There’s more to Laura Secord than just chocolate

The heavenly chocolates, premium ice cream, and other ‘sinful’ treats tempt us to buy at least one item, or at our weakest, a handful, when we visit one of their many stores. Most Canadians associate the name Laura Secord with the confectionary manufacturer, but there’s much more to the the name than just chocolate. “For many years she [Laura Secord] was the only flesh and blood, real, actual, woman to appear in many historical narratives told about Ontario’s history, specifically about the War of 1812,” stated Dr. Cecilia Morgan, a Professor at University of Toronto.

On Feb. 26, at the Senate Chambers in Mac Chown, assitant professor Donald Wright, in the department of history and Canadian studies at Brock University, hosted a special event about Laura Secord. Morgan was the guest speaker with her oration entitled, ‘Candy, Cows, and Commemoration: The Case of Laura Secord.’

Of all the events that occurred in Canadian history, it is rare to find a woman mentioned in any textbooks for elementary or secondary history courses. Among the few who were significant figures, Madeleine de VerchFres and Laura Secord are the most known but least recognized, explained Morgan.

At the Feb. 26 presentation, the audience heard stories about the Laura Secord Company, Canadian nationalism, female roles in history, and the varying accounts of Laura Secord’s story.

The lecture was based on the book Heroines and History: Madeleine de VerchFres and Laura Secord, which Morgan co-wrote with Colin Coates of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

As a historian, she attributes her fascination with Laura Secord to her work with Upper Canada and her interest in gender and women’s history.

Morgan explained: On June 21, 1813, while American soldiers were staying at her home in Queenston it is believed that Laura overheard a plan for a surprise attack against the British North American Army at Beaverdams. Laura and her husband, James, knew that Lieutenant Fitzgibbon should be notified. James was not in good enough health to relay the message to the British forces, for he was wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Whether or not Laura heard the news, it is definite that she engaged on the treacherous journey to pass the message to Fitzgibbon to warn him of the ambush. “Many people have claimed this info [ambush] as crucial to Fitzgibbon in organizing a defense method as planned by the American attack,” says Wright.

It is believed, Laura did not take the quickest route to see Fitzgibbon at DeCew House, to avoid being found by other American soldiers. Her alibi was visiting her ill half-brother in St. Davids, as an explanation for her trip, which she also managed.

The 32-km excursion lasted over 18 hours as Laura endured the intense heat of the sun, possibility of confronting hostile Indians, blistering bloody feet, untamed wilderness; rattlesnakes, wolves, wildcats and the probability of being questioned as a female walking alone near enemy lines. She also risked being caught and accused of spying with the punishment of death by firing squad.

Laura was successful in reaching Fitzgibbon when she encountered and was escorted by an allied native of the British to DeCew. Because of her warning, the Americans were defeated at the Battle of Beaverdams, June 24, 1813, allowing Upper Canada to remain independent. As plausible as this story may seem, controversy exists whether Lt. Fitzgibbon was already aware of the American’s plan to attack. This would mean that Laura’s journey was necessary.

As history shows, the humble heroine of the War of 1812 who sought to protect her country did not publicly record her story. She returned home after her duty and did not ask for anything for herself. She did request petitions for her husband to obtain a job.

“The commemoration of Secord as an Upper Canadian heroine didn’t begin overnight, it did not begin for some decades actually… from 1821 in various petitions to the Upper Canadian government for patronage positions the Secords, mentioned her contribution and service to her country. These petitions weren’t really about commemoration but rather part of find some type of gainful employment for James whose wounds made it difficult to take up farming again,” stated Morgan, to the attentive audience.

Her story began to appear mid 19th century in the press and in histories of Canadian and American versions of the War of 1812. It was not until 1860, 47 years later, that Laura has been formally recognized for her courageous act.

While visiting in Canada, Edward Prince of Wales read of Laura’s act of patriotism and rewarded her with 100 for her venture. Laura died in 1868 at the age of 93 and is buried in Drummond Hill Cemetery, in Niagara Falls.

“She went step-by-step … she was very brave,”comments Ester Summers, a Thorold historian with a keen interest in the DeCew House and Laura Secord.

Laura Warner Boles’ mother was a Secord. As a descendent of the Secord family, she confesses that, “Laura’s Secord’s husband [James] would have been my fourth great-uncle.” If that was not confusing enough, she says her full name is Laura Catherine Victoria Warner Boles and then explains that, “but in that Warner my dad’s mother’s, mother was a Secord as well, a different branch, so there’s Secord doubling,” she adds with a chuckle.

Laura’s role in historical and modern feminism deals greatly with women’s suffrage and respectability, says Wright, “To 19th and 20th century feminists Laura Secord was important because it allowed them to claim a legacy of nation building, allowed them to claim a legacy of self-sacrifice.”