Women of Courage Series #02 Mademoiselle Madeleine de Vercheres 1678 - 1747 Shadow Box
Women of Courage Series
Listing: #02
Subjects: Madeleine de Vercheres
Region: French colony, Vercheres Quebec
Date: 1692
Event: 14-year-old girl rallies a very small force to defend their fort from Iroquois until help arrives.
Medal: n/a
Frame dimensions: 12" x 20"
Glass area approx. 10" x 17-3/4"
A wire hanger is installed on the backCondition notes:
Good condition, no significant issues to note. Normal wear.Inscription:
In 1692 the French colonists of Quebec we struggling to hold on to their settlement. Battered by the English, Dutch and Iroquois, the little colony was hard pressed. In the fall of 1692 the Iroquois attacked. A young French girl (Madeleine de Vercheres) - fourteen years old - was just able to get to the pallisaded fort, slamming the gate shut in the face of the warriors. Most of the men were away repulsing an English attack, & the fort was nearly empty of men. Madelaine had for help her two younger brothers, an old man of eighty, & two soldiers who were overcome with fear. Calling her two younger brothers to her side, she told them: "Souvenez-vous des leçons que mon père a si souvent donnée que des gentils hommes ne sont nés que pour verser leur sang pour le service et Dieu et du
Roi." "Remember the lessons your father taught you, about the kind of gentlemen who were born to bleed in the service of God & the King. Our duty is to work 'till illness or death." To the women & children in the fort she ordered them to cease their lamentations & bear up. To the two craven soldiers she spoke firmly &
impressed upon them the necessity for courage & steadfastness. She repaired the fort where the pallisades were missing, stationed her two brothers & the youth of 80 in the corner bastions & kept up a lively fire against the foe. For eight days she held the fort, until relief came down the river & the siege was lifted. Today on the banks of the St. Lawrence a statue commemorates her feat.
I am indebted to the book "A Daughter of New France" by Arthur G. Doughty for the picture & the story of Madelaine's life. The picture is from a miniature by Gerald S. Hayward.
Description of the Women of Courage series:Featured in mostly 18" x 10" glass-fronted display frames are all women who have shown exceptional courage, tenacity and determination. The frames consist of the lady's picture,
a duplicate set of her medals (if any), and a description of her deeds. There are seven women featured who have displayed courage against a non-military background, the rest all have to do with the military, in several wars , and with different nations. There are women from the Resistance in WWII, a trio from the Spanish Civil War, WWI, the US Civil War, early Canada and others - enjoy.
The frames received public attention when their creator, Colin McIntosh, was featured on a local news program or might have seen them displayed at the Royal British Columbia Museum over several years.
About the Pricing:I am initially pricing all of the frames at the initial insured value they had back in the early 2000s rather than get bogged down on each frame since I have more than a few to get through. When I am done listing all of them, I will lower prices, where needed, periodically until sold.
About the shipping:
I ship by Canada Post, but if you prefer a different carrier, please let me know. If you would like international shipping, please message me for a quote.
About the Documentation:
The creator was diligent about acquiring permissions for these frames, and were documentation exists it can be provided by request.
About the Creator:
Colin McIntosh, born in Alberta, Canada, was an avid collector of not just military memorabilia, but bottles, electrical insulators, world currencies, barbed wire, beetles and butterflies, the list goes on.
He assembled many very large displays over the years. Badge Kingdom in Victoria, BC, where he bought and sold memorabilia and mounted and framed medals for
veterans and their families. He was an avid reader, traveled great distances - in Canada and out - on his bicycle in his later years.