John Chamberlain, Indian Fighter

JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, THE INDIAN FIGHTER AT PIGWACKET

Born in the town of Chelmsford, March 29, 1692, he was the eldest child of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hall) Chamberlain, who lived first in Chelmsford, but later in Groton. His life had its beginning in the earlier half of the Indian war period of New England (1675-1725).

In 1704, in the same year that the fearful slaughter at Deer- field occurred, the Indians carried their guerrilla warfare into Groton, where they killed one or two men in the southwesterly part of the town. On May 8, 1706, at a town meeting held in Groton, " Thay ded by uot [vote] declare they would and doe desire Thomas Chamberill [Iain s] mill may bee uphelde by a solgar or solgars for the good of the town." Therefore, John Chamberlain was cradled and reared in the midst of Indian warfare and vigilant defense.

On September 4, 1724, Thomas Blanchard and Nathan Cross, both of old Dunstable, were captured within the limits of the city of Nashua, New Hampshire, by a band of Indians, who carried them captives into Canada. A small party of Dunstable men pur suing the Indians some distance up the Merrimack valley, the entire party was killed excepting Josiah Farwell. For this reason John Lovewell, Josiah Farwell and Jonathan Robbins, all of Dun- stable, petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts for leave to raise a company "to keep out in the woods for several months together in order to kill and destroy their enemy Indians." Their petition was granted November 17, 1724, and they were promised for each male scalp brought in one hundred pounds, which, accord ing to Kidder, was equivalent to one hundred and thirty-six dollars.

Four accounts of this fight were published within one and one-half years of its occurrence.

Paugus, the chief of the Pigwacket tribe, was killed during the action, but neither state by whom the deed was done.

Lettice Ryan was the daughter of Charles Ryan, or Ryant, of Goshen, by his first wife, Ann Chamberlin, daughter of John and Lettice ChamberHn, of Aston. By his second wife, Han- nah (Townsend) Sharpless, Charles had a daughter Ann, who became the mother of Townsend Haines, judge of the courts of Chester County, 1851 to 1861.

Abraham Darlington, of Birmingham, Chester County, being aged and somewhat infirm, made his will 12 mo. 21, 1798, proven April 6, 1799, in which he devised to his daughter Mary her mother's wearing apparel, a bed and furniture, bureau, a brown mare colt now rising two years old, a pied heifer calf, all the pewter, china ware and teaspoons of every kind, and £150. The plantation was to be sold, together with the residue of personal property, and the money divided between his four sons, Benjamin, Charles, Abraham and Jesse, as they became of age, for whom he appointed William Sharpless and Jacob

source: "Genealogy of the Darlington Family : a record of the descendants of Abraham Darlington of Birmingham, Chester Co., Penna., and of some other families of the name"

https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofdarli00incope/genealogyofdarl...