Mary Bearse

Disconnected as child of Chief John Hyanno

6/27/2021 update

It is still highly DEBATABLE, despite a strong oral tradition, that Chief John Hyanno had a daughter named Mary. All researchers looking into it feel that the story was fabricated, and no one has come across any collaborating evidence. That oral tradition also alleges that much of the land acquired by Augustine Bearse was sourced to Mary Hyanno's grandfather, by whom she was reportedly raised, as yet unsubstantiated.

The controversy about the wife of Augustine/Austin Bearse named Mary is detailed in uploaded articles in the Source Tab of Austin Bearse.

Capt. Augustine Bearse

The marriage is HIGHLY Speculative and more likely to be Sgt William Cornell / Cornwell / Cornwall of Middleton, CT.. but even that is unproven and has more to say no connection than maybe.

Sgt. William Cornwall

- TAG 1938 Austin Bearse & Mary Hyanno by Jacobus - which outlines why the link is highly unlikely

- 2006 The Meddler article about Keeping an Open Mind how in 2006 the link was still not proven and more unlikely.

- 2014 NEHGS NEXUS article about Mary Hyanno Keeping an Open Mind reviewing the controversy

The following text was not edited 6/27/2021 and may or may not be applicable to this profile.
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REGARDING RESEARCH BY JACOBUS AND THE FATE OF MIXED BLOOD CHILDREN IN THE 1600's "That brings me to Jacobus. There are 2, father and son. They were not researchers, but compilers. They simply collected the information a town provided and published it. They did several towns a year. Only those who could afford an artist to do their picture and their own genealogy were entered into the town's book often refering to them as the "prominent men" of the town... no one required proof or evidence of any kind. So his sources at best are almost worthless. People at that time were hiding the true identity of their mixed blood children because they could be sold as slaves, the mother sold because of the children, and the father either sold or imprisoned. They could not hold land, inherit, get an education, etc. etc. etc. So it was a very common practice to hide the true indetity of your wives and children and others to assist you in doing so. As a result you see that often baptismal and christening records don't agree with the town records and it's common to show a woman with duplicate children with sluightly different dates because some actually belonged to the Indian wife or slave."In the 1933, Franklyn Ele-watum Bearce filed with the Library of Congress a manuscript entitled "From Out of the Past--Who Our Forefathers Really Were, a True Narrative of our White and Indian Ancestors." This Bearce claimed he was a Schaghticoke and Eastern Indian attempting to obtain benefits as an Indian from the State of Connecticut. Part of his genealogy was then published in an article, about Jacob Hamblin, claiming that Austin Bearse was of gypsy heritage, a criminal shipped off to Barnstable, and that he had married "Indian Princess" Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno.

The first three generations of Mr. Bearce's claims were analyzed in a 1938 article by Donald Lines Jacobus, a renowned professional genealogist, and founder of the prestigious journal The American Genealogist.[2] See Lee Murrah's rebuttal to Donald Lines Jacobus' rebuttal to F.E. Bearce, and an analysis of his rebuttal. See the profile page for Mary Hyanno for a detailed review of the controversy. The end result is that modern genealogist consider the work of Franklyn Bearse to be a fraud. There is no evidence that May wife of Augustine Bearse was Native American at all.

However, that hasn't stopped the fraud from continuing. Some folks have been able to use this evidence to become members of her tribe even very recently. In fact George Bush published on the White House website that she was a Native America and that he was a descendant. And many New England families to this day suppose they are Native American by Ancestry based on this myth.

Recommenced sources: Drake's Founders 59; Mayflower Descendants 2:213; NEHGR 9:280; Otis' Banstable Families 52-59; The American Genealogist 15:111-18, The American Genealogist 83:122-30; Brainerd Ancestry 32

The notes below arrive at conclusions that are not evidence based and are no accepted by modern genealogists.

Added by E. Nickerson/A piece of circumstantial evidence to consider is that Augustine, coming as a young man with no indication of wealth, called "Goodman" rather than"Gentleman", held some of the best farm land in the Barnstable area. According to Bearce (p. 9) "Land grants other than the common fields at Barnstable and privately amened by Austin and Mary - were held jointley and ceaded verbaly to Austin and Mary By John Hyanno - Sagamore and son of Ihyannough, Mattachee Sachem - who both hated, feared, and mistrusted the English." The fact that Augustine's wife joined the church does not rule out he being an Indian. John Elliot and Richard Bourne and others had a thriving ministry among the Indians on Cape Cod, and many of them were Christians. A final piece of circumstantial evidence to support Augustine's marriage to an Indian lies in the fact that when King Phillip's War broke out, two tribes in the Martha's Vineyard/Cape Cod area remained neutral in the conflict, and the tribe in the immediate area of Barnstable fought on the side of the English colonists.

Priscilla Bearse Hall gravestone says: HERE LYES Ye BODY OF PRESILLER HALL WIFE TO DECON JOHN HALL AGED 68 YEARS DIED MARCH 30th 1712. The photos are from the Farber Gravestone Collection owned by the American Antiquarian Society. This is one of the earliest dated winged heads on Cape Cod. Located at the Route 6A behind Cape Playhouse grounds. Priscilla Bearse Hall gravestone. This is one of the earliest dated winged heads on Cape Cod. Located at the Route 6A behind Cape Playhouse grounds.

Spouse Mary "Little Dove" HYANNO (1624-aft1660) Children Priscilla BEARSE (1643-1712) Marriage 1639 (age 20-21) Manachee Village, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts

Mary Hyanno is said to have been of fair complexion with red hair. The Wampanoags were often referred to as "white Indians" due to their light skin and believed to have descended from Viking explorers.

Added by Elwin C. Nickerson- My Great Grandmother was said to have Flaming Red Hair- A Princess of the Algonquin Nation-by my Families accounts thru many Generations- Also My Great Grandmother Ruhamah Jones/Algonquin Princess carried the Same Flaming Red Hair Gene-Left Long Ago by Viking Ancestors so my Family Tradition /Documents go. I hope this helps others who have questions of doubt on these lines of decent. This Recessive Gene shows itself from time to time still in my family. Yes my Family had very few options for marriage except Native American women during this time. ///// According to this document based on family legend based on a diary which no longer exists by Zerviah Newcombe Augustine's daughter-in-law and passed down through Franklin Bearse's family, Augustine Bearse was a gypsy(Of Irish Decent) who was expelled from England and put on the ship to the New World. Once at Plymouth, the single Bearse was shunned by the English women because of his ancestry. As a result he married a Wampanoag Indian woman named Mary Hyanno, the daughter of John Hyanno, and granddaughter of Iyannough, the sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod. Mary Hyanno is said to have been of fair complexion. The Wampanoags were often referred to as "white Indians" due to their light skin and are believed to have descended from Viking explorers. John Hyanno's mother is said to have been a princess of the Narragansett tribe and the daughter of Canonicus who was a sachem of some renown. Canonicus along with one Miantonomi were the two principals in deeding over what is now called Rhode Island to Roger Williams.

Mary Hyanno, known as "Litttle Dove", is said to have married early Plymouth settler Augustine Bearse. Mary was the daughter of John Hyanno, who was born in 1595 at the Mattachee Village at what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Mary No-Pee, who was born at Gays Head on Martha's Vineyard and was the daughter of No-Took-Seet. John was the son of Iyannough, the sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod, and Princess Canonicus. He died after 1680 on Cape Cod. Princess Canonicus was the daughter of Canochet (Chief) Canonicus and Posh-Pw. Canochet Canonicus was the son of Wessonsuoum and Keshechoo. Wessonsuoum was the son of Chief Tashtassuck, who was born before 1520.

Mary Hyanno, who was reportedly Indian, daugher of John Highyannough Sr. and Mary No Pee, is listed in Episcopal church records, but is also controversial, with several Bearse Family researchers saying that she did not exist:

Added by Elwin C. Nickerson: These Indians were a branch of the Wampannoags or White Indians. "Austin Bearse was the 4th great grandfather of Jacob Hamblin, through his daughter Sarah Bearse who married John Hamblin. They raised a large family of children and many of the prominent families of America today can trace their ancestry to Mary Hyanno, the flaming haired princess of the Wampannoags. "The evidence as to the identify of the wife of Austin Bearse is found in an unpublished manuscript, entitled: "Who Our Forefathers Really Were. A True Narrative of Our White and Indian Ancestor," by Franklin Ele-wa-tum Bearse (a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian). This manuscript is a certified copy of an original sworn statement now on file in the office of the Litchfield County District Court, in Connecticut, and accepted by the State Commissioner in Charge of Indian Rights and Claims as an authentic and legal declaration of lineage. It bases its claim as to the identify of Austin Bearse's wife upon statements in the original diary of Zerviah Newcomb, who married Josiah Bearse, a grandson of Austin, and who wrote from personal knowledge of the facts. Her diary is called, "A True Chronicle of the Bearse Family." "It is said that the above manuscript is deposited in the Congressional Library and states that Austin Bearse married by Indian rites at the Mattachee Indian village Mary, daughter of John Hyanno, a Mattachee Sagamore, and son of the Sachem Ihyannough who befriended the Pilgrims on their first arrival. In Zerviah Newcomb's diary, Austin Bearse was said to be of the Romany or Gypsy race, and the name was originally Be Arce. He belonged to a family of Continental gypsies who had emigrated to England. There was great persecution; for some minor infraction of the English law, Austin was deported to the colonies. On arriving at Plymouth, Austin was the only prisoner allotted to Barnstable. No Puritan girl at that time would marry a gypsy, as there were eligible Puritans to select from. It was therefore natural that he should marry an Indian Princess. "Further it is said that Mary Hyanno was a lovely flaming-haired Mattachee princess. Her people had an ancient tradition that a long time before white men had landed on their shores and intermarried with them. This probably indicates a Viking descent, and why the Indians were called Wampannoags (White Indians). Mary's ancestry is given as: 1. Ihyannough, Sachem of the Mattachees 2. John Hyanno, md. No-pee, dau. of No-took-saet 3. Mary Hyanno, md. Austin Bearse. /ECN/

Added by Elwin C. Nickerson about my Great Grandmother: In 1936, genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus submitted an article in "The American Genealogist" debunking this story of Austin Bearse's wife being an Indian Princess. The story, however, has persisted through time. If In Doubt take A DNA Test and who knows Today you could Be Related to The Bearse Line Of Decent. /ECN/

I am an 8th grt. granddaughter of Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno and Austin Bearse and this is my story and how it connects.

My 3rd grt. grandfather Dr. Joseph D. MOODY WAS an Indian and he was a Doctor / Medicine Man / Shaman, whatever you want to call him. He lived in Lowell, Midddlesex Co., MA for many years and is found there in the Lowell city and Middlesex County directories as well as the Lowell census'.

