Tag: Wonalancet
Wonalancet (ca. 1619-1697) — also spelled Wannalancet and Wannalancit and probably Wanaloset and Wanalosett — was a sachem or sagamore of the Penacook Indians. He was the son of Passaconaway.
Born around 1619, Wonalancet spent most of his time with his tribe in the area known as “Augumtoocooke”, which is now modern-day greater Lowell, Massachusetts. Europeans began to settle in the Augumtoocooke area around 1653, and established the town of Chelmsford, incorporated in 1655. In October 1665, Wonalancet’s sister Bess, wife of Nobb How, sold Augumtoocooke to Captain John Evered for the sum of four yards of Duffill and one pound of tobacco. King Philip’s War broke out in 1675.
Wonalancet became chief of the tribe when his father died in 1679. In accordance with the deathbed wish of his father, Wonalancet resolved never to fight the English settlers in New England and refused to participate in King Philip’s War. Invited to attend a meeting with English settlers, he was treacherously…
