| |
Individual:
http://www.legacyfamilytree.ca/Anderson/553.htmA History of Framingham, Massachusetts, Author: William Barry,page 227:EAMES, THOMAS, and w. Margaret, had at Dedham, 1. JOHN, b. May16, and d. Sep. 17, 1641; 2. JOHN2, b. Oct. 6, '42; 3. MARY, b.May 24, '45. Thomas the f. m. 2d at Camb. Mary, wid. of Jona.Padelford (see Padelford), ab. 1662, and had 4. THOMAS, bap. atCamb. July 12, '63; at Sud., 5. SAMUEL14, b. Jan. 15, '64-5; 6.MARGARET, b. July 8, '66, m. Joseph Adams, '88; 7. NATHANIEL19,b. Dec. 30, '68; and at Fram., 8. SARAH, b. Oct. 3, '70; 9.LYDIA, b. June 29, '72.Thomas was surety for Robert Eames at Mid. Co. Court, 1651, andgave a deposition, Oct. 5, 1652, then ė. 34 or thereabouts, andof Medford. In 1668, he had leased "Mr. Pelham's farm," inSud.(*) About 1670, he settled in Fram. on the S. declivity ofMt. Wait; was received as an Inhab. of Sherb. Jan. 4, '74-5, andearly chosen a Selectman; was on the Com. for building theMeeting House, and received a grant for building the same. Hishouse in Fram. was burnt by the Indians, Feb. 1, 1676-7, and hiswife killed with some of his chil., and others taken captive.(See a former part of this volume). Thomas the f. d. Jan. 25,1680, ė. ab. 62 years. Administration on his estate was grantedto John, his oldest son, 1680. (Suff. Prob.)Note.--MARGERY was adm. to Charlestown church, 1635. ROBERT, wasof Ch'n, 1651. ROBERT, of Woburn, (his wid. Elizabeth m. Capt.Wm. Bond, of Wat.), had Samuel; John, d. 1654;*** ELIZABETH , b. 1659, prob. m. JOHN EAMES, May, 82; Mary, b.1661, m. Abr. Cozzens, '84; Samuel; John, 1653, and others.ROBERT, and w. Rebeckah, of Andover, had Hannah, 1661; Daniel,John, Dorothy, Jacob and Joseph. ROBERT, d. at Dracut, ab. 1671,and in his will refers to his cousin Richard, s. of sisterDorothy Newman, "dwelling at Fannam, (Farnham?), in Surrey, inRattlesham." HENRY, (w. Elizabeth), messenger to the GeneralCourt, had in Boston, William, 1674, (prob. of Long Island);John, Mary, Benjamin, Henry, and Samuel. MARK and w. Elizabeth,had in Charlestown, s. John, 1650. JOHN was of Groton, 1716--thefamily numerous, and believed to have gone from Andover.GERSHOM, of Marlb., (w. Hannah), had Hannah, 1671, who d. 1721.G. the f. d. at Wat., Nov. 25, 1676. ROBERT, (prob from Malden),was of Marlb., 1744. ROBERT, (prob. his son), d. at Marlb.,Feb., 1821, ė. 84. ANTHONY was of Hingham, 1637. (Sav. Wint.,II. 221 et seq.) DAVID and w. Mehetabel, of Dedham, had chil.from 1691. JETHRO, of Lancaster, 1718. BENJAMIN, of Wat., m.Mehetabel Cheney, 1725, and was of Hop., 1725. ELIZABETH, ofWat., m. Thomas Blaynford, Dec. 18, 1673----------http://newenglandgenealogy.pcplayground.com/f_11c.htm#54Children:EAMES, John EAMES, Elizabeth EAMES, Mary b. 24 MAY 1645 Dedham, Mass.EAMES, Thomas EAMES, Samuel EAMES, Nathaniel EAMES, Sarah b. 3 OCT 1670 Framingham, Mass. d. 1 FEB 1675/76Framingham, Mass.EAMES, Lydia b. 26 JUN 1672 Framingham, Mass. d. 1 FEB 1675/76 --------------http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~walkersj/eames.htmThomas Eames was a Brick-maker and mason; came to America asearly as 1634; was a soldier in the Pequot War 1637; was inDedham 1640; was in Medford, occupying the water-mill onMystic-side 1652-59; was in Cambridge, owning a house and 8acres of land E. of Cambridge Common, which he sold Feb. 10,1664-5, to Nicholas Withe; removed to Sudbury having leased Mr.Pelhams Farm, where he lived till 1669, when he leased land andbuilt a house and barn on the southern declivity of Mt. Wayte inFramingham. Probably he was attracted here by the adjacenttillage lands, which had been long cultivated as corn fields bythe Indians; for as his inventory shows, he at once beganfarming on a large scale. From "History of Framingham" February01, 1675/76, while away family members killed or taken captiveby Indians8 House burned by Indians. died January 15, 16807 9 children8 MARGARET: Cause of Death: killed by Indians11 -----------http://users.rcn.com/smartin.javanet/eames.htmTHE ORDEAL OF THE THOMAS EAMES FAMILYTaken from the History of Framingham Mass. - Published byFramingham in 1887King Philip's War broke out in June, 1675, and the relation ofindividuals among our Indians to this war, has been developedinto a number of biographical sketches. The event however, ofmost direct consequence to Framingham, is the