Canadian Folk Figure. Marie-Madeleine Jarret, daughter of François Jarret and Marie Perrot, lived in Fort Verchères as a child. Hostilities had broken out between the French and Iroquois, and the fort had been built around the family's manor-house as protection. Madeleine's home had been nicknamed "Le Château Dangereux" because it was in one of the most dangerous areas of what would become Quebec. Her parents knew that an attack was inevitable and they took precautions. At age 12, Madeleine witnessed her mother defend the fort from the Iroquois with only four men to help her. Two years later, in October of 1692, Madeleine had been left in charge of the fort while her parents were both away on business. Settlers were in the fields when the Iroquois attacked. About twenty people were kidnapped. The fourteen year old made it back into the fort, despite having been overtaken by an Iroquois, and fired a musket, encouraging those who were left to create noise and the impression that soldiers were defending the fort. She fired a cannon to warn other forts and call for reinforcements. The Iroquois retreated. When the Fontaine family approached in a canoe, it was Madeleine who ran to the dock and escorted the family to safety. Reinforcements from Montreal did not arrive until the Iroquois left, but eventually succeeded in catching the Iroquois and returning the kidnapped settlers. Her father François died in 1700 and she received his pension in honor of her act of heroism, with the understanding that she would provide for her mother. She married in September 1706, at age 28, and moved to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade with her husband. "Madeleine de Verchères" died at the age of 69 and was buried under her pew at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade on August 8, 1747. Her heroism has been honored in a variety of ways. A movie about her was released in 1922. In 1923, Madeleine was named a Person of National Historic Significance by the Canadian government. A statue of her was sculpted by Louis-Philippe Hébert. It graces Verchères Point near Montreal. In addition, Ethel C. Brill, author of children's books, wrote the novel "Madeleine Takes Command" in 1946.