NAI\1TUG~T ALGONQ,tJIA1~TSTUDI~: 1

NANTU~L’T flWIA1~SWHO DI~JOF T~ SI~ESS

1-8mo-1763 to 2mo-176J+

by

Elizabeth A. Little and Marie Sussek

August 1979

Archaeology Department

The Nantucket Historical Association

Nantucket

NA O255Ll~

.4..

ABSTRACT

A list of names of 222 Indians on Nantucket in 1763 has

been collated from a manuscript, “Names of the Indians died

of the sickness 1763” at the Peter Foulger Museum, Nantucket.

CONTENTS

Page

AbstractandContents . 1.

Introduction.. . 2.

SourcesofData ..... 3.

List of Indians who Died of the Sickness 1763~17624. 14.,

Appendix 1. Facsimile copy of List A 16.

Appendix 2. Facsimile copy of List B . 19.

Appendix 3. Facsimile Copy of List C 21.

ReferencesCited. 23.

® 1979 Elizabeth A. Little

INTRODUCTION

To read the names of those Nantucket Indians who died. in 1763-

17624. is at the least a memorial to the nearly forgotten original

inhabitants of the island. The epidemic which took the lives of

two hundred and twenty two Indians appalls us. It must have been

a major tra~dy on the island in the eighteenth century, even if

epidemics were more prevalent then than they are today.

However, it is the nature of historical source material to

focus upon death, disputes, and disasters, because these provide the

occasions in the average person’s life when his name is most likely

to be written into the public record. On the basis of studies of

such demographic data as this list of names of men, women, and

children provides, we shall be able to study the cultural and

environmental adaptationsof these historic Nantucket inhabitants.

Also, by combining archaeologywith documentarystudies, we may be

able to locate precisely the dwellings of many of these families.

We offer this repoit, therefore, with respect and honor for the

namesof the dead, and as a contribution to future historical and

archaeological studies of the Nantucket Indians.

3.

SOURCFS OF DATA

A list of 222 names of Nantucket Indians, collated alphabetically,

has been derived from a manuscript “Names of the Indians died of the

sickness1763” (List A) at the Peter Foulger Museum, Nantucket. The

list in its original order has beenpublished only occasionally in the

past (I~uirer and Mirror lS~C)). The original order of names is neither

alphabetical nor by families; it might be chronological. Although the

unknown author lists 223 names, he gives for his total number222. His

mistake appearsin his tallying. However, we note that there is a

duplicate entry for “Tom Ichabod”, and that 222 is the total quotedby

Starbuck (1797).

Two partial lists, “A List of the Indian Natives who died on the

Island of Nantucket with a Yellow Fever from l-8mo-l763 to 2mo-176)4”

(List B), and “An Account of Indians Deceased1~tof August 1763” (List

c), have approximately the same order of names but different spelling

and naming styles. For example, “Smug” in List A corresponds to “Micah

Smug” in List B. Since Lists B and C are missing their final portions,

not all of the variants of names on these two lists can be correlated

with the names on List A.

The names are groupedhere by family name with the preferred

spelling as known from deedsor wills first, followed by common

variants from Lists A, B, or C. The names are given in the spelling

of List A, with significant alternatives from Lists B and C shown in

parentheses.

For data on the epidemic and symptoms of the disease, see Stackpole

(1975) and three manuscript letters at the Peter Foulger Museum

(Starbuck 1797, 1798; Coffin 1798).

4.

LIST OF NANTtJ~TTINDIANS WHO D~DOF THE SICKNESS 1763-1764.

