THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD

Golden Hill Indians
The Housatonic
The Wepawaug
Cupheags and Pequannock
Weantinock
Goodyear's Island
Indian Slaves
Indian Remnants
Indian Troubles
New Indian Papers

THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD

Wm. Howard Wilcoxson

Stratford Indians

Trouble with the Indians

Establishing Title to the Land

Indian Deeds and Relics

White Hills Purchase

FORREST MORGAN

Lifestyles, Government, Religion and War

Indian Titles and Mohegan Land Troubles

Sowheag, Uncas, and Miantonomo

Owenoco, the Son of Uncas

THE HOUSATONIC

CHARD POWERS SMITH

The Promised Land
Heathen in the Land
The Lord's Scouts

The Land and The Lord

The Next Seven Tribes

ALEXANDER JOHNSTON

Connecticut Indian History

The Pequot War

THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD – WILLIAM WILCOXSON

ESTABLISHING TITLE TO THE LAND

Mr. Stanton’s statement that “only one house or the Karkise of one we found at Milford without inhabitants,” suggests one very interesting and as yet unsolved mystery, as to who built this frame of a house at Milford as early as the last week in March 1637, nearly two years before the arrival of any settlers at Milford and nearly two years before the arrival of any the New Haven Company under Davenport and Eaton at New Haven in – 1638.

The next and final paper in the series given to prove title was by Lieut. Thomas Wheeler, one of the first settlers at Fairfield. This paper is without date, but was probably given in 1659 since it follows the papers given by Mr. Higginson, John Strickland and Thomas Stanton, at which time he was residing at Derby having removed there about the year 1657.

He commences his testimony with the statement “That in the time of his being an inhabitant of the town of Fayrefield and having several times in discourse ocation to speake with some of the chiefs of that company which is now called Uncaway Indians” they “did relate to him concerning the land now in controversie” stating “that they could lay no clayme or challenge to any of the land on the east side of Hawkins’ Brooke only they had liberty to hunt and fish.” The reasons for this inquiry seems to have been the fact that Lieut. Wheeler, being the owner of a farm on the east side of Hawkins Brook and fearing lest the Indians should lay claim to it as well as to land on the west side of said brook “did inquire of ye aforesayd named Indians concerning it.”

The most important information to be gleaned from this paper is his statement that Queriheag was he chief Sagamore of he Indians at Pequannock, when the English first came and that he had his place of residence on the west side of Uncaway River, which had been the home of his predecessors by inheritance from generation to generation, giving us some ideas of the importance and antiquity of this tribe who appear to have possessed the territory from what is now the Pequannock River, westward to Sasqua Swamp.

An additional paper given in 1662 by Capt. John Minor an early settler and prominent man in Stratford, who served as an interpreter between the English and the Indians and also later, as town clerk, was apparently given for the particular purpose of disproving the claims of one Captain Beebe, who appears to have commended action against the town of Stratford at Fayrefeyld about Lands. He says, “Being desired to speake to what I remember in order to what was spoken and acted by the Indians or English about Captain Beebe’s action” the substance of what I can say is briefly this, without any correction or bias of affection contrary to truth and equity.”

It appears that he and James Beers were sent by the Court at Fairfield to treat with the Pequannock Indians, who because of a contagion then prevalent were not admitted into the meetinghouse where the Court was sitting. “At our first coming to the Indians” those present all agreed “that they had never given any land particularly to Captain Beebe but that they gave it to Mr. Hopkin’s and Mr. Haynes and the other Comtee of Connecticut generally.” “Having received this answer” in reply to their queries, he adds, “we went a little remote from the Indians” that they might “the better to certifie each other how we understood them.” It further appears from this testimony that after their first conference with the Indians, “several words passed between us, but at last I related to the aforsd Beers what I understood as abovesayed.” Capt. Minor and James Beers were not entirely in agreement in their understanding for as he says “James Beers contradicted me saying he understood otherwise” whereupon they “went to the Indians a second time before we went into Court and they confirmed the same and sayd Captain Beebe had no particular interest in any land from them” but that the same had been given as already stated to the Connecticut Colony. As this second interview proceeded he says, “several questions I propounded to the Indians at this time so that now James Beers sayd I understood them well enough” and as they were leaving the Indians, Beers called to Beebe, “Capain! Sayes he, the land is gone, the Indians now utterly disown any particular gift to you,” to which he replied “then gone it is sayes he.” Thus having reached the point where “we now both agreeing that we understood the Indians aright” they proceeded to return their answer to the Court, but “whilst we were abroad before we went into Court Captayne Beebe went to the Indians” but what he said was not known, “but presently before we had delivered to the Court what the Indians had sayd there was a calling out that the Indians had something more to say.” The Court therefore “desired us to go forth agayne and be fully resolved what their minds were” whereupon “we found them of another turn.”

Thus was the claim of Captain Beebe examined and disposed of and since the Court had in May, 1650 in consequence of the evidence presented to the Court, given its decision in favor of Stratford, at which time Golden Hill reservations was ordered to be laid out.

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