AllenParkinson - Person Sheet
AllenParkinson - Person Sheet
NameJohn (prossibly) Whitmore 
Birth1589, England
Death1649, Stamford, CT411
Memomurdered by Mohegan Indians
Spouses
Marriagebef 1615, England
Marriageaft 1627
Notes for John (prossibly) Whitmore
That John Whitmore came to this country in the 1630's we know. In what part of the colonies he first landed we do not know, but he appears on the records of Wethersfield, Connecticut, as early as 1638. His lot of 54 acres at that place was sold to Robert Treat. He removed to Stamford in 1641, and was one of its first founders and settlers. His name is on the second and third lists of the colonists; was given in the first destribution of land ten acres; admitted freeman, 1642, Deputy to General Court Oct. 27, 1643, Representative to New Haven Assembly in 1647. Was killed by the Indian in 1648. This act was not an act of private hatred, but seems to have been the deed of the whole tribe, and the colony was moved to unite with that of New Hampshire in a just revenge. Colonial Records of Connecticut and Trumbull's Colonial Recollections: "This courte, taking into serious consideration what may be done according to God in way of revenge of the bloude of John Whitmore, late of Stamford, and well weighing all circumstances, together with the carriages of the Indians (bordering thereuppon) in and about the premises: doe declare themselves that they do judge it lawful and according to God to make a war uppon them." A committee was sent to New Haven the next day to confer with the rest of the magistrates, and "return with what convenient speed they may." Trumballs Co. Rec. Vol 1, pg. 197
(quoted in The Whitmore Genealogy, desc. of Francis Whitmore of Cambridge, Massachusetts)
"The town of Stamford, Connecticut, was first settled in the summer of 1641 by followers of Rev. Richard Denton. These settlers were said to be a more progressive and radical faction of the Wethersfield Church and their removal to Stamford settled a dispute within that church. The Rev. John Davenport, of New Haven, acted as an agent in arranging the purchase of land from the local Indians where the Rev. Richard Denton's people would eventually settle. This settlement was first called Rippowam, and later Stamford." (Norbert R. Bankert, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 155 #619, July 2001, p. 273)
"In the autumn of 1649, a new tragedy was enacted in Stamford. John Whitmore, one of the most respectable of the settlers, who had already won a good name here, left his house one morning to look for his cattle in the common grounds to the west of the village. He never returned. The utmost excitement prevailed throughout the settlement. The most diligent search brought no clue to the discovery of the body. Messengers were sent in every direction. Help was summoned from New Haven and Hartford, but the search and help were of no avail.
The perplexity and apprehension occasioned by this mysterious disappearance were very extensive. The general court at Hartford made it an occasion of serious deliberation. They felt that none of the colonists, in any of the Connecticut settlements, would be secure, if such surprises were to be possible. They enter on their record this minute, as expressive of their convictions of what was due themselves in the perilous crisis:
'This courte, taking into serious consideration what may bee done according to God in way of revenge of the blood of John Whitmore, late of Stamford, and well weighing all circumstances, together with the carriages of the Indians (bordering thereuppon) in and about the premises: doe declare themselves that they doe judge it lawfull and according to God to make a war uppon them. This courte desires Mr. Deputy, Mr. Ludlow, and Mr. Taylecoat to ride to-morrow to New Haven and confer with Mr. Eaton and the rest of the magistrates there about sending out against the Indians, and to make returne of their apprehensions with what convenient speed they may.'
Meanwhile, the search for the body of Mr. Whitmore was going on. By a providential arrangement, Uncas, the great Mohegan, who for years had now been the polite friend of the whites, was now, with a band of his clear-sighted warriors, in this vicinity. So unusual was such a visitation, as to leave the impression that his main object in the expedition was to aid the Stamford men in their search. To this he might easily have been induced by the Connecticut colony; and to this he set himself earnestly and successfully to work.
As, nominally at least, sachem over the tribe whose limits had once embraced all this territory, he spoke with some show of authority. Assembling the neighboring Indians, he demanded of them the body of the murdered man. Taphance, the son of Ponus, and Rehoron his subject, both of whom had been suspected as being either the principles in the murderous deed, or chief instigators to it, now feeling the pressure of Indian resolution and fearing the consequences of further endeavors to mask themselves in the presence of these sharp- eyed and now suspecting detectives, led the way into the woods directly to the mangled remains.
