Document: 1654 Siwanoy -Thomas Pell Treaty

Holding Institution
Siwanoy Nation Archives
Description

Siwanoy Cheif Wampage I became a close friend of Thomas Pell I (first Lord of Pelham Manor), who was the Indian Commissioner in Fairfield, and Wampage I and Thomas Pell I concluded much business together. Wampage and 3 other sagamores sold 9,160 acres of land to Pell in 1654, including what is now Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, and on March 10, 1658, he and Commissioner Pell negotiated the definitive treaty between the English and the Siwanoys, whereby their respective positions were delineated.  (The Siwanoys remained in the area for another hundred years, until they eventually "melted away" by intermarriage with the English settlers. Around 1756, the remaining Wappinger and Mahicans in the area joined the Nanticoke, and with them were finally merged into the Delawares.)

The image of this document is from the only known surviving copy, which Thomas Pell sent to relatives in England.

Document Date
1654-06-27
Document Date (Date Type)
1654-06-27
Document Type
Indian Deed
Treaty
Image
1654 Siwanoy -Thomas Pell Treaty
Image Credits

Siwanoy Nation Historian

Translation
Translation

 

The Siwanoy sagamores who signed this treaty were Shawanórõckquot (Shanarockwell, a chieftain at the settlement of Poningo in modern-day Rye, NY), Poquõrúm, Anhõõke (Wampage I), Wawhamkus, and Mehúmõw. The "Indyan Wittnesses" who signed the document are Cockho, Kamaque, and Cockinsecawa (Cokenseko, a chieftain in the northern areas of Siwanoy territory, and the namesake of modern-day Kensico, NY).

 

The following transcript of the treaty is from Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Treaty Oak by Blake A. Bell:

 

 

Copy of Thomas Pell's June 27, 1654 Deed

Believed to Be in Thomas Pell's Handwriting.

TEXT OF THOMAS PELL’S DEED

“Know all men by this present yt we Shawanarockqúot: poquorum: Anhõõke: Wawhãmkus: Mehumõw: Beinge ye true owners & yeonly Lawffull Heyres & proprietors off a piece of land Bounded by ye Sea to ye South  wth yt  Tract off land Called by ye English Longe Island; to ye west & west & by South wth ye bay & River & River Diawockinge Acqueonunge (Chemaqūanaock to ye East) wth all ye Islands yt are in ye salt water to ye South South East & South West Against yt Tract off Land wch is Beffore expresd; wh all trees medowes & all Land wh in ye tract off Land wch is Beffore Expressed: doo sell & deliver to Thos Pell now inhabitinge in Fayrffield his heyres & assignse to hould injoy improove plant as hee shall see cause to his Best to be improved ffor & to him & his heyres fforever wh out any molestation on our pt And doo herby ingage our Selves to make good our selves against all Claymes intayled either by Dutch or Indyans wt ever & doo deliver it into ye posession off ye sayd Thos Pell & his Assignes: markinge ye  bounds to ye mayne Land wch is & shalbe ye present bounds to ye mayne Land: only Liberty is ffreely graunt ffor ffeedinge offe cattle & Cuttinge off timber beyound those Bounds; & wee doo Acknowledge to have Reseved in full for it ye trou valew & just Satisfaction Accordinge to our Estimate to wch we sett  our hands beffore these wittnesses off English & Indyans this twenty seaventh off June 1654.

English Wittnesses                                Saggamores (Markes)
     Richard Crabb Magistrate                  +Shawanórõckquot
     Thomas Lawrence                             +Poquõrúm
     John Ffinch                                       +Anhõõke
                                                            +Wawhamkus
                                                            +Mehúmõw

Articles of Agreement

We also as lovinge neighbours & ffriends doo mutually ingage our Selves to send too men off Each yr one Day in ye Springe every yeare to marke ye   Bounds of ye Land yt a Right Knowledge may be kept wh out injury to Either side yt Mutuall peace & love may be mayntayned 2nd Wee  allso doo promise Each to other if any plotts on either Side yt may be to hurt off Either yt we Seasonably Discover ym as Lovinge Neighbours  & friends yt peace & love may be mutually preserved

Indyan Wittnesses
+Marke Cockho
+Mark Kamaque
+Marke Cockinsecawa

 

This wrightinge was signed & wittnessed Beffore A great multitude off Indyans & many English we who are under written do testify

mark
Henry + Accorly                   This is A True Coppy off ye
William Newman                  originall written Thos Pell”

.

 

 

References

Siwanoy Nation Historian  https://www.siwanoynation.org/tribal-history

Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Treaty Oak by Blake A. Bell

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site

Location
Modern Location
Pelham
Locations (Unlinked)
Pelham Manor
Property Type
Property Type
Land
To Party 1
To Party 1
Thomas Pell I (ID: 1609,000,111)
To Party 1 Text Unlinked
Thomas Pell I
To Party 1 Entity
Individual
To Party 1 Entity Role
Buyer (Owner)
From Party 1
From Party 1
Sagamore (Chief) Wampage I (ID: 1609,000,112)
From Party 1 Text Unlinked
Wampage I
From Party 1 Entity
Tribe - Siwanoy Nation - Wieckasgequeek - Wickasgeck
From Party 1 Entity Role
Representative - Indian / Native American Tribe
Related Ancestors (Unlinked)
Indyan Wittnesses
Cockho
Kamaque
Cockinsecawa
This wrightinge was signed & wittnessed Beffore A great multitude off Indyans & many English we who are under written do testify

Henry
Accorly William Newman
Document Location
Document Finding Aid or Collection
Siwanoy Nation Documents