King Nummy facts for kids

King Nummy was an important leader of the Kechemeche people. The Kechemeche were a group of the Lenape (also known as Lenni Lenape) who lived in what is now Southern New Jersey. At that time, this area was part of the English Province of New Jersey. Nummy was the last major leader of his group. By the time he died, many Kechemeche had moved west, joined the colonial society, lived on their own, or had passed away.

King Nummy's Story

Nummy's life story is not fully known. Most of what we know about him comes from writings by European settlers from New Sweden and New Jersey. The Lenape people themselves did not write much down. Some Presbyterian missionaries who worked with the Lenape also wrote about him.

Nummy's Important Role

Nummy was known as a peace broker and a trader. This means he helped keep peace and traded goods between the European settlers and the Lenape. Some people believed he was a chief for a larger group called the Unalachtigo Lenape, not just the Kechemeche. However, Europeans sometimes thought Native American leaders had more power than they actually did.

Nummy showed his friendship by giving a "Cape May Diamond" to a settler named Christopher Leaming. He also sold a whale to Evan Davis in 1685. Nummy had a sister named Snowflower. Some stories say she married an English missionary named Benijah Thompson.

Where Did Nummy Live?

It is not known exactly where Nummy died. Most stories say he stayed in Southern New Jersey. He did not move west like many other Lenape people. It is thought he stayed to take care of his sister's children after she died from an illness.

One story says he might be buried on Nummy Island. This is a small island between North Wildwood and Stone Harbor in Jenkins Sound, near Hereford Inlet. However, some writers, like Charles Tomlin in 1913, think this burial place is unlikely.

Nummy's Legacy Today

Several places in New Jersey are named after King Nummy. Most of these are in what is now Middle Township. These places include:

• Nummy Island (mentioned above)
• Nummy Lake in Belleplain State Forest
• A place called Nummytown
• A trail into Wildwood called King Nummy Trail or the Indian Trail
• Nummy Campground