Part 4

Timothy Brooks resided at different periods, at Woburn, Bedford and Swansea, Mass. During King Philip’s war, his family were protected at “Garrison No. 10” at Bedford, which stood near his residence, now known as the “Old Page House.” After the death of his first wife, 1680, he removed to Swansea. He was “admitted into ye second Ranke” at Swansea 1680, November 12. Freeman, 1681. Granted liberty “to set up a Saw Mill on Mattapoisett River at the upper falls and four acres of Land to accommodate the same adjoining,” 1681, November 11. One of “the Grand Enquest,” 1682, June 6. Granted liberty to “keep Entertainment for Travellers” 1684, January 1. Commissioned Lieutenant of the Swansea Company, 1686, June 4. Promoted to be Captain of the Company, 1690, May 20.

Timothy Brooks resided in that part of Swansea now Warren, and, in 1690, was one of the fence viewers appointed for Kickemuit district. His hostelry was the first ever opened within the limits of Warren. Judging by deeds recorded at Swansea and Warren, it was located on the east side of Belcher’s Cove on the Swansea Road. His estate consisted of a house, barn, and out-buildings and 110 acres of land, which he sold to John Barney of Bristol, May 15, 1702.

[1] See also, “Sowams, the Home of Massasoit: Where Was It?” by Virginia Baker, N. E. Hist. and Gen. Register, July, 1899.

[2] The Narragansetts occupied what is now Washington County, Rhode Island.

[3] This name, although originally applied only to the white beads, came, in time, to signify both white and black.

[4] See Deposition of Roger Williams.

[5] Undoubtedly much of the clay used in Pokanoket was procured at Barrington and North Swansea.

[6] Captain Thomas Hunt. He sold the Indians, Winslow tells us, for £20 apiece “like a wretched man that cares not what mischief he doth for his profit.”

[7] From Handy Street to Metacom Avenue.

[8] Another name of Massasoit.

[9] Durfee, “Whatcheer.”

[10] Winthrop.

[11] Morton’s Memorial, Appendix, 463.

[12] The late Miss Annie E. Cole, who spent many years in collecting historical data relating to Warren, believed that the trading post occupied a central location upon the west bank of the Kickemuit, near the “wading-place” before mentioned.

[13] On the east shore of the river, a few yards below the “wading-place,” could be seen less than a century ago, the remains of an Indian “hot-house,” a cell-like chamber constructed of stone and built into the river bank, having in its centre, a flat bed of stone, the whole enclosure measuring about eight feet in length. The savages made use of the sweating-bath in sickness or to cleanse their skins of accumulations of dirt, paint, and grease. A huge fire was built on the rude fireplace of the “hot house,” being removed after the chamber became thoroughly heated. The Indians then seated themselves around the hot stones, and remained “for an hour or more,” says Roger Williams, “taking tobacco, discoursing and sweating together.” After thus profusely perspiring they plunged into the water, to cool their bodies.

[14] The Indians accounted for the serpentine course of Kickemuit River thus. Ages ago, they said, a deluge covered the whole face of the earth. When the waters subsided, a certain divinity who inhabited Pokanoket, feeling hungry sallied forth in search of food. Espying a huge eel basking in the mud, he raised his spear aloft but the eel, perceiving his design, began wriggling rapidly in the opposite direction. As it twisted, first to the right then to the left, its pursuer was obliged to also constantly turn and turn and soon became so fatigued that the eel easily out-distanced him and finally plunged into Mount Hope Bay. The track left in the mud by pursued and pursuer eventually became the bed of the Kickemuit River.

[15] See Appendix.

[16] Callender’s Historical Discourse.

[17] William White died, 1621. The actual purchasers were his two sons, Resolved and Peregrine.

[18] The English gave the name of Mt. Hope Neck to the peninsula formed by Sowams River and Narragansett Bay on the west and Kickemuit River and Mt. Hope Bay on the east. It is a tract nine miles in extent, of which one mile is in North Swansea, three miles are in Warren and the remaining five miles, including the hill from which the neck is named are in Bristol.

[19] “Petronel, a kind of carabine or horseman’s pistol.” Webster.

[20] The name of Alexander’s son is unknown.

[21] See Appendix.

[22] After the close of Philip’s war, Job Winslow erected a “dwelling house” near the “wading-place” at Kickemuit on what is now the farm of Mr. Edward Ennis. It is probable that the house “broken up” by the Indians occupied this same site.

[23] This was located in what is now Barneysville. The bridge over Palmer’s River near its site is still generally called “Miles’ Bridge.”

[24] Birch Swamp in the north-easterly part of Warren.

[25] See Appendix.

[26] Taunton Records.

[27] This hill is on the farm of Mr. Edward Mason, Birch Swamp Road, Warren.

Transcriber’s Note

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. Footnotes were renumbered sequentially and were moved to the end of the book. Dialect, obsolete and alternative spellings were left unchanged. Misspelled words were not changed. Obvious printing errors, such as partially printed letters, were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of sentences were added. Duplicate words at line endings and extraneous punctuation were removed.