Thanking the Matriarchs

All in all, we come from our mother’s wombs. Individually, they may seem insignificant if they are neglectful, or a source of unconditional love if they are affectionate. Every Mother’s Day, I celebrate by reading these names out loud. All of my known matriarchs, down through the ages. All of whom who have given me life, by simply, existing…

Thank-you Mothers.
Thank-you sisters.
Thank-you friends.

Down through the ages, time has said its farewells,
but you live on in me.
Your memories,
your love, your challenges, your accomplishments.
Your fortitude, your creativity, your pain and your joy.
Your white skin, your dark skin,
Your blue eyes, your green.
Your hair, red, blonde and brown.

Cooks, healers, sisters, wives;
Queens, mothers, storytellers, and heretics,
New world and old, savage and debutante,
Your blood runs through my veins:
The life force that keeps going,
From the beginning of time.
I thank you.

Tonya Soucia (1968), Peggy Cromp (1942), Blanche Merrill (1932), Cathrine Darragh (1888), Ella Mae LaPlante (1891), Bertha Miner(1919), Lillian Soulia (1920), Jennie Myatt (1888), Sadie Titus (1881), Matilda Barcomb (1886), Rose Anna Beauvais (1890), Minnie Jones (1869), Lillian Knight, Margaret McArdle (1862), Mary Jane McCann (1852), Alice (1791), Margaret Keeff (1830), Margaret Corre (1780), Suzanna Lavery (1803), Suzanna Dennenson (1780), Molley (1760), Catherine Quinn (1819,) Mary Finn (d. 1894), Adelaide Lebrun, Amelia Cromp (1852), Mary Marshall (1815), Rose Dany, Margaret Parenteau, Angelique Rochefort (1769), Sara Snow, Marie Charlotte Dufresne-Bouin (1740), Agathe, Mary Vaughn (1705), Mary Marguerite Mainguy (1716), Mary Gladu (1674), Marie Anglaise Langlois (1636), Calude Baudry (1615), Julie Malevia, Marie Ann Dancouse (1765), Catherine Caza (1838), Marie Ann  Durocher (1801), Madeleine Desrosiers, Josephte Fortin, Marie Marthe Gerbeau Bellegarde (1759), Marie Rosalie Paradis, Genevieve Beaupre Brissette (1726), Angelique Dumay (1745), Marie St Denis, Cecile Michaud, Marguerite Gaillard, Charlotte Clairet, Catherine Delomelle, Marie Marguerite Delauney (1699), Marie Anne Lalonguealle (1678), Marguerite Dandonneau (1659), Marie Genevieve Casaubon (1665), Francoise Lepelle (1667), Marguerite Lemaitre (1644), Marie Anne Banliac (1698), Marie Angelique Pelletier (1662), Marie Jeanne Houde (1685), Marie Charlotte Durand (1711), Elisabeth Agnes Michel (1682), Julie Malevia, Adeline Cusson, Marie Guerin (d. 1943), Domithilde Lemay (1844), Josephte Patenaude (1808), Mellissa M Jodway (1857), Katherine Collette (1828), Marie Tiriaque-Laforet (1775), Catherine Clothilda Sainte Marie, Marie-Louis Dupaul (1736), Charlotte R D Parisein (1753), Angele Suprenant, Marie-Antoinette Bouthilier(1784), Catherine Fauteux (1681), Marie-Anne Bouvier (1706), Marie Meunier (1685), Catherine Bonhomme (1655), Perinne Bulte Picard (d.1720), Catherine Ballie (1632), Marie-Madeline Meneux (1669), Jacqueline Brion Brionvivant (1605), Catherine Goujet (1616), Suzanne Lamarre, Jeanne Charon (d.1689), Jeanne Leconflette, Adrienne Tane-Tasse, Francoise Fafard (1624), Marguerite LePreuvier (1638), Marie Gayon (~1590), Catherine Dufrencoys, Marie Leroux, Elisabeth Tibou, Jeanne Truchon, Marguerite Bourgeois , Marguerite LeBlond, Marie-Ursule Bouvier (1704), Marie Meunier (1685), Marguerite LeClerc (1640), Catherine Ballie (1632), M Meneux (1669), Francoise DeNollen (1615), Perette Brunet, Jeanne Leconflette, Agnes Monignor, Marie-Madeline Besnard (1725), Marie-Madeline Perillard, Jeanne Sabourin (1676), Marguerite Corsa, Marie Elisabeth Charon (1721), Marie-Angelique Debluche-LaSarre (1701), Marie Madeleine Robin (1679), C Edeline (1677), Marie-Catherine Pillat (1651), Jeanne Dit Charton (1652), Marguerite  DeFitte, Jeanne Braconiar (1653), Marguerite Moulinet, Perrette Gauterio, Madeleine Dumont, Noelle Lambert (1620), Clauda Brunet (1631), Catherine B Belhumeur (1669), Marguerite Achim (1708), Marie Marcil (1680), Marguerite Brenton (1635), Francoise Moisan (1645), Francoise Pietou (1651), M LeFebvre (1650), Adrienne Simone, Xainte Paulin, Marie Semoit, Catherine Bourg, Peronne Clairbout (1630), Helene Cavet, Mauritia Dovergne, Marie-Anne Tetu (1684), Marie-Jean Gervais, J Ronseray (1674), Jeanne Denot (1645), Marguerite Beauvais, Michelle Picard (1661), Jeanne Servignan (1644), Louis