Lydia Longley
Encyclopedia
Lydia Longley (1674 – 20 July 1758), is known to many as "The First American Nun" after Helen A. McCarthy Sawyer of Groton, Massachusetts
published her biographical novel
written for Catholic children, The First American Nun in 1958. The facts surrounding the story of the Longley family are better documented by former Boston
mayor, Dr. Samuel A. Green, a noted historian and resident of Groton, whose works included Groton During the Indian Wars published in 1883 and The Town Records of Groton 1662 - 1678 published in 1879. Mrs. McCarthy donated her research materials for her book to the Groton Historical Society, and a review of such reveals that certain dates and family data for the Longleys stand in contradiction to several of the official records available at the Groton Town Hall and in the Massachusetts State Archives.
Lydia's grandfather William, Sr., first moved to Groton from Lynn, Massachusetts
in 1663. The Longleys lived there untouched by the Indians
until King Philip's War
of 1676, when Lydia's family was forced to flee to Charlestown, a district of Boston. After two years of life away from their home in Groton, they returned.
The Longley household was a farmstead built on 25 acres (10.1 ha) in the remote northern part of the small town. Lydia's mother died early in her marriage with Lydia's father, William, Jr., but he quickly remarried to Deliverance Crispe. The upkeep of the Longley compound was a team effort. The children helped maintain the cattle and the fields. They received education at home, and the boys did receive some formal education.
The Longleys lived without incident until the morning of July 27, 1694 when warriors of the Abenaki nation, fresh off their massacre at Oyster River
Plantation (modern day Durham, New Hampshire
) invaded the Groton area. The Longleys were not fortunate to escape this time. The cattle were loosed from the coral as a ruse to draw William from the house unarmed, and he was easily struck down before the Indians drew in and brutally murdered all but Lydia, age twenty-one, and two of her siblings, Betty age seventeen and John age twelve. Lydia, Betty and John were considered the right age to be useful as slaves and hostages (not so young as to be a trouble in flight, and not so old as to be resistive) and so they were taken as captives and carried away to the north. Unfortunately, Betty died along the way, presumably of starvation and likely brought on by depression - the awful result of witnessing the murders of her parents and her five siblings down to the age of one.
Lydia was bartered immediately by her captors as they fled north via the Merrimack River
; sold to the Pennacook
Indians, whose settlement was located in what is today Concord, New Hampshire
, probably in exchange for food supplies. Later that year she was carried up to the Pennacook winter home of Ville-Marie (Montreal
), where she was ransomed by the wealthy Frenchman, Jacques Le Ber
, who had a humanitarian bent toward freeing captives. It was in Canada
where Lydia was influenced by the people that surrounded her, no doubt Jeanne Le Ber
, the daughter of Jacques, who was herself a famous recluse, and who would a short time later enter the Congregation de Notre Dame as a nun. And so it was here that Lydia, less than two years after leaving her life in Puritan
New England, would delve into her career as a Catholic nun
. She flourished in Canada, and though she may have had the option to return to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, she was never so inclined. In her later life she wrote to her brother John, who had returned from his captivity and reestablished his life in Groton, asking that he abjure his "heretical" faith and join with her in following the Catholic ways.
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...
published her biographical novel
Biographical novel
The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional and usually entertaining account of a person's life. This kind of novel concentrates on the experiences a person had during his lifetime, the people he met and the incidents which occurred are detailed and sometimes...
written for Catholic children, The First American Nun in 1958. The facts surrounding the story of the Longley family are better documented by former Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
mayor, Dr. Samuel A. Green, a noted historian and resident of Groton, whose works included Groton During the Indian Wars published in 1883 and The Town Records of Groton 1662 - 1678 published in 1879. Mrs. McCarthy donated her research materials for her book to the Groton Historical Society, and a review of such reveals that certain dates and family data for the Longleys stand in contradiction to several of the official records available at the Groton Town Hall and in the Massachusetts State Archives.
Lydia's grandfather William, Sr., first moved to Groton from Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
in 1663. The Longleys lived there untouched by the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
until King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
of 1676, when Lydia's family was forced to flee to Charlestown, a district of Boston. After two years of life away from their home in Groton, they returned.
The Longley household was a farmstead built on 25 acres (10.1 ha) in the remote northern part of the small town. Lydia's mother died early in her marriage with Lydia's father, William, Jr., but he quickly remarried to Deliverance Crispe. The upkeep of the Longley compound was a team effort. The children helped maintain the cattle and the fields. They received education at home, and the boys did receive some formal education.
The Longleys lived without incident until the morning of July 27, 1694 when warriors of the Abenaki nation, fresh off their massacre at Oyster River
Oyster River (New Hampshire)
The Oyster River is about 17 miles long and located in Strafford County, southeastern New Hampshire, United States. It rises in Barrington, flows southeast to Lee, then east-southeast in a serpentine course past Durham to meet the entrance of Great Bay into Little Bay...
Plantation (modern day Durham, New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
) invaded the Groton area. The Longleys were not fortunate to escape this time. The cattle were loosed from the coral as a ruse to draw William from the house unarmed, and he was easily struck down before the Indians drew in and brutally murdered all but Lydia, age twenty-one, and two of her siblings, Betty age seventeen and John age twelve. Lydia, Betty and John were considered the right age to be useful as slaves and hostages (not so young as to be a trouble in flight, and not so old as to be resistive) and so they were taken as captives and carried away to the north. Unfortunately, Betty died along the way, presumably of starvation and likely brought on by depression - the awful result of witnessing the murders of her parents and her five siblings down to the age of one.
Lydia was bartered immediately by her captors as they fled north via the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
; sold to the Pennacook
Pennacook
The Pennacook, also known by the names Merrimack and Pawtucket, were a North American people that primarily inhabited the Merrimack River valley of present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as portions of southern Maine...
Indians, whose settlement was located in what is today Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, probably in exchange for food supplies. Later that year she was carried up to the Pennacook winter home of Ville-Marie (Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
), where she was ransomed by the wealthy Frenchman, Jacques Le Ber
Jacques Le Ber
Jacques Le Ber was a merchant and seigneur in Montreal, New France.- Biography :Jacques Le Ber was born in c. 1633 in the parish of Pistre, Diocese of Rouen, son of Robert Le Ber and Colette Cavelier. He came to Canada in 1657 from France as a soldier but was mainly a businessman after his arrival...
, who had a humanitarian bent toward freeing captives. It was in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where Lydia was influenced by the people that surrounded her, no doubt Jeanne Le Ber
Jeanne Le Ber
Jeanne Le Ber was a religious recluse in New France.- Family and Education :As a daughter of Jeanne Le Moyne and Jacques le Ber, Jeanne was raised within a wealthy and influential family; her mother was a sister of Charles le Moyne...
, the daughter of Jacques, who was herself a famous recluse, and who would a short time later enter the Congregation de Notre Dame as a nun. And so it was here that Lydia, less than two years after leaving her life in Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
New England, would delve into her career as a Catholic nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. She flourished in Canada, and though she may have had the option to return to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, she was never so inclined. In her later life she wrote to her brother John, who had returned from his captivity and reestablished his life in Groton, asking that he abjure his "heretical" faith and join with her in following the Catholic ways.