Thankful (Stebbins) Legrain (abt. 1691 - abt. 1729)

Born about 5 Sep 1691 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Wife of Adrien Charles (Legrain) Legrain dit Lavallée — married 4 Feb 1711 in Boucherville, Canada, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

Died about 11 Jul 1729 at about age 37 in Chambly, Canada, Nouvelle-France

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Biography

Thankful Stebbins was one of the 109 English captives taken on 11 Mar 1703/4 in the raid on Deerfield (AKA "The Deerfield Massacre"). She and the others were forcibly marched 300 miles to Québec in the middle of winter.^[1]

Thankfull and her family, including that of her sister Abigail (married to Jacques Denoyon, a French Canadian living in Deerfield) were captured and taken north to Canada, a 300 mile journey. Once in Canada, the Indians transfered most of the captives over to French authorities, many of the rest were secured later. Of her family only her parents and brother John went back home to Deerfield.

Once there, she assimilated into local culture and chose to remain in New France rather than returning to Massachusetts. This was fairly common among the younger captives, especially girls. In fact, thirty-six of the captives chose to remain in Québec or the Indian villages where they had been adopted.

At her baptism on 23 Apr 1707, in New France, she took the name of Thérèse Louise Stebenne.^[2]

Birth and Family

Thankful Stebbins was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony on 05 Sep 1691. ^[3] (see reference under notes below).

Thankful was the daughter of John Stebbins and Dorothy (Alexander) Stebbins.

Marriage

Thankful married Adrien-Charles Legrain dit Lavallée on 4 Feb 1711, at Boucherville.

Children

1. Françoise Thérèse LeGrain , b. 1713;

d. 1753.

2. Legrain-Guilaume Legrain (1714-1714)

3. Margueite Legrain, b. 1716; d. 1746.

4. Marie Legrain , b. 1718; d. 1742.

5. Charlotte Legrain Vient, b. 1719; d. 1801.

6. Elizabeth Legrain, b. 1721; d. 1806.

7. Antoine Legrain (1723-1723)

8. Charles-Antoine Legrain, b. 1727; d. 1804.

9. Veronique Legrain (1729-1729)

Siblings

1. Abigail Stebbins .

2. John Stebbins III.

3. Samuel Stebbins.

4. Ebenezer Stebbins.

5. Joseph Stebbins.

6.Mary Elizabeth Stebbins.

Death and Burial

Thérèse (Thankful) died at Chambly, circa 1729, one week after giving birth to their 11th child. She was buried at Fort Chambly, (now in Montérégie Region, Québec, Canada), but no stone remains.^[4]

Notes

Fort Pontchartrain had been equated with Fort Chambly, which is incorrect, Fort Pontchartrain is in modern-day Detroit area.

AGBI is a Genealogical Dict. of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. By James Savage. Boston. 1861. (4v.)V.4:176.

Sources

1. ↑ "Raid on Deerfield," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raid_on_Deerfield&oldid=571791763 (accessed February 1, 2014).
2. ↑ "Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association". (https://books.google.com/books?id=OfMMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA70 History and Proceedings of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Volume 3, p. 70., 1891.
3. ↑ James Savage, American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI), Volume 167, Page number 332.
4. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 119372067