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Esther Wheelwright

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Esther Wheelwright
Missionary, Foundress of the Ursuline Order in Canada
Born11 April 1696
Wells, Maine
Died28 November 1780
Quebec City, Canada, New France,

Esther Wheelwright (10 April 1696 - 28 November 1780), also known as Mère Marie-Joseph de l’Enfant-Jesus, was born in Wells, Massachusetts (present day Maine). Wheelwright was the daughter of an English Puritan colonel who was captured during a violent raid of her village by a group of French-Canadians and Abenakis. For two years, Wheelwright was raised by the Abenakis according to their traditions and culture, before being introduced to Catholicism by Jesuit missionaries. She was later rescued from captivity, but chose to remain at the Ursuline Monastery of Québec City, becoming a nun and eventually the Mother Superior of the convent.

Early Life

Esther Wheelwright was born in 1696, the third of five children, to John Wheelwright and Mary Snell.[1] John Wheelwright served as a colonel, a judge, town clerk and a councillor of the province. Esther was raised in a deeply religious Puritan family - the Sabbath stretched from Saturday evening to Sunday night, during which Sabbath rules were strictly followed. Esther’s father led the family service on Saturday night. On Sunday, the family walked in a procession to the meetinghouse for a full day service.[2]

The Wheelwright household comprised of five children, grandparents and family servants (this included indentured servants and mixed race African slaves). Esther’s father built a garrison and was licensed to “keep a house of public entertainment”, where they served alcoholic beverages. Their house became a common stopover for influential men (governors, judges, ministers, generals, lords) on their way between Boston and the colonial frontier.[3]

Puritan girls were taught to never be idle, thus even at the age of 7, Esther was expected to knit socks and mittens for the family and help out with simple kitchen chores. Like other frontier post families, Esther would have never travelled beyond the family home and likely had minimal contact with the world outside their village. However, Esther was probably familiar with the Abenakis because they sold beaver, otter and bear skins to English traders like her father, in exchange for essential goods such as cloth, bread and other imported goods. Despite the casual trade between the Abenakis and English traders, there still existed mutual animosity and distrust between the two parties.[4]

Capture by the Abenakis

During the late summer and early fall of 1702, there was talk of an imminent attack by the Indians and French. By the spring of 1703, French and Indian forces were stationed along the borderlands preparing for their attack.[5] On August 21 1703, the two day attack ensued.[1] The Wheelwrights′ status, and John Wheelwright’s involvement as militia captain, meant that they were one of the prime targets. The attack covered an area of over fifty miles. People who escaped capture were killed, buildings were torched and homes were looted.[6] Among the twenty-two murdered and seven kidnapped, no Wheelwrights perished - except Esther, who was taken captive by the Abenakis.[1]

Esther later recounted to Jesuit priest, Father Bigot, that the first few days of her journey with the Abenakis to Norridgewock was a harrowing experience. However, once the sense of immediate danger passed, the attitudes of Esther and the other captives began to change. Esther was adopted into an Abenaki family, and was expected to assume the personality, duties and role of the the clan’s lost member. As Esther began to assimilate and subsume the Abenaki culture and values, her adoptive family “became attached to this child with an extraordinary affection.”[7] Esther learned the Abenaki tongue, attended Sunday Mass and was instructed Catechism at the mission school. After only a few months with the Abenakis, Esther had shed so much of her former identity that she would have barely been recognized by her English family.

Following Father Rale’s move to Québec, Esther and her Abenaki family followed to a newly built palisade on the Saint-François River, south of Trois-Rivières. There, Esther began to build a relationship with Father Bigot, arguably the most powerful priest in New France.[8] Father Bigot was impressed by Esther’s familiarity with the “holy exercises of a Christian life,” but believed that despite her adoption into her Abenaki family, Esther remained an outsider and was more suited to a life of holiness. Furthermore, the conversion of a Puritan would attract attention from the French nobility, demonstrate the importance of mission work, and aid in attracting financial support from the French government.[9] Father Bigot pursued negotiations with the Abenakis for Esther's release, however was met without success - he did not want to use force to prevent alienating her adoptive family and the Abenakis, who were essential allies to the French. Meanwhile, Father Bigot educated Esther privately, and baptized Esther into the Catholic Church as Marie-Joseph.[1]