Boquet, Catherine LeDuc, Marguerite Mouline, Jeanne Solde (d.1697), Catherine Pillard, Antoinette DeLiercourt (1634), Jeanne Aubert, Jeanne Vaterre (1625), Marie Crosnier, Julienne LePotier, Michelle Clavier, Jeanne Palin,  Ellen Vreeland (1851), Kate Davidson (1823), Betsey Teachout (1808), Roisa Ama Johnson (1850), Sara Ann Gibbs (1829), Nancy (1782), Eunice Campbell (1777), Temperance Morse (1787), Amy Babcock (1808), Polly Lloyd (1739), Femmetjie Phoebe VanEveren (1739), Sarah Armstrong (1766), Thankful Seeley (1763), Deborah Covey (1782), Sarah Garlick Pike (1787), Mary Palmer (1691), Mehitable Garnsey (1719), Sarah Miller (1655), Abigail Carpenter (1629), Constance Colly (1580), Hannah Uxar Carter (1604), Sara Vanheyningen (1695), Femmetje Westervelt (1720), Ruth Rugg (1706), Dorcas Chamberlain (1735), Sarah Forbush, Mary Carley (1667), Elizabeth Munroe, Bethiah Reade (d. 1717), Jane King (d. 1721), Hannah Prescott (1639), Mary Ball (1651), REBECCA SHELLEY ADDINGTON (1663), Susan Porredge, Susan Munter (d. 1690), Joane Humfrey (1534), Katherine Denne, Alice Foreflode, Joan (1500), Wylmyn (1470), Ellen Forflod (d.1514), Clare Nee, Alice, Mary Platts Gawkroger (1607), Agnes Haiden (1591), Mrs. Haiden (1567), Anne Leverett (1619), Anne Fisher (1600), Mary (1738), Elizabeth Doty (1676), Elizabeth Swift (1722), Mary Gibbs, Mary Woodhouse, Elizabeth Cooke (1648), Mary, Judith Bates (1678), Ann Cox (d. 1679), Faith Clarke (1619), Damaris Hopkins, Ruth Tobey, Jane Blackwell (1650), Faith Loes (d. 1675), Hester Mahieu (1585), Joan, Thankful Bartlett (1716), Hannah Thayer (1739), Mindwell Bartlett, Martha Benjamin (1681), Hannah Newcomb, Deborah Sturges, Mary Hale (1649), Deborah Barnard, Delieverence Priest (1644), Ruth Marshall (1658), Mary Mason (1605), Mary Turney (1631), Mary Odell (1605), Grace Prett (1582), Judith Harris (1564), Joan Bingley, Elizabeth Mitchell (1539), Elizabeth Sheppard (d. 1625), Deborah Barlow, Joane Hookes (1559), Abigail Eddy (1601), Elizabeth Nuens (1594), Elizabeth Hopkins (1620), Susanna Yearnes Yarnes (1756), Sarah Segar (1710), Amy Card (1748), Martha Potter, Deborah Reynolds (d. 1754), Alice Hull, Judith Greenman (1688), Mary Lawton (1644), Experience Harper (1657), Martha Acres (1668), Mary Weeden (1670), Sarah Brown (1616), Elizabeth Hazard (1626), Martha Potter (1611), Elinor Sachervell, Martha, Joan Coffin (d. 1681), Deborah Perry (d. 1665), Sarah Crowell, Margery Houghton (1618), Alice Birchall (1581), Abigail Bailey, Sarah Peckham, Phillipa Cox (1587), Jayne Holyman (d. 1636), Joan Belandon, Sarah (1724), Mary Polly Garlick (1768), Sarah Hyde (1685), Mary Williams (d. 1771), Dorothy Kidder (1652), Naomi, Alice Crompton (1595), Mary French (d. 1672), Elizabeth Godfrey (1603), Eleanor Molyneux (1574), Anne Arderne (1545), Margaret Warren (1490), Jane Davenport (1525), Blanche Warburton (1496), Margaret Holland (1469), Jane Stanley (1463), Margaret Kynveton (1440), Isabella Harrington (1450), Cecily Warren, Joyce  Charlton, Matilda Massey, Margaret Davenport (1385), Margaret Staveeleigh, Jane De Timperley, Margery De Stokeport, Isabel De Baguley, Agnes De Herdislee, Margaret Bulkeley (1389), Agnes de Wynnington, Marjory de Shoresworth, Margaret de Denton (1240), Cicely de Eaton, Margaret de Stafford (1345), Maud de Skeyton, Joan de Port, Isabel Heydon, Alice Townsend, Adelia de Mowbray, Isabel de Vermandois, Emma Mrs De Warenne, Gundred, Matilda (1031), Harlette de Falaise (1003), Adaele Alix (1003), Otgive de Luxembourg (0986), Constance de Toulouse (974), Matilda Billung (958), Rosele Susanna (945), Willa (924), Adaele Alice (910), Hildegardis of Westerburg, Elfridam, Hildebrante, Judith (844), Ermentrude (d. 869), Judith of Bavaria (d. 843), Endeltrude, Hildegard, Rotrou (d. 724), Berthe (d. 783), Aupais, Begga, Dode Clothilde, Itta, Imma (736), Hersinda, Regintrud, Ragnetrude, Theudelinde, Waldrada, Gepidae, Reginopyrga (d. 521), Osburh (810), Ealhswith (825), Eadburh Fadburn (830), Redburh, Irmtrud (964), Adele de Vermandois, Alice Fitton (d. 1478), Margaret Legh (d. 1379), Isabel de Harington, Jean Goushill, Isabel Lathom (1364), Isabel Loringe, Alice Massey (1329), Margaret Beauple, Matilda Timperley, Matilda Timperley, Margaret Mainwaring (1235), Anne Talbot, Agnes de Merleberge, Anna Moore (1630), Betsy Rivers, Mary (1816), Hannah (1847), Sally (1788)