USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Indian deeds of Hampden County : being copies of all land transfers from the Indians recorded in the county of Hampden, Massachusetts, and some deeds from other sources, together with notes and translations of Indian place names > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01103 8913
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GENEALOGY 974.401 H17W
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INDIAN DEEDS OF HAMPDEN COUNTY
BEING COPIES OF ALL LAND TRANSFERS FROM THE INDIANS RECORDED IN THE
County of Hampden : Massachusetts
AND SOME DEEDS FROM OTHER SOURCES
TOGETHER WITH NOTES AND TRANSLATIONS OF INDIAN PLACE NAMES
Edited by HARRY ANDREW WRIGHT Springfield, Massachusetts, 1905
This Volume was printed at Springfield, Massachusetts, in the month of June, 1905, and is one of two hundred copies. This copy is Number 33
arry Andrew Wight
1144756
INTRODUCTION
Tyson- 3.50
INTRODUCTION
I N the first general letter of instruction from the gover- nor and deputy of the New England Company for a plantation in Massachusetts Bay, to the governor and council for London's plantation in the Massachusetts Bay in New England, written from Gravesend, April 17, 1629, is the following passage :- "if any of the salvages pretend right of inheritance to all or any part of the lands granted in our pattent, we pray you endeavor to purchase their tytle, that wee may avoyde the least scruple of intrusion."
In 1633-4, at a General Court held at Boston on March 4, it was further provided that "noe person whatsoever shall buy any land of any Indean without leave from the Court," and April I it was ordered that every town should keep a record book showing the ownership and transfer of all lands and should furnish the General Court with a tran- script of the same. Later, it was provided that all land records should be made by the county in which the land was located, instead of the town.
From these small beginnings has come our modern system of registration. It was not copied from the laws of the mother country as such a system was unknown in Eng- land, but was originated to meet a new need.
On the seventh day of the third month, 1662 O. S., the towns of Springfield, Northampton and Hadley were con- stituted a county, called Hampshire. This was not a part set off from any other civil division, but was erected out of territory never before placed under county organization. Although containing within its limits but three towns, yet it included all the western half of the state, or what is now Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and the west- ern part of Worcester County.
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INTRODUCTION
The first division of this territory was made July 10, 1731, when Worcester County was organized. On June 30, 1761, Berkshire County was set off and on June 24, 181I, Franklin County came into being. The last division of old Hampshire County was made when Hampden County was organized; February 20, 1812. With this division, provision was made that Hampshire County should retain all of the probate and court records and that the real estate records should go to Hampden County. Thus the Hampden County records show all of the records of deeds of the western part of Worcester County up to July 10, 1731, of Berkshire to June 30, 1761, Franklin, June 24, 1811, and Hampshire, February 20, 1812. As practically all of the Indians except those at Stockbridge left the territory at the close of King Philip's war in 1676, they must necessarily include all the early records of land in western Massachusetts sold by them to the settlers.
The modern student is seriously handicapped by the carelessness with which these deeds were drawn. Not only are the bounds very indefinite, but very little thought was given to the orthography of the place names. The work of the recorder was also very lax, and where a copy of the same deed exists in the town records as well as in the county records, place names are apt to be so different as to make the proper sound of an Indian name often a matter of con- jecture. In such a case, without a detailed knowledge of the territory described and an ability to look at it with the eye of an Indian, translation is practically impossible.
In the Indian language every name described the local- ity to which it was affixed. The same name might be given to more than one place, but these were never so near together that a mistake in identity could be occasioned by the repe- tition. Some of these, it is today impossible to translate on account of the transformations which they have gone through, and it is only by securing the earliest spelling that convincing proof can be obtained. The earlier forms, being more correct than the modern corrupt forms, assist materially
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INTRODUCTION
in securing the correct meaning. Oftentimes, too, an early deed will give a clue to the meaning of a word.