Life with the Vaudreuils

Esther’s biological parents eventually learned about her faith and, using their ties through the government of Massachusetts, petitioned the General Governor of New France, Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil, to get her back[10]. After some delicate negotiations, her release was negotiated and Esther was released in exchange for an Indian boy, sent from Boston to Québec by her father. Her Abenaki family, the Moxus, had been told that she was going to study at the Ursuline boarding school[11]. Vaudreuil had the clear order from Versailles : “You have nothing so important in the present state of affairs as the maintenance of peace with the Iroquois and other Indian nations[12].” However, wartime conditions meant that it was difficult to act on Esther's return to Wells. Vaudreuil, himself, was denouncing the “deplorable state” of New France’s economy to his superiors and had to carefully plan his moves[13]. In order to negotiate a better deal with New England, Vaudreuil started to spread the idea that the young girl was the daughter of an important English man[14]. Esther, in these conditions, found herself sheltered at his own residence, the Chateau St. Louis, in Québec city.[15]

For a year, Esther was immersed in the French aristocracy. Vaudreuil’s wife took her under her wing[16]. His ‘special consideration’ was motivated by his plan to make her the ‘daughter of a governor of a small place’[17]. The young girl was ‘degreased’ and dressed up à la mode de Paris[18]. Her new household was even served by Indigenous slaves, although Vaudreuil had never admitted this to his superiors[19]. Esther had know life as a Puritan, then as an Abenaki, and now, she had seen life as a French Aristocrat in New France.

Life as an Ursuline

Beginning with the Ursulines

By January 1709, Esther was placed by the Vaudreuils in the Ursuline boarding school. She was proving to be a good student, excelling in music, languages, grammar and embroidery[20]. She deepened her interest for Catholicism, especially for its mysticism component[21]. After having been with the Ursulines for 18 months as a pupil, she asked to become a nun[22]. Father Bigot, who had spent some times with the girl previously, sponsored her entry and used his influence to get her accepted by the Ursulines[23]. He was particularly attached of the young girl, convinced of his own triumph at turning a Puritan girl into a devoted Catholic[24]. However, Vaudreuil that had dealt her return to her family, intervened and took her back to his residence the following fall with the intention to fulfill his promise. Convinced of her future vocation as a nun, Esther was reluctant with the whole idea of being sent back to her puritan origins. Fortunately for her, the plan did not follow through[25] and, in June 1711, she was sent to the Hôtel-Dieu where she spent several months[26]. The place was also sheltering other English captives among whom she met two of her own cousins, Mary Silver and Esther Sayward[27]. Although Esther was eventually sent to Trois-Rivières where the Ursulines were looking forward having her, the young girl decided she rather preferred to be placed with the Ursulines of Québec city. After years of rambling, Esther was finally able to start her postulancy on October 2nd, 1712[28].

Life as an Ursuline Nun

In 1712, the Mother Superior, Le Marie des Anges, created a contract for 18-year-old Esther's entry to the convent. Esther then began a three month postulancy, during which time she abided by the disciplined monastic schedule but did not don the religious habit.[29] Her connections with Father Bigot and the Marquis de Vaudreuil allowed Esther to have an impressive career as an Ursuline nun. Most women of modest backgrounds like Esther who were joining the Ursulines were only permitted to become lay nuns, meaning they were relegated to the back of the procession and were forbidden to sing in church. Esther, however, was allowed to become a choir nun despite not being able to afford the full dowry.[30]

In January 1713, Wheelwright was given her veil and habit and became a novitiate as Sister Esther Marie Joseph de l'Enfant Jésus.[31][32] Father Bigot paid for her marriage gown, normally the responsibility of the novice’s parents, and delivered the sermon at the ceremony. His story of her life emphasized Catholic and French resilience in the face of grim English Protestantism.[33] As the great-granddaughter of a Protestant minister, who was raised by the Abenakis, then converted to Catholicism and embraced French culture, Esther’s story was a symbol of the future of French superiority in the New World.[34]

