Tuspaquin ‘The Black Sachem’

Biography

https://nativenortheastportal.com/bio/bibliography/tuspaquin-black-...

Tuspaquin (Watuspaquin) was the son of Pamontaquask, the sachem of the Wampanoag at Nemasket. He succeeded his father's leadership role inheriting significant tracts of land. His family gained significant prominence with his marriage to Amie, the daughter of Massasoit. The couple had at least two sons, Benjamin and William and lived with a principle residence in Assawompsett, what is present-day Lakeville, Massachusetts. Through the marriage, Tuspaquin became brother-in-law to Metacom (Philip) and served faithfully to him during King Philip's War. With his status as a powwau, many Indians believed Tuspaquin to be impervious to bullets. Tuspaquin led forces against the English at Scituate, Hingham, Weymouth, Bridgewater, Middleborough, and Plymouth. In mid-summer of 1676, Captain Benjamin Church captured a number of Tispaquin's men and some members of the Wampanoag's wife and children, holding them to negotiate the possibility of having Tispaquin lead Church's forces against the Abenaki. When Tuspaquin did surrender himself, Church being absent, he was tried and executed.

Family

AMIE' [No.6] (Massasoit1), daughter of Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags, was born at a date unknown. She became the wife of the Black Sachem, so called, the chief of the Assawamset Indians. His name appears in history as Tuspaquin, and also as Watuspaquin. He followed the fortunes of his brother-in-law Philip, was captured by the English and put to death at Plymouth some time in September, 1676. 200.)

Tuspaquin and wife Amie2 had children as follows:

• 7. William,3 was so called by the English, though his Indian name was Mantowapuct. He joined in the deeds of conveyance of lands under dates of July 17, 1669, June 10, 1670, June 30, 1672, May 14, 1675. Mantowapuct alias William Tuspaquin, with Assaweta, Tobias and Bewat, for £10. sold to three English people at Barnstable a tract of land bounded on Quetaquash Pond, northerly of Quetaquash River and easterly of Suepetuitt Pond. He also joined his father in a deed of land to an Indian named Felix, a son-in-law of John Sassamon. That deed was dated March 11, 1673 (O. S.). So far as I can learn, he never married. It is thought he lost his life in King Philip's war, as he was alive up to May 14, 1675, and no mention is made of him after that date.
• +8. Benjamin,3 m. Weecum.

Descendants

A Visit to Zerviah Gould Mitchell, 1891

Mrs. Mitchell was born July 24, 1807, and her parents were Brister Gould and Phebe Wamsley. Her mother was daughter of Wamsley and Lydia Tuspaquin; Lydia descended from Benjamin Tuspaquin, son of Benjamin Tuspaquin, or otherwise called the Black Sachem and one of King Philips most able generals. He married Amie, whose Indian name is lost to us, youngest daughter of Massasoit, chief of the powerful Wampanoags. Thus Mrs. Mitchell is the great-great-great grand-daughter of Massasoit. She is also descended from John Sassamon, the well known Christian Indian, who became a preacher to the Indians, under John Eliot. Having warned the Puritans of King Philips designs upon them, he was soon after murdered by his countrymen for his treachery to their cause.

References

• Pierce, Ebenezer Weaver, Mitchell, Zerviah G., Indian History, Biography and Genealogy: Pertaining to the Good Sachem Massasoit of the Wampanoag Tribe, and His Descendants, David Clapp & Sons; Boston, Mass., USA; 1878, p. 213; GoogleBooks
• https://nativenortheastportal.com/bio/bibliography/tuspaquin-black-... cites
  • Benjamin Church, The History of King Philip's War (Boston, MA: John Kimball Wiggin, 1865),
  • 32. Pierce, Indian History, Biography, and Genealogy, 187-201.
  • Bodge, Soldiers in King Philip's War,
  • 386. Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War (New York, NY: Pequin, 2006), 255, 309, 338-339.
• 1670 Plymouth Colony Descendants + Black Sachem, Wampanoag Indian Land Deed by Early American History Auctions. Transcription: “Bought by Henry Wood dec.d of Tuspageen (sic) the black Sachem according to order (with other Land) Six Acres of meadow lying on the Fourth Side of the path that goeth from Namasskett (sic) to Agawam -- This was bought on the 9th of August 1667 but recorded 1669 as above written -- Sess me (Signed) Nathaniel Morton Secretary". (Further Noted & Signed) "A true Copy -- Examd by Saml. Tyley Cler(k)". “
• http://tispaquin.blogspot.com/2006/07/who-hell-is-tispaquin.html
• “ Native American documents from the collections of Pilgrim Hall Museum” “ 1649 DEED NOTE: In 1645, the Plymouth Colony General Court granted the inhabitants of Duxbury the authority to purchase land from the Native people, which they did by deed. In 1656, this land was incorporated into a distinct township -- Bridgewater. The deed is between Miles Standish, Samuel Nash and Constant Southworth as representatives for all the inhabitants of Duxbury, and Ousamequin (here spelled "Woosamequin," alternative spellings were not uncommon in the 17th century). Ousamequin was the great Wampanoag sachem known most frequently as Massasoit. Ousamequin had two sons: Wamsutta/Alexander, who first succeeded his father in 1661, and Metacom/Philip, who became sachem upon Wamsutta/Alexander’s death in 1662. Ousamequin also had a daughter Amie, who married Tuspaquin, the "Black Sachem." Several copies of this deed were made in 1649, Pilgrim Hall has one of those copies. “
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Assawamset-1
• https://m.blackindiansunited5tribesembassy.org/-New-Massachusetts-I...
• Americans of Royal Descent. edited by Charles Henry Browning. Pedigree XXlX. GoogleBooks
• Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England: Deeds, &c., 1620-1651 ... By New Plymouth Colony. Page 230. GoogleBooks