765:, Montraville is even said to have lived at Portland Place, once Montresor's residence. In the original novel, Montraville seduces the title character, an innocent English schoolgirl, and induces her to run away to America. He then abandons her, destitute and pregnant, to die in childbirth. Some authors have taken this to be a verbatim account of an event in Montresor's life with only the name changed (the author subtitles the work, "A Tale of Truth"), but others see in it a fictionalized account of the circumstances surrounding the birth of the future Frances Allen. However, the tale also bears strong similarity to one told of General
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In addition to these relationships, he also had other more irregular connections. A surviving letter from
Detroit in 1763 mentions the death of an apparent mistress, "poor Nancy", and that he had been "on the Common" since. Likewise, he made a small grant for the support of the child of the daughter
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in 1808, her mother's maiden name was recorded as
Montresor. Her tombstone names her Montezuma, while an 1858 history written using family information calls her Frances Montuzan, relating that her father was a British colonel killed in the French and Indian War. Popular opinion makes John Montresor
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on 22 September 1776. It is said that he kindly sheltered Hale in his office, giving him pen and paper to write final letters to his family, and that the execution moved him deeply. He was sent to the rebel lines under flag of truce to report the event and conveyed Hale's last words to
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Again superseded in his role as chief engineer, he returned to
England and in March 1779 resigned from the army, bringing to an end over two decades of American service, all reported in journals (although many of these were lost).
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to testify on the conduct of the war and on several occasions was required to support his expenditures during his various campaigns (for which he is said to have been imprisoned at one point). He purchased an estate at
Belmont,
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later that year, and accompanied the army to
Philadelphia where he launched the attack that destroyed his own Mud Island defences. He directed the construction of new defences for the city, including the first pontoon bridge at
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woman on, Ethan Allen would later record, 4 April 1760. After
Frances's mother died, she was adopted by her maternal aunt, Margaret, and her husband,
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704:, General Sir Thomas Gage Montresor, and Mary Lucy Montresor, who became the first wife of General Sir Frederick William Mulcaster (half-brother of
655:. In his later years, his accounts came under scrutiny, and much of his property was seized by the state to recover disallowed expenses. He died in
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Biography, Copley portraits of John
Montresor and of Frances Tucker Montresor, and a Montresor map at First Foot Guards site
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Finigan, H.: "Montresor Papers on microfilm" David
Library of the American Revolution, Washington's Crossing, PA
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John
Montresor has gained a certain notoriety beyond his historical role due to the writings of his first-cousin
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316:
156:
785:
Severance, Frank H. (1902). "The
Achievements of Captain John Montresor". In Buffalo Historical Society (ed.).
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but was later reinstated as chief engineer. On 13 January 1777, his home on Montresor's Island was burned.
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955:, 1917, facing p. 293, along with "Notes and Jottings in connection with the Montresor Pedigree",
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Court documents relating to his trial can be found at the Public Records Office, Kew Gardens, London.
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the father of Frances due in no small part to his role in a popular best-selling novel of the time.
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1 March 1764, Frances Tucker, who was born in New York, 23 April 1744, daughter of Thomas Tucker of
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584:. Having been superseded as chief engineer, he was placed as aide-de-camp on the staff of General
696:. She returned to England with her husband, and survived him, dying 28 June 1828, at Rose Hill,
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659:, where he was incarcerated, apparently in connection with his outstanding debts, in June 1799.
643:, and he served as director of the French Hospital. He toured Europe in 1785 and 1786, visiting
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from his father and in his later teens served as assistant engineer to his father at Gibraltar.
263:, where his father was briefly stationed). He was in England between 1746 and 1750 and attended
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and his first wife, Mary Haswell, John Montresor spent his early life there (and presumably on
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Montresor's romantic life has been the subject of much writing. He married at
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A map prepared by Montresor circa 1760, showing the headwaters of the
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Montresor's journal of 1764 contains the first written reference to '
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Montrésor, Frank Montrésor, "Memoirs of the Montresors", mss. 1941,
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and marched with Percy to relieve the British troops returning from
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days before the battle. He remained in America, serving along the
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926:. Vol. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 328–329.
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Collections of the New York Historical Society for the Year 1881
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In 1754, he accompanied his father to America and served as an
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382:. (The journal of this last expedition through the wilds of
307:. In 1758, he was commissioned a practicing engineer in the
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with dispatches, on one of these journeys, in a mid-winter
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of a local English farmer, of which John was the father.
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British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War
980:, thesis, University of Vermont, 1992, pp. 113–139.
544:. During this period, he also took a six-month leave in
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British military personnel of the French and Indian War
944:
Montrésor, F. M., "Captain John Montrésor in Canada",
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612:, he was one of the planners of the lavish ball, the
987:, (New York: Appleton & Co) 1858, pp. 604.
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715:Finally, his name appears broadly as the father of
575:the next year, and was present at the execution of
405:, he carried dispatches and led troops to besieged
319:, there drawing one of the last known portraits of
752:. One of the main characters in her popular novel
618:, given in Philadelphia in honor of General Howe.
362:. He also, during this period, performed various
969:Montresor, F. M., "Who was Ethan Allen's wife?",
1068:Huguenot participants in the American Revolution
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421:as well as a series of blockhouses and an early
556:which would be called Montresor's Island (now
409:. He designed and built fortifications on the
1088:Members of the American Philosophical Society
1078:People educated at Westminster School, London
953:Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of London
476:Stationed at Fort George (the former site of
700:. By her, he had, with others, General Sir
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971:New York Historical and Biographical Record
540:. In 1772, he was elected a member of the
536:, where he would build a fortification on
311:, and as such was present at the siege of
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882:Learn how and when to remove this message
791:. Buffalo, NY: Bigelow Brothers. p.