For one year as a novice, Esther was trained for monastic life by observing a strict routine and following the Rules of the Quebec Ursulines. She practiced performing daily activities in accordance with the rules of chastity, and learned to sacrifice all luxuries.[35] During her time as a novice, the Wheelwrights wrote to Esther frequently asking her to return. The letters did have an effect on Esther, and she later admitted that they caused her “infinite trouble,” however she remained committed to her religious life.[36]

After the Treaty of Utrecht was signed on April 11, 1713, Esther at risk of being reclaimed by English officers.[37] On February 16, 1714, English commissioners met with the Marquise de Vaudreuil demanding proof that all captives who remained in New France were there by their own will. In the face of these threats, the Ursulines were forced to expedite Esther’s novice training period so that she could take her vows as soon as possible. On April 12, 1714, Esther took her final vows as an Ursuline sister.[38]

As an Ursuline nun, Sister Esther Marie-Joseph Wheelwright de l’Enfant Jésus, had no contact with her family, and over time lost her connections with most people from her previous life. Those who had been instrumental in her joining the Ursulines, including the Marquise de Vaudreuil and Father Bigot, died in the succeeding years. In 1724, the Abenakis were attacked by an English force led by a friend of the Wheelwrights, Captain Johnson Harmon, and many of the people with whom Esther grew up were killed.[39]

As Esther moved up in the convent hierarchy, she took on more responsibilities. She progressed from class mistress, to principal of the boarding school and mistress of the novices. In 1726, Esther became a religieuse vocale which meant she could vote in the assembly and became “Mother Marie-Joseph de l’Enfant Jésus.”[40] In 1747, Esther received correspondence from her mother stating that her father had died. In his will he left money for Esther and instructions for her brothers to take care of her should she ever return to Wells, indicating her parents’ enduring hope for her return, even after many decades of religious commitment. After her parents’ deaths, Esther’s brothers maintained correspondence with their sister in Quebec, acknowledging the benefits that might come with having a contact in New France.[36]

In 1759, English forces attacked New France in the Battle of Quebec. The nuns were evacuated from the convent and Esther was sent to the Hôpital Général as a nurse.[41] General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm’s army was overwhelmed by the English army, and Montcalm died on September 14, 1759. He was buried in the convent’s chapel.[34]

Mother Superior and Later Life

During the war, Wheelwright had been assistant superior as the Ursulines nursed both French and British soldiers in the convent[34]. On the 15th of December, 1760, Esther Wheelwright was appointed Mother Superior of the Quebec Ursuline order. In part due to her respected personality, this was also a strategic move by the Order, as her English and Protestant heritage was crucial to maintaining the Ursulines’ position and independence under British rule.

Esther’s background facilitated contact with the British and made the Ursulines seem less threatening. The convent was a popular target of criticism, representing France, Catholicism and women in power[42], and the Ursulines feared that the British might close the convent[43]. Nevertheless, it had frequent contact with and visits from the community. The Mother Superior’s threefold British, French and Indigenous ties made her a strong political symbol, and it was in English interest to claim her as one of their own[44].

As Mother Superior, Esther functioned as a diplomat, maintaining good relations with the British Governors of Québec Amherst and Murray, as well as with France[1]. During the negotiations for the Québec Act of 1774, her diplomacy with Governor Guy Carleton proved influential[34]. The convent was central to the City of Québec, both in location and in relation to the British. Right after the defeat of Québec in 1759, General Murray established both a British military hospital and Québec’s first Anglican church in the convent.

Esther furthermore established close ties to Frances Moore Brooke, as her husband John Brooke was appointed chaplain of the Québec garrison by Murray, in charge of ministering to sick soldiers and conducting church services at the convent[45]. Descriptions of both Esther and the Québec Ursuline convent are present in The History of Emily Montague, the first novel written in Canada[44][46].

The Ursulines being in great debt, Wheelwright established much-needed financial stability for the Order, primarily by encouraging the nuns to pursue Amerindian embroidery, using Native materials of birch bark, deer skin, moose and porcupine hair to create images of saints. Despite being an arduous task, the moose hair requiring constant rethreading, this art became a commercial success, and many embroideries were sold to English soldiers and tourists[47][48]. The Ursulines’ economic self-sufficiency helped provide for their community services to French and Native inhabitants, and contributed to their independence from reform-minded bishops[47]. In the latter half of the 18th century, the Ursuline school increasingly hosted British students, among them the Brookes’ daughters[49].

