USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Grafton > History of Grafton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its early settlement by the Indians in 1647 to the present time, 1879. Including the genealogies of seventy-nine of the older families > Part 2
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IV. Every young man, if not another's servant, and if uumarried, shall be compelled to set up a wigwam, and plant for himself, and not shift up and down in other wigwams.
V. If any woman shall not have her hair tied up, but hang loose, or be cut as men's hair, she shall pay five shillings.
VI. If any woman shall go with naked breasts, she shall pay two shillings.
VII. All men that wear long locks shall pay five shillings.
VIII. If any shall kill their lice between their teeth, they shall pay five shillings.
When the Indian church was established here, Sept. 23, 1671,* the second of the kind in the country, Piambohon of Natiek, who was next in authority to Wauban, the ruler, was chosen or appointed ruling elder. When this town was broken up, in Philip's war, he returned again to Natiek, where he died. He was one of those confined to Deer Island ; lience, he lived until after the war. He was often styled Piambow. John Speen was another teacher, contem- porary with Piambow, and, like him, " was a grave and pious man." In 1661, Timothy Dwight, of Dedliam, sued John Speen and his brother, Thomas, for the recovery of a debt of sixty pounds, and Mr. Eliot bailed them. This he probably did with safety, as John Speen and "his kindred " owned nearly all the Natick lands, when the Christian Com- monwealth was established there. This valuable possession
*The following is taken from the original first church record of the Congregational Society, in possession of Henry F. Wing, Esq., clerk of the Evangelical Congregational Society : "The Indian church, which was gathered in this place, was the second native church in New Eng- land. It was formed either by Rev. John Eliot, or some one raised up through his instrumentality. It is said to have been one of the perma- nent establishments of the kind, and yet it did seem as if it continued but a short time in its original state. It was formed in 1671, and three years after contained, it is said, about 16 members living in the town, besides several residing in other places. But 60 years after, as appears from this book, it was necessary to form another, and none were natives, probably."
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
he gave up freely, to be used in common, in 1650. Not- withstanding " he was among the first that prayed to God," at Nonantum (Newton), and " was a diligent reader," yet he died a drunkard ; having been some time before discarded from the church at Natick. Pennahannit, ealled Captain Josiah, was " Marshal General " over all the praying towns, including Hassanamisco, and used to attend the courts. The following is said to be a copy of a warrant which was issued by the ruler Wauban, for this eourt : "Yon, you big con- stable, qnick you catch um Jeremiah Offscow, strong you hold um, safe you bring um, afore me, Waban, justice peace."*
Tukapewillin, son of Naoas, and brother to James-the printer and Awaweakin, was teacher here. He was, accord- ing to Major Daniel Gookin, " a pious and able man, and apt to teach." He suffered exceedingly in Philip's war; himself and his congregation, together with those of the two praying towns, "Magunkog and Chobonekowhowom," having been enticed away by Philip's followers. Naoas, the father, was deacon of the church here, and among the number. They, however, tried to make their escape to the English soon after, agreeably to a plan concerted by Job Kattenanit, when he was among Philip's people as a spy ; bnt, as it hap- pened, in the attempt they fell in with an English scout, under Captain Gibbs, who treated them as prisoners, and with not a little barbarity; robbing them of everything they had, even the minister of his pewter cup, which he used at sacraments. At Marlborough, though under the protection of the officers, they were so insulted and abused, " especially by women," that Tukapewillin's wife, from fear of being murdered, escaped into the woods, leaving a suckling child to be taken care of by its father. With her went also her son, twelve years old, and two others. The others, Naoas and Tukapewillin, with six or seven children, were,
*Allen's Biog. Dict., Art. Waban.
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WATTASACOMPANUM-JAMES-THE-PRINTER.
soon after, sent to Deer Island. Naoas was, at this time, about 80 years old.
Wattasacompanum, called also Captain Tom, chief assist- ant to Major Gookin, " was ruler of the Nipmuck Indians, a grave and pious man, of the chief sachem's blood of the Nipmuck country. He resided in this town. Captain Tom was among Tnkapewillin's company, that went off with the enemy, as in speaking of him we have made mention. In that company there were about 200 men, women and children. The enemy, being about 300 strong, obliged the praying Indians to go off with them, or be killed by them. There were, however, many who doubtless preferred their company to that of their friends on Deer Island. This was about the beginning of December, 1675. Captain Tom afterwards fell into the hands of the English, and, being tried and condemned as a rebel, was, on the 26th of June, 1676, executed at Boston, much to the grief of such excel- lent men as Eliot and Gookin.