I have a picture of my grt. grandfather wearing one his full headdress costumes and my grt. grandmother kept many of "Dr. Joe's" articles and used to tell stories about how "strange" he was. I have a picture of my 2nd grt. grandfather a son of "Dr. Joe's" and the jet black hair and eyes tell all.

My link goeslike this....Joseph MOODY (my 4th grt. grandfather)was born c1777 in Maine and was "of Buxton", York Co., Maine when he married Content CROCKIT in 1802 in Gorham, Cumberland Co., Maine. Content was a daughter of Samuel Crockit (old records spelling of surname) and Tabitha HAMBLEN/Hamblin. Tabitha's lineage line is as follows - Tabitha Hamblen > Content Hamblen b. 1709 who married her cousin Jacob Hamblen, > Esther Hamblen b. 1676 who married her cousin Jonathan Hamblen b. 1670, > Sarah BEARSE who married John Hamblen, > Mary "Little Dove" HYANNO and Austin BEARSE.

After Content Crockit died (bef. 1820) Joseph MOODY (my 4th grt. grandfather who was called Lieut. in the 1810 Buxton, ME census and then from a MOCA burial record of his daughter in 1825 whose last name is listed as Thomas and yet she was only 3 years old, said he was "Capt." Joseph Moody. In 1810 there were no wars going on and he was born c1777 so he was born After the Revolution and the War of 1812 hadn't started yet. It was Very common for men of distinction among an Indian tribes to be given the titles of Lt. or Capt. etc. They were Not the Chief's but somewhere just below that status. I believe this to be true of my 4th grt. grandfather Joseph MOODY whose REAL name may have been Joseph THOMAS (TOMAH)b. c1777 in Maine.

Joseph married 2nd to Hannah MITCHELL or Thomas (long story and I still don't know for sure her surname) in Brunswick, Cumberland Co., Maine in 1819.

Hannah was also most likely Indian.

I am still trying to determine if my "Dr. Joe" was a son of Content Crockit who died young, before 1820, which was around the time my Joseph was born, OR Hannah MITCHELL. I suspect Dr. Joe was born c1814 and IF this is so then he is a son of Content Crockett's but would have been raised by Hannah and only known her as his mother. (On Dr. Joe's 2nd marriage record from Lowell, MA he says his parents are Joseph and Hannah MOODY). Content Crockit and Joseph MOODY had at least 2 known children - Samuel C. Moody born 1805 in Buxton, ME and Achsah Moody born 1807 in Buxton, ME. Samuel C. Moody and Achsah moved to Brunswick with their father just before 1820. By 1830 Samuel was married to Catherine MERRYMAN of Harpswell, Cumberland Co., Maine. They had only one son John F. MOODY born 1831 because Samuel died in Brunswick in 1832.

Okay, that's most of the particulars on this line.

Back to the Hamblen's ...

The Intermarrying of all the Hamblen's is VERY suspect too and among the Indian's would have been quite common IF and I really emphasize IF, there was even a hint of truth to the Narragansett "Princess" story. This could explain all of the intermarrying. I feel quite certain that there were Indian's among the Hamblen's as well and Sarah Bearse's husband John Hamblen very well may have been an Indian.

I was told by an Indian woman that the intermarrying in the family was to keep the blood lines Pure and that sister would marry brother if that's what it took to do so. These were considered to be Royal blood lines among the Indians and the strength of the tribe was of utmost importance in those very early days.

I know Nothing of this story and today is the first I've ever read it, but I have to say it sure gave me a big Lift to read it because the ONLY Moody Indian I have Ever found on a tribal record was a Daniel MOODY who just so happened to have appeared on an 1881 NARRAGANSETT Tribe list with his family in Rhode Island. I have No idea where he came from and cannot find a trace of his lineage.

My entire family was/is from Maine and Mass, so this was a Great story to me. Whether it be true or not, I cannot say. There is good evidence going either side, but I tend to lean towards the Indian connection. I was also told by the Indian woman that if family oral history said you had Indians in your lineage, they are Most Likely true because NO one who was White wanted to admit there were Indians in their family's lineage way back then.

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And another account

The Bearse Controversies

Augustine Bearse is controversial in genealogy circles because of a document entitled "From Out of the Past--Who Our Forefathers Really Were, a True Narrative of ourWhite and Indian Ancestors" filed in the 1930's by Franklin Ele-watum Bearse, a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian, in an attempt to obtain benefits as an Indian from the State of Connecticut. Mr. Bearse's claims are analyzed in a article by Jacobus entitled "Austin Bearse and His Alleged Indian Connections" in THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST published about 1936.

According to this document based on family legend based on a diary which no longer exists by Zerviah Newcombe Augustine's daughter-in-law and passed down through Franklin Bearse's family, Augustine Bearse was a gypsy who was expelled from England and put on the ship to the New World. Once at Plymouth, the single Bearse was shunned by the English women because of his ancestry. As a result he married a Wampanoag Indian woman named Mary Hyanno, the daughter of John Hyanno, and granddaughter of Iyannough, the sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod. Mary Hyanno is said to have been of fair complexion and red hair. The Wampanoags were often referred to as "white Indians" due to their light skin and are believed to have descended from Viking explorers. John Hyanno's mother is said to have been a princess of the Narragansett tribe and the daughter of Canonicus who was a sachem of some renown. Canonicus along with one Miantonomi were the two principals in deeding over what is now called Rhode Island to Roger Williams.

There is no proof of Bearse's gypsy ancestry. However, Jacobus' assertion that

To suppose that a Gypsy, a deported criminal, and the husband of an Indian, would have enjoyed such standing in a Puritan community is absurd

perhaps betrays more than a touch of modern-day prejudice.

Among librarians at the Library of Congress, Jacobus is known as an author for hire. A librarian told one Bearse researcher that Jacobus wrote so many books each year that he could not have done much research. In one instance he was hired by a town to compile the records they provided. Wealthy people paid to be in the book and provided the details. Of course, they were selective in what they included and omitted. The poor and non-prominent were not included.

Neither is there any record of his marriage to Mary Hyanno. In fact there is no record at all of his marriage. All we know is that he was married to a woman named Mary. Some have identified her as Mary Wilder, who traveled on the same ship as Augustine to the New World. A careful review of the records, however, shows that Mary Wilder was married to another man at the time Bearse and his Mary were having children of their own.

Mr. Jacobus' article remains the "gold standard" in the Bearse-Hyanno controversy. Mr. Jacobus was a stickler for using only written records as genealogical proof, but in this statement quoted above he went beyond the written record by calling upon circumstantial evidence (and hearsay at that!). In so doing he "opened the door", as the lawyers say, so as to permit us to rebut his case with circumstantial evidence of our own.

The possibility that Augusting was a gypsy of the Rom tribe and that he married an Indian woman cannot be so lightly dismissed. Those possibilities are supported by several pieces of circumstantial evidence.

• 1. The surname in the form "BeArce" is unusual for a British name; whether it is of Romany origin remains to be seen.
• 2. Augustine's acceptance into Plymouth society is not unexpected even if he were a Rom. In those days when it was not clear that the colony would survive, reliability as a productive member of the community was more important than circumstances of birth. The Pilgrims needed every hand they could find. Attitudes of racial and social superiority are attributes of a secure societies, not those in the survival mode. It is all too easy to project modern attitudes back onto earlier generations, but history tells us in Virginia, for example, that racial attitudes did not begin to form until 100 years after the settlement of Jamestown and that severe racial discrimination did not occur until over 200 years later.
• 3. The acceptance of Augustine's wife and children into Plymouth society is also not unexpected even if she were an Indian. In the earliest days of Plymouth, the settlers had good relations with the Indians as the story of Squanto and Thanksgiving testifies. Indians were seen as citizens of another nation (that's why the daughters of the chiefs were often referred to as "Princess") and not a savages to be exterminated . That came later with King Philip's War in the late 1600's. Intermarriage with people from other nations was an accepted political device in the Europe of the era. Marriage to an Indian would have provided access to food sources and would have promoted peace. One need only point to the marriage of John Rolfe and Pocahontas, which was approved, and even encouraged, by the Crown, as evidence of this. Another factor that might have promoted acceptance of a Mary Hyanno into Plymouth society was that she was said to be light-skinned and red haired. Some believe that her tribe the Wampanoag were descendants of earlier Viking settlers. And if there was any prejudice against Indians, who better than a Rom to marry one and bring peace to the colony? It may have in fact been his ticket to respectability.
• 4. Augustine's settlement at the "frontier" area of Barnstable may point to an immigrant who started at the bottom of society and worked his way up. Throughout the history of North America, immigrants without resources settled on the frontier where land was cheap and where a live-and-let-live attitude prevailed. This is the pattern followed by the Scotch-Irish in the 18th Century.
• 5. Augustine's settlement at Barnstable on Cape Code placed him in the midst of the Wampanoag villages. Until recent times men usually married a local woman, and there were few English settlers in the area at the time. Even without prejudice against the Rom, Augustine's marriage prospects would have been primarily among the Indian women.
• 6. Augustine's seeming easy accession of large amounts of land Cape Code from the Wampanoag seems to indicate a special relationship with them. If he had married the granddaughter of a sachem, he would have been favored in that way.
• 7. Augustine's exemplary record as a citizen and unusual piety as a member of the church could have been part of a supreme effort by an outsider to fit into English society at Barnstable. One writer states that upon the birth of a child on a Saturday Augustine walked a long distance to have it baptized in church on Sunday when custom would have permitted him to wait until the next Sunday.
• 8. George F. Williams's in "Saints and Strangers" (page 408; Time Inc. edition, 1964) states that Mr. Lothop, the minister of the church that Augustine joined in Barstable, preached a very liberal doctrine and accepted anyone willing to profess faith in God and promise to keep the Ten Commandments.
• 9. The absence of a marriage record in a colony which kept very good marriage records might indicate a marriage outside the English system, and Bearse and Hyanno were supposedly married in an Indian ceremony at Barnstable.
• 10. The ratio of English men to women was large in the colony, though almost all men were said to be married. That leads one to wonder where the extra women came from if not from the Indians. Indian marriages were very common in Virginia as evidenced by the Pocahontas and John Rolfe union.
• 11. The Bearse-Hyanno story is a peculiar one for Franklin Bearse to have invented. After almost 300 years it would have been unusual for him even to have known the name Augustine Bearse unless he was a very serious genealogist. Further, as someone who had other more easily proven Indian ancestors, he did not have had to rely upon descendance from Mary Hyanno and Augustine Bearse to support his application. Why would he tell a 300 year old story when he could more easily relate stories about his parents or grandparents?
• 12. Indian heritage was usually hidden in shame by white Americans in later generations, and many Indians hid it in fear of the consequences.