The convent was marked by internal turmoil during Esther’s final term as Mother Superior, due to a lack of new recruits, British opposition to the convent and an increase in Catholic women converting to Anglicism to marry. The remaining nuns were increasingly critical of Esther and the state of the school, the Ancien Régime was in its decline, they endured yet another military conflict in The Battle of Quebec and the ensuing siege[50]. In 1772 she became assistant superior, and from 1778 until her death Wheelwright served as an overseer and advisor[1].

Esther Wheelwright died in Québec City on the 28th of November 1780, at the age of 84, without suffering illness.

See Also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l'Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  2. ^ Wheelwright, Julie (2011). Esther: the remarkable true story of Esther Wheelwright: puritan child, native daughter, Mother Superior. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada. p. 45.
  3. ^ Ibid., 47.
  4. ^ Ibid.,50.
  5. ^ Ibid., 51.
  6. ^ Ibid., 53.
  7. ^ Ibid.,58.
  8. ^ Ibid., 82.
  9. ^ Ibid., 85.
  10. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  11. ^ Bouchard, Serge. 2008. "LES QUATRE VIES D'ESTHER." L'Actualité, Sep 01, 59-60, Web.
  12. ^ Rushforth, Brett. Bonds of Alliance – Indigenous & Atlantic Slaveries in New France. Williamsburg : University of North Carolina Press, 2012. 160.
  13. ^ Ibid., 175.
  14. ^ Bouchard, Serge. 2008. "LES QUATRE VIES D'ESTHER." L'Actualité, Sep 01, 59-60, Web.
  15. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  16. ^ Ibid.
  17. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  18. ^ Ibid.
  19. ^ Rushforth, Brett. Bonds of Alliance – Indigenous & Atlantic Slaveries in New France. Williamsburg : University of North Carolina Press, 2012. 198.
  20. ^ Bouchard, Serge. 2008. "LES QUATRE VIES D'ESTHER." L'Actualité, Sep 01, 59-60, Web.
  21. ^ Ibid.
  22. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  23. ^ Ibid.
  24. ^ “Esther: The Remarkable True Story of Esther Wheelwright, Puritan Child, Native Daughter, Mother Superior’’ http://www.canadashistory.ca/Books/Lire-sur-l%E2%80%99histoire/Reviews/Esther-The-Remarkable-True-Story-of-Esther-Wheelw
  25. ^ « Esther Wheelwright (1696-1780) La supérieure des Ursulines à Québec » http://ici.radio-canada.ca/radio/profondeur/RemarquablesOublies/EWheelwright.html
  26. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  27. ^ Foster, William Henry. “The Captors' Narrative: Catholic Women and Their Puritan Men on the Early American Frontier.” Ithaca & London : Cornell University Press, 2003. 163-166.
  28. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  29. ^ Wheelwright, J. (2011), p.139-140
  30. ^ Ibid, p. 140
  31. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  32. ^ Ibid.
  33. ^ Ibid., 142-145.
  34. ^ a b c d Bouchard, Serge (2008). "Les Quatre Vies d'Esther". L'actualité v. 33, no. 13, pp. 59-60.
  35. ^ Wheelwright, Story of Esther, 153.
  36. ^ a b Ibid.,181-182.
  37. ^ "Biography – WHEELWRIGHT, ESTHER, de l’Enfant-Jésus – Volume IV (1771-1800) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  38. ^ Ibid.,155-157.
  39. ^ Ibid.,167-169.
  40. ^ Ibid.,170-177.
  41. ^ Ibid., 207-208.
  42. ^ Little, Ann M. (2006). "Cloistered Bodies: Convents in the Anglo-American Imagination in the British Conquest of Canada". Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 39 (2), p. 191.
  43. ^ Wheelwright, J. (2011), p. 246
  44. ^ a b Little, Ann. M (2006), p. 196
  45. ^ Little, Ann M. (2006), p. 192
  46. ^ Wheelwright, J. (2011), p. 232
  47. ^ a b Little, Ann M. (2006), p. 190
  48. ^ Wheelwright, J. (2011), p. 238
  49. ^ Wheelwright, J. (2011), p. 236
  50. ^ Ibid., pp. 249-254
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