It would seem that this would have been sufficient to justify the prompt arrest of these two suspected guides. It is true they denied having any hand in the murder. They had previously charged it upon Toquattoes, an Indian who had come down from among or near the maddened Mohawks, with a deep revenge in his soul, to be appeased by the scalp of some white man. Meeting Whitmore alone and without defense, he had satisfied his vengeance against the race by his sudden death, and escaped beyond their knowledge and pursuit. But from the day of the murder, wherever questioned by the neighbors, these two neighboring and now suspected Indians, had shown the deepest concern and fear; and now, while leading the way to the remains, which had already laid three months concealed, they are seized with a terror which makes them pale with fear, if not with conscious guilt. And yet the authorities allowed them to escape. They concealed themselves so effectually as to elude the officers of justice for several years.
At length, in October, 1662, Taphance is brought before the Court of Magistrates, held in New Haven, on a warrant issued by the governor. The trial is detailed at length in the New Haven Colonial Records, transcribed and published by Charles J. Hoadley, pages 458-463. The court decided that there was strong grounds of suspicion against Taphance. His own acknowledgement, his trembling, his stealing away after promising help in searching for the murderer, his suspicious looks and actions before Uncas, were in evidence against him. The testimony of Mr. Whitmore's wife and children as to his fawning manner on the very day of Mr. Whitmore's murder, was also in proof. The testimony of Mr. Law and John Mead, who were together when he came to Mr. Law's the second morning after the murder, and the testimony of Richard Ambler and Goodman Jessop, who also saw and heard Taphance at Mr. Law's, was in proof. These agreeing testimonies influenced the court to decide:
'that in ye whole there stands a blot upon him of suspicion; that there was sufficient grounds for his apprehending and committing to durance, and all that he hath said at this time canot clear him of a stain of suspicion; but as being guilty of ye murder, directly or accessory, he did pronounce him not guilty in point of death; but yet must declare him to stand to pay all charges that hath been about him and leave him guilty of suspicion; and that he stands bound as his duty to doe his best endeavor to obtain ye murderer, and now to remain in durance until ye next session of ye court, about a fortnight hence, except he can give some assurances of his payinge the charge before, which charge was concluded to be ten pound.'
Taphance accepted the judgement of the court and promised to do his best towards securing the murderer. He pleaded his poverty and asked to have his chains removed, pledging himself not to run away under forfeiture of his life. Upon which he was set at liberty, after providing to appear at the next court.
No further mention of the case appears on record." (History of Stamford:1641-1868, E.B. Huntington, p. 108-111)
John was called "the lost brother" in Purdy's Whitmore Genealogy. Along with others who assume that he was a son of Thomas Whitmore of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. But all of his other children were born in Hitchin - both before and after the birth date of John. Thomas's son Thomas settled in Middletown.
Two articles in the New England Historical Genealogical Society Register find that there is no link - or only a distant one - between the two Whitmore families. John's grandson, Francis and two of his sisters did go to Middletown and married there - so there may have been some distant relationship.)
(NEHGS Register 1875 p. 27 and 1863 p. 243)
(quoted in The Whitmore Genealogy, desc. of Francis Whitmore of Cambridge, Massachusetts)
"The town of Stamford, Connecticut, was first settled in the summer of 1641 by followers of Rev. Richard Denton. These settlers were said to be a more progressive and radical faction of the Wethersfield Church and their removal to Stamford settled a dispute within that church. The Rev. John Davenport, of New Haven, acted as an agent in arranging the purchase of land from the local Indians where the Rev. Richard Denton's people would eventually settle. This settlement was first called Rippowam, and later Stamford." (Norbert R. Bankert, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 155 #619, July 2001, p. 273)
"In the autumn of 1649, a new tragedy was enacted in Stamford. John Whitmore, one of the most respectable of the settlers, who had already won a good name here, left his house one morning to look for his cattle in the common grounds to the west of the village. He never returned. The utmost excitement prevailed throughout the settlement. The most diligent search brought no clue to the discovery of the body. Messengers were sent in every direction. Help was summoned from New Haven and Hartford, but the search and help were of no avail.
