John Wompas facts for kids

John Wompas (c. 1637-1642 – 1679) was a Nipmuc Indian man. He was born around 1637 in Nipmuc Country, which is now part of Massachusetts. He spent his early years with his Native family. Later, he lived with an English family in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

This unique upbringing helped him learn both Nipmuc and English languages and customs. He often used this knowledge for his own benefit. However, near the end of his life, he also helped his Nipmuc relatives.

John Wompas is not as well-known as some other Native leaders of his time. Yet, he lived a very interesting life across two continents. He was involved in the English empire's economy and politics, especially land deals. He was one of the few Native Americans to study at Harvard College in the 1600s. He also became one of the first Native American sailors to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. This allowed him to visit London at least twice and even meet King Charles II.

John Wompas died in London in September 1679. After his death, his will played a key role in protecting the lands of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc people. Some of this land is still owned by the Nipmuc people today. It is the only land in Massachusetts that has always remained in Native ownership.

Early Life and Family

Growing Up in Nipmuc Country

John Wompas was born between 1637 and 1642 in Nipmuc Country. This area is now central Massachusetts. His father, Wampooas, was a Nipmuc from the town of Hassanamesit. In 1646, Wampooas moved his family to Nonantum. This was a town for Native Americans who had become Christians.

John Eliot, a missionary, said John's parents were strong believers. They influenced other Nipmuc people. John's mother passed away in Nonantum in 1647.

Living in Roxbury

John's father wanted him to learn English skills. So, between 1646 and 1651, John went to live with an English family in Roxbury. This was a town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John's father, Wampooas, died in 1651.

In Roxbury, John Wompas lived with Isaac and Elizabeth Heath. Isaac Heath was a leader in the local church and a friend of John Eliot. John learned to speak English well while helping on their farm. He also took part in their daily religious life and went to church. John also attended the Roxbury grammar school. This school taught Latin and Greek. Later, John moved to Cambridge to continue his studies.

Education and Learning

Traditional and Christian Learning

John's early life in Nipmuc Country taught him important skills. He learned hunting, fishing, and how to find his way using the stars. He also learned about his people's traditions and beliefs. After his family moved to Nonantum, John learned about Native Christian practices.

Grammar School and Harvard

In Roxbury, John Wompas went to grammar school. This was one of the few schools that prepared students for Harvard College. He learned to speak, read, and write English, Latin, and Greek. He improved these skills at the Cambridge Grammar School. The teacher there, Elijah Corlett, was good at teaching Native students.

John Wompas was one of only a few Native Americans to attend Harvard in the 1600s. Groups like the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England helped pay for Native students. The goal was for them to become Christian ministers among their own people. John started at Harvard in 1665, when he was in his late twenties.

At Harvard, John studied in Latin, just like the English students. He had to answer questions and debate in Latin. However, Native students were encouraged to use their Native language outside of class. Around 1668, John decided to leave Harvard. He chose to become a sailor instead.

Marriage and Family Life

John Wompas married Ann Prask on May 21, 1661. Ann lived in Roxbury too. She had been captured during the Pequot War as a child. She was living with Joshua and Mary Hewes. John and Ann's marriage was the only Native American wedding recorded in Boston's official records in the 1600s.

Under English law, John gained legal rights to Ann's property after they married. This included a large piece of land in Connecticut. Her father had left it to her just before their marriage. John quickly started selling some of this land to English buyers. His profits might have helped him buy a house near Boston Common in 1667. This house was special because it was the only home in Boston owned by Native Americans in the 1600s.

On February 7, 1664, John and Ann Wompas had their only known child, a daughter named Anna Wompas. Anna's birth was also recorded in Boston's official records. Anna lived for at least a year but passed away before 1673.

Land Deals and Business

John Wompas earned money by selling Native land to English colonists. He understood both Native and English land customs. This helped him get much higher prices for his sales than other Native people could. He managed the sale of land his wife, Ann Prask, inherited in Connecticut. He reported earning 530 pounds from the sale. This was a huge amount of money at a time when English colonists usually paid less for land from Native Americans.

In the early 1670s, Nipmuc leaders asked Wompas to help protect their lands. They trusted his English language skills. While Wompas did try to help, he also sold some of the land he was supposed to protect. He even sold the same land near Quansigamog Pond to different buyers. This caused legal problems that lasted for nearly 50 years after his death.