The language spoken in this vicinity was a dialect of the Algonquin; the language of nearly all the Atlantic sea- board, New England and the greater part of Canada, and there are today in Canada, many pure blood Indians who speak almost the identical dialect used here hundreds of years ago.
The translations in this volume have been verified by George Lemoine, PTRE O. M. I., missionary to the Mon- tagnais Indians at North Temiskaming, Quebec, who is a recognized authority on the subject. They may be relied upon as correct, as they are in accordance with the latest knowledge of Indian synthesis, and such as are in question have been withheld for further study. Gratitude is due not only to Father Lemoine, but to W. B. Cabot of Boston for valuable aid on the translations.
These deeds well illustrate the land greed of the early settlers, as it will be seen that in many cases the territory occupied by the older towns exceeded, by several miles, the limits of the tract purchased. Little protest against this practice was made by the Indians, as in nearly all the sales they reserved all that was of value to them; that is, the right to fish and hunt on the premises. When one tract was sold they simply moved to new territory, which in turn they sold and moved yet further on.
This volume has not been copyrighted as it is desired that it be used to the fullest extent by the local historian and the student of the Indian. Its conception was due to a desire to provide a working basis to replace that furnished by the copies of deeds incorrectly published in various local histories, and to this end the utmost care has been taken in the transcription. It should enable those fitted for the task to carry the work still further, and assist the philolo- gist in assigning the dialect of this territory to its proper place among the aboriginal languages of North America.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Part of Agawam, Chicopee, Longmeadow, Springfield and West Springfield
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS Liber A-B; Folio 19
A COPPY OF A DEED WHEREBY THE INDIANS AT SPRINGFIELD MADE SALE OF CERTAIN LANDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GREAT RIVER AT SPRINGFIELD TO WILLIAM PYNCHON ESQ. MR. HENRY SMITH & JEHU BURR FOR THE TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD FOR EVER
SPRINGFIELD TOWNE DEED FRO YE INDIANS
Agaam alias Agawam: This fifteenth day of July 1636 .-
It is agreed between Commucke & Matanchan ancient Indians of Agaam for & in the name of al the other Indians, & in particular for & in ye name of Cuttonus the right owner of Agaam & Quana 2, & in the Name of his mother Kewe- nusk the Tamasham or wife of Wenawis, & Niarum the wife of Coa. to & with William Pynchon Henry Smith & Jehu Burr their heires & associates for ever to trucke & sel al that ground & muckeosquittaj 3 or medows, accomsick 4, viz: on the other side of Quana; & al the ground & muck- eosquittaj on the side of Agaam, except Cottinackeesh 5 or ground that in now planted for ten fatham of Wampam, Ten Coates, Ten howes, Ten hatchets, & Ten knifes: and also the said ancient Indians with the Consent of the rest, & in particular wth the Conent of Menis & Wrutherna & Napompenam, do trucke & sel to William Pynchon Henry Smith & Jehu Burr, & their successors for ever, al that ground on the East side of Quinnecticot6 River called Usquaiok7 & Nayasset 8 reaching about four or five miles in Length, from the north end of Masaksicke 9 up to Chick- uppe1° River, for four fatham of Wampam, four coates, four howes, four hatchets, four knifes: Also the Said ancient Indians Doe wth the Consent of the other Indians, & in par- ticular wth the Consent of Machetuhood Wenepawin, & Mohemoos trucke & sel the ground & muckeosquittaj &
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INDIAN DEEDS
grounds adjoyning, called Masaksicke, for four fatham of wampam, four Coates, four hatchets, & four howes & four knifes.