James Printer, or James-the-printer, was the son of Naoas, brother of Tnkapewillin and Awaweakin. When a child, he was instructed at the Indian charity school at Cam- bridge. In 1659, he was put to an apprenticeship of six- teen years. If one could not leave his master withont the charge of absconding, at least, both the master and appren tice should be pitied. In relation to this matter, Hubbard says : " He had attained some skill in printing, and might have attained more, had he not, like a false villain, ran away from his master before his time was ont." And the same author observes that the name printer was superadded to distinguish him from others named James. Mather has this record of James Printer, July 8, 1676: " Whereas, the council at Boston had lately emitted a declaration, signifying that such Indians as did, within fourteen days, come in to the English, might hope for mercy, divers of them did this day return from among the Nipmucks. Among others, James, an Indian, who could not only read and write, but
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
had learned the art of printing, notwithstanding his apostasy, did venture himself upon the mercy and truth of the English declaration, which he had seen and read, prom- ising for the future to venture his life against the common enemy. He and the others now come in, affirm that very many of the Indians are dead since this war begun; and that more have died by the hand of God, in respect of deseases, fluxes and fevers, which have been amongst them, than have been killed with the sword." Mr. Thomas says in his history of printing: "It was owing to the amor patrice of James Printer that he left his master and joined in Philip's war." But how much amor patrice he must have had to have kept him an apprentice sixteen years is not men- tioned.
. In 1683, Rev. John Eliot, in writing to the Hon. Robert Boyle, at London, said : "I desire to see it done* before I die, and I am so deep in years that I cannot expect to live long ; besides, we have but one man, viz., the Indian printer, that is able to compose the sheets and correct the press, with understanding." In another, in the following year, he said : "Our slow progress needeth an apology. We have been much hindered by the sickness the last year. Our workmen have been all sick, and we have but few hands, one Englishman, and a boy, and one Indian." This Indian was undoubtedly James-the-printer. And Mr. Thomas adds: "Some of James' descendants were not long since living in Grafton ; they bore the surname of Printer." In a letter of the commissioners of the U. C. of New England, to the corporation in England, we find this postscript: "Two of the Indian youths, formerly brought up to read and write, are put apprentice, one to Mr. Green, the printer ";t this was probably James. In 1698, James was teacher to five Indian families at Hassanamisco. In 1709, he seems to have got through with his apprentice-
* Referring to the Indian Bible.
History of Printing, I., 292, 293.
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JOHN WAMPUS.
ship, and to have had some interest in carrying on the print- ing business ; for, in the title pages of the Indian and English Psalter, printed in that year, is this imprint : " Bos- TON, N. E. Upprinthomnnnean B. Green, and J. Printer, wutche quhtiantamwe CHAPANUKKEG ut New-England, etc., 1709." Job Kattenanit was a christian Indian, and belonged to this town, where he was for a time a preacher. When King Philip made his descent upon this place he escaped to the English, at Mendon. He was subsequently captured, taken to Boston, and confined for a time in the jail, where he suffered exceedingly. He was afterwards sent to Deer Island. July 24, 1675, five of the principal Nipmuck sachems signed an agreement to meet the Governor of the State to treat of peace soon after. They did not appear as agreed upon, and Captain Hutchinson, being sent to ascertain the cause, was ambushed by them and a number killed. The following year the Nipmucks became fully aware of their wretched condition, and on the 6th of July sent an Indian messenger to the English with a white flag.
While Captain Henchman was in the enemy's country he made an excursion from this town to Packachoog, which lies about ten miles northwest from it. Meeting here with no enemy, he returned to this place ; and having got a few miles on his way discovered that he had lost a tin case, which con- tained his commission, and other instructions. He therefore dispatched Thomas Quanapohit and two Englishmen in search of it. They made no discovery of the lost article until they came in sight of an old wigwam at Packachoog, where, to their no small surprise, they discovered the enemy in possession of it .*
The biography of John Wampns alias White, if it could be known, would be a matter of curions interest. Little, however, is known of this. Some fragments of the annals of the times make it very probable that he was a Sagamore
* Gookin's History of Praying Indians.
