Marguerite Ice (abt. 1737 - abt. 1825)

Born about 1737 in Virginia

Ancestors

Died about 1825 at about age 88 in Indian Territory [uncertain]

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Mary Ice is currently protected by the Native Americans Project for reasons described below. Join: Native Americans Project Discuss: native_americans

This woman is NOT the mother of Tecumseh! Please do not add her to his profile. Virginia Ice Thomas wrote the following in her History of Marion County, Virginia. There is absolutely nothing to support these claims. Tecumseh's mother is a well-documented Shawnee woman. ^[1]

Biography

This profile represents Margaret/Mary, who many believe was one of the Ice siblings captured by Native Americans and later released. However, she does not appear among the Ice names on the list of released hostages.

The narrative of Barbara Leininger, and Marie LeRoy, published in German, in 1759, is a firsthand account of their capture and escape from the Indians, and it is notable for listing other whites who Barbara met during her captivity, including Eve, William, Catharine Ice (spelled Isaacs in the narrative). This narrative ALSO mentions a German woman named Mary (no last name), who Leininger met near Moschkingo, who was the "wife of a Miller, from the South Branch." Although Mary initially wanted to join Barbara in her attempt to escape her captivity, she became lame and was unable to make the journey. Mary did, however, provide provisions to Leininger and LeRoy (and an English man named Owen Gibson)--to assist them during their escape. Possibly, "Mary" is Mary Ice--the presumed sister of William Ice, captured at the South Branch with her siblings, who remained with the Indians.

Some descendants believe she remained among her captors and married a Native American. Ice family stories recount that Mary, aged 88, visited her white family once, and a big feast was given in her honor. She returned to her Indian family soon thereafter.

Research Notes

The following is unsupported by any documentation or contemporaneous source: "Although "Mary" Ice, a daughter of Frederick Ice and his 1st wife, was captured by the warrior, Killbuck, when Ice's first settlement in Western Virginia was destroyed and after she matured, was married to Pucksinekau and had thirteen children by him, including Cheesekau, Tecumapease, Tecumseh, and the triplets, Tenskwatawak, Elkswatawah, and Kumshaka, no Ice is descended of Tecumseh, his sister, nor of any of the brothers, much as we have wanted to be. According to Oliver Perry Ice, great-grandson of Frederick, when he was only four years old, "Mary" came to visit his family and he remembered the big feast given in her honor. He remembered her as being very old and at that time, she would have been about 88 years old (Oliver Perry was born in 1821). She would not stay with them, although hey wanted her to, and she returned to her Indian family.

Sources

1. ↑ Reprinted in Billy Lynn Cunningham, Descendants of Freidericke Iaac, Pine Grove, WV (Year?).

See also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 01 October 2021, 20:22), entry for Marguerite Mary Ice (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LB23-16S ); contributed by various users.
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 11 May 2016, 16:16), entry for Marguerite Mary Ice(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:93NK-R1F); contributed by various users.
• http://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Tecumseh?rec=373