Tuhbenahneequay (1780–1873) was a

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

woman from the Burlington Heights area of

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

. The daughter of chief Wahbanosay and Puhgashkish, she married

Augustus Jones Augustus Jones ( – November 16, 1836) was an American-born Upper Canadian farmer, land speculator, magistrate, militia captain and surveyor. Jones trained as a surveyor in New York City, and fled as a United Empire Loyalist to Upper Can ...

in a Mississauga ceremony sometime in the 1790s. Their first child,

Thayendanegea Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. Perhaps t ...

, was born in 1798. The same year, Jones married another woman, Sarah Tekarihogen, in a Christian ceremony. Polygamy was an acceptable practice among the Mississaugas, and Jones lived with Tekarihogen at his farm in Stoney Creek and with Tuhbenahneequay as his wife while surveying. Tuhbenahneequay was

baptise Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

d ''Sarah Henry'' by an American

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

circuit-rider in 1801. She was the first Mississauga woman baptised a Methodist. Despite her baptism, she refused to become a Christian. Her second child by Augustus Jones, Kahkewaquonaby, later known as the missionary Peter Jones, was born in 1802. The same year, Jones ended his relationship with Tuhbenahneequay as he wanted the respect of his white Christian neighbours and Tuhbenahneequay refused to convert. Both children were left with Tuhbenahneequay. She later married Chief Mesquacosy, with whom she had 8 children, including

Maungwudaus George Henry (1811–1888), later Maungwudaus, was an Ojibwe performer, interpreter, mission worker, and herbalist. He interpreted the Ojibwe language into English. He was a herbalist towards the end of his life. Early life Maungwudaus was ...

in 1811 and Wahbunoo in 1817. After the conversion of her son Kahkewaquonaby to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

in 1823, she was quickly converted, and moved to Davis' Hamlet where he was living in 1824. She followed him to the

Credit Mission The Credit Mission was an Indian Mission on the Credit River in Upper Canada. Funded with the proceeds from Purchase #22 or #23, building began in 1826 under the leadership of Peter Jones. When construction began, about 200 Indians lived at the ...

around 1826. One hundred fifty trees at

Toronto Carrying-Place Trail The Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, also known as the Humber Portage and the Toronto Passage, was a major portage route in Ontario, Canada, linking Lake Ontario with Lake Simcoe and the northern Great Lakes. The name comes from the Mohawk term ''to ...

were named ''Tuhbenahneequay Ancient Grove'' in her honour.

References

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External links

The Country Wife
1780 births 1873 deaths Ojibwe Jones family 18th-century Native American women 18th-century Native Americans 19th-century First Nations people 19th-century Native American women 19th-century Native Americans First Nations women