Laura Secord

Laura Secord (1775–1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She has often been called Canada's Paul Revere.

Laura Ingersoll was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1775. Suffering in the aftermath of the American Revolution, her loyalist father, Thomas Ingersoll, moved the family to the Canada in 1795, and in 1797 she married Loyalist, James Secord (the Ingersolls themselves were not Loyalists). James and Laura resided in Queenston in Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), while her family went on to settle present day Ingersoll, Ontario. On October 13, 1812, James Secord was injured at the Battle of Queenston Heights, part of the emerging War of 1812.

In May of 1813 the American army invaded again and the Secord home was forced to billet American officers. Laura became aware of plans for a surprise attack on British Lieutenant James Fitzgibbon at Beaver Dams, which would have furthered American control in the Niagara Peninsula. While James was still suffering the effects of his injury, Laura set out to warn Lieutenant Fitzgibbon herself. She walked approximately 32 kilometres from present day Queenston through St. David's, Homer, St. Catharines and Short Hills at the Niagara Escarpment before arriving at the camp of allied Native warriors who led her the rest of the way to Fitzgibbon's headquarters at the Decew home. A small British force was then ready for the American attack, and almost all of the American soldiers were taken prisoner in the ensuing Battle of Beaver Dams.

The story has become something of a legend in Canada. An older version said that Laura brought a cow with her as an excuse to leave her home in case of questioning by American patrols; another version, more likely to be true, is left under the guise of visiting a sick relative in neighbouring St. David's. It is also said that she walked barefoot at least part of the way and took six hours to climb the Niagara Escarpment.

Over the years Laura and James Fitzgibbon petitioned the government in request of some kind of acknowledgement, but to no avail. Finally, in 1860, when Laura was 85, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), heard of her story while travelling in Canada. While stopped in Chippawa near Niagara Falls, he was made aware of Laura's heroics and her plight as an aging widow and later sent an award of £100. It was the only recognition that she received in her lifetime.

Laura Ingersol Secord died in 1868 at age 93 at the Village of Chippawa.

She is the namesake and a direct ancestor of Laura Secord Moss.