Historical notes about watch hill
[As appeared in Seaside Topics, 1919, vol.5]
niantick indians fought montauks on watch hill
original grants of the land now occupied by the
cottage colony
The southwestern portion of Rhode Island - the Misquainicut [sic] of the aborigines - was
occupied in early days by the Nianticks, a part of the Narragansett tribe. The king, Ninigret,
was a prominent character in those times. The story of his life and entanglements with the
English, and other Indian tribes, will be found in full, by any one curious in such matters, in Drake's
"Indians of North America", eleventh edition, pages 131-148. His friendship for the white man varied
very much. When the missionary Mayhew asked of him permission to preach to his people, he bid him
"go and make the English good first." He made war on the Montauk tribe of Long Island, and in 1654
a sanguinary battle took place between them at Watch Hill, in which he was victorious.
Ninigret did not engage with other Narragansett chiefs in King Philip's War, and when the latter
was defeated and killed, and his tribe scattered, many of them sought refuge with Ninigret, and
the remnant of the tribe have remained in the state to the present day. The State of Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations - the full designation of the proud little state - in 1882 purchased all
the "right, title, and interest" of the remnant of the tribe to its reservation, for $5000.
There were 324 of the tribe enumerated. Each received $15.43. About forty of them reside in the
town of Westerly, in which Watch Hill is situated.
Indian bones and relics are mfrequently exhumed when the ground is disturbed, and there are
other evidences that Watch Hill was a favorite resort, and an important point of observation
of the aborigines.
THE ORIGINAL OWNERS
The purchaser of a building lot on Watch Hill may be interested in knowing who were the original
owners of the ground. There is authentic information on the subject. As early as 1658 the General
Court of Massachusetts Bay granted to Captain Daniel Gookin certain lands east of the Pawcatuck
River. These were sold and transferred to Simon Lynde of Boston in 1672. The courts of Connecticut
confirmed the grant in 1674. Rhode Island was annexed to the dominion of Sir Edmond Andros in
1686, who was titled Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of His Majesty's Territory in New
England. Simon Lynde died in 1688. His real estate was divided among his children, and in the distribution
Watch Hill was assigned to his son Nataniel Lynde of Saybrook, who in turn sold it to James Pendleton.
The deed of conveyance was executed in Boston February 28, 1688, and the same may be found on the
records of Old Stonington. The document is very quaint and antiquainted. We copy the description
of the property here for the enlightenment of the reader. He conveys:
"All that his farms, tract, persell, or neck of land Commonly Called or known by the Several name or names
of Pawcatuck alies Squamochuck neck, beginning at a stake stuck in the east side of a Creek one
Rod west of the mouth thereof; the said creek being between two small necks of upland, and Runs
into a piece of salt Marsh, at the head of a Cove being on the East side of the pauckatuck River,
which said stake is the North Easterly Corner. And from thence in a straight Lyne South fifteen
degrees East to Cross the said Neck three hundred and fifty eight Rod by mark trees and heapes
of stones into the salt Water pond called Massachuge, which is the South East Corner, from thence
bounded southerly by said pond and beach and watch hill pond and beach as said ponds and
beaches joynes unto the uplands with whatch hill peyntt being the South West Corner, from thence
westerly by the beach and the harbor, including the hummocks and Marsh thearto adjoining on the
turn of the beach, that makes the harbor along by the East side of said harbor and Cove to the
mouth of pauchtuck River, theare-being the Noath Westerly Corner, from thence bounded on the
North-ward by the Southeasterly side of said River and Coves as they Lye into the first station;
being the Noath Easterly Corner, so that the whole is bounded Easterly by lands Not Laid out.
Southerly by said ponds and beaches, Westerly by the harbor and Coves, Northerly by the
Aforementioned River and Coves, containing one thousand Achors."