4
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
of the Hassanamesit tribe. He is mentioned as being some time of Hassanamesit. In January, 1666, Robert Wayard, of Hartford, Ct., conveyed, by deed, a tract of land situate in Boston, to John Wampus, an Indian of Boston, bounded on the common, etc., being 300 feet by 30, with a dwelling house thereon. This tract is now partly covered by St. Paul's Church .* The records of Suffolk County give farther evidence of his concern in the sale or purchase of real estate. Tradition, pretty well established, makes it very probable that he crossed the Atlantic and was in London, that he returned to New England in the same ship with a Dr. Sutton, that his health failed on his return, and that he received particular attention from him on this voyage.t
David Munnanaw, or as it was more commonly written and pronounced, Munnalaw, was an Indian of some notoriety in the Hassanamesits, previons to King Philip's war. After this war he went to Marlborough, where he confessed he assisted in the destruction of Medfield. This treacherous Indian had, it is said, a slit thumb, which circumstance led to his conviction. He had been absent from Marlborough several months, but after his return would give no account of himself whither he had been, or how he had employed himself in the meantime. At length, however, an inlab- itant of Medfield, one whom Munnanaw had wounded, being at Marlborough, immediately recognized him by the mark on his thumb, and charged him with his treachery. At first he denied the charge; but, finding that the proof against him could not be evaded, he at length owned that he had been led away by Philip, and had assisted in the burn- ing of Medfield.
He was, however, suffered to live withont molestation. His wigwam stood on the borders of the beautiful lake, near the public house kept by Mr. Silas Gates, where he lived with his family many years, till the infirmities of old age
*Nathaniel Bowdich, Esq.
tDea. Leland, Sutton.
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DAVID MUNNANAW .- ABIMELICH DAVID.
came upon him. He was accustomed to repair to the neigh- boring orchards for the purpose of obtaining fruit. There was one tree of the fruit of which he was particularly fond, and which was accordingly his favorite place of resort. In this spot the old warrior expired. Old David Munnanaw died a little more than 133 years since, having lived, as was supposed, nearly or quite a century of years. According to this account lie must have been a young man, nearly thirty years of age, at the time of Philip's war. In his old age his skin was very much wasted and shrivelled.
The residence of Munnanaw, when here, was in that part of Hassanamisco which is now Saundersville, and on land which formerly belonged to Capt. James Leland, now owned by Dea. John McClellan. When Captain Leland settled here the marks of the old Indian cornfields were plainly to be seen. The method of their rude cultivation was, after fixing on a spot suitable for their purpose, to plant the corn in hills at convenient distance. In the fall, after gathering their scanty harvest, the stalks were left standing, and in the following spring they would be burned on the place of their growth, and corn planted from year to year in the same place.
Abimelich David, the reputed son of David Munnanaw, was well known in the annals of the Hassanamisco Indians. He was a well proportioned Indian. Abimelich had several daughters, among whom were Sue, Deborah, Esther, Patience, Nabby and Betty. They lived in a wretched hovel or wigwam, under a large oak, near the dwelling-house of Mr. Warren Brigham, when in Marlborough. They had become dissolute in their habits, and were exceedingly troublesome to their neighbors; and they are remembered with very little respect or affection.
Very little is known of the Indians from this period to 1725, when the number of Indian proprietors of Hassaname- sit was thirty-two, viz .: George Misco and wife; Ami Printer and wife; Moses Printer, wife and family, seven ;
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
Andrew Abraham and family, eight ; Peter Muckamug (in right of Sarah Robbins, his mother) and family, three ; Joshua Misco and wife; Ami Printer, Jr., and family, four ; Abimelieh David (in right of his wife and family) three; and Peter Lawrence (in right of Missanano.)*
These who bear the name of Printer are the reputed descendants of James-the-printer, who assisted Eliot in printing his Indian Bible.
