Dorcas Honorable facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorcas Honorable
|
|
|---|---|
Dorcas Honorable
|
|
| Born |
Dorcas Esop
c. 1770 |
| Died | 1855 (aged 84–85) |
| Nationality | Wampanoag |
| Known for | Nantucket's last Native American |
Dorcas Esop Honorable (born around 1770, died 1855) was a very important person from Nantucket Island. She was the last Indigenous person living there. Dorcas was part of the Wampanoag people. She grew up speaking the Massachusett language. This language is no longer spoken today, but people are working to bring it back.
Contents
Who Was Dorcas Honorable?
Dorcas Esop was born around 1770. Her mother was Sarah Tashama Esop. Sarah's father, Benjamin Tashama, was Dorcas's grandfather.
Her Early Life and Family
Dorcas's grandfather, Benjamin, was a sachem. A sachem is a leader or chief among some Native American groups. He was also a teacher and a preacher. Benjamin opened a school for Wampanoag children.
Dorcas was born during the American Revolution. This was just ten years after a terrible illness arrived with Europeans. This illness sadly killed many Wampanoag people on Nantucket. Out of 358 Wampanoags, 222 died.
Life on Nantucket Island
Another well-known Wampanoag person on Nantucket was Abram Quary. He was thought to be the second-to-last Native man on the island. Unlike Abram, Dorcas Honorable preferred to live a private life. She stayed out of public attention, especially after her mother passed away.
Dorcas worked in people's homes. She was a domestic worker, helping with household tasks. She was also a Baptist Christian and attended church.
Dorcas's Marriages and Family
Dorcas Esop was married several times during her life. In 1792, she married Isaac Freeman. By 1800, she likely moved back in with her mother, Sarah. A record from 1800 shows Sarah's home had two people living there.
Dorcas married again in 1801 to Bill Williams. Later, in 1808, she married Henry Mooers. In 1817, she married John Sip. Her last marriage was in 1820 to Thomas Honorable. It is not clear if her husbands were Native American or not. We also don't know why she married so many times in about 30 years.
Dorcas had one child, a daughter named Emmeline. Emmeline's father was Thomas Honorable. Around 1830, Dorcas and Thomas Honorable seemed to be living in a community called New Guinea. They moved back to Nantucket in 1850. This was around the time Dorcas became a widow. Dorcas spent the rest of her life living with Thaddeus Coffin's family on Nantucket.
The Last Native Nantucketer
Abram Quary died in late 1854. After his death, many people believed that the Native American people on Nantucket had completely disappeared. This was about 100 years after Europeans first arrived.
However, Dorcas Honorable died in early 1855. It was only then that Europeans recognized her as the very last Indigenous person from Nantucket. A special church service was held for Dorcas at her Baptist church after she passed away.