There is accumulating evidence that the Mary Hyanno legend is extant in several branches of the Bearse family independent of the Franklin Ele-watum Bearse story. Following are only three of those.

• 1. A Bearse descendant on Cape Cod recently indicated that the Hyanno legend was in her branch of the family also. She also ran across it in another branch of the Bearse family with which she had had no previous contact. Unless they were genealogists who had read the Jacobus article, this appears to be independent confirmation of the legend. Similar stories have been collected from other Bearse descendants from Cape Cod.
• 2. "I have actually traced my Bearce connection from Briggs to Tinkham to Fish to Bearse through Joseph (1st)...and my Briggs of course -(who spoke proudly of their Indian heritage an Indian Princesses."
• 3. A Bearse descendant whose family emigrated to Australia some time in the mid-1800's stated, "In the family the story has been told over some years of a connection to the Indian race but until recently it was assumed that Indian was related to India, not North American Indian."

Jacobus tears the Franklin Bearse claim apart for containing seemingly provable inaccuracies. However, no legend is accurate in every detail, and they often contain grains of truth

http://www.murrah.com/gen/bearse.htm

http://www.murrah.com/gen/hyanno.htm

Mary Hyanno, Wampanoag Princess?

NOTE: The purpose of this article is to summarize information about Mary Hyanno that circulates among genealogists. All information about Mary Hyanno--her life, ancestry and even existence--should be viewed as legend and not as proven fact. The information in this article comes from many informal sources and should not be attributed any researcher.

Mary Hyanno, known as "Litttle Dove", is said to have married early Plymouth settler Augustine Bearse. Mary was the daughter of John Hyanno, who was born in 1595 at the Mattachee Village at what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Mary No-Pee, who was born at Gays Head on Martha's Vineyard and was the daughter of No-Took-Seet. John was the son of Iyannough, the sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod, and Princess Canonicus. He died after 1680 on Cape Cod. Princess Canonicus was the daughter of Canochet (Chief) Canonicus and Posh-Pw. Canochet Canonicus was the son of Wessonsuoum and Keshechoo. Wessonsuoum was the son of Chief Tashtassuck, who was born before 1520.

Mary Hyanno is said to have been of fair complexion and red hair. The Wampanoags were often referred to as "white Indians" due to their light skin and are thought by some to have descended from Viking explorers. This assertion is very controversial. There indeed was an Iyannough, and Hyannis, Massachusetts is named for him.

The Bearse/Hyanno marriage entered the written record via a document filed in the 1930's by Franklin Ele-watum Bearse, a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian, in an attempt to obtain benefits as an Indian from the State of Connecticut. Mr. Bearse's claims are analyzed in a article by Jacobus entitled "Austin Bearse and His Alleged Indian Connectionis" in THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST published about 1936. Mr. Jacobus does not accept the Franklin Bearse story and endeavored to disprove it. However, family traditions of the Hyanno marriage exist to this day in other branches of the Bearse family. These traditions do not appear to have been derived from Franklin Bearse.

The Cornwall family also claims Mary Hyanno as an ancestor.

My Hyanno Line

• M. Lee Murrah
• Ina Gertrude Johnson m. Earvin Elroy Murrah
• Florence Ophelia Largent and Franklin John Johnson
• Malcom David Largent and Eliza Azalee Spears
• Thomas Wayne Largent and Talitha Maria Freeman
• David Barss Freeman and Talitha T. Thompson
• James Freeman and Hannah Barss
• David Barss m. Rebecca Gammon
• Benjamin Barss II m. Jane Collins
• Benjamin Bearse I m. Sarah Cobb
• Joseph Bearse m. Martha Taylor
• Augustin BeArce and Mary (Hyanno?)
• John Hyanno and mary No Pee
• Iyannouth and Princess Canonicus

Other Hyanno Internet Resources

MaryARoot's Home Page

Mary Hyanno (Little Dove)

Mary Hyanno Genealogy

The Wampanoag Indians

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=glencoe&i...

•ID: I14270

• Name: MARY HYANNO * OF THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE
• Given Name: MARY HYANNO * OF THE
• Surname: WAMPANOAG TRIBE
• Sex: F
• Birth: Abt 1623 in Barnstable, Barnstable, (Cummaquid) MA
• Death: 1660 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA
• Burial: Old Cemetery, Barnstable, MA 1

•_UID: DDA6A839B6A94689B7A3DD3B86F091040F87

• Change Date: 27 Aug 2008 at 17:04
• Note: NATIVE AMERICAN PRINCESS OF THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE

GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE GREAT NARRAGANSETT CHIEF CANONICUS

According to tradition, Mary was a beautiful, light skinned woman with flaming red hair. She was a member of the Cummaquid or Mattachee sub-group of the Wampanoag Tribe. Her father died the same year she was born, so she and her brother were sent to live with her grandfather.

"The evidence as to the identify of the wife of Austin Bearse is found in an unpublished manuscript, entitled: 'Who Our Forefathers Really Were. A True Narrative of Our White and Indian Ancestor,' by Franklin Ele-wa-tum Bearse (a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian). This manuscript is a certified copy of an original sworn statement now on file in the office of the Litchfield County, District Court, in Connecticut, and accepted by the State Commissioner in Charge of Indian Rights and Claims as an authentic and legal declaration of lineage. It bases its claim as to the identify of Austin Bearse's wife upon statements in the original diary of Zerviah Newcomb, who married Josiah Bearse, a grandson of Austin, and who wrote from personal knowledge of the facts. Her diary is called, 'A True Chronicle of the Bearse Family.' "It is said that the above manuscript is deposited in the Congressional Library and states that Austin Bearse married by Indian rites at the Mattachee Indian village Mary, daughter of John Hyanno, a Mattachee Sagamore, and son of the Sachem Ihyannough who befriended the Pilgrims on their first arrival. In Zerviah Newcomb's diary, Austin Bearse was said to be of the Romany or Gypsy race, and the name was originally Be Arce. He belonged to a family of Continental gypsies who had emigrated to England. There was great persecution; for some minor infraction of the English law, Austin was deported to the colonies. On arriving at Plymouth, Austin was the only prisoner allotted to Barnstable. No Puritan girl at that time would marry a gypsy, as there were eligible Puritans to select from. It was therefore natural that he should marry an Indian Princess. "Further it is said that Mary Hyanno was a lovely flaming-haired Mattachee princess. Her people had an ancient tradition that a long time before white men had landed on their shores and intermarried with them. This probably indicates a Viking descent, and why the Indians were called Wampannoags (White Indians). Mary's ancestry is given as: 1. Ihyannough, Sachem of the Mattachees 2. John Hyanno, Maryland No-pee, dau. of No-took-saet 3. Mary Hyanno, Maryland Austin Bearse." --Bruce Cox

---

• From: iootash@jps.net
• Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 15:33:01 -0700
• Subject: [Barss/Bearse/ie/ce] Iyannough
• To: bierce-l@rootsweb.com

Dear Friends:

I have been asked to post what I believe to be the line of the Sachim Iyannough based on what I have been taught by oral tradition and family genealogies. This information may not be entirely correct but should be viewed as oral history and open to your judgments. I do not propose to be the best authority, but please bare with me as I explain what I believe to be true.

The Wampanoag people were a confederation of southern New England tribal groups, separate from each other, but with a common language and cultural base. At the time of the first English in the early 1600's there were over 60 different tribal groups within the confederation. Mary Hyanno was Mattachee also sometimes called Cummaquids, Chawmun or Shaumes.

The word Mattachee translates to "place of worn planting fields." The area around Barnstable was called Mattachee/Mattachiest, with the Yarmouth area known as Mattakeeset. The Mattachee were under authority of a local leader (Iyannough) but also pledged themselves to Ousamequin, the Massasoyt at Pokenoket who was in power over much of the area. The Mattachee were closely related to the Nauset people who were located further up the Cape and who often did not join in the Wampanoag confederation.

My oral tradition:

• 1. Highyannough: Old Cape Sachim, father of Iyannough, said to have married daughter of Canonicus, Narragansett Sachim.
• 2. Iyannough: Young Sagamore at Cummaquid, father of John Hyanno and Mary Hyanno. Said to have married Mary, aka Mary Nopee who was daughter of Martha's Vineyard Sachim. He was accused of being a conspirator with Massachusett people to overthrow the English. He went into hiding in swamps on the Cape and died of sickness the year of his daughters birth, along with the Sagamores Coneconam of Manamet and Aspinet of Nauset.
• 3. John Hyanno: Brother of Mary Hyanno and Sachim at Cummaquid and also on Martha's Vineyard, (mother's connection).
• 4. Mary Hyanno, daughter of Iyannough, granddaughter of Highyannough, brother of John Hyanno.

My belief is:

• Highyannough 1554 to 1641 died at 87 yrs.
• Iyannough 1595 to 1623 died at 28 yrs.
• John Hyanno 1620 to 1680 died at 60 yrs.

Highyannough, Iyannough, and John Hyanno are sometimes confused and combined with each other. Iyannough died in the swamps at a very young age of 28 or so, the same year of his daughters birth. Mary was raised by her grandfather and later her brother until taken in marriage by Austin Bearce in 1639 at about 15 or 16 years of age.

In the early days of the English 1621 to his death in 1623 Iyannough would have not been given the Christian name of John as some say, as there was no missionary contact on the Cape in those early times. His son and daughter were most likely given Christian names of John and Mary after his death when the English became more established on the Cape.

The grandfather who died in his late 80's is the most likely source of the land given to Austin. The grandson, John Hyanno with other variations of his name, became the leader in the area and also is shown on deeds of land on the Cape as well as on Martha's Vineyard where he died in 1680. Historical birth and death dates do not indicate that the three men could have been one in the same.

Thank you for your kindness,

"Nunocksuk Matannash" (There are many stars) iootash [:ITAL] --courtesy of Alice Raven

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Native American genealogical researcher Mary Hilliard notes that the Franklin Bearse information is regarded as accurate and trustworthy, whereas Jacobus's work is highly suspect.

REGARDING INDIAN NAMES

"[Mary Hyanno's] Indian name is unknown and no records record it. At some point, her name is given as Nopee. This most lokely was not her name but old maps show that the island where she lived was Nopee Island. Knowing Indian naming customs and Sachemship laws is vitally important to research. Nopee Island was known by that name prior to the landing of the Mayflower therefore, it would have taken it's name from a Sachem or Squaw Sachem prior to Highyannough. Once that person died, (since Algonquains considered it a great insult to speak the name of a dead ancestor of reknown), it would have changed it's name to the new Sachem or Squaw Sachem.

Since Mary Hyanno didn't marry anyone of equal station, she forfeited the right to name the island after herself. Therefore, the right to do so would have gone to the Chief Sachem which was, at the time the pilgrims landed, Massasoit.

