines of descent for French Margaret and Andrew Montour.


Place names

The following places are named for members of the Montour family: *
Catharine, New York Catharine is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 1,656 at the 2020 census. The town is one of two in the county named after Catherine Montour, a Native American interpreter and leader in the area. The Town of ...
*
Catharine Creek Catharine Creek is a roughly stream that flows through Chemung and Schuyler counties in New York. The creek, named after Catharine Montour, is a major tributary to Seneca Lake. Course While the other waterways of Chemung County are part o ...
*
Montour County, Pennsylvania Montour County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,136. Its county seat is Danville. The county is named for Andrew Montour, a prominent Métis interpreter who served with George Wash ...
**Montour Ridge, Montour County * Montour Township, in
Columbia County, Pennsylvania Columbia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,727. Its county seat is Bloomsburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County. It ...
*
Montour, New York Montour is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 2,323 at the 2020 census. The town is one of two towns in the county named after Catherine Montour. The Town of Montour is in the southern part of the county and ...
*
Montour Falls, New York Montour Falls is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village located in Schuyler County, New York, Schuyler County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 2,714 at the time of the 2020 census. A waterfall at t ...
*
Montour Run Montour Run is a tributary of Fishing Creek (North Branch Susquehanna River), Fishing Creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It is the last named tributary to join the creek and is long. The stream's watershed has an area of approximately 4.7 sq ...
, a creek in Columbia County, Pennsylvania * Montour's Island, in
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, state's second-most populous county, after Philadelp ...
*
Montoursville, Pennsylvania Montoursville is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census reported its population as 4,745. It forms part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ...
* Queen Catharine's Marsh, New York * Queen Esther's Rock, village of
Wyoming, Pennsylvania Wyoming is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Wilkes-Barre, along the Susquehanna River. The population was 3,097 as of the 2020 census. Etymology The name "Wyoming" ...
. Montour High School Robinson Township ,PA


See also

*
History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania This article details a history of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Early inhabitants The first recorded inhabitants of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Lycoming County were the Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian speaking Susquehannocks. Their name ...


References

{{Reflist Native American history of Pennsylvania People of New York in the French and Indian War People of Pennsylvania in the French and Indian War Native American people in the American Revolution Native American people from Pennsylvania Montour