THE "SYMON INDIAN" LETTER OF LT. PHILIP CHALLIS

In my previous post I mentioned that the Indian Symon had figured in
another bit of family history. The ancestor in question was Philip Challis,
my 8x greatgrandfather, and while he and Symon may or may not have met,
Philip Challis was one of three officers who sent the following letter to the
Royal Governor in Boston to report on an attack Symon made on the town
of Amesbury. Ma. This is from Genealogical History of the Quinby (Quimby)
Family in England and America by Henry Cole Quinby (Tuttle Company,
Rutland, Vt., 1915) pp 68-69
  

"THE "SYMON INDIAN" LETTER

The following is the letter mentioned a few pages back. The heroine referred
to is Elizabeth (Osgood) Quinby, the daughter of William1 Osgood and wife of
Robert* Quinby of Amesbury. The original letter is preserved in the Massachusetts
Archives, vol. 69, pp. 141-2. The words italicized (in parenthesis) are crossed out
in the original.

Amesbury: 9: 5 mo: 1677

Sr: Be pleased by these to undrstand yt yesterday being ye Sabbath. There was 5
Indians seen by Jno: Hoyt Junr follow one another in a strait file upon Thomas
Haynes's hill & goe into ye bushes & a sixth to follow ye five (sixth): seen by
anothr: & in ye Aftrnoone one Indian was seen by two off Sergt: Belchers men:
& ye last night ye Indians weere about ye garison wher Sergt Belchers men keep:
& Just now there was an Indian seen undr the fence creeping towrd Thomas Hayn's
towrds ye place where ye: men were slain on fryday last: Soe yt wee doe assuredly
conclude yt Symon & his party are nott Drawne off fro ye town but evr & anon
shew yms: by one two or some few of ym to draw out or weake strength into ym &
to cuts us off And ye grounds off this or opinion is further confirmed unto us by ye
relacn off ye wounded woman: wch according to yr desire wee whose names are
undrwritten tooke fro her mouth: viz: That there were about ten yt killed or men,
& about twenty yt shee saw in all & yt she knew ye most off those yt shee saw iff
nott all off them to be Indians yt Dwelt formerly here-abouts & att Newbury ffalls:
although she (m) did nott know all yr names butt some shee knew by name: &
named Symon: & Pooky John formerly soe called now Andrew: & one Jeoffry now
called Samuel & one named Joseph as she thinks.(wee asked her how long it was.)
And yt It was Symon yt knockt her on ye head, whome when he came to her she
desired him nott To kill her: why sd he good wife Quinby:(wch was her name) doe
you think yt I will kill you? Sd shee because you kill all english: sd he I will give Qurtr
to never an english dogg off you all, & gave her a blow on ye head whereupon she
called him Rogue & threw a stone att him, & then he gave her twoe more & settled
her for Dead: Wee Asked whither she was sure yt It was Symon & how long It was
ere yt she saw him before she Answrd yt about 3 years since he was att their house
with an otter: wch time pson & Token Sargt: Samll ffoot being then att ye house doth
very well remember & Affirms ye same This Con sidred in Conjunction with Symon's
being & living an apprentisce servant with Goodwife Quinbies father att (during) ye
same time yt her selfe also lived with her father whose name was Will Osgood 
seems to confirme unto us her perfect knowledg of Simon Which things Considred 
wee Doubt Nott but yt Itt is Symon & his party yt layes siege unto or towne Neither 
Do wee scruple ye womans certaine knowledg off Symon Indian.

further more shee relates yt when Symon was about to kill her, & she called 
to ye garrison: He says why doe you call to ye Garrison. I will have that too 
by and by

This is a faithfull & true relac & acct off or
present Concernmts fro Sr yr humble servts

Philip Challis Leift:
Jeremiah Belcher
Samell foot "

A PLACE FOR EVERYONE & EVERYONE IN THEIR PLACE.

Another interesting find from Google ebooks!

I have several ancestral lines from Amesbury so I googled for a
history of the town and found Joseph Merrill's History of Amesbury.
It includes records year by year of early colonial town meetings, and I
found this on pages 89-90:


July 9th. A general meeting was held for the purpose of seating the
people  in the new church, and "Liften Phillip Challes, Richard Currier,
William  Osgood, Rober Jones William Barnes, John Weed, Thomas
Barnard sen Nathan Gold, Georg Martyn thes men above retten" to
apoint every man and woman in the towen there pertecular seatc
to set in in the metten house acording to there best judgment, exept
thes men wich the town themselves have plased."

Accordingly they proceeded to exercise their "best judgment," as
follows:—

"Richard Currier is to set at the tabell.

Thomas Barnard sen is to set in the seat behind the tabell.

Roberd Jons and John Weed are to set in the nor West corner of the
metten house.

The 2 seate in the nor West side Georg Martyn and Nathan Gould are
 to set in.


Good wiffe barens is to set in the front seate at the tabell.

Good wide Osgood and Good wiffe Challes and Good wiffe Weed
are to set in the first seate in the sowethest sid of the metten house. 12

Good wiffe Currier and Good wiffe Barnard is to set in the second
seate in the sowett west side of the metten house.

Good wiffe Jons is to set in the second seate in the sowethwest side of
the metten house.

Good wiffe Gould is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth side of the
metten house.

Good wiffe Martyn is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth est side of
the metten house.

Georg Martyn do enter his contry desent to the plasen of his wiffe
in that seat.

William Sargent sen is to set at the tabell.

Edward Goodwin is to set at the tabell.

Jarret Hadden and Sargent Hoyt is to set in the seate at the
back of the tabell.

Edward Cottell and Edmund Elleatt and Hen Blasdell is to set
in the 2 seat on the nor west side of the metten house.

Samuel Foot, John Hoyt jr Thomas Barnard jr Thomas Sargent,
William Hoyt lsa Colby Thomas Kowell is to set in the ftrst seat
in the nor est side in the metten house.

William Huntinton Thomas Fowler, Thomas Nichols Rob Quinby is
to set in the 3 seat in the nor west side in the metten house.

John Pressy, Jemes Ercs, Ezckicll Worthen, John Huntinton is to set in
the 2 seate in the nor west side in the metten house.

Jemes Gorg Joh Barber is to set in the 3 seate in the nor est side of
 the metten house."

The record is very much worn and it is probable that a few more may
 have been seated. William Barnes was moderator of the meeting and,
of course, had a prominent seat assigned him. Forty or more were seated
 and these constituted the principal inhabitants at this time, excepting
children. The seating seems to have been satisfactory, with a single
 exception. Those seated at the table may have been deacons, but we
do not find the term used. They were, no doubt, seated somewhat
 according to their standing in town. The seats were rudely constructed
 settees or benches, and the whole outftt of the house was very simple
and plain.  (p89-90)
There's a bunch of my ancestors on this list: John Hoyt, William Barnes,
William Sargent, Philip Challis. I don't know if that meeting house still exists
in Amesbury but if it does I could walk in and from this have a pretty good
idea of where they were seated at worship.

It's like that saying goes: all in their places with bright shiny faces!