Since he had a sister-in-law who had marrried one of his 2 brothers (we don't know which one although mane people have made guesses), the pilgrims themselves might have named the island after her, Margaret. My guess is that the island took it's name from Mary's mother or mother-in-law since history doesn't record prior to the landing of the Mayflower. So, the Indian name of Mary Hyanno is unknown.

At some point, researchers and story tellers have assighed her other names or interpretations. These are fiction. Also, so are the names now showing up on the internet that have been assigned to the parents of Massasoit. His fathers name was never spoken by the Indians and so is inrecorded. Proof of this is with the history of Hobomock who spoke ill of the father of Massasoit and so a warrent for his death was issued by Massasoit and the pilgrims had to intervene to save his life because they needed him. So Massasoit spared him." --Mary Hilliard

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REGARDING RESEARCH BY JACOBUS AND THE FATE OF MIXED BLOOD CHILDREN IN THE 1600's

"That brings me to Jacobus. There are 2, father and son. They were not researchers, but compilers. They simply collected the information a town provided and published it. They did several towns a year. Only those who could afford an artist to do their picture and their own genealogy were entered into the town's book often refering to them as the "prominent men" of the town... no one required proof or evidence of any kind. So his sources at best are almost worthless.

People at that time were hiding the true identity of their mixed blood children because they could be sold as slaves, the mother sold because of the children, and the father either sold or imprisoned. They could not hold land, inherit, get an education, etc. etc. etc. So it was a very common practice to hide the true identity of your wives and children and others to assist you in doing so. As a result you see that often baptismal and christening records don't agree with the town records and it's common to show a woman with duplicate children with slightly different dates because some actually belonged to the Indian wife or slave." --Mary Hilliard

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WARNING: Some show Mary's Indian name as "Little Dove," apparently a fabricated name with no historical basis in fact. Mary's brother John Hyano has been confused with her father in many sources.

Presidents George H. W. and George W. Bush, as well as writer Ambrose Bierce are descendants.

Notes on this website are authored by Larry Overmire, unless noted otherwise. Permission of the author is required to reproduce elsewhere.

Sources:

1) Bruce Cox Database

• http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=bcox2899&id=I6070

2) Who our Forefathers really were, Franklin Bearse

3) Alice Raven Database

• http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=raviac&id=I10303

4) Inman/Goodwin Genealogical Database

• http://members.aol.com/InmanFam/PERSONS.html

5) Narragansett Indians' Teepee

• http://hometown.aol.com/MaryARoots/Indians.index.html

6) The Pioneers of Massachusetts, by Charles Henry Pope, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1981 [originally published in 1900]

7) Bearce, Colvin, Harring, Marston, Capiferri and Capaccioli Genealogy

• http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/3374/http://www.geocit ies.com/Heartland/Prairie/3374/

8) Cape Cod Genealogy, by Edward A. Cooper, 2000.

• http://history.vineyard.net//allen/Web%20Cards/WC17/WC17_034.HTM

9) Little Dove

• http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze297s2/hyanno.htm

10) Lee Murrah's Hyano Family Page

• http://www.murrah.com/gen/hyanno.htm

11) Bearse / Barss Family Page, by Lee Murrah

• http://www.murrah.com/gen/bearse.htm

12) "Saints and Strangers" by George F. Williams (page 408; Time Inc. edition, 1964)

• Discusses Rev. Lothop's Church.

13) Rosemary West Database, Pedigree of Dorothy Walker

• http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED &db=rkwest&id=I5686

14) Jacobus, Donald L., "Austin Bearse and His Alleged Indian Connectionis", The American Genealogist, published abt. 1936.

15) Descendants of Augustine Bearse

• http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze297s2/ab_descendents.htm

16) Bearse/Bearce

• http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/3374/bearce.htm

17) Jim Baker Database, Pedigree of Ambrose Bierce

• http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED &db=wesslingbaker1&id=I3155

18) E-mail from researcher and Native American genealogical expert Mary Hilliard,

• maryhilliard@concast.net or maryhilliard@attbi.com, 5 Dec 2004

19) Mary Hilliard Database, 11 Nov 2004

• http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=maryhilliard&id=I1102

Father: IYANNOUGH * SACHEM OF THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE b: 1595 in Mattachee Village, (Barnstable) MA

Mother: "Mary" Noepe * Princess of the Wampanoag Tribe b: Abt 1597 in Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes, MA

Marriage 1 Augustine (Immigrant, 1638 “Confidence”) * Bearse b: 1618 in Longstock, Hampshire, England

• Married: Summer 1639 in Mattachee Village, (Barnstable) MA
• Change Date: 10 Jul 2008

Children

• 1. Priscilla * !!! Bearse b: Bef 10 Mar 1643/44 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA
• 2. Sarah (President Bush Ancestor) Bearse b: 28 Mar 1646 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA
• 3. James (Ambrose Bierce Ancestor) Bearse b: 31 Jul 1660 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA
• 4. Joseph Bearse b: 25 Jan 1650/51 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA

Marriage 2 Sgt. William (Immigrant) Cornwall b: 25 May 1609 in Terling, Essex England

• Married: by 1639
• Change Date: 24 Jun 2005

Sources:

1.Media: Website

• Abbrev: Overmire Tifft Richardson Bradford Reed
• Title: The Ancestry of Overmire, Tifft, Richardson, Bradford, Reed
• Author: Larry Overmire
• Publication: RootsWeb World Connect Project, © 2000-2007
• Date: 3 May 2007

  ---

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brookefamily/hyannomary.htm

Mary Hyanno

• Born: 1617 Wampanoag Indian Village, MA
• HUSBAND Augustine Bearse

CHILDREN

• 1. Mary Bearse b. bef. 16/Aug/1640
• 2. Martha Bearse b. bef 06/May/1642
• 3. Priscilla Bearse b. 10/March/1643
• 4. Sarah Bearse b. 28/March/1646
• 5. Abigail Bearse b. 18/Dec/1647
• 6. Hannah Bearse b. 16/Nov/1649
• 7. Joseph Bearse b. 25/Jan/1650
• 8. Hester Bearse b. 02/Oct/1653
• 9. Lydia Bearse b. Sept/1655
• 10. Rebecca Bearse b. Sept/1657
• 11. James Bearse b. July/1660

  ---

The Wampanoags were often referred to as 'while Indians' due to their light skin & are thought by some to have descended from Viking explorers. Indian Princess of the Wampaoag (Wampaoag means 'White Indian'. She was of light complexion with flaming red hair. Full Name: Mattache Sagamore. Often the Europeons changed their wives names to a 'more suitable' name. Cummaquid Wampanoags. In 1650 she left with the Puritan settlers to establish a new Colony in Middletown.

Source: Genealogical Guide to the Early Settlers of America, p 113.

From http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6945808/person/-1119043806/media/1?p...

From the Find A Grave page on Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno Bearse:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Hyanno&GSfn=M...

Birth: 1625 - Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA

Death: 1700 - Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA

These Indians were a branch of the Wampannoags or White Indians.

"Austin Bearse was the 4th great grandfather of Jacob Hamblin, through his daughter Sarah Bearse who married John Hamblin. They raised a large family of children and many of the prominent families of America today can trace their ancestry to Mary Hyanno, the flaming haired princess of the Wampannoags. "

The evidence as to the identify of the wife of Austin Bearse is found in an unpublished manuscript, entitled: "Who Our Forefathers Really Were. A True Narrative of Our White and Indian Ancestor," by Franklin Ele-wa-tum Bearse (a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian). This manuscript is a certified copy of an original sworn statement now on file in the office of the Litchfield County District Court, in Connecticut, and accepted by the State Commissioner in Charge of Indian Rights and Claims as an authentic and legal declaration of lineage. It bases its claim as to the identify of Austin Bearse's wife upon statements in the original diary of Zerviah Newcomb, who married Josiah Bearse, a grandson of Austin, and who wrote from personal knowledge of the facts.

Her diary is called, "A True Chronicle of the Bearse Family." "It is said that the above manuscript is deposited in the Congressional Library and states that Austin Bearse married by Indian rites at the Mattachee Indian village Mary, daughter of John Hyanno, a Mattachee Sagamore, and son of the Sachem Ihyannough who befriended the Pilgrims on their first arrival. In Zerviah Newcomb's diary, Austin Bearse was said to be of the Romany or Gypsy race, and the name was originally Be Arce. He belonged to a family of Continental gypsies who had emigrated to England. There was great persecution; for some minor infraction of the English law, Austin was deported to the colonies.

On arriving at Plymouth, Austin was the only prisoner allotted to Barnstable. No Puritan girl at that time would marry a gypsy, as there were eligible Puritans to select from. It was therefore natural that he should marry an Indian Princess.

"Further it is said that Mary Hyanno was a lovely flaming-haired Mattachee princess. Her people had an ancient tradition that a long time before white men had landed on their shores and intermarried with them. This probably indicates a Viking descent, and why the Indians were called Wampannoags (White Indians).

Mary's ancestry is given as:

• 1. Ihyannough, Sachem of the Mattachees
• 2. John Hyanno, md. No-pee, dau. of No-took-saet
• 3. Mary Hyanno, md. Austin Bearse.

In 1936, genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus submitted an article in "The American Genealogist" debunking this story of Austin Bearse's wife being an Indian Princess. The story, however, has persisted through time, no doubt with the help of the Internet. There is no proof for this theory.

Burial: Ancient Cemetery, Yarmouth Port, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA

Created by: Danette Cogswell

• Record added: Jul 09, 2008
• Find A Grave Memorial# 28165235

  ---

From a GenForum entry on "The Myth of Mary Hyanno":

http://genforum.genealogy.com/bearse/messages/320.html

As an ancestor of Augustine Bearse some things should be cleared up re: Mary Hyanno.

Franklin BeArce invented much more than the Hyanno myth, serious genealogists should not perpetuate his "research".

BEARSE

1. AUGUSTINE b.c.1618 Longstock, Hampshire m. MARY ____ d. after 1686 Barstable, MA

Augustine supposedly was deported from England at age 20 aboard the "Confidence" which sailed from Southampton and arrived in Plymouth 24 Apr. 1638 because he was a Gypsy of the tribe of Herne or Heron. The story goes that no Puritan in Plymouth would marry a gypsy because of religious and racial prejudices so Augustine courted and married an Indian Princess in a traditional ceremony at her village. They were given the best land in Barnstable by her grandfather and it was held by the family for three generations without a deed.

He and his wife joined the church of Rev. John Lothrop in 1643 which had moved to Barnstable and he was made a freeman in 1652. Austin was surveyor of highways in 1674.