And the said Pynchon hath in hand paid the said eight- een fatham of Wampam eighteen coates, 18 hatchets, 18 howes, 18 knifes to the said Commucke & Matanchan, & doth further condition wth the Sd Indians, that they shal have & enjoy all that cottinackeesh, or ground that is now planted; And have liberty to take Fish & Deer, ground nuts, walnuts akornes & sasachiminesh or a kind of pease, And also if any of our cattle spoile their corne, to pay as it is worth; & that hogs shall not goe on the side of Agaam but in akorne time Also the said Pynchon doth give to Wrutherna two Coates over & above the said Particulars expressed, & In Witness hereof the two said Indians & the Rest, doe set to their hands, this present 15th day of July 1636
The marke of X Menis The marke of X Macassack
The marke of X Kenix The marke X of Wineawis
The marke of X Ussessas The marke of X Cuttonus alias Nepineum
The marke of X Winepawin The marke X of Matanchan
The marke of X Machetuhood The marke of X Wrutherna The marke of X Commuk The marke X of Coa The marke X of Keckusnek.
Witnesse to all with in expressed that they understood al by Ahaughton an Indian of the Massachusett
John Allen The marke of X John Cownes
The marke of X Richard Everet
Faithful Thayeler Thomas Horton
The marke of X Ahaughton Joseph Parsons
Joseph Parsons a Testimony to this Deed did at the Court at Northampton, March 1661 : 62 : testify on oath that he was a witness to this bargaine between mr Pynchon &c & the Indians as attests Elizur Holyoke Recorder.
July: 8th 1679 entred the Records for ye County of Hampshire
by me John Holyoke Recorder.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Notes to the Preceding Deed
John Holyoke made the following note on the records, when he recorded the deed:
memoranda: Agaam or Agawam It is that medow on the south of Agawa River, where ye English did first build a house, wch now we comonly cal ye house medow. That peice of ground is it wch ye Indians do call Agawam. & yt ye English kept ye residence, who first came to settle and plant at Springfeild now so called; & at ye place it was (as is supposed) that this purchase was made of the Indians. Quana is the middle medow adjoyning to Agawa, or house medow: Masacksick is y ye English call the Long medow, below Springfeild on ye east side of Quinecticot River: Us- quaiok is the mil River wth the Land adjoyning. Nayasset is the Land of Three Corner Medow & of the Plaine.
IThe name Agawam has never been satisfactorily translated. Webster's dictionary gives it as "low land, marsh or meadow; also a place below or down stream, with reference to some place above or up stream." This translation is derived from agwu, "under, below," and wan, "a stream." Agawam was also the Indian name of Ipswich. John Smith's forms of the Ipswich name are "augawoan, augoam, auguan and aggawom." The same conditions that give birth to the name here, applied there. Smith says: "Therefore be careful in the spring to mow the swamps and the low islands of Auguan." If this derivation is correct, it would seem to refer to a place below a stream. But this is very weak in many respects. Under- hill's "Newes from America," 1638, has "Agu-wom" on the title page, and on page 19 he says: "Upper plantations, which are planted on the river Connetticot; twelve miles above the plantations is scituate a place called Aguwam, no way inferior to the forenamed places; the Country and those parts yeeld as fertile soyle and good meadow all the river along." It will be noticed that Underhill has a hyphen between the syllables on the title page, but not in the text. This is probably the earliest printed refer- ence to the local name, but even this gives no help.
The word undoubtedly comes from agwaam, meaning "to make for the shore." If applied to a person it means "he lands here," and would refer to the landing place on the river. If applied to fish, it means the abundance in the vicinity of the place. If applied to water, personified, it expresses the washing of the waves against the shore. If this meaning of the word was to apply, the place must be low; and being flooded at times, would naturally be fertile, which is the case, and would seem to justify this inter- pretation; that is, "ground overflowed by water." There is, however, reason for believing it to be agawaam or akawaham, meaning a "landing place," for across the Connecticut river from Agawam was the palisaded village of the Indians, and the crossing and re-crossing in canoes must have been constant. But, if Agawam meant a "landing place," why was there not an Agawam on the east side of the Connecticut, near the fort ?
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INDIAN DEEDS
Taking all the evidence into consideration, the only justifiable transla- tion is "ground overflowed by water."