destruction of thehome and family of Thomas Eames, Feb.1, 1675/6.Mr. Eames had taken up lands and built a home on the southernslope of Mt. Wayte, in 1669. He seems to have pitched there bythe consent of Mr. Danforth, with whom he was well acquainted,but had taken no lease. It should be noted here that his houselot was on the land that Mr. Danforth bought of Richard Wayte,and not on the land which he, (Eames) afterward received bygrant, and purchased of the Indians. His nearest neighbors werethe two Stone families farm, and Henry Rice, who lived a shortdistance to the south of Salma D. Hardy's.His family then consisted of a wife and not less than sixchildren of his own, and probably 4 children of his wife by aformer marriage, varying in age from 24 years to 7 months. Twochildren were born to him in Framingham. His eldest son settledin Watertown; and before the summer of 1675, it appears that oneor two of his wife's children were away at service, so that, atthe time of the assault, eight or nine of his own and one or twoof his wife's children were living at home. This accords withMr. Eames own statement that he had lost a wife and ninechildren, and also with the statement of his sons, that 5 oftheir father's children were slain, and only four of those takenreturned from captivity, implying that at least one daughter washeld a considerable time after the taking. Some of thepublished accounts differ from this, and from each other; but ithas been deemed safe to follow the statement of Mr. Eames andhis sons, who certainly knew the facts.As soon as hostilities broke out, the Council at Boston sentfour soldiers to guard the scattered families on the FraminghamPlantation. The farmers were required to furnish them food andlodging in return for the protection afforded. Probably thesoldiers were quartered on Mr. Eames. "On July 23, 1675, it wasordered that two of the four men ordered to guard Eames and thefarmers, be forthwith and hereby, are remanded to guard Mr.(Rev. Edmund) Brown's house (at Sudbury), and the other two toremain as they are till the court take furthur order."As Mr. Eames was "maimed in his limbs," he was not liable to bepressed into the service; but his horses were not exempt. AndSeptember 1st, 1675, he sends the following petition:To the Honorable Council now sitting.Devine providence having cast my lot in a place both remote fromneighbors in the woods, betwixt Marlborough and Medfield, and ina place of no small danger in this day of trouble, when God hathso signally let loose the heathens against his peopleeverywhere. And it is my duty to seek by all lawful means topreserve my family from the rage of the enemy, and to providefor our welfare both at home and on our journeyings, from placeto place, which I cannot do with any comfort without the horsesI continually use; My humble petition therefore to thishonorable Council is, that I may have my horses free from thepress, to which they are continually exposed, whenever I travelto the neighboring towns, nay, so that I cannot pass on aSabbath, which inevery respect is grevous to me who am, your humble petitioner,Thomas Eams"The Council grant the petitioner freedom from the impress ofhis horses at such times as he and his family coming to thepublic worship of God in Marlborough or Sudbury."The guard seems to have been withdrawn from his house; and onthe last week in January, Mr. Eames went with his horses toBoston, to procure help and a supply of ammunition. February 1,a party of eleven Indians came suddenly upon the defenselessfamily, burned the barn, cattle and house, killed the mother andfive children, and carried off five or six children and as muchplunder as they needed.The family tradition is, that the mother had expressed theresolution never to be taken alive by the savages; and that;true to her words, she courageously defended her home, using hotsoap and such weapons as were at hand in the kitchen. Accordingto the confession of one of the murderers, the party, comprising6 of the former residents at Magunkook-had returned thither forsome corn which was left in their granaries, and finding that ithad been destroyed, started at once, partly for food and partlyfor revenge, towards the nearest English settler. And it wasprobable that the stout resistance of the brave woman soprovoked them that they left nothing alive.The