Unfortunately, this story of Augustine being a gypsy and marrying an Indian princess came out of the imagination of Franklyn BeArce... This is first disputed by the eminent genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus in an article in The American Genealogist", Vol. XV (1938-9): AUSTIN BEARSE AND HIS ALLEGED INDIAN CONNECTIONS By Donald Lines Jacobus, M.A., of New Haven, Conn..

A strange story was given circulation in the Utah Genealogical Magazine, July 1935 (vol. 26, pp. 99-100), concerning the wife of Austin Bearse, as follows: The evidence as to the identity of the wife of Austin Bearse is found in an unpublished manuscript, entitled: "Who Our Forefathers Really Were. A True Narrative of Our White and Indian Ancestors," by Franklin Ele-watum Bearse (a Scaticoke and Eastern Indian). This manuscript is a certified copy of an original sworn statement now on file in the office of the Litchfield County District Court, in Connecticut, and accepted by the State Commissioner in Charge of Indian Rights and Claims as an authentic and legal declaration of lineage. It bases its claim as to the identity of Austin Bearse's wife upon statements in the original diary of Zerviah Newcomb, who married Josiah Bearse, a grandson of Austin, and who wrote from personal knowledge of the facts. Her diary is called, "A True Chronicle of the Bearse Family."

It is said that the above manuscript is deposited in the Congressional Library, and states that Austin Bearse married by Indian rites at the Mattachee Indian village Mary, daughter of John Hyanno, a Mattachee Sagamore, and son of the Sachem lhyannough who befriended the Pilgrims on their first arrival.

In Zerviah Newcomb's diary Austin Bearse was said to be of the Romany or Gypsy race, and the name was originally Be Arce. He belonged to a family of Continental gypsies who had emigrated to England. There was great persecution; for some minor infraction of the English law Austin was deported to the colonies. On arriving at Plymouth, Austin was the only prisoner allotted to Barnstable. No Puritan girl at that time would marry a gypsy, as there were eligible Puritans to select from. It was therefore natural that he should marry an Indian Princess. Further it is said that Mary Hyanno was a lovely flaming-haired Mattachee princess.

This story beam within itself such improbabilities that a genealogist familiar with the place and period would hardly give it serious consideration, were it not for the two facts that it has been published in a reputable periodical, and that the claim of documentary evidence is made. The present writer therefore made an attempt to locate this evidence. The Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Litchfield County, Conn., had no knowledge of it; neither had the State Librarian, Hartford, Conn.

A letter directed to the State Commissioner in charge of Indian Rights and Claims, Hartford, Conn. was referred. to the State Park and Forest Commission, which is authorized to act as Overseer of all tribes of Indians residing in the state. An official of this agency has replied:

• Mr. Franklyn Bearse (Ele-wa-tum) has filed with us a copy of "Who Our Forefathers Really Were" which he claims is a true history of his ancestors. During the past two years I have spent some time in looking up the genealogies of families now living on the three Indian Reservations in the state and in a very few instances have found connections with the persons mentioned in Mr. Bearse's paper. In every case, as I recall, there has been no conflict and although we have no proof that his statements are all correct we have no reason to doubt them.

Mr. David C. Means, Acting Superintendent of the Reading Rooms, Library of Congress, prepared a careful memorandum, which states:

• We find no record of a diary of Zerviah Newcomb Bearse in our collections. We do have in the Rare Book Room two manuscripts, both by F. E. Bearse. One is entitled "Who Our Forefathers Really Were," 1933 (CS71.B42 1933) and the other "From out of the past," 1935 (CS71.B42 1935). Both of these works say that Austin Bearse married Mary Hyanno, a daughter of John Hyanno, a full blood Wampanoag Indian. The Library of Congress has no means of checking the authenticity of the statements contained in these books. The memorandum further states that the 1933 manuscript contains an affidavit on the first page signed by Franklin Elewatum Bearce and gives additional particulars.

The manuscript not bearing claim of copyright, it was possible to obtain photostatic copies of two pages, which we shall discuss shortly. It will be noted that none of the agencies addressed had knowledge of the alleged original Zerviah .(Newcomb)* Bearse diary, nor possessed either the original or a photostatic or certified copy of it. Until the diary can be examined and its exact statements considered, it can hardly be cited as evidence for the statements made in Mr. F. E. Bearce's manuscript account.

The present writer must state emphatically that he has no knowledge of and is not concerned with Mr. Bearce's immediate ancestry, which is presumed to correct as stated. Our sole concern is with the alleged Indian ancestry of the wives of Austin' Bearse, of his son Joseph 2, and of his grandson Josiah3.

Austin was born over 300 years ago, and his grandson Josiah died in 1753, nearly 200 years ago. Any statement as to their wives cannot therefore be based on personal knowledge, and any tradition passing by word of mouth through several generations requires verification from contemporary record sources before it can safely be accepted.

The second page of Mr. F. E. Bearce's 1933 manuscript contains the following statement:

• The Following Historical and Genealogical Notes and Facts is A true record of our correct line of descent and is Based on Correct Information Handed down from generation to generation by my ancestors and imparted to me by word of mouth by my grand father William Henery Bearce [etc.] and the written Narrative Codgial [sic] of Zerviah Newcomb's Dairy-written by the hand of Zerviah herself-after the death of her husband by law Josiah Bearce lst at New Fairfield Conn.

On the fifth page the pedigree of the first three generations of the Bearse family is set forth. According to this,

• Austin Bearce married in Summer of 1639 Mary Hyanno, born 1625, daughter of John Hyanno, Mattachee Sagamore (and wife Mary), son of lhyannough, Mattachee Sachem (and wife, a princess of the Narragansetts).

This is a great deal of detail to be handed down by word of mouth for three centuries. What is actually known about Austin Bearse? He is named as Augustine Bearce, aged 20, in the shipping list of the Confidence of London, which sailed from Southampton the last of April, 1638. Most of the passengers on this ship came in family groups, and a large number of these families settled in Essex County, Mass. The name Augustine (of which Austin is a corruption) is, be it noted, a Christian name, in good usage in England. There is no evidence whatever that any of the passengers on this ship were deported criminals.

There is no evidence whatever that Austin was sent to Barnstable as a prisoner. On the contrary, he came to Barnstable with the first company in 1639; he became a member of Mr. Lothrop's church, 29 Apr. 1643, and he is the first person named on the present record of those who joined the church after its removal to Barnstable.

He was proposed to be admitted a freeman, 3 June 1652, and was admitted 3 May following. He was called Goodman in the records, bespeaking his good standing. He was a grand juror in 1653 and 1662, and a surveyor of highways in 1674.

To quote "Barnstable Families"-(1888) by Amos Otis (vol., 1, pp. 52, 53),

• "He appears to have been very exact in the performance of his religious duties, causing his children to be baptized on the Sabbath next following the day of their birth........... He was one of the very few against whom no complaint was ever made; a fact which speaks well for his character as a man and a citizen."

The wife of "Brother Berce" joined the church, 7 Aug. 1650 [New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Register, vol. 9, p. 281]. To suppose that a Gypsy, a deported criminal, and the husband of an Indian, would have enjoyed such standing in a Puritan community is absurd.

In explanation of his marriage to an Indian, the story is told that he was a Gypsy and hence the Puritan girls would not consider him in marriage; yet his children married into the best families of Barnstable and Yarmouth. But would the children of the girls who allegedly stuck up their noses at a Gypsy, have married the half-breed children of that Gypsy and an Indian?

Obviously, although the actual evidence is strongly in favor of the conclusion that Austin Bearse was an Englishman and a strict Puritan, and that his wife was one of his own people, it is not possible, until his wife is identified by record proof, to make the negative declaration that she was not an Indian. Unfortunately, any person can claim that the unknown wife of any early colonist was Chinese or Hottentot or Malay, and improbable or impossible as such an assertion might seem, it cannot be absolutely disproved until the real identity is established by records. The burden of proof, therefore, must fall on the person who makes any positive assertion to sustain it by evidence. No such evidence has been presented for the claim that the wife of Austin Bearse was an Indian, and until it is presented, it is the part of discretion to pronounce it unproved and extremely unlikely.

The F. E. Bearce manuscript makes statements also relative to the wives of Joseph2 and Josiah Bearse, the son and grandson of Austin', and these statements will be examined as a test of the reliability of the manuscript account. It states that

• Joseph2 Bearse,. born 1652, married 1676 Martha Tayler [sic], born at Yarmouth 1659, daughter of Richard Tayler of Yarmouth by his wife, Ruth Wheldon, daughter of Gaberiel [sic] Wheldon who came in 1628 and his wife Margaret, a full blood Indian princess, daughter of a Wampanoag Sagamore, a younger brother of Massasoit.

There are two errors of date in this statement. The birth of Martha Taylor on a precise date in 1650 has appeared in print, presumably from the Yarmouth records; and she died 27 Jan. 1727/8 aged 77 [Barnstable records in New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Register, vol. 2, p. 316], which also places her birth in 1650, not 1659. Her parents married on or shortly after 27 Oct. 1646, at which date Gabriel "Whelding" gave (consent to his daughter Ruth's marriage. to Richard Taylor [Plymouth Colony Records, vol. 2, p. 110].

According to "Early Wheldens of Yarmouth," by J. W. Hawes (Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, No. 43], Gabriel Whelden, born in England, first appears in Plymouth Colony in 1638, hence he could hardly have come in 1628 as claimed, for the very full records of that region and period did not ignore a settler's presence for a decade.

To quote from Mr. Hawe's account:

• "His children were no doubt born in England and were probably by a first wife. When he died in 1654 his wife was Margaret, who, it seems clear, was his second wife and not the mother of his children. He apparently came to Yarmouth about 1639 with a family of grown children. He left Yarmouth about 1648."

Another account is found in "The History of Malden" (1899), by D. P. Corey, p. 158:

• "Gabriel Wheldon, or Welding, who appears to have been a personal friend of Mr. Matthews, was with that minister at Yarmouth, and took the oath of fidelity with him. He came here [i.e., to Malden] with Mr. Matthews, and in his will calls himself 'of the 'Towne and church of Mauldon.' With his youngest son, John, he sold . . . four parcels of land in Arnold, county Nottingham. Essex Deeds, i. 24. This forbids the conclusion that he was a fellow countryman of Mr. Matthews; but from the apparently close connection of the parties, I am inclined to believe that his wife, Margaret, was from Wales, and perhaps owned a relationship with the pastor.",

Further, as to Gabriel:

• "He died in Malden in January, 1653/4. . . With the exception of a legacy of ten shillings to the Malden church, his estate, valued at £40,11,8, was left to his wife; but the claims of his elder children caused a contention. . . . The widow, who may have been a second wife, returned to England. "

She went back in 1655 with Mr. Matthews. Now since Gabriel Wheldon first appears in New England in 1638, and his daughter Ruth was married to Richard Taylor eight years later, it is almost certain that Ruth was born in England. Yet according to the Bearse manuscript, the mother of Ruth Wheldon was Margaret, an Indian princess. (Strange, how every Indian ancestress was a princess!) Did Gabriel Wheldon, one wonders, find the Indian girl straying about the British Isles? And why should the widow Margaret, if born an Indian, return to England with her pastor ?

