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

INDIAN DEEDS AND RELICS

A little more than a year after the Court had rendered its decision in favor of Stratford, a deed was given by the Indians to Bray Rossiter of Guilford, of “one hundred acres of land on ye west side of ye river yt, passeth up by Stratford ferry: to begin at ye river and to take all ye breath betwixt two small brooks and so backward until ye said sum be made up.” The consideration for this purchase was stated to be “for a debt due.” This act by one from outside of the town seems to have set the ball rolling, or rather the Indians crazy to sell the land they had just been told they did not own. (This sale was later declared illegal.)

In the years 1660, 1661, and 1665 (and almost every year thereafter) until 1671, the Indians of Stratford continued to sell various large tracts of land to the townsmen and to various individuals.

The next year 1661, another deed was given by the Indians for land “called by the English ye Mohegan Hills and by ye Indians Ackqunnockquahou” to Joseph Judson of Stratford. This purchase embraced a large part of the town of Huntington, part of Moose Hill, on ye west with ye near sprayne of ye far Mill River called by ye English, ye Trapfalls, and on ye east by ye northwest spraine of ye far Mill River, so running to ye pine swamp at ye head of ye River”. The month and day of execution of this deed is obliterated on the record, but one item of particular interest is the information that there was then “a hop garden hard by ye River through on ye other side,” as well as the mention of several local names of interest. The hop garden may, and probably was maintained by Edward Wooster who was the first settler at Derby in 1654 for the special purpose of raising hops, he having applied to Milford in 1651 for a grant of hop-growing land which seems to have been granted to him in the lower part of what is now Ansonia and hence it is not unreasonable to suppose that the business being a profitable one, he extended his grounds to Stratford territory.

As to the purchase of this large tract of embracing more than 5,000 acres, lying between the two branches of the Far Mill River, there appear to have risen some difficulties between the town and Joseph Judson as to the ownership of this land, and the town in 1673 applied to the General Court for a settlement of the matter. The court appointed a time for hearing the claims of the parties, but it seems to have been amicably settled without the help of the Court; probably about as the town had agreed before, and a division of this tract was made some years later among the proprietors Joseph Judson, retaining such proportion as would satisfy him for his outlay in making the purchase.

A second deed, given Sept. 9, 1661, probably a few months after the one previously mentioned, although embracing much more territory and was signed by other parties but probably was confirmatory of the other, since the same Sachems signed both deeds. This strikingly illustrates the separate interest in the lands by the Indians, and the relationship between the Pequannocks or Stratford Indians and the Paugaussetts residing at Derby.

This sale “of a great tract of land lying west from ye far mill River” included the Walnut Tree Hill district of Huntington and a large part of Monroe, being in all more than five thousand acres of land “bounded on ye east with a pine swamp at ye east spraine of ye far mill River bounded on ye west with ye west spraine of Paquannock River, on ye South with ye lower part of place so named about a mile and a half north from ye upper part of Moose Hill, and Norwest with a place called Manantock running as far as Pootatuck path.” This deed was executed by Wampegan who alleges he was “ye lawful heir to all ye Indians Rights and privileges yt did aforetime belong to ye Sachems my uncles who were ye legal proprietors” but was also subscribed by “Akenotch the Sagamore of Pagusett” and Ansantaway, Sachem of Pootatuck, he “being related to Wampegan” and is also subscribed by Poridge and Chepenett, first cousins of Wompegan to whom was reserved “feel liberty to hunt for deare” on the above ascribed land.

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