Women during the War

The women that were in the camp during the War of 1812 were wives of the soldiers, they were choosen by a lottery system. Only six wives were allowed in camp for every one hundred soldiers.

The women were employed as seamstresses, nurse maids, laundry maids and scullery maids. It is said that the women were given the hard jobs and the men looked after the dangerous jobs.

The women also had to cook and clean for their own families, the life was very hard and the women were very much respected by the men.

If a woman's husband was killed or died she had three to six months to greive and then she had to re-marry or leave the camp, most re-married for the security. There are at least two reports of women who married four times in five months because their husbands died.

CLICK HERE for information about Laura Secord and how she helped the British forces during the War of 1812.