It is also to be noted that two independent students reached the conclusion, from the record sources examined, that Margaret was most probably a second wife, and hence not the mother of Ruth. No conscientious investigator, with any knowledge of conditions in colonial New England, could accept-the statement of the Bearse manuscript, totally undocumented, that the wife of Gabriel Wheldon was an Indian.

Finally, we come to the account of Josiah3 Bearse, son of Joseph2 and Martha (Taylor) Bearse. The Bearce manuscript states that be married first, Nov. 1716, Zerviah Newcomb, "By Whom he had no Children"; and that he married second, 1718 at Mashpee, Mary Sissell, mother of all his eleven children. She is described as a full blood Indian princess (another princess), daughter of Isaac Sissell, a Momenet Sagamore, by his wife Mary Tuspuquin, daughter of Watuspuquin-Black William, Sachem at Nahant, by his wife Amie, full blood Indian princess, daughter of Massasoit. Now it is true that Otis in "Barnstable Families," vol. 1, pp. 55, 59, states that Josiah Bearse married first, 2 Nov. 1716, Zerviah Newcomb of Edgartown, and second, Mary --, and that he had no children by his first wife.

Whether or not this was one of the numerous errors of Otis, the Newcomb Genealogy (1874) by John Bearse Newcomb gives a different account which is repeated in the revised edition of this work (1923), p. 21 in both volumes. According to this account, Zerviah Newcomb. Daughter of Lieut. Andrew and Anna (Bayes) Newcomb, married 2 Nov. 1716, Josiah Bearse. He resided at East Barnstable but was dismissed from the church there 29 Dec. 1734 to the church at Greenwich, Conn., to which place he soon after moved. In 1738 they removed to New Fairfield, Conn., where he died 31 Aug. 1753. The inscription on his wife's gravestone reads:

• In Memory of Zerviah Bearss died Sept. 5th in the 91st year of her age 1789."
• The eleven children are then given, born between 1719 and 1741.
• No mention is made of an alleged second wife, Mary, and the children are all attributed to Zerviah. It will be noted that Zerviah was married in 1716, survived her husband, who died in 1753, and died herself in 1789. Josiah could not therefore have had a second legal wife. Mr. F. E. Bearce admits this in his reference to Zerviah "after the death of her husband by law."

The story therefore is that Josiah Bearse either committed a bigamous marriage, or kept a concubine, and that in spite of this his legal wife accompanied him on his removal to Connecticut. Such a story cannot be accepted, and is seemingly based on an error, either in the book by Otis, or in an original record at Barnstable.

Both offenses were serious in the eyes of the law, and although committed occasionally, ,resulted in legal action against the sinner and usually also in divorce. Yet here we find that the church, after the birth of many of Josiah's children, gave him an honorable dismissal to the church in his now home. This proves that he remained in good standing with his church, as had his grandfather before him. If the story were true, he would have been cast out of the church.

The vital and land records of New Fairfield were unfortunately destroyed. However, the Danbury Probate records (vol. 2, pp. 43, 45 and files at the State Library) afford quite conclusive evidence:

• 1 Oct. 1753. "Josiah Bearss & Zurviah Bearss are appointed Administrators on the Estate of Josiah Bearss late of Newfairfield in sd District Deceised."
• 3 Dec. 1753. ".Joseph Bearss son to Josiah Bearss Late of Newfairfield in sd District Decesd Being of Lawfull, age to Chouse his Gardian and having maid Choise of his mother Zurviah Bearss to be his Gardian the Court Doth allow and approve thereof ."

Distribution of the estate was not made until I July 1791, in other words after the death of the widow (Zerviah Newcomb). This distribution of "the Estate of Josiah Barss late of Newfairfield decest"; was made to "the heirs of Josiah Decst who was the eldest son of the Decest"; "Thomas Barss the second son of the Decst"; "Martha"; "Anna late wife of Benjamin Stevens her heirs"; "Mary the wife of Gideon Beardsley"; "Josep the third son of the Decst"; and "Benjamin Bars the fourth son of the Decest."

So! Are we to believe that the legal wife and widow served as co-administrator on Josiah's estate with his eldest son by a concubine? Are we to believe that one of the younger sons by the concubine chose the legal wife for his guardian, calling her "his mother," and that Zerviah and the Court accepted the choice? And are we to believe that distributors, appointed by the Court, distributed Josiah's estate after his lawful widow's death to his illegitimate children?

Such preposterous conclusions are forced upon us if we accept the statements made in Mr. Bearse's manuscript, "Who Our Forefathers Really Were." The children of Josiah and Zerviah (Newcomb) Bearse honored their mother by names which were bestowed on the next generation; "Zerush Bearse" and "Newcomb Bearss" both, married at Danbury in 1778 [Danbury Vital Records, 1-442, 406).

It is not our province to inquire why a later descendant prefers to disown Zerviah Newcomb in favor of an alleged Indian concubine, and to besmirch the character of Josiah Bearse by making bastards of all his children. Not an atom of evidence has been adduced to show that Josiah ever had an Indian concubine or secondary wife; and the records quoted above prove conclusively that Zerviah Newcomb was his only wife and the mother of his children.

When in three successive generations, such claims of Indian marriage are made, in several details at variance with primary record sources, and involving an entire sequence of improbabilities, we are justified in concluding that this account, whatever its source, traditional or otherwise, cannot be accepted as authentic. Since the alleged claims of Indian marriage and descent in the second and third generations have been exposed as false and unacceptable, we have a legitimate basis for the deduction that the statement about Austin Bearse, the first settler, is of the same unsubstantial texture.

In conclusion, a few general observations may be apropos.

• First: very few white immigrants to New England in colonial days married Indians; differences of race, language and culture were too great, and for much of the colonial period, relations between the European settlers and the native Americans were unfriendly if not actively hostile.
• Second: many traditions of Indian ancestry have been encountered, but such traditions have rarely been proved, and usually they can be disproved or their improbability clearly demonstrated.
• Third: some people do not wish to have Indian ancestry proved, while others like the "romance" of a remote Indian "princess" in the ancestral tree.

The present writer has no bias in the matter, one way or the other, and desires only to ascertain the historic fact when investigating such a tradition or claim. Every person has a right to examine the historical basis for genealogical statements that have been published either in printed form (as this was in the Utah magazine above cited) or by the gift of manuscript data to libraries (such as the Library of Congress) where they may be consulted by the general public; and every person has the right to publish his own conclusions, based on such an examination. The present writer, in availing himself of this privilege, wishes it clearly understood that the bona fide nature of statements herein criticized is not questioned, merely their historical accuracy.

There is also a discussion concerning this Indian ancestry and Mr. BeArce's credibility in an excellent article by John Doer: NOTES ON THE MANUSCRIPT "FROM OUT OF THE PAST" Several years ago, researching the Bearss family, from which I am descended, I became aware of the manuscript of Franklyn Elewatum BeArce, printed in Utah Genealogical Magazine, and a later response to it from the noted genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus. Although the claims made by Mr. BeArce seem somewhat outlandish, a number of Bearss descendants have given them credence, and continue to support them, particularly in the on-line genealogical community. Therefore I decided to investigate the matter myself, to see what might be learned using information readily available to me at the depositories to which I have have access, including the Yale University Library, the NEGHS library, and the library of the NYGBS.

The undertaking then, is a brief analysis of the document, "From Out of the Past", by Franklyn Elewatum Swimming Eel BeArce, to see what light can be shed on the claims made within it. My sources are cited at the end of the document.

Who was Franklyn BeArce? Franklin Bearce was a steamfitter who lived in Mount Vernon, NY. He married a Swedish immigrant named Marie (as her second husband) and they had a single child that did not survive them. Born in 1878, in Allegan, Michigan, he was the son of a butcher, Noble Bearce, and his wife, Mary Ellen Blaine. In his 50's he became acquainted with several families living on the nearby Schaghticoke reservation in Kent, Connecticut, and began to insert himself into their affairs. I

n 1933 he applied to the Connecticut State Park and Forest Commission to be certified as a Schaghticoke Indian, but after an investigation, he was denied. His interest in the Schaghticoke was undiminished, however, and in 1939, and again in 1940, Mr. BeArce organized "Pow-Wows" near the reservation, which were attended by several thousand tourists. The 1940 event was promoted by Mr. Bearce as "American Indian Day", and he advertised himself in handbills as "Chief Medicine Man" and "Chief Medicine Sagamore".

In 1939, Mr. BeArce called a meeting of the Schaghticoke community and convinced the attendees to allow him to initiate a land claim before the Indian Claims Commission on their behalf, claiming the Bronx, Manhattan, and a large part of Connecticut and New York. BeArce volunteered to do all the work entailed by the filing and he was thereupon unanimously elected "Chairman of the Schaghticoke Indian Claims Commission" by all 17 of those in attendance.

The claim worked it's way through the federal Bureacracy and in 1954 was challenged on the grounds that BeArce had no standing as a non-Schaghticoke. He therefore called another meeting, and asked that he be accepted as a member of the tribe in order that he might continue the claim. In another unanimous vote, he was rejected.

The suit does not appear to have been renewed. Since the advent of Indian gaming in Connecticut, and the success of the Pequot casino at Foxwood, similar suits on behalf of the Schaghticoke have now been filed, seeking the right to erect and operate a casino on their land, but this time with some of the wealthiest names in the "hospitality" business taking the part of Mr. BeArce. So far, none have been settled.

Of course, none of this either adds to or detracts from the document "From Out of The Past", and is not intended as an ad hominum argument for or against. It simply provides some color to the picture we have of the author. He sounds like a colorful character indeed.

Proceeding to the manuscript he left, then, and following the suggestion of my esteemed friend Mr. A. Whitney Brown, of Greenwich, Ct, I thought it fruitful to begin by examing those portions which are most easily compared to the historical record. These involve historical persons well documented already.

1. According to Mr. BeArce:

• "My grandfather James G. Blaine was a son of John Blaine and his second cousin Elizabeth Ann Blaine. My grandfather James G. Blaine, was a first cousin of Games G. Blaine, American diplomat, and Sec of State and one time canidate for President of this commonwealth; There Their ?) fathers were brothers, and they were both named after their Grandfather, James Gillispe Blaine."

"From Out of the Past" by Franklyn BeArce (unpublished) The historical record: Bearce's great grandfather John Blain was a half-brother to Ephraim Lyon Blain, (the father of James Gillespie Blain). Since it was Ephraim Blain who m. Maria Gillespie, neither the grandfather, the great grandfather, nor the great great grandfather (James Blain) of Franklin BeArce would have carried the name Gillespie.