2From kwanau, a verb in the third person singular of present indicative, with inanimate subject, which means "it is sunken down" or "it is de- pressed."
3Muckeosquittaj=Mukkosqut, "meadow;" aug, "land."
4Accomsick .- From the root word akam, meaning "on the other side." The termination, sick, is the locative case of assi, "land," which is assick. The meaning would then be, "on the other side of the land," namely, Quana.
5Cottinackeesh is from kitikanakish, a compound word made up of kitkan, "plantation," and auk, "land," in the diminutive. It therefore means, "the plantation ground."
6Quinnecticot-"at the long river."
7Usquaiok is iskwai-auk, meaning "the last land," or "the end of the land."
8Nayasset. The prefix is a common one among Indian place names It is from nai, "it corners," and with the locative means "where there is a corner."
9Masaksicke. From massa, "great," and auksick, the diminutive of auk, "land," in the locative case, meaning "the great land" or "the great meadow."
IoPerhaps from chikopi, "a cedar," but probably from chekee, "violent," and pe, "water." This last would be very applicable, as the river has a fall of over seventy feet in the town of Chicopee alone.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Part of Brimfield, Holland, Southbridge, Sturbridge and Wales in Massachusetts, and of Stafford, Union and Woodstock in Connecticut
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS Liber W; Folio 54
This is to Testifye to whom it may concern That I We- bomscom and Nodowahunt For and in Consideration of Sundry Goods I have Received to Give John Winthrop ten miles round about the Hills where the Mine is thats called Black lead 1 and for Mr Winthrops Enjoyment of it we bind our selves & Heirs for ever to the free performance of the premises to which I set my hand this present Day & Date
Sealed and Delivered In the Presence of us 8 day of 8th month 1644
The Mark of * Webomscom & seal The Mark of * Nodowahunt & seal
Witness
the Mark * of Sundach Thomas King
Stephen Day
Richard Smith
Rec'd June 24th 1752 & Recorded from the Original By Edw'd Pynchon Reg r.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Confirmation of the Preceding Deed
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS Liber W; Folio 54
These are to Testifye That I Nodawahunt owner of the Land of Tantiusques 2 where the Black lead hill is Do Sell & give up & Surrender all my Right in that place for Ten miles to John Winthrop the Younger of Misticok, and Do Confirm the former sale of the Black lead hill & the Land about it at Tantiusques by Webusksham unto the said John Winthrop & am fully Satisfyed for the Same Witness my hand this IIth Novr 1644
Stephn Day : Thos King gorgib * Mark
The Mark of * Nodawahunt & Seal
Rec'd June 24th 1752 & Recorded from ye Original By Edw.d Pynchon Reg'r.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Confirmation of the Two Preceding Deeds
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS
Liber W ; Folio 52
Know all men hereby both English & Indians That I We Bucksham Chief Sachem and Right owner of Tantius- ques and all the Inand parts of the Country threabouts, have Granted and Sold all that my said Sachemship and Country to John Winthrop Junr Governr of the English on Connecticutt River for many Valuable Considerations, particularly for Ten Belts of Wampampeeg 3 with many Blanketts & Coats of Trucking Cloth and Sundry other goods which I do hereby acknowledge to have Received In full satisfaction for all the Black lead mines and all other places of mines and Minerals with all the lands in the Wil- derness lying north and west East and South round the said Black lead Hills for ten miles each way only reserving for my self and people liberty of fishing and Hunting and Convenient planting in the said Grounds and ponds and Rivers and according to English Custom I have given Pos- sessession of all my lands aforesd unto Amos Richason Servant to said Winthrop Governour of the English for said Winthrops use; To Have and To Hold to him the said John Winthrop his Heirs and assigns forever in Ever- lasting Remembrance and Witness hereof I Lay this Wisk- heeg 4 or Writing on Washcomos my Son and Heirs Breast and Set my Mark and Seal and Washcomos my said Son according Indian Custom freely makes his Mark and Seal hereunto on my breast this done with Consent of all the Indians at Tantiusques the 20th of the 11th Month 1644
The Mark * & Seal of We Bucksham Sachem of Tantiusques The Mark * & Seal of Washcomos Son of We Bucksham
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INDIAN DEEDS
Witness
Wodowahunt uncle to We Bucksham his Mark* ) Sachems of Itaguatiis his Mark*
Alhumpis his Mark*
§ Quinnebaug
Sagamore Moas his Mark*
Casacinamon 5 his Mark Governour & Chief Councelor among the pequots *
Amos Richison
John Burkin
John Wood:
Tho: Spencer Senr.
