Pioneers of every age move out into the unknown, seeking something better. A better home for themselves and their families. A better chance for a prosperous future. The proverbial fame and fortune.
But when William Janes and his young family set out on the treacherous journey across the Atlantic in 1637, they were looking for freedom-freedom to worship. Freedom from persecution by religious tyrants who, during the reign of Charles I, sought to put down the "radical" religious sect that believed in purity of the scriptures-the Puritans.
Leader of this small religious band emigrating to the New England coast was on the ship "Hector" and her sister ship "Theophilus" was Rev. John Davenport. Most of the colony had been members of Rev. Davenport's church on Coleman Street in London. One historian described the group as "composed principally of merchants of London whose wealth and position prepared them to come under better auspices that any company which had preceded them. (1)
William Janes was probably educated for the ministry in England, and in the new colony he was a teaching-elder whose duty it was to teach and interpret the doctrine of the church. His was a vital role. Doctrine was finely interpreted, strictly enforced, and a citizen of a Puritan community had to know the proper interpretation of the Scriptures, down to the last thou-shalt-not, because he was expected to live by it every hour of the day.
Full citizenship-land ownership, voting and other privileges-was limited to Church members, those who knew and understood the doctrine, then lived by it. They could be voted in or out of the Church by other members-people who observed them every day-so there was no chance to practice only a Sunday religion. In some of the colonies, only about one adult in six was admitted to membership. Obviously, then, the teaching elder played an important part.
He was also needed for another role: that of educating the young. Now that the Puritans had escaped the "evil" doctrines of the Anglican churches, they had to work to keep their religion pure. This meant educating their own ministers as well as other church and civic leaders.
No doubt William Janes knew that this was to be his function when he planned the long journey. He was an educated young man and well indoctrinated in the pure Scriptures. Clearly he would be expected to pass along his knowledge to the young people of the new colony who would in turn perpetuate learning.
William was about 27 years old at the time he came to the new land. Born in County Essex, England, 30 Sep 1610, he was from an educated and probably wealthy family. The likely came from the French deJean or deJeanne family generations earlier, the name being Anglicized by dropping the "de". In some instances, our William signed his name Jeanes or at other time J'anes. It was pronounced the same way, the "a" as in "lane" or "cane". At least one branch changed the spelling to Jeans or Jean, but pronounced it Janes. Others have added a letter, making the name Jaynes. And it is not uncommon to find two different spellings in the same handwritten document.
The old records, of course, were all hand written and often difficult to read. In transcribing these to printed lists-and to history-careless historians have all but wiped out the Janes records. The name is most frequently changed to Jones or James on census lists.
According to the Janes Family History, our William, the emigrant, descends from Guido de Janes, a general of the French Confederation, who accompanied Henry II to England in 1154. For his valor and service, this Janes received from the King the manor of Kirkland or Kirtling in Cambridgeshire. Some of the estates were still in the family name in the mid-1800's, A grandson of Gen. Janes, Geoffery de Janes, took up arms with Baldwin, count of Flanders, about 1299-04, helping pave the way for Baldwin to become king of Jerusalem. Geoffery returned to England, then with his son, Guy or Guido de Janes, made three pilgrimages to the Holy Land. The escallop shells on the coat of arms commemorates those events. (2) Links between these military de Janes and our first American ancestors are not known.
With young William on the trip to America were his wife Mary-her maiden name is not known-and their son Joseph who was only one year old when they began the journey. The congregation landed near Boston 3 June 1637, and were greeted with open arms by settlers there. (3) With talents and skills as well as financial backing, they were urged to remain with the Massachusetts Colony. Rev Davenport was a guest in the home of Rev. John Cotton (probably others from the "Hector" were also taken in by the church members) and became involved in a religious dispute then going on. The group stayed several months- probably with friends from the "old country" or relatives, perhaps- and must have been well respected. The Charlestown company offered them incentives to settle there, Newbury was ready to give them the whole town- any place that was free. (4)
Perhaps they tired of the somewhat petty argument among their fellow Christians and wanted to begin a "true" scriptural community, or possibly they wanted some distance between themselves and a hostile English governor who was expected to arrive that summer. In any case, when the religious refugees heard of a beautiful harbor down the coast-a broad wooded land and fertile green meadows, the spot bounded on two sides by a river and protected on the north by huge cliffs-it sounded like the "Haven" they were seeking. Called Quinnipiac by the friendly Indians who hunted through the woods, this was to become the first American home for Rev. Davenport's weary congregation- their New Haven, now a metropolis in Connecticut.