Franklin BeArce was related to the politician and statesman James Gillespe Blaine as a half-second cousin 3 times removed.

2. According to Mr. BeArce: My grandfather Blain was a studious man and a scholar; He was a slave owener at Preston,N.Carolina, and built wagons and gun carriages for the Confederate Govt, during the cival War. He was pauperized by the collaps of the Southern Confederacy, and come North, first to Whitly Co Indiana, where with several Negroes ex-slaves he bought land, and from there to Allegan Co Mich , where he lived for some years and lies sleeping.He married Nandachine Hoover at the Quaker settlement of West Milton,Miami Co Ohio. He was North Irish stock,-

"From Out of the Past" by Franklyn BeArce (unpublished) The historical record: Bearce's grandfather James Blain was the son of John Blain, who came from Cumberland, PA and was an early settler in Noble County, Indiana. He never made wagons or cannons, either for the Union or the Confederacy, never owned slaves, was never rich enough to become impoverished, was not married in West Milton, Miami, OH, and in fact, never lived in North Carolina. His quiet life in Noble County near his family is as well accounted for as can be expected. The only time he "come north" was when he moved the 100 miles or so to Allegan, Michigan, where he lived near the residence of his daughter Mary and her husband Noble Bearce.

His background: James Blain was from childhood a resident in Noble County, by trade a blacksmith, and at age 24, on May 22, 1855, married, in Whitley County, Indiana, Nancy J. Hoover. (In 1860 several dozen residents of Noble County, the Blains among them, petitioned for the township they lived in to be transferred to Whitley County. They were successful in this petition, and the county boundaries were moved.) He lived near his parents and brothers, and at the outbreak of the Civil War, the 1860 census shows him there, a blacksmith, his wife a "domestic" with a one year old daughter. There are no slaves or Negroes in the ennumeration district, and it's doubtful he could have afforded one, even with his wife working. His estate is 200 dollars.

This is pretty damning for the credibility of BeArce. For a person claiming to know the intimate details of family history to be so wrong about the life of his own grandfather is astonishing, particularly when the grandfather was a neighbor.

3. According to Mr. Bearce: "The ancestrial history of my grandmother Nandachine Hoover, and her sister aunt Millie, were handed down to me by word of mouth of both these women when I was a young man, and verified on the back..."

"Nandachine Hoover was a dau of Jesse Hoover and Rebecca Yaunts, who were both in the old Hillsborough district North Carolina; Rebecca Yaunts was a dau of John Yaunts,jr son of Yaunt-ka-ha , and Jesse was a son of John Hoover, the following is a true historical and genealogical record of my my grandmother Nancy Hoovers Indian strains, and the people involved, and is to the best of my knoweledge correct...."

"From Out of the Past" by Franklyn BeArce (unpublished) The historical record: Quite a bit is known about Rebecca Yount and Jesse Hoover; they were the great grandparents of President Herbert Hoover, and both the Yount and Hoover families have a proud and careful tradition of keeping family history through the generations.

Jesse and Rebecca had nine children before he died in 1856, a short time after the family migrated to Cedar County, Iowa. Rebecca lived another 40 years, well into her 90's, and never remarried, but reportedly adopted another 19 children over the years. She was a true family matriarch.

The problem is that she never had a child named Nandachine, Nancy, or even any variation such as Agnes. In addition, all of her children and their marriages are accounted for, and none married a James Blain. Neither she nor any of her children ever lived in Whitley County, Indiana.

This is not just a case of an unlisted child. Rebecca Yount lived to the age of 96, and counted her children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great, great, grandchildren as closely as a hen counts her chicks. She had nearly 300 descendants when she died and one of her passions was genealogy. She was part of a very close Quaker community, and the suggestion that one of her children is unaccounted for is not to be credited.

Who then was Nancy J. Hoover, the grandmother of Franklin BeArce? A look at the Federal census of 1850 provides some clues. September 24, 1850, Whitley County, Indiana, No township listed p.4 547/565 Jesse Hand 37 NJ Farmer $600 Rebecca 36 NC David 13 OH John 8 OH Samuel 6 IN Rebecca 3 IN Nancy J. Hoover 10 IN Sarah E. " 6 IN Amelia M. " 6 IN David " 3 IN

This is certainly the family of Bearce's grandmother, Nancy J. Hoover, complete with her sister Amelia, "Aunt Millie", who later married Moses Daisy. They are but a short distance from the family of James Blain.

It presents a complicated situation. Apparently we see the union of two recently made single parents, each with 4 children by former spouses. A marriage record provides assistance: Whitley County Marriages: HAND, Jesse to Rebecca HOOVER on May 6, 1849 - Book 1:36 Jesse Hand is probably the son of Cornelius Hand of Kosciusko County, Indiana, but since we don't know the maiden name of Rebecca, her identity remains a mystery, as does that of her first spouse, Mr. Hoover.

She is unlikely to have left us a written record, as both she and Mr. Hand were among the few adults over 25 years of age listed on the page who could neither read nor write. But we can be absolutely sure that she is not Rebecca Yount.

Her identity is a project most appropriately left to her descendants, should any wish to honor her name. I can only add that she died at the Whitley County Poor Farm sometime after 1880, forgotten, it seems, even by her own grandchildren.

Conclusion Mr. Bearce goes on with a lengthy and ridiculous tale of the Yount family history, and it's Indian origins, similar to the Bearse tale, and to relate it here would serve no purpose other than to amuse the very competent family historians of the Yount clan at the expense of the Bearss' descendants. Since Mr. Bearce emphatically states that he received this "true and historical genealogical record" from his grandmother and aunt, then we are faced with an unpleasant judgement. We can only conclude, bluntly, that someone is lying, either Bearce, or his grandmother and aunt.

And this is no casual lie. The account he gives is elaborate, lengthy, and follows enough of the vague outline of historical fact to show familiarity with it. The liar would have to have had some knowledge of the Hoover and Yount families. Common sense would suggest that it was indeed, Mr. BeArce who was the liar. In compiling the manuscript he shows a familiarity with the basics of genealogical research, remarking that there is no Passenger Record for the Yount immigrant ancestor, (Not true by the way.). Had he been deceived, even the barest research would have alerted him to that fact.

There can be little doubt that he was the perpetrator of this hoax. As to his motives, we can only guess. Perhaps he hoped to profit as a result of a land claim. If so, he was deluded. Even real Indians have almost no hope in that regard. Perhaps he was inspired by "Grey Owl", the Englishman who posed an Indian in the early 20th century, and toured the world pontificating upon the "The Way of the Great Spirit". In any case, since genealogical conclusions can never be ascertained with absolute surety, the whole endeavor depends on diligence and relies on trust.

Genealogists have a difficult enough time correcting unintentional errors, and the study would be made infinitely more difficult were the element of deliberate deception to creep in. Therefore we must dismiss the entire BeArce manuscript with extreme prejudice. To repeat it as a "possible alternative" there is no doubt, is to join in Bearce's perverse fraud. Let us therefore list the "information" contained in this manuscript, and only in this manuscript, unsupported elsewhere, so that we can, without controversy, dismiss it once and for all:

• 1. The spelling of the name BeArce - this appears nowhere else.
• 2. The claim that Augustine Bearss was a Gypsy - again, nowhere else.
• 3. The claim that the children of Josiah Bearss and his wife Zerviah Newcomb were actually the bastards of a relationship Josiah Bearss carried on with an Indian woman.
• 4. The claim that Rebecca Baldwin, wife of Josiah Bearss, was an Indian.

We can add to these additional claims Bearce makes earlier in his own genealogy, such as that Sampson May, the father of Anna May, wife of Elijah Rowe, was an Indian through her father, Sampson May, "a full blood Schaghticoke sagamore" according to Bearce. This Sampson May is listed in the 1820 census of Beekman, Dutchess County, NY, as "Free Black Male". Although Indians often passed for white, for varied reasons, it would be very difficult to mistake an African American for anything but that.

These claims, and others contained in the manuscript of Franklin Bearce, the steamfitter from Mt. Vernon, deserve to be dismissed from controversy, removed from notation, and in general ignored. Further, it is incumbent upon those who propagate these claims to cite their source, i.e. the unsubstantiated word of a malicious liar.

There are those who continue to pursue historical evidence to support these claims, for whatever reasons of their own, and they are entitled to waste their time in such an endeavor. I would only advise that as in all wild goose chases, whatever they come up with is subject to this basic rule of logic; proof that something might have happened is not proof that it did.

I can prove a dozen ways that it was possible for me to have run the Boston marathon this year. After all, it was held in my region, others with the name John participated, my presence cannot be accounted for that day in my home town, not every participant was named on the rolls, I have a pair of running shoes, etc. Without some positive evidence that I actually did participate, these claims are meaningless.

I hope this paper is useful to the Bearss descendants, who currently run the risk of being deemed the most gullible of genealogic researchers. This is not the legacy Austin Bearss would have wished for his descendants. Sincerely, John Quinn Doer"

---

Ah... so much for an Indian Princess as an ancestor... guess we'll just have to keep looking in other places! Issue

I. Mary Ann- b. 16 Aug. 1640 Barnstable, m. Andrew Hallet Jr., d. 6 Apr. 1694 Barnstable

II. Martha- b. 6 May 1642

III. Priscilla- b. 10 Mar. 1643/4 Barnstable, m. 1660 John Hall Jr., d. 30 Mar. 1712 Yarmouth, MA

IV. SARAH- b. 28 Mar. 1646 Barnstable, m. Aug. 1667 Barnstable, JONATHAN HAMBLIN

V. Abigail- b. 18 Dec. 1647 Barnstable, m. 12 Apr. 1670 Allen Nichols

VI. Hannah- b. 16 Nov. 1649 Barnstable

VII. Joseph- b. 25 Jan. 1651/2 Barnstable, m. 3 Dec. 1676 Barnstable, Martha Taylor, d. 27 Jan. 1727/8 Barnstable

VIII. Hester- b. 2 Oct. 1653 Barnstable

IX. Lydia- b. 30 Sept. 1655 Barnstable

X. Rebecca- b. 26 Sept. 1657 Barnstable, m. 17 Feb. 1669/0 William Hunter

XI. James- b. 31 July 1660 Barnstable, m. 1684 Barnstable, Experience Howland, d. 7 Oct. 1728 Plympton, MA

Ref: 1930 Federal Census Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York Schaghticoke Tribal Nation v. KentSchool Corporation, 3:98CV-0113

COMMENTS OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT & POWER COMPANY, KENT SCHOOL CORPORATION, AND TOWN OF KENT REGARDING THE PETITION FOR FEDERAL TRIBAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE SCHAGHTICOKE TRIBAL NATION PETITIONER GROUP APRIL 16, 2002 STN Pet.: STN Federal Acknowledgment Petition submitted in 1994. STN AR: Anthropological Report Supplementing the STN Petition, dated April 1997, by Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D. STN HR: Historical Report Supplementing the STN Petition, dated April 1997, by Michael Lawson, Ph.D. STN TCA: Twentieth Century Addendum to the April 1997Supplement, dated March 20, 1998. STN TL: STN Tribal Leadership Report dated February 15, 2002.