Tho: Champion
Washcomos Sachem of Tantiusques acknowledged this Instrument this 19th of rober 1654, Before me Ri Belling- ham Govr.
Rec'd June 24th 1752 & Recorded from the Original By Edwd Pynchon Regr.
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INDIAN DEEDS
Confirmation of the Three Preceding Deeds
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS Liber W; Folio 55
Be it known to all men by these presents that I Wase- cums Sachem of Tantiusques Son of Webuckshum Do yield up my Right property and Interest freely and Willingly to Mr. Winthrop now in Hartford to be at his Dispose his Heirs Executors or Assigns administrators In Considera- tion Hereof I William Dennies Servant to Mr. Paine in Boston In part & Behalf of Mr. Winthrop do give him Ten yards of Trucking Cloth before these Witness John Beg John Pettebone Joseph Crowfoot James Warriner this 16 Day of November 1658. Witness my hand
* The Mark of the Sachem Wassecums & Seal
William Dennies The Mark * of John beg
James Warriner
The Mark * of Joseph Crowfoot
The Mark * of John Pettebone
William Dennies Testifyed upon Oath that he was pres- ent and did see the Sachem Washcump afores'd Sign & Deliver this Instrument as his act & Deed and that Jno Beg James Warriner Jos. Crowfoot & Jno Pettibone did set to their hands as Witnesses hereunto Taken upon oath 27 June 1683 In Boston
Before Hum: Davie Assist"
Rec'd June 24th 1752 and Recorded from the Original By Edw'd Pynchon Regr
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INDIAN DEEDS
Confirmation of the Four Preceding Deeds
HAMPDEN COUNTY RECORDS Liber W; Folio 53
These are to Testifye That Whereas my Father Webuck-
0
shum and Wadawahut and others did in the year 1744
sell unto Mr. John Winthrop and Surrender up to him all their Right in the Black lead hill at Tantiusques wth all the land round about the said Hill for ten miles. I Washcomos Son & Heir of the said We Buckshums being now by the Indians acknowledged the Sachem of that Country, Do by these presents confirm all that my said Father hath done and those other Indians wth him and do Give grant and confirm unto the said Mr. Winthrop all that land before said wth the said Black lead hill and all other places of Black lead or other Mines or Minerals to be to him and his Heirs and assigns forever: Witness my hand this first Day of March 16587 and do hereby also acknowledge that the writing to wch I set my hand at Tantiusques the 16 of November 1658 was to the same Intent and purpose
Witness: Willm Edwards Jonathan Gilbert William Dennes
Witness my hand The Mark of X the Sachem named W: Bachtomy. & Seal
William Dennies Testifyed upon Oath that he was pres- ent and did see the Sachem W: Bachtomy abovesd. Sign and Deliver this Instrument as his act and Deed and that Willm. Edwards and Jonathan Gilbert were present & did set to their hands as Witness hereunto Taken upon oath in Boston 27th of June Anno 1683
Before Hum: Davie Assis't.
Rec'd June 24th 1752 & Recorded from the original By Edw.d Pynchon Reg'r.