The perplexity and apprehension occasioned by this mysterious disappearance were very extensive. The general court at Hartford made it an occasion of serious deliberation. They felt that none of the colonists, in any of the Connecticut settlements, would be secure, if such surprises were to be possible. They enter on their record this minute, as expressive of their convictions of what was due themselves in the perilous crisis:
'This courte, taking into serious consideration what may bee done according to God in way of revenge of the blood of John Whitmore, late of Stamford, and well weighing all circumstances, together with the carriages of the Indians (bordering thereuppon) in and about the premises: doe declare themselves that they doe judge it lawfull and according to God to make a war uppon them. This courte desires Mr. Deputy, Mr. Ludlow, and Mr. Taylecoat to ride to-morrow to New Haven and confer with Mr. Eaton and the rest of the magistrates there about sending out against the Indians, and to make returne of their apprehensions with what convenient speed they may.'
Meanwhile, the search for the body of Mr. Whitmore was going on. By a providential arrangement, Uncas, the great Mohegan, who for years had now been the polite friend of the whites, was now, with a band of his clear-sighted warriors, in this vicinity. So unusual was such a visitation, as to leave the impression that his main object in the expedition was to aid the Stamford men in their search. To this he might easily have been induced by the Connecticut colony; and to this he set himself earnestly and successfully to work.
As, nominally at least, sachem over the tribe whose limits had once embraced all this territory, he spoke with some show of authority. Assembling the neighboring Indians, he demanded of them the body of the murdered man. Taphance, the son of Ponus, and Rehoron his subject, both of whom had been suspected as being either the principles in the murderous deed, or chief instigators to it, now feeling the pressure of Indian resolution and fearing the consequences of further endeavors to mask themselves in the presence of these sharp- eyed and now suspecting detectives, led the way into the woods directly to the mangled remains.
It would seem that this would have been sufficient to justify the prompt arrest of these two suspected guides. It is true they denied having any hand in the murder. They had previously charged it upon Toquattoes, an Indian who had come down from among or near the maddened Mohawks, with a deep revenge in his soul, to be appeased by the scalp of some white man. Meeting Whitmore alone and without defense, he had satisfied his vengeance against the race by his sudden death, and escaped beyond their knowledge and pursuit. But from the day of the murder, wherever questioned by the neighbors, these two neighboring and now suspected Indians, had shown the deepest concern and fear; and now, while leading the way to the remains, which had already laid three months concealed, they are seized with a terror which makes them pale with fear, if not with conscious guilt. And yet the authorities allowed them to escape. They concealed themselves so effectually as to elude the officers of justice for several years.
At length, in October, 1662, Taphance is brought before the Court of Magistrates, held in New Haven, on a warrant issued by the governor. The trial is detailed at length in the New Haven Colonial Records, transcribed and published by Charles J. Hoadley, pages 458-463. The court decided that there was strong grounds of suspicion against Taphance. His own acknowledgement, his trembling, his stealing away after promising help in searching for the murderer, his suspicious looks and actions before Uncas, were in evidence against him. The testimony of Mr. Whitmore's wife and children as to his fawning manner on the very day of Mr. Whitmore's murder, was also in proof. The testimony of Mr. Law and John Mead, who were together when he came to Mr. Law's the second morning after the murder, and the testimony of Richard Ambler and Goodman Jessop, who also saw and heard Taphance at Mr. Law's, was in proof. These agreeing testimonies influenced the court to decide:
'that in ye whole there stands a blot upon him of suspicion; that there was sufficient grounds for his apprehending and committing to durance, and all that he hath said at this time canot clear him of a stain of suspicion; but as being guilty of ye murder, directly or accessory, he did pronounce him not guilty in point of death; but yet must declare him to stand to pay all charges that hath been about him and leave him guilty of suspicion; and that he stands bound as his duty to doe his best endeavor to obtain ye murderer, and now to remain in durance until ye next session of ye court, about a fortnight hence, except he can give some assurances of his payinge the charge before, which charge was concluded to be ten pound.'
Taphance accepted the judgement of the court and promised to do his best towards securing the murderer. He pleaded his poverty and asked to have his chains removed, pledging himself not to run away under forfeiture of his life. Upon which he was set at liberty, after providing to appear at the next court.
No further mention of the case appears on record." (History of Stamford:1641-1868, E.B. Huntington, p. 108-111)
John was called "the lost brother" in Purdy's Whitmore Genealogy. Along with others who assume that he was a son of Thomas Whitmore of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. But all of his other children were born in Hitchin - both before and after the birth date of John. Thomas's son Thomas settled in Middletown.
Two articles in the New England Historical Genealogical Society Register find that there is no link - or only a distant one - between the two Whitmore families. John's grandson, Francis and two of his sisters did go to Middletown and married there - so there may have been some distant relationship.)
(NEHGS Register 1875 p. 27 and 1863 p. 243)