Catherine Montour
Encyclopedia
Catharine Montour, also known as Queen Catharine, {died after 1791} was a prominent Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...

 woman in the late 18th century. She has often been confused with Elizabeth "Madame" Montour, her aunt or grandmother, and with "Queen Esther" Montour, usually described as her sister.

Catharine was the daughter of Marguerite Fafard Turpin, a French-Iroquois métis
Métis
A Métis is a person born to parents who belong to different groups defined by visible physical differences, regarded as racial, or the descendant of such persons. The term is of French origin, and also is a cognate of mestizo in Spanish, mestiço in Portuguese, and mestee in English...

 also known as Margaret Montour or "French Margaret". Her father was a Caughnawaga Mohawk named Katarioniecha, also known as Peter Quebec. Catharine had a sister named Mary (or Molly), and two brothers: Andrew Montour and Nicholas Quebec. Her brother Andrew should not be confused with Andrew Montour
Andrew Montour
Andrew Montour , also known as Henry Montour, Sattelihu, and Eghnisara, was an important métis interpreter and negotiator in the Virginia and Pennsylvania backcountry in the 1750s and 1760s....

 (c. 1720–1772), the well-known interpreter who was probably Catharine's uncle.

Catharine Montour married a Seneca chief named Telenemut, also known as Thomas Hudson. She and her husband lived at a Seneca town that eventually became known as Catherine's Town. After the town was destroyed by U.S. forces during the 1779 Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...

 in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, Montour relocated with other Senecas to Niagara
Niagara, New York
Niagara is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 8,378. The town is named after the famous waterfall Niagara Falls....

.

Historical references to Catharine in her later years are few. In 1791, Catharine's sister Mary sought permission to live at the Moravian mission village of New Salem, near present Milan, Ohio
Milan, Ohio
Milan is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,445 at the 2000 census.The Erie County portion of Milan is part of the Sandusky Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Huron County portion is part of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History...

. Missionary David Zeisberger
David Zeisberger
David Zeisberger was a Moravian clergyman and missionary among the Native Americans in the Thirteen Colonies...

 recorded that Catharine was then still living near Niagara.

A fictional "Catherine Montour" became the subject of a 1917
1917 in film
The year 1917 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Foundation of Universum Film AG , as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.*Technicolor System 1, a two-color process, is introduced...

 silent film, The Spirit of '76
The Spirit of '76 (1917 film)
The Spirit of '76 was a silent film directed by Frank Montgomery that depicted the early history of the United States. It is considered a lost film as no prints are known to survive.-Production:...

, in which she was a mistress of King George and an adventuress in America.

Locations named for her

  • Catherine's Town
  • Catharine, New York
    Catharine, New York
    Catharine is a town in Schuyler County, New York. The population was 1,930 at the 2000 census. The town is one of two in the county named after Catherine Montour, despite the variation in spelling of the name...

  • Catherine Creek (New York)
    Catherine Creek (New York)
    Catharine Creek is a roughly 15 mile long stream that flows through Chemung and Schuyler counties in New York state. It was named after Catharine Montour....

  • Montour, New York
    Montour, New York
    Montour is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 2,446 at the 2000 census. The town is one of two towns in the county named after Catherine Montour....

  • Montour Falls, New York
    Montour Falls, New York
    Montour Falls is a village in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 1,797 at the 2000 census. A waterfall in the village gives the village its name...


External links

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