children were carried to the neighborhood of Wachusett, anda part of them to Wennimisset. Three of them found means toescape from their captors, and returned in the course of a fewmonths. One of these was with the party of savages that attackedSudbury the 21st of April. The escape of another is thusrelated: "On the next day, (May 12), a youth of about elevenyears made his escape from the Indians, who was taken prisonerwhen his fathers house was burnt and his mother murdered on thefirst of February last; and though the boy knew not a step ofthe way to any English town, and was in continual danger of theskulking Indians in the woods, and far from the English, yet Goddirected him aright, and brought him to the sight of Plantain(the herb which the Indians call English Foot, because it growsonly amongst us and is not found in the Indian plantations);whereupon he concluded he was not far from some English town,and accordingly following the Plantain, he arrived safelyamongst us."(this eleven year old boy turned out to be our sixth greatgrandfather.)Of the girls taken, some authentic accounts are found. ThomasReed, a soldier taken captive at Hockanum April 1, escaped fromthe Indians who were in camp at Turner Falls, May 14th, 1676,reports; "There is Thomas Eame's daughter and her child (youngersister), hardly used." Aug. 14th, Joseph Wannuck-how hisexamination states: "That about two months since he inquiredconcerning Goodman Eame's two daughters, and understood theywere at a great hill about middle way between Wachusett andPennacook, (Concord, N.H.), and were in good health and not in astarving plight."William Jackstraw (same date) saith, that Mattahump (sachem ofthe Quaboag) hath one of Goodman Eame's daughters, and Pumapen(former ruler of Mungakok) the other, and they were alive atplanting time, and he thinks they may yet be towards the -atAuranes (Albany). *There is evidence that these girls, and perhaps one boy werecarried to Canada, where the youngest, Margaret, was found bythe agents sent by the Colonial Government to effect the releaseof captives, and redeemed, and returned home. The author agreeswith Mr. Barry, that "It is quite probable that one or more ofthe children's result of preference on the part of the captives,who became so accustomed to their change of life, as to loseattachment to their English Society and friends. Hutchinsonstates in his history that the captives who have been carried toCanada have often received very kind usage from the Frenchinhabitants."An inventory of the loss of Thomas Eames, when his house wasfired by Indians at Framingham near unto Sudbury in the countyof Middlesex, the first of Feb 1675/6.Imprimis--- A wife and nine children.Item--- A house 34 feet long, double floors and garrett, andcellar, and a barn 52 feet long, leantir'd one side and twoends, $100,00Item--- 4 Oxen 24.00Item--- 7 cows fair with calf 28.00Item--- 2 yearlings 3.00Item--- 1 Bull 2.00Item---2 heifers fair with calf 6.00Item---1 heifer 2.00Item--- 8 sheep fair with lamb 3.12Item--- 30 loads of hay in ye barn at 8s.per load 12.00Item--- 10 bush. Wheate at 6s. p. bush. 3.00Item--- 40 bush. Rye at 4s. 8d. p. bush. 8.00Item--- 210 bush. Of Indian a 3s. p. bush. 31.00Item--- Hemp and Flax in ye barn 1.00Item--- Fire Arms with other arms and ammunition 6.00Item--- Butter 20s.,Cheese 40s, 2 ½ barrels of Pork; Fourflitches of Bacon 1.00Item--- Carpenters and Joyner's tools 5.00Item--- 2 great spinning wheels and 2 small wheels 4.s. 4.s. forcards 1.00Item--- 6 beds 3 of them featherbeds and three flock, 6 Rugs and12 blankets 12.00Item--- one chest of lynen, with ye sheets and shifts 10.00Item--- a livery cupboard with what was in it 2.00Item--- My wife's linen and wearing apparel, and Children'scloathing, and my own cloathing With clothing that was my formerwifes. 