CT Ex.: Initial Submission of Exhibits by the State of Connecticut,December 2001. Town Ex.: Initial Submission of Exhibits by the Town of Kent,December 2001. May 23, 2002 2002-R-0517 SCHAGHTICOKE LAND CLAIMS AND PETITION FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION By: Christopher Reinhart, Associate Attorney Biography of James G. Blaine (Norwich, Conn., 1895) by Mary Abigail Dodge "American Statesmen Series," James G. Blaine (Boston, 1905) by CE Stanwood BLAIN, James to Nancy Jane HOOVER on May 22, 1855 - Book 1:211 Whitley County Indiana Marriages 1838-1910 History of Whitley County, Indiana

• "John Blain and his wife, Elizabeth Blain, are the oldest persons in the township. John Blain was born n Pennsylvania, February 29, 1792, and his wife was born January 29, 1791; they were married in Ohio, near Chillicothe 1816, and have lived together as husband and wife nearly sixty-six (66) years - two generations - on the farm where they settled with their little children in 1836 - forty-six years ago. They are truly old pioneers."
• Federal Census of 1850, Whitley County, Indiana
• Federal Census of 1850, Noble County, Indiana
• Federal Census of 1850, Kosciusko County, Indiana
• "From Out of the Past" by Franklyn BeArce (unpublished)
• Federal Census of 1860, Noble County Indiana
• Federal Census of 1880, Allegan County, Michigan
• McLean, Hulda Hoover, The Genealogy of the Herbert Hoover Family, Revised and Expanded Edition
• Yount Family History: John Andrew Yount and Elizabeth Little, Pauline Moser Shook c1990.
• The Yount Family of Europe & America, Edith Warren Huggins, 1986.
• "A Brief Sketch of the Origin of the Yount Family in America", by W. C. Yount, Alliance OH and Wm. M. Yount, Warren OH, 1936.
• Mark and Mariah’s Family Tree-

<http://mariah.stonemarche.org/famfiles/fam00175.htm>

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GdYr7eGToBUJ:w...

Mary Hyanno, known as "Litttle Dove", is said to have married early Plymouth settler Augustine Bearse. Mary was the daughter of John Hyanno, who was born in 1595 at the Mattachee Village at what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Mary No-Pee, who was born at Gays Head on Martha's Vineyard and was the daughter of No-Took-Seet. John was the son of Iyannough, the sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod, and Princess Canonicus. He died after 1680 on Cape Cod. Princess Canonicus was the daughter of Canochet (Chief) Canonicus and Posh-Pw. Canochet Canonicus was the son of Wessonsuoum and Keshechoo. Wessonsuoum was the son of Chief Tashtassuck, who was born before 1520.

IHYANNOUGH, Sachem (Chief ) (Abt 1565-Abt 1622)

 Unknown  (Abt 1583-) 

 No-took-Seet 

HYANNO, John (Chief ) (Abt 1595-After 1680)

NOEPE, Mary  (1597-1623) 

HYANNO, Mary (1618-1677)

Family Links Spouses/Children: CORNWELL, William (Seargent )

CORNWELL, Sgt. John+ CORNWALL, William CORNWALL, Samuel CORNWALL, Jacob+ CORNWALL, Sarah CORNWALL, Thomas CORNWALL, [H]Esther CORNWALL, Elisebeth CORNWELL, Ebenezer

HYANNO, Mary 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Born: 1618-1624, Cummaquid, Barnstable, MA 9 Marriage: CORNWELL, William (Seargent ) about 1639 in Hartford, Hartford, CT, USA Died: 1677-1678, Middletown Twp, Middlesex, CT, USA at age 59 10 11

  Another name for Mary was "Little Dove." 

General Notes:
William Cornwell's wife is theorized to be Mary Hyanno, an Indian princess. Though no first hand evidence has yet been found to support this claim, there is circumstantial evidence that supports this theory. (F-634) 1) Hartford Puritans in that time period would not recognize or record a marriage between an Indian and themselves, but they did record the children's births. All other marriages for the town of Hartford are recorded except for William Cornwell and his wife, Mary even though William's children are recorded. 2) When the Puritan band led by Sgt. William Cornwell removed to establish Middletown, CT. in 1650, the maiden names of all of the Puritan Women were again recorded, but not William Cornwell's wife, Mary. 3) After the Pequot Indian War, Sgt. William Cornwell, was appointed by the Hartford Puritans to purchase Cummaquid/Narangasettt Indian lands which he negotiated with and through Mary Hyanno's father, Chief Hyanno. 4) William was the original owner of lands on Indian Hill in Middletown, Connecticut, a town he helped found. 5) Naragansset and Wampanoag tribe records supposedly include William Cornwell in their traced lineages, though they will not currently verify this lineage for their fears that persons seeking that information are simply trying to take advantage of their recent economic gains as a tribe. (BETTY SULLIVAN, bettysul@inw.net)

It should be noted that an entire Bearce line claims that this Mary Hyanno married an Augustine Bearce instead, but this is effectively put in question in the "American Genealogist", Vol. XV (1938-9). Catherine Judd and I have found further evidence that this Bearce line was first published by Franklin Bearse in the 1900's when he was trying to claim Indian ancestry during the depression to get help from the government. He added a middle Indian name which was not his name at birth or on his social security application and claimed to be descended from at least 3 Indian princesses, two of which Jacobus in the "American Genealogist" disproved. The third was Mary Hyanno but Jacobus considered it highly suspect because of all the falsehoods in the lineage. (F-642, 642a, 2376) Lastly, in Barnstable, Massachusetts, there is no Augustine Bearse listed in any of the vast records of that town in the 1600's on the N.E.H.G.S. CD "Barnstable Massachussetts". There is an Austin Bearse listed in deed records of 1686. There is no mention of Augustine Bearse and Mary Hyanno in the actual records for Barnstable. In conclusion, this is a completely falsified line. 11 12

Mary married Seargent William CORNWELL, son of William CORNELL and Joan MARTYN, about 1639 in Hartford, Hartford, CT, USA. (Seargent William CORNWELL was born on Feb 21, 1608/09 in Terling, Essex, ENG 4 13 14, christened on May 25, 1609 in Terling, Essex, ENG and died on Feb 21, 1677/78 in Middletown Twp, Middlesex, CT, USA 1 15.)

 Marriage Notes: 

This was probably an Indian Ceremony that joined them and would have been considered a common law marriage. It's why his wife was never listed in a couple different census records that included wives.

Sources

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Savage, Albert Wilcox Jr, New England Ancestry of Albert Wilcox Savage, Jr., Savage-Wilcox Lines Vol. I (Gateway Press, Inc.)

2 United Ancestries Linked Pedigrees CD 100 (Automated Archives).

3 "Mrs. Abigail Weller to Linda Coate Dudick Letter, July 25, 1977 at 1325 Cambridge Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43212."

4 Gustafson, Sheryl, Bartlett Gedcom File.

5 Chris Kylin to Chris Kylin 8/4/1998 at CKylin@aol.com (F-578).

6 Cornwell, Gale, "Email dated 2000 + at GALECORNWELL@aol.com."

7 Cornwell, Gale Thomas Jr, Descendants of Thomas Cornwell, Lord of Fairstead Manor, Essex, England (forwarded by Gale Cornwell).

8 Sullivan, Betty, Modified Register of Thomas Lucas born Colchester, England.

9 Sullivan, Betty, Email dated 2002 from bettysul@inw.net to Rosalie Hart as forwarded by her from rosahart8@cs.com.

10 "Sheryl Doud Gustafson to Linda Coate E-mail letter dated July 4, 1997 at sgustaf@epix.net in Linda Coate files (F-492, 510)."

11 Cornwell, Gale, Letters dated 2000+ (81641 Ave 48, #89, Indio, CA 92201-6749).

12 Jacobus, Donald Lines, "The American Genealogist" (Vol. XV, (1938-1939)).

13 Knapp, T.L, Family Chart.

14 Ancestors of William Cornwell, Sgt. as taken from transcripts of Parish Registersfor Terling and Fairstead, Essex Co, England..

15 Vital Records of Middletown, CT housed at the courthouse in Middletown, CT.

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Family Data Collection - Marriages about Austin Augustine Bearse Name: Austin Augustine Bearse Spouse: Mary Hyanno Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 1639 City: Mattacheevillage County: Barnstable State: MA

Children

Mary Bearce 1640 –  Martha Bearce 1642 –  Priscilla Bearce 1643 – 1712 Sarah Bearce 1646 – 1718 Abigail Bearce 1647 – 1670 Hannah Bearce 1649 –  Joseph Bearce 1651 – 1695 Hester Bearce 1653 –  Lydia Bearce 1655 –  Rebecca Bearce 1657 –  James Bearce 1660 – 1728 

Mary, born in Barnstable in 1617 A Wampanoag Indian, she was the daughter of John Hyanno (Chief Sachem of the Cummaquid) and Mary No-Pee, and granddaughter of Iyannough, sachem of the Mattachee village of Wampanoags of Cape Cod. John Hyanno's mother is said to have been a princess of the Narragansett tribe and daughter of Canonicus, a sachem of some renown, who along with one Miantonomi were the two principals in deeding over what is now Rhode Island to Roger Williams.

Mary Hyanno is said to have been of fair complexion and red hair. The Wampanoags were often referred to as "white Indians" due to their light skin and believed to have descended from Viking explorers. Augustine Bearse and Mary (Little Dove) Hyanno had nine children.

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

Birth year: 1623; Birth city: Cummaquid; Birth state: MA 1,4725::4281438

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

Birth year: 1623; Birth city: Cummaquid; Birth state: MA 1,4725::4281438

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

Birth year: 1617; Birth city: Ob; Birth state: MA 1,4725::4281437

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

Birth year: 1625; Birth city: Cape Cod; Birth state: MA 1,4725::4281439

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Births Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.

GEDCOM Source

1,5769::2350862

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Web: Netherlands, GenealogieOnline Trees Index, 1000-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.

GEDCOM Source

1,9289::2091496

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc

GEDCOM Source

Birth year: 1623; Birth city: Cummaquid; Birth state: MA 1,4725::4281438

GEDCOM Source

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=113334805&pi...

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 12 2021, 20:44:48 UTC