AARON:

Tom Aaron

Tom Aarons wife

Torn Aarons child

JohnAarons wife

Hitte Aaron

Hitte Aarons daughter

ANSI (ANAZIAH):

Anisi (old Amaziah)

API’E:

Isaac Apte

BENJA:

Hitte Benja

Hitte Benja child

HannahBenja

BONEY (BONI’IEY):

PatienceBoney

HannahBoney

Jo Bonney

SarahBoriney

BRIGHT:

Jemi.maBright

CAIN (CANE):

Old. Eben Cane

5,

Old Su Cain

Dorcas Cane

CAL~ (CALEP, CALAP);

Ruth Calap

CHALANGE (CHALLONS):

SarahChalange

CHANCE:

Old Chance

CHEGIN (C}~Gfl~):

Ben Cheegin

Sam1 Cheegin

Daniel Cheegin

CODODE (CADOODE, COBDOODY):

John Cordoody

Old Hannah Cord.ood.y

Betty Oord..ody

DA1T~:

SarahDavid

DIAMOND (DINON):

John Dimons boy

DING~:

Old. Easter Dingel

Old HannahDingel

EAGIN:

Betty Eagin

EASE:

Elizabeth Ease

6.

Elizabeth Ease daughter

Easter Ease

SusannaEase

Betty Ease

Old Esors wife

ECHARACA:

Elias Echaraca

ESOP (AESOP, EASOP):

Solomon Esop

SolomonEasopswife

John Esop

HannahEasop

EZENE (EASAXE, EXICA):

- Old Nordica Easake

Hannah Easake

HARCATUS:

Jo Harcatuswife

HONNEY (HONONY):

Old. Biah Hoinny

Dorcas Homney

HOOP (SEE WH~cHoP)

ICHABOD:

Torn Ichabod (Listed. twice)

ISAAC:

Lame Isaac

Ruth Isaac

ISHENA:

Abigail Ishena (Abigail Shinney)

JACOB:

Patience Dick Jacob

Dorcas Jacob

JAMES:

Simon James

JAPHET:

Obed. Japhet

JARUSHA:

Old Jarusha

JASPER:

Toni Jasper

JASUP:

Hager Jasup

J~IOOP (JENNOPE):

Abigail Jehoop (Jenihope)

JE’THRO:

Simon Jethro

Simon Jethros boy

John Jethro

Charity Jethro

JOAB (JOB, JOBE):

Joel Jobes child

Benj Jobe

JOSIAH:

Old Josiah

Sarah Josiah

JUDE:

Alis Jude

K~PE;

Rit chard Keepe

8.

LEVI:

Dorcas Levi

NICAH (MICA, MJIEY, MACA):

Sam Mika

SamMikeys wife

JonathanMika

Jo Nika

Abigail Mica

Eave Maca

MOONEY(NoIc~,MOONY):

John Moneys wife

DeborahMoony

NORDICAI (NORDECA):

John Nordeca

NUNKE (MONKEY):

Easter Nurike

Patience Nunke

NETOWA (NATAWAR):

Jeremiah Natawar

JeremiahNetewars child

James Natawar

Abigail Netawar

SarahNetawar

JonathanNetewar

NEVER (NEAVEB):

ZacharaNever

ZacharaNeavers wife

9.

ZacharaNevers son

ZacharaNevers boy

JonathanNever

Susanna Never

Betty Neaver

NICK (HACK):

Ephraiin Nick

E~hraimnNack boy

NONISH (NORNISH):

Old Nornish

Nonishes wife

NOPSKA (W.APSKA):

Betty Nopska

NORTU}IA (NAUTAUNY):

Nortuna (SarahNautauny)

PANCHAYJA (BENJAMIN):

Sam1 Panchama

Sanl1 Panchamaswife

JamesPanchaniawife

JamesPanchamasdaughter

JamesPa.nchamaswifes daughter

PatiencePanchania

Betty Parichamnaswife (Betty Benjamin)

PAUPANO (POPPONER):

Sam Poppomnar

Sd Poppomners daughter

James Poppomner

10.

SusarmaPoppomna

Jo Poppomer

Eave Poppomer

Betty Poppomer

PETER (PETERAY, RAY):

Simon Peters wife

Simon Peteray

Simon Peterayswife

POCK:

James Pock

Patience Pock

POTTER:

Jo Potter

Jo Potters daughter

Martha Potter

PU}1KIN:

John Punkin

Jo Punkin

Dorcas Punkin

Margaret Punkin

Marthar Punkin

HannahPunkin

QUADY:

Jo Q.uadyswife

QUATJB (QUAil, QUABE):

David Quail

Dorcas Quabe

11.

