Wonalancet
Encyclopedia
Wonalancet — also spelled Wannalancet and Wannalancit and probably Wanaloset and Wanalosett — was a sachem
or sagamore of the Penacook
Indians. He was the son of Passaconaway
.
. Europeans began to settle in the Augumtoocooke area around 1653, and established the town of Chelmsford
, incorporated in 1655. In October 1665, Wonalancet's sister Bess, wife of Nobb How, sold Augumtoocooke to Captain John Evered
for the sum of four yards of Duffill
and one pound of tobacco
. King Philip's War
broke out in 1675.
Wonalancet became chief
of the tribe
when his father died in 1679. In accordance with the deathbed wish of his father, Wonalancet resolved never to fight the English
settlers in New England
and refused to participate in King Philip's War. Invited to attend a meeting with English settlers, he was treacherously imprisoned after he arrived. Eventually released, he returned home, but despairing of his relations with Europe
an settlers in the environs of New Hampshire
and Maine
.
So, in 1686, he left his home on Wickasee Island, which is now known as Tyngs Island, in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
, where Vesper Country Club
now sits, and took his people to Canada
.
Wonalancet died in 1697.
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
or sagamore of the Penacook
Pennacook
The Pennacook, also known by the names Merrimack and Pawtucket, were a North American people that primarily inhabited the Merrimack River valley of present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as portions of southern Maine...
Indians. He was the son of Passaconaway
Passaconaway
Passaconaway, a name which translates to "Child of the Bear", was a chieftain in the Pennacook tribe.-Life:One of the key native figures in the colonial history of New Hampshire, Passaconaway was believed to have been born between 1550 and 1570, and is said to have died in 1679...
.
Biography
Born around 1619, Wonalancet spent most of his time with his tribe in the area known as "Augumtoocooke", which is now modern-day greater Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. Europeans began to settle in the Augumtoocooke area around 1653, and established the town of Chelmsford
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
, incorporated in 1655. In October 1665, Wonalancet's sister Bess, wife of Nobb How, sold Augumtoocooke to Captain John Evered
Captain John Evered
Captain John Evered , also known as Webb, was one of the first Europeans to settle what is now known as the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts, specifically the town of Dracut, which Evered named.-Early years:...
for the sum of four yards of Duffill
Duffle Coat
A duffle coat, or duffel coat, is a coat made from duffle, a coarse, thick, woollen material. The name derives from Duffel, a town in the province of Antwerp in Belgium where the material originates...
and one pound of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
broke out in 1675.
Wonalancet became chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
when his father died in 1679. In accordance with the deathbed wish of his father, Wonalancet resolved never to fight the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
settlers in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and refused to participate in King Philip's War. Invited to attend a meeting with English settlers, he was treacherously imprisoned after he arrived. Eventually released, he returned home, but despairing of his relations with Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlers in the environs of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
So, in 1686, he left his home on Wickasee Island, which is now known as Tyngs Island, in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,...
, where Vesper Country Club
Vesper Country Club
The Vesper Country Club, founded in 1899, is located on the Merrimack River in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. According to the USGA, and Golf Magazine, its golf course is one of the first in the United States, and was home to the first Massachusetts Open in 1905, won by golfer and course designer...
now sits, and took his people to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Wonalancet died in 1697.
Usage of name
The name "Wonalancet" translates to "Pleasant Breathing". His name is or has been preserved by:- Wonalancet, New HampshireWonalancet, New HampshireWonalancet is a village in the northwestern corner of the town of Tamworth in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Many popular hiking trails into the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains have trailheads in the area, particularly in the locale known as Ferncroft, up a short spur road...
, a village in the White MountainsWhite Mountains (New Hampshire)The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England... - The Wonalancet RiverWonalancet RiverThe Wonalancet River is a 7.6-mile long river located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the southern Swift River, part of the Bearcamp River / Ossipee Lake / Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean.The Wonalancet River rises in the heart...
, which flows through the village - Mount Wonalancet, elevation 2780 feet (847.3 m), overlooking the village
- Wannalancit MillsWannalancit MillsThe Wannalancit Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts are an early American cotton mill, parts of which date to the 1830s at the earliest. Its namesake is a corruption of Wonalancet, a sachem or sagamore of the Penacook Native American tribe...
, a textile-mill-turned-office-building which uses a variant spelling of his name, in Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, which was an important fishing ground for the Pennacook - Wannalancit Street Historic DistrictWannalancit Street Historic DistrictWannalancit Street Historic District is a historic district at 14-71 Wannalancit St., and 390, 406 Pawtucket Street in Lowell, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998....
in Lowell - USS WanalosetUSS Wanaloset (1865)USS Wanaloset, also spelled USS Wanalosett, was a proposed United States Navy screw sloop-of-war or steam frigate that appears never to have been laid down...
, also spelled USS Wanalosett, a United States Navy sloop-of-war of 1865 which was never completed, and which was intended to bear what probably is a variant spelling of his name - USS Wannalancet (YTB-385)USS Wannalancet (YTB-385)USS Wannalancet , projected as YT-385, later YTM-385, was a United States Navy harbor tug in commission from 1944 to 1946....
, later YTM-385, a United States Navy harbor tug in commission from 1944 to 1946 which used a variant spelling of his name