Sébastien Rale
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Sébastien Rale, (Rale, Rasle, Rasles) (Sebastian), (4 January 1657 – 23 August 1724), was a Jesuit missionary who worked among the Abenakis people.
Born in France, Sébastien studied for the priesthood and taught there until he volunteered for the American missions. He came to the New World in a party led by Frontenac in 1689 and his first missionary work was at an Abenaki village near Quebec. He then spent two years ministering to the Illinois Indians.
In 1694 he founded the Abenaki mission at Norridgewock on the Kennebec where he encountered suspicion and hatred from the New England colonists who distrusted the French and the Abenakis. The ensuing years where often highlighted by danger with attacks by the British. The 1713 treaty of Utrecht brought some peace and the Indians supposedly swore allegiance to Britain.
Rale was soon being pursued again by the British and he escaped at least one effort to apprehend him. However, in August, 1724, another English expedition came upon Norridgewock unexpectedly and many of the Indians were routed and fled. Most of those left behind were wounded or dead. Among the dead was the missionary, Sébastien Rale.