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845:This article includes a list of general
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354:, being reduced to eating belt and shoe
303:and then accompanying British forces to
228:(22 April 1736 – June 1799) was a
1007:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
788:Buffalo Historical Society Publications
625:
492:, and in the same year was promoted to
342:. He was also twice sent overland from
232:officer and cartographer who served in
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903:Skull, G. D., The Montresor Journals,
563:He was in Boston at the outset of the
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639:, had a residence at Portland Place,
16:British Army officer and cartographer
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608:on the Schuylkill River. Along with
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480:) in 1765, he witnessed rioting in
386:would fall into enemy hands in the
323:, who died in the deciding battle.
13:
1063:18th-century English cartographers
948:, vol. 5 (1924), pp. 336–340.
851:it lacks sufficient corresponding
500:. Over the next several years, he
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630:In England, he was called before
552:. He also purchased an island in
512:, and he repaired or constructed
37:A portrait of John Montresor, by
932:Dictionary of American Biography
923:Dictionary of National Biography
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593:military campaigns in New Jersey
591:In 1777, he was involved in the
252:on 22 April 1736 to the British
174:Battles of Lexington and Concord
1083:Gibraltarian military personnel
1073:British people of Pontiac's War
706:Capt Sir William Howe Mulcaster
595:, and present at the action at
267:. He learned the principles of
1043:48th Regiment of Foot officers
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806:
542:American Philosophical Society
1:
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390:, and was used as a guide by
378:, and of his route along the
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334:, using the language of his
238:American War of Independence
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289:expedition to Fort Duquesne
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985:History of Eastern Vermont
946:Canadian Historical Review
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599:. He also participated at
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169:American Revolutionary War
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444:Revolutionary-era America
396:expedition against Quebec
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315:, and later, at that of
97:Kingdom of Great Britain
994:, (Boston: Twayne) 1986
917:"Montresor, John"
866:more precise citations.
464:Rivers. It was used by
429:between 1762 and 1764.
326:With the defeat of the
257:James Gabriel Montresor
199:James Gabriel Montresor
763:, Charlotte's Daughter
750:Susanna Haswell Rowson
702:Henry Tucker Montresor
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275:French and Indian Wars
204:Susanna Haswell Rowson
990:Parker, Patricia L.,
733:Frances "Fanny" Allen
719:, the second wife of
673:John Singleton Copley
671:Frances Montresor by
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573:Battle of Long Island
504:the boundary between
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285:48th Regiment of Foot
179:Battle of Long Island
142:French and Indian War
129:48th Regiment of Foot
39:John Singleton Copley
978:Green Mountain Women
951:Montresor pedigree,
814:"APS Member History"
626:Retirement and death
470:expedition to Quebec
440:, derives its name.
376:Saint Lawrence River
338:ancestors to elicit
184:Battle of Brandywine
983:Hall, Benjamin H.,
976:Buehner, Terry L.,
959:, pp. 293–300.
939:Library of Congress
488:in response to the
403:Pontiac's Rebellion
388:American Revolution
340:oaths of allegiance
164:Pontiac's Rebellion
152:Siege of Louisbourg
147:Braddock expedition
76:June 1799 (aged 63)
964:Family and fiction
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548:and spent time on
494:captain lieutenant
478:Fort William Henry
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358:in order to avoid
309:Corps of Engineers
265:Westminster School
109:Corps of Engineers
1005:Biography at the
930:"John Montrésor"
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438:Buffalo, New York
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586:William Howe
582:William Hull
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415:Fort Niagara
407:Fort Detroit
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297:Mohawk River
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230:British Army
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135:Battles/wars
41:, circa 1771
18:
1038:1799 deaths
1033:1736 births
912:Lee, Sidney
872:August 2015
864:introducing
761:Lucy Temple
729:Crean Brush
721:Ethan Allen
653:Switzerland
577:Nathan Hale
530:the Bahamas
332:Cape Breton
301:Fort Edward
269:engineering
236:during the
1027:Categories
847:references
773:References
737:HĂ´tel-Dieu
632:Parliament
615:Mischianza
610:John André
601:Brandywine
597:Quibbleton
538:Mud Island
510:New Jersey
425:along the
360:starvation
313:Louisbourg
293:lieutenant
244:Early life
93:Allegiance
72:1799-06-00
53:1736-04-22
798:14 August
490:Stamp Act
462:Chaudière
458:Penobscot
419:Fort Erie
250:Gibraltar
195:Relations
79:Maidstone
60:Gibraltar
735:entered
680:New York
514:barracks
506:New York
502:surveyed
454:Kennebec
352:blizzard
336:Huguenot
248:Born in
211:(cousin)
206:(cousin)
201:(father)
103:Service/
895:General
860:improve
744:Fiction
717:Frances
688:General
684:Bermuda
649:Germany
569:Concord
550:Bermuda
546:England
401:During
394:in his
364:surveys
356:leather
305:Halifax
299:and at
287:on the
283:in the
261:Menorca
223:Captain
119:Captain
87:England
849:, but
663:Family
645:France
641:London
532:, and
522:Boston
482:Albany
460:, and
374:, the
372:Acadia
348:Boston
344:Quebec
328:French
317:Quebec
281:ensign
105:branch
384:Maine
216:(son)
957:ibid
800:2015
698:Kent
651:and
637:Kent
516:and
508:and
484:and
417:and
368:maps
125:Unit
115:Rank
83:Kent
66:Died
47:Born
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691:Sir
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520:in
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