Life as a Sailor

Traveling the Atlantic

After leaving Harvard in 1668, John Wompas became a sailor. He was one of the first Native Americans known to work in transatlantic trade. This likely made him one of the most educated common sailors. He knew Latin, Greek, and other languages. Sailors like Wompas worked hard and faced dangers. But their pay was good, and it included food and lodging at sea.

Being a sailor connected Wompas to a community of sailors in places like Boston and New York. He also met sailors in London, England. These fellow sailors became some of his closest friends and even bought land from him.

Journeys to England

Between 1668 and 1676, Wompas split his time between sailing and selling Native land. By 1674, the Massachusetts government stopped him from selling land. This was because Nipmuc leaders complained that he was selling land without their permission.

In response, Wompas sailed to England in late 1674. He wanted to ask the King for help. He couldn't get a meeting with the King right away. He fell into debt and ended up in a London prison for debtors. From prison, he sent a request to King Charles II. The King then told his secretary to write to Massachusetts Governor John Leverett. The King asked that Wompas "may have Justice done him." This letter not only asked for justice for Wompas but also said that Native Americans were subjects of the British Crown.

Meeting the King

With help from a friend in London, Wompas got out of prison. He then went with Massachusetts agents William Stoughton and Peter Bulkeley to meet the King in December 1676. These agents were in London to explain why Massachusetts had broken British laws. They also wanted to renew the colony's charter. They brought two Christian Nipmuc boys with them. This was to show that the colony treated Native people well. Wompas likely joined the meeting to translate between the boys and the King. By being part of these meetings, Wompas learned about the disagreements between the King and Massachusetts.

Return to New England

Back in Boston

John Wompas returned to Boston on May 15, 1677. While he was away, his wife had passed away. Their house was now owned by English people. Life for Native Americans had also become much harder. King Philip's War had caused a lot of distrust. Native people faced many restrictions on where they could live, travel, and do business.

In June 1677, John Wompas gave the King's letter to Governor Leverett. He hoped it would allow him to sell land again. But the governor sent his case to the Indian Court. During the trial, Nipmuc leaders and Wompas's uncles said he had no right to sell Nipmuc lands. They said he needed permission from the Native leader and other Nipmuc people.

Since he couldn't get legal permission, Wompas started selling land illegally. He also began talking about the colony's problems with the King. He complained about how colony leaders treated him and other Native people.

Challenges and Imprisonment

John Wompas spent time in prison at different points in his life:

• In the spring of 1673, he was held in Boston prison until he paid fines.
• From February to December 1676, he was in a debtors' prison in London for nearly a year.
• In September 1677, Wompas made threats to people in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was put in the Cambridge jail. He escaped but was caught again and moved to the Boston jail. He was released on bond the next month.
• In May 1678, Wompas went to Fairfield, Connecticut, to claim land his wife had inherited. Town leaders did not accept his claims and put him in prison. After his release, Wompas asked the Connecticut General Court for the land, but they ruled against him.

Death and Legacy

After his attempt to claim land in Connecticut, John Wompas traveled to New York. He found work on a ship and sailed back to England. While there, he wrote another request to King Charles II. He complained about how the colonies treated him and other Native Americans. The King wrote another letter on Wompas's behalf. It said that all Native Americans who peacefully followed the King's government would be protected. This letter was sent to the governor of Connecticut on March 28, 1679.

However, John Wompas never returned to New England. In the late summer of 1679, Wompas wrote a will. In it, he claimed to be a Native leader. He left the Nipmuc land around Hassanamesit to his Nipmuc relatives. He passed away in September 1679 in London, England. The fact that he wrote a will suggests his death was not a surprise, but the exact reason for his death is unknown.

John Wompas's will was legally binding. It helped protect the land of the Hassanamesit Nipmuc people. He left some land to English friends, but he specifically set aside all of Hassanamesit for his Nipmuc relatives. Because of his will, English people who received land had to give four square miles to the Nipmuc people. This was part of an eight-square-mile area granted by Massachusetts in 1704. Some of that four square miles is still owned by the Nipmuc people today. It is the only land in Massachusetts that has never left Native hands.