1
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INDIAN DEEDS
Notes to the Five Preceding Deeds
In September 1633, 'John Oldham, and three with him, went overland to Connecticut (river), to trade. The sachem used them kindly, and gave them some beaver. They brought of the hemp, which grows there in great abundance, and is much better than the English. He accounted it to be about one hundred and sixty miles. He brought some black lead, whereof the Indians told him there was a whole rock. He lodged at Indian towns all the way."-Winthrop's Journal, Vol. I, Pg. III.
Extract of a letter from William Pynchon to Stephen Day, at "Tan- teuscu in Nipnett," which was delivered to John Winthrop Jr., and in- dorsed by him; "Mr. Pinchen to Mr. Day about another place of Black- lead."
"Springfield this 8 of the 8 month 1644.
I received a letter from you by an Indian, who saith that his name is Tamuggut. If you doe your business by Indians, you will find it dearer than to send an Englishman. * * I spake to this Indian in your behalf: I tould him that the Governor sent you to serch for something in the ground, not for black lead, as they suppose, but for some other mettell: I told him that the hill of black lead by Quassink,* was not so good as that which lay southward of it, nere the cornfield, where one Namoswhat lives. I suppose it is 5 or 6 miles southward of that place by Quassink.
Your ever lovinge friend WILLIAM PYNCHON" Coll. of Mass. Hist. Soc. Ser. 4, Vol. 6, Pg. 376.
*Quassink=Quas; stones, stony-ink; place. That is, "stony place."
At a meeting of the General Court held at Boston on "the 13th of the gth mo, 1644, Mr. John Winthrope, Junior, is granted ye hill at Tantousq, about 60 miles westward, in which the black leade is, and liberty to pur- chase some land there of the Indians."-Records of the Colony of Massa- chusetts, Vol. 2, Pg. 82.
WAIT WINTHROP TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS "To, &c.
The memoriall and representation of W. Winthrop humbly sheweth that in the year 1644 your memorialist's father had liberty from the Gen11 Court of the late Masachusett Collony to purchase lands at the black-lead mines at a place called Tantiusque, about 60 miles westward from this
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INDIAN DEEDS
place, and accordingly he made purchase (of the known Indian Sachem & confirmed after his death by his son) of ten miles every way from sd mine in the year above sd * * * "-Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. Ser. 6, Vol. 5, Pg. 297.
This is from an unsigned, rough draft, with many interlineations, and was probably the original of the following document.
WAIT WINTHROP TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS
"To his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esq", Captain General and Governour in chief of her Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New Eng- land, the Honble her Majesty's Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, May 26th, 1714, the humble address of Wait Winthrop, son of John Winthrop, some time Governour of Connecticut, deceased, Sheweth:
That the said John Winthrop, in the year 1644, Octob: 30th, had leave to purchase land about Tantiousques, where the Black Lead Mine is, as is of record in the Book of this Province; which was also given under the seal of the late Corporation of the Massachusett, signed John Endicot, Govern- our; which grant and allowance to purchase he pursued to effect the same year, as by deeds doth appear more particularly: one deed dated the 6th Octo!, 1644, signed Webuskhum, and a confirmation on the IIth Novem- ber, 1644, signed Nodowahunt; also another deed of confirmation signed Nascomy, son and heir to Webuskhum, dated Ist March, 1658. Accord- ingly improvements were made at said Tantiousques for many years since, now since discontinued by reason of the war. By all which it doth appear your petitioner has a just right to ten miles square round the said Black Lead Hill, and is now desirous that Cap! Chandler may be impowered to survey the said tract of ten miles square to be to your petitioner and his heirs, and the place may be of record, that any new grant may not be laid upon the same land.
And your petitioner shall pray, &c.
WAIT WINTHROP.
June 23, 1714. In Council, read and recommended."
-Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., Ser. 6, Vol. 5, Pg. 294.
I" In Massachusetts plumbago exists in gneiss, at the most important locality, which is in Sturbridge."
-Hitchcock's "Geology of Massachusetts,"Pg. 47.
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