25.00Item--- Pewter, Brasse, and iron ware 14.00Item--- Churns and other Dairy vessels with other Wooden lumber5.00This was a large estate for those days, and comprised all hepossessed, except the two horses and vehicle, and what money hehad with him. As indemnity, the General Court granted him 200acres of land. He also sued the Indians at law, and obtainedfrom them, with consent of the court, the tract of 200 acreslying near where his former habitation stood. He also recoveredthree of his own children, Samuel, Margaret and Nathaniel, andone of his wife's children, Zachariah Paddleford.According to a list in the handwriting of Thomas Danforth, nowon file in the state archives, the Indians accused ofparticipation in the murderous assault were as follows:Netus, Anneweaken, Aponapawquin (alias "Old Jacob"), Acompanatt(alias James), Pakananumquis alias (Joshua Assalt), WilliamWannuckhow alias (Jackstraw), Joseph Wannuekhow, Apumatquinalias (John), Pumapen, Awassaquah, and Aquitekash. Of these, sixwere former residents at Magunkook; and the fate of two of them,viz. Old Jacob and Pumapen, hadalready been raratted. Anneweaken was killed before the time oftheir trial. He was son of Des. Naous, and brother ofTuckapawillin, the minister; and, according to Mr. Gookin, wasat one time ruler at Hassanamesit. He was the "another man" who,with Netus, was charged by the Jackstraws with killing Mrs.Eames and her children, as will presently appear.August 11, 1676. Mr Danforth issued a warrant commanding theConstable to apprehend Joshua Assalt, John Dublet, WilliamJackstraw, and two of his sons Joseph and John, also Jackstrawswife, all of them late of Ma.Eames for killing, burning etc., In case you can enquire outPeter Ephriam's wife, warn her to come to me forthwith.Endorsement. I have apprehended and taken William Jackstraw andhis wife and two of his sons Joseph and John, and also JohnDublet, and warned Peter Ephriam's wife to come, but JoshuaAssalt, is, as I understand it, with the Army.Job HideąConstableOf Joshua Assalt and Awassaquah, Mr. Danforth writes to Gov.Leverett:"They confess that they were accessories; but the later is atthe Pond's sick, and the former is with Capt. Hunting atMarlborough. Goodman Eames is very earnest that he may beattacked. I am in some doubt about the expediency of it whileabroad. Let me entreat you to five (language of the day?) meyour advise on the case. Dated Aug 14th, 1676."William Jackstraw and his two sons were examined before Mr.Danforth August 14, his minutes of the examination are asfollows:Joseph Indian, son to William of Mogocooke, being examined dosay and confess that himself with these others named in themargent (see list above) were the persons that destroyed ThomasEames' family in the beginning of Feb. last. That the same wasoccasioned by the missing of corn which they expected to havefound at Moguncocke, & by the means were provoked to come and dothat spoil, killing of some and carrying captive of the rest,and burning house, barn and cattle; and do confess that hecarried away on his back one of Eames' sons."Apumatquin, alias John, being examined, do confess the samething.""William Jackstraw, being examined, do confess the same thing asabove."Owns that his sons Joseph and John were present at thedesolation of Goodman Eames's family, and that himself was ofthe company, but kept at a distance, a little way off in thecornfield.""Isaac Beech being present at this examination do say Josephabove, confessed the same thing to him and john Prentice."For encouragement to Joseph, who was first examined to tell thetruth, (they at first denying all), I told him I would speak tothe Governor to spare his life in case he would tell me plainlyhow all this said matter was acted."Taken the day and year above said, before Thomas Danforth, JohnSpeen-Interpreter. E.R. SecreteryCopy of Indictment:"We the Grand Jury for our sovereign Lord and King, do presentan indict Joseph Indian of maguncog by the name of JosephIndian, for: that he not having the fear of God before his eyesand being instigated by the devil did with other his accompliceson the beginning of Feb 6, last, burn the house and cattle ofThomas Eames, and killed his wife and children, contrary to thepeace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his crown and dignity, thelaws of God and of this jurisdiction."The jury finds this bill, and have him to forwith tryal.Richard Colicott foreman for the name of the rest of the jury."William the father, and John were also indicted, and the threewere tried August 18, and convicted.Sept. 5, they sent in the following petition. It has muchhistoric value, as showing the method of procedure in this case;and also as throwing light on the proclamation of conditionalamnesty, issued June 19, which is referred to in the petition ofThomas Eames' sons, and referred to in the case of