Andrew Abraham was well known here. His notoriety arose from the circumstance of his location at the fordway, the place of passing the Blackstone river previous to the erection of bridges over the same. The Indians made but little proficiency in agricultural knowledge, and the pro- ficiency to which they had attained seems to have been con- fined quite exclusively to the cultivation of apples, for the purpose of obtaining cider, which seemed to be the object iu view, the use of which, to a state of intoxication, was uni- versal. So far as they had made any attempts at any mechanical business, these attempts were confined almost entirely to the manufacture of baskets and wooden brooms, in the making of which they sometimes discovered surpris- ing ingenuity.t Mary Printer alias Thomas, the last of the full blooded Indians of this tribe, and the last blood descendant of the Hassanamesits, died in Woreester, Feb- ruary 10, 1879, the wife of Prof. Gilbert Walker, Sarah (Bos- ton) Walker. Her mother, Sally Boston, was well known throughout Worcester County. She was born in Grafton, February 21, 1819.
*General Court Records, Vol. XII., p. 228. +Dea. Leland's Papers.
CHAPTER SECOND.
CONTENTS :
The Nipmuck conntry .- The country as viewed by the first white men .- Rev. John Ellot, the Apostle to the Indians. - Major General Daniel Gookin .- The progress of the Christian Indians .- Sutton and its boundaries .- The settlement broken up during Philip's war .- Re- established .- The town purchased of the Indians .- The proprietors and their meetings .- The colonial records relating to the town .- The incorporation of the town .- The origin of the name of Grafton.
A S WE have before stated, the limits of the Nipmuck country were not very well defined, but probably in- cluded all the southern part of Worcester County, a few of the adjoining towns in the State of Connecticut, and west- ward to the Connecticut River. Like most of New Eng- land, when first visited by the English, its population was very sparse. It had been wasted away by pestilence, or by the fatal incursions of the fierce and warlike Maguas. Its inhabitants possessed a milder and less warlike character than most of the neighboring tribes, and were accordingly brought into subjection to them. What was the nature of this subjection, or in what relation they stood to these tribes, it is now difficult to state with much accuracy. It is known, however, that they paid them a tribute; and perhaps this, in time of peace, was the only acknowledgment of servitude required. Tlie first mention made of this country is by Governor Winthrop, who, with a number of others, made an exenrsion np Charles River in Jannary, 1632. After they had gone np about fifteen miles, he says " they ascended a very high rock, where they might sce all over Neipnett, and a very high hill due west." No white man, probably, ever set foot on its soil till the autumn of 1635, when it was
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
traversed by a company of English, consisting of sixty per- sons, who, thinking themselves straitened for land in Massa- chusetts Bay, had determined thus early to emigrate to the more fertile banks of the Connecticut. What portion of the Nipmuck country they crossed is not known; but as their destined point was at Wethersfield, it is not improbable that they crossed this town, and that here, nearly three hundred years ago, that small company of emigrants, under the broad canopy of Heaven, invoked the blessing of God on their arduons enterprise.
No other notice is taken of the Nipmucks, or their conn- try, until the benevolent project of eonverting the Indians to christianity was undertaken. This was in 1646. Strong hopes were then entertained of its success. Among those who were willing to devote their time, wealth and talents to this cause, none were more conspicuous than John Eliot, known in his own day as " the apostle to the Indians." He commeneed his benevolent labors among the Indians at Natick, with whom the Nipmucks had a friendly and con- stant intercourse, and by that means they were probably first induced to attend his preaching. In an account of his sneeess, written to the corporation of London, in 1649, he says, " that a Nipnet sachem hath submitted himself to the Lord, and much desires one of our chief ones to live with him and those that are with him." In another account, written in 1651, he says: "There is a great country lying between Connectaeott and the Massachusetts, ealled Nipnet, where there be many Indians dispersed, many of whom have sent to our Indians desiring that some may be sent unto them to teach them to pray to God." Soon after this Eliot probably eame to this town ; for, in 1654, he had met with snch success that the General Court, on his petition, set it apart for the use of the Indians. The design of this was, as appears from Eliot's petition, to prevent any conflicting claims between the English and Indians, and to preserve to the latter the quiet and undisturbed enjoyment of lands
1
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REV. JOHN ELIOT.