For more than a year they had been on the move. Babies had been born, loved ones had died. There must have been relief, mixed with prayerful misgivings, when they sailed out of Boston Harbor, March 30, 1638. Prayers of thanksgiving and entreaties from the Lord's guidance and protection in the raw, new land were offered when they reached their destination April 16.
The settlers wasted no time in laying out the town and beginning their new homes. A square in the center of the settlement was set aside for the meeting house-the first public building to be erected. It served as a place of worship on the Sabbath and as a town hall, court room and school house the rest of the week. Lots for homes were set off surrounding the public square. Farm lands were located outside the town, of course, but the newcomers built their homes close together for safety and for social reasons. William and Mary took a corner lot (139' x 235') adjoining the square at the southwest corner (Church and Chapel Streets). As the teaching-elder he needed to be close to the church.
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When the colonists held their official meeting in Newman's barn, June 4, 1639, the covenant was sighed by 419 persons, including William Jeanes. They organized a civil government, drew up laws, and set forth regulations for their new colony. In August, the church was officially constituted. Rev. Davenport was the pastor and Theophilus Eaton, the retired merchant and one of the wealthiest men in the colony, was elected Governor of the New Haven Colony.
Safely settled - for a while, at least - the Janes could begin to help populate the new land. In the next 20 years, they had eleven more children.
The Janes of New Haven were not wealthy, but they probably lived better than most of the colonists in New England. William taught the religious doctrine of the Bible - the "Pure Scripture" - and provided instruction for certain youngsters as well. Records show the Colony paid him only 10 pounds annually; probably he was paid extra for teaching and had some income from home.
He did not own a great deal of land. "New Haven Records" for 1643 lists "Will Jeanes" as having five in family, 4 in the "neck", 10 in the "Meadow" and 40 acres in the "second division." Many of the others held as much as 300-700 acres. Obviously, then, William did not seek to make all his income from the land. (5)
For a short time in 1652, William Jeanes went to Wethersfield where he had been invited to teach, but he was soon back in New Haven. About 1656 with Mary and eight or nine children - William Jr, was probably about two years old at the time and his younger sister Rebecca was an infant- William joined a group of pioneers moving up the Connecticut River valley. He was among the 24 petitioners to sign for the settlement of the fertile "Nan-o-tuck Plantation," later the site of Northampton, Mass (6)
. Only eight of the original 24 actually settled there: Wm. Janes, Edw. Elmore, Wm. Miller, Thos. Root, Wm. Clark, Wm. Holton, Robert Bartlett, and John Webb. The petition asked for the place so they could raise corn and cattle to provide for themselves and others "the [lace promising in an ordinary way of God's Providence a comfortable subsistence, whereby people may live, and attend upon God in his holy ordinances without distraction.
The petition was granted by the General Court 18 May 1653 and the land purchased from the Indians for "100 fathom of Whampus by Sale and for Ten coats (besides some small gifts)." Twenty families could be accommodated with 40 acres each. Before a settler could sell or rent his land, he had to be a resident for four years. If he left before the four years was up, he relinquished all rights to his claim. (7) Eleazer Mathers was selected as minister, the settlers built a church and a home for him, and then about their other business. Wm. Janes was the teaching elder.
The home lots of the first settlers were located near what later became Market, Pleasant, King and Hawley streets in Northampton. Later the town spread west of the "old church" and south of Mill River. William built a home for his family on land that was later the home of the grandfather of Gov. Caleb Strong and where many years later the Connecticut River Railroad built a depot.
In June of 1660, three men were "chosen by the town" to "measure out" 41 acres of land to be used as income property for the payment of parish expenses. William Jeanes, Joseph Parsons and Robert Bartlett were selected for the job. When the Northampton church was formally established and the covenant adopted April 18, 1661, Wm. Jeanes was among those who "subscribed his name thereunto." He was also named recorder of lands for some 20 years and Northampton records contained hundred of pages in his handwriting. (8) At that time, the population of Northampton was nearly 300.
