Wicocomico
Encyclopedia
The Wicocomico, Wiccocomoco, Wighcocomoco, or Wicomico are an Algonquian
-speaking tribe who lived in Northumberland County, Virginia
, at the end and just slightly north of the Little Wicomico River
. They were a fringe group in Powhatan
’s Confederacy.
The Northumberland County Court began interfering in the governance of the local tribes by the mid-1600s. Sometime between 1652 and 1655, the Court directed the Wicocomico and Chicacoan (or Sekakawons) tribes to merge into a single identity and relocate slightly south of the Great Wicomico River
. They were given 50 acres per fighting man, for a total of 4400 acres (17.8 km²) near Dividing Creek. The Lower Cuttatawomen probably merged with them between 1656 and 1659. The merged tribes’ identities became “Wicocomico” since the Wicocomicos were the largest in population size. Machywap (formerly King of the Chicacoan) was appointed by the Court to be the Weroance
of the combined tribes, because he was considered a friend of the English and easy to manage. By 1659, Machywap had been deposed, possibly by force, and replaced with Pekwem as their weroance.
There were also constant problems with the colonists’ encroachment on their lands. From 1660 to 1673, the Wicocomicos and the colonists were constantly in court over land disputes. Even though most of the disputes were in favor of the Wicocomico, by 1719 only 1700 acres (6.9 km²) remained of their original 4400 acres (17.8 km²) reservation. In 1705, Robert Beverley, Jr.
wrote “In Northumberland, Wiccocomoco, has but three men living, which yet keep up their Kingdom, and retain their Fashion; they live by themselves, separate from all other Indians, and from the English.” After June 1719, the death of William Taptico, the last Wicocomico weroance, the English took the lands, leaving what remained of the Wicocomicos dispersed.
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking tribe who lived in Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. In 2010, its population was 12,330. Its county seat is Heathsville...
, at the end and just slightly north of the Little Wicomico River
Little Wicomico River
The Little Wicomico River is a river in the United States state of Virginia. The river, mostly tidal, lows into Chesapeake Bay at the junction of the south shore of the Potomac River, which is also the Maryland-Virginia boundary, with Chesapeake Bay....
. They were a fringe group in Powhatan
Powhatan
The Powhatan is the name of a Virginia Indian confederation of tribes. It is estimated that there were about 14,000–21,000 of these native Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607...
’s Confederacy.
History
The Wicocomico people were encountered by Captain John Smith in 1608 as he explored Virginia. He notes a village of about 130 men on the South side of the mouth of the Patawomeke (Potomac) River.The Northumberland County Court began interfering in the governance of the local tribes by the mid-1600s. Sometime between 1652 and 1655, the Court directed the Wicocomico and Chicacoan (or Sekakawons) tribes to merge into a single identity and relocate slightly south of the Great Wicomico River
Great Wicomico River
The Great Wicomico River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia, located approximately northeast of Richmond. In 1864, during the American Civil War, one of the torpedo boats of Admiral David Dixon Porter's fleet ran into the Great Wicomico River and was captured.-Geography:The Great Wicomico...
. They were given 50 acres per fighting man, for a total of 4400 acres (17.8 km²) near Dividing Creek. The Lower Cuttatawomen probably merged with them between 1656 and 1659. The merged tribes’ identities became “Wicocomico” since the Wicocomicos were the largest in population size. Machywap (formerly King of the Chicacoan) was appointed by the Court to be the Weroance
Weroance
Weroance is an Algonquian word meaning tribal chief, leader, commander, or king, notably among the Powhatan confederacy of the Virginia coast and Chesapeake Bay region. The Powhatan Confederacy, encountered by the colonists of Jamestown and adjacent area of the Virginia Colony beginning in 1607,...
of the combined tribes, because he was considered a friend of the English and easy to manage. By 1659, Machywap had been deposed, possibly by force, and replaced with Pekwem as their weroance.
There were also constant problems with the colonists’ encroachment on their lands. From 1660 to 1673, the Wicocomicos and the colonists were constantly in court over land disputes. Even though most of the disputes were in favor of the Wicocomico, by 1719 only 1700 acres (6.9 km²) remained of their original 4400 acres (17.8 km²) reservation. In 1705, Robert Beverley, Jr.
Robert Beverley, Jr.
Robert Beverley, Jr. was an important historian of early colonial Virginia. He was born in Jamestown and died in King and Queen County, Virginia...
wrote “In Northumberland, Wiccocomoco, has but three men living, which yet keep up their Kingdom, and retain their Fashion; they live by themselves, separate from all other Indians, and from the English.” After June 1719, the death of William Taptico, the last Wicocomico weroance, the English took the lands, leaving what remained of the Wicocomicos dispersed.