which they and their fathers had held from time immemo- rial, but over which the State claimed jurisdiction. Froin that time, for a number of years, Eliot frequently visited this town, and made much progress in his benevolent labors. " No Indian town gave stronger assurances of success than this, at that time. Hassanamesit had become the central point of civilization and christianity to the whole Nipmuck country."* A school was here established, where the Bible was read and studied in the Indian language. Young men were here educated and sent into the neighboring towns to preach the gospel. A regular government was created, and the forms of law strictly observed. The population of the town was small, yet, by reason of their constant intercourse with their neiglibors, a large number of the natives enjoyed the benefits of this school, and before the year 1674, seven new towns of "praying Indians," as they were termed, were formed in this neighborhood, most of which were furnished with teachers from this place. James Printer was subse- quently engaged as teacher at Chabanakongkomun (Dnd- ley). He is referred to as "a sober, pions and ingenious person, and is well read in the scriptures." He was the first that settled the town, and got the people to him about two years since. At this place dwells an Indian called Black James, who about a year since was constituted Constable of all the praying towns, including Hassanamisco .*
The Rev. John Eliot, the celebrated missionary to the Indians, was nearly sixty years pastor of the church in Rox- bury. He was born in England in 1604, and came to this
*Eliot wrote an account of the gathering of this church, and sent it to the Corporation of London, to be printed, as he states in a letter dated 1673, and published in the Massachusetts Historical Collections, Vol. X., 1st series. It was probably never published. Samuel F. Haven, Esq., of the American Antiquarian Society, while in London endeavored to find this report, but it was not to be found. He made a report of his investigations to the society, which was published in their transactions.
*Gookin's Praying Indians.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
country November 13, 1631. Having learned the barbarous dialect of the Indians, he first preached to an assembly of Indians at Nonantum (Newton), October 28, 1646. He was violently opposed by the saehems and pawaws, or priests, who were apprehensive of losing their authority if a new religion was introduced. He made every exertion to pro- mote the welfare of the Indian tribes ; he stimulated many servants of Jesus to engage in the missionary work; and although he mourned over the stupidity of many, who pre- ferred darkness to light, yet he lived to see twenty-four of the copper-colored aborigines fellow-preachers of the precions gospel of Christ. He died May 20, 1690.
Major-General Daniel Gookin, of Cambridge, who was born in the County of Kent, England, and first settled in Virginia and moved to Cambridge in 1644, was the superin- tendent of all the Indians that had subjected themselves to the provincial government. He was accustomed to accom- pany Mr. Eliot in his missionary tours. While Mr. Eliot preached the gospel to the Indians, General Gookin admin- istered civil affairs among them In 1675, when Philip's war broke out, the English inhabitants generally were jeal- ous of the praying Indians, and would have destroyed them had not General Gookin and Mr. Eliot stepped forth in their defense. The Christian Indians were for a while kept on one of the islands in Boston harbor, through fear of their becoming traitors and going over to the enemy. The issue proved that these fears were entirely groundless. Not a single praying Indian went over to the enemy. General Gookin died in 1687, an old man, whose days were filled with usefulness.
Gookin describes this town with much greater partieular- ity than Hubbard, who ealled it "a place up into the woods beyond Medfield and Mendon." Gookin says, "the name Hassanamesit signifieth a place of small stones. It lieth about thirty-eight miles from Boston, west-southerly, and is about two miles eastward of Nipmuek River, and near unto
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SUTTON BOUNDARIES.
the old road-way to Connecticut. It hath not above twelve families ; and so, according to our computation, about sixty souls ; but is capable to receive some hundreds, as generally the other villages are, if it shall please God to multiply them. The dimensions of this town is four miles square, and so about eight thousand acres of land. This village is not inferior unto any of the Indian plantations for rich land and plenty of meadow, being well tempered and watered. It produceth plenty of corn, grain and fruit ; for there are several good orchards in the place. It is an apt place for the keeping of cattle and swine; in which respect this peo- ple are the best stored of any Indian town of their size." " Here they have a meeting-house for the worship of God, after the English fashion of building, and two or three other houses after the same mode, but they fancy not greatly to live in them. Their way of living is by husbandry, and keeping cattle and swine ; wherein they do as well or rather better than any other Indians, but are yet very far short of the English both in diligence and providence. There are in full communion in the church, and living in town, about sixteen men and women, and about thirty baptized persons ; but there are several others, members of this church, that live in other places. This is a hopeful plantation."*
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