Old Jethroand others that surrendered at Cochecho.To the Hon. Court of Assistants, sitting in Boston, Sep 5th1676.The humble petition of William Wannuckhow, Joseph Wannuckhow,and John Appamatahqeen, all prisoners at the bar:Humbly implore your favor to hear and consider our application.We know that your Honours are men of truth, fearing God, andwill faithfully perform your promises, especially when itconcerns so great a matter as the lives of men. You were pleased(of your own benignity) not for any desert of ours, to giveforth your declaration dated the 19, of June, wherein you werepleased to promise life and liberty unto such of your enemies asdid come in and submit themselves to your mercy and order anddisposal, within a time limited, which afterwards was enlargedto a longer time, and tidings thereof sent by James Prenticeunto us, whichoffers of grace, as soon as we heard of it we readily embracedit, and came in accordingly, ourselves, wives and children, asCaptain Prentice and his men, with others, to whose house wewere directed to come, are ready to testify: and those orders ofyours are upon record, the copies whereof, we are ready topresent. If it should be said that we are known to be notoriousin doing mischief to the English, we answerąnone can so say intruth, or prove any such thing against us. Indeed we doacknowledge that we were in company of those that burnt GoodmanEames's house. But we did not act in it. It was done by others,who were slainin the war, and so have answered God's justice for theirdemerits, as for our part, we came along with that company upona necessary and just occasion, to get our corn which we hadplanted, gathered and put up at Magunquog. But finding our corntaken away, we intended to return, but Netus and another man,that were our leaders, earnestly moved to go to Goodman Eamesfarm for to get corn, and they said they did believe he hadtaken our corn, but we were unwilling to go. But they by theirpersuasion and threatening, carried us with them. But as we saidbefore, we never killed nor burned nor took anything there, butwereinstrumental to save Goodman Eames his children alive. One of uscarried one boy upon our backs rather than let them be killed.This is the truth of things, so that we cannot be reckoned amongsuch as have been notorious in doing mischief.Indeed we were enemies, being tempted to go among them by theexample of our choice men Capt. Tom and others. But we had noarms and did not hurt the English, as many others have done,that upon their submission to your Honours upon promise of lifeand Liberty as we have done.Therefore, we desire again to insist upon that plea, that we mayreceive the benefit of your declarations before mentioned. Ourlives will not be at all beneficial to Goodman Eames. Those thatslew his wife and relations and burnt his house have alreadysuffered death, and the satisfaction of Goodman Eames in ourdeath will not countervail the honour and justice or authorityof the country that may be blemished thereby."The testimony of Thomas Prentice Sr. aged about 55 years, dothtestify and say the Wm. Wannuckhow alias Jackstraw, and his sonJoseph with his wife and the rest of his children came unto myhouse and submit themselves to the Council's order the twentiethof July last, which was some few days after the return of JamesPrentice and Nehemiah who told me they had left some Indiansbehind that desired to come in and submit, but were hindered.The following entry in Judge Sewell's diary, indicates the endof these three men; "Sept. 21, 1676. Stephen Coble of Concord,was executed for murder of Indians--- three Indians for firingEames his house and murder. The wether was cloudy and rawlyacid, though little or no rain. Mr. Mighil prayed; four others sat on the gallows, two men andtwo impudent women, one of which, at least laughed on thegallows, as several testified.Netus, the leader of the marauding party, did not survive to bebrought to trial. He was killed March 27, at Marlborough, by aparty of English soldiers under the command of LieutenantJacobs. It should be added, that the wife of Netus and the wifeof Aquitakaan, accused of complicity in the murder of the Eamesfamily, were sold into slavery.Taken from The History of Framingham, Mass.Published by Framingham in 1887
|
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| |