Sarah Quaub

Abishia (Biah) Quaub

RAFE:

Old SquahRafe (HannahRofe)

ROBIN:

HannahRobin

SAMPSON:

Jo Sampson

Jo Sanipsonswife

Betty Sampon (Sampson)

Betty Sampon (Sampson)daughter

Old Betty Sampson

SANDY:

Eber Sandy

Eber Sandy wife

Nary Sandy

SAUL:

John Saul

John Sauls boy

Pee Saniswife

Martha Saul

Maga.rett Saul

SEAHORS:

SolomonSeahors

SECUNET:

Jo Secunetswife

Jo Secunetschild

Jo Secunets child.

12.

SERPENT:

Old ShubaelSerpent

SHAI (SHAY):

Mordeca Shai

SD’ION:

Betty Simon

HannahSimon

SIP:

Rachel Sip

Sips child

SMALL:

JonathanSmalls wife

Eben Small

SNUG:

Smug (Micah Smug)

Boy Smug

SecondSmug

Smugs child

Abigail Smug

SPONAX:

Dinah Sponak

SPOTSO:

JonathanSpotso

Jonathan Spotsoswife

JonathanSpotsoschild

JonathanSpotsosboy

Barney Spotsoswidow

13.

JosiahSpotso

Easter Spotso

Hannah Spotso

Boy Spotso

TASHMA (TASHAMA):

John Tashmna

SarahTashma

Christian Tashama

Abigail Tashamna

TASTER:

Barney Taster

Barney Tasters boy

Barney Tastersdaughter

BarneyTaster daughter

Tom Tasters son

Tom Tasters child

Rachel Taster

TICCAMA (TICKOMY):

Ticcama (Old Tickomy)

TITUS:

John Titus

Pee Titus

Pee Titus wife

Pee Titus child

Old Titus

Betty Titus

Abigail Titus

14,

TODDY (TAUDY):

John Toddy

John Toddy wife

John Toddy boy

Daniel Toddy

Martha Toddy

Old Toddy

Old Toddy wife

TONTA:

Old Abigail Tomta

TONEY:

JohnToney

TOSTO (TOTO):

Rose Tosto (Toto)

WANY;

Peleg Wary

Peleg Wa.tiies wife (Abigail Wayni)

WERNHOP (HOOP):

Zacheus Weenhop (Hoop)

James Hoop

WOOSOO(WOOSEYS);

Jonathan Wooseys

Jonathan Wooseys child

Sarah Wossey

YOUK (YONK):

- Abigail Youk (Yonk)

15

ZACHARA:

Riter Zacharaswife (Old R±tiah)

STRANGERS:

Mary a Stranger

Moll a Stranger

Sarah a Stranger

NISC~.JANEOUS:

ShubaelPinkhamnsSandy

JonathanPirmkhams boy

Obed Husseysniolatto

0. Husseyboy

TOTAL: 222

16.APPENDIX 1. FACSIMilE COPY OF LIST A.

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23.

RERERENCESCITED

Author unkno~i (List A)

Date unknown “Names of the Indians died of the sickness 1763”,

one manuscript page at the Peter Foulger Museum, Nantucket.

Author unknown (List B)

Date unknown “A List of the Indian Natives who died on the Island

of Nantucket with a Yellow Fever from 1-Bmno-1763to 2mo-1764”,

one manuscript page at the Peter Foulger Museum, Nantucket.

Author unknown (List a)

Date unknown “An Account of Indians Deceased1st of August 1763”,

one manuscript page at the Peter Foulger Museum, Nantucket.

Coffin, Shubael V

1798 Letter to MosesBrown, manuscript at the Peter Foulger

Museum, Nantucket.

,~n b1d~ vY,C~1t

‘7C) Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket,_ç\~~fl~V~ ~ V

Stackpole, EdouardA.

1975 “The Fatal Indian Sickness of Nantucket that Decimated

the Island Aborigines”. Historic Nantucket 23(4) : 8-13.

Starbuck, Christopher

1797 Letter to Moses Brown, manuscript at the Peter Foimiger

Museum, Nantucket.

1798 Letter to Moses Brown, manuscript at the Peter Foulger

Museum, Nantucket.