Not only did the pioneers of Northampton manifest an interest in religious matters, but the school also claimed their early attention. In 1666, William Jeanes was hired by the town to teach school one year, and "for his encouragement and satisfaction for his attendance upon that work" the town and himself came to the conclusion and agreement: "For the year he is to have out of the Towne Stock Ten Pounds, which the townsmen promise to pay; Four pence per week for such as are in the primer and other English books; six pence a week to learn Audience-writing, casting accounts; in any case there be neglect that they do not come constantly, 3 days shall be accounted a week." (9)
But life in the new colony was not without tragedy. After bearing her twelfth child and weathering the many storms of colonial pioneering, Mary Janes died, April 4, 1662 (10). Side by side, William and Mary had fought for their religious beliefs, faced - and conquered - the wilderness, led the way in founding new settlements, two new towns, and raised their young ones. Now he was alone, with four or five children under 10 years of age.
Necessity required rapid remarriage in the colonial days and before the year was out, William married Hannah Bascom Broughton, young widow of John Broughton. They were married 20 Nov 1662 and by the following October the first of their four children was born. Thus, by his two wives, William Janes fathered 16 children.
Seemingly, the congregations that settled New Haven and Northampton as well as the groups that went north had experienced very little trouble from the Indians. The colonists had purchased lands from the natives, settling affairs to the satisfaction of both - or so they thought - and friendly trading had continued for some 40 years.
The story of the Indian Wars is too long for complete coverage here, but the troubles began in the 1670's with "King Phillip's" war on the Englishmen. At first the threat seemed remote to the settlement at Northampton but raids increased on the towns along the Connecticut River. New of killings - often one or two men caught out alone , sometimes a half dozen or more - soon made it clear that the danger was real. For the next 25 years, the growing Janes family - William, his sons and daughters as they married and built home of their own - lived in constant dread of an Indian attack. All around them, home were burned, corps destroyed, cattle slaughtered, and people killer. But the teaching and the ministering went on much the same.
The year 1673 saw William Janes setting out again-daring the unknown to help venturesome pioneers found yet another church and a town. Some 25 families moved to the Connecticut River to found Northfield, Mass. The first Sabbath of Jun 1673-the first Lord's day after their arrival-Elder Janes preached the sermon under the shade of an oak tree. (11)
Alert to the ever-present danger from Indian raiders, the settlers built a stockade around their cluster of homes. But it was no protection enough. William's sone, Ebenezer and Jonathon, about 17 and 18 years old, were both killed by Indians on the same day in an attack in September 1675. (12) The houses and fields were destroyed and the settlers driven back to Northampton.
It was a sad year for William. Now about 65 years old, his sons dead, his home and belongings lost to the Indians, he must have suffered despair, His son Jeremiah had died in March, the two sons were killed in September, and on October 28, his son Jacob died in New Haven. But he lived for 15 more years-until 1690-remaining in Northampton among his friends and family. But his pioneering days were over. (13)
Threats from the Indians continued-even in the larger towns. Pickets were put up around Northampton as a liner of defense and men joined their fellows from nearby towns in an army of sorts for protection. In March, 1676, Indians broke through the defenses t Northfield, killed six persons and burned a number of homes. In the bloody battle at Deerfield 19 May 1676, 15 Northampton residents were killed.
Some of the younger Janes had married and lived in even greater danger in the tiny villages nearby. And, although Elder Janes did not live to see it, his family was cut down once again by Indians. In May of 1704, a band of Indians attacked the little five-family village of Puokhumuck or Pascomac, later part of Southampton. It was just before daylight when they set fire to the pickets surrounding the home of Benoni Jones. A young women named Patience Webb looked out the window to see what was happening and was shot in the head. The rest of the village surrendered.
Nineteen persons were killed-Samuel Janes, his wife and three children (He was the first born of William Janes and Hanna Broughton), Benoni Jones and his two children, Miss Webb, Moses Hutchinson and one child, and the four children of Benjamin Janes (grandchildren of William and Hanna). John Searl, husband of Ruth Janes, (14) was also killed as were three of their children. Ruth was severely wounded, but was rescued and later recovered. The son Elisha, age 9, was taken to Canada where he remained a captive of the Indians for many years.
As the prisoners were being marched and dragged away from the burning village, Benjamin managed to drop back, then slip away from his captors. Darting down a creek, hidden by bushes, he found a skiff and headed for Northampton to alert the town.
Hastily aroused men of the town sped after the Indians. On the top of Pomeroy's mountain the found Benjamin's wife Hannah. She had been knocked on the head, scalped and left for dead. Amazingly, after many months, she recovered and lived to be 80 years old. (15) But the battle went on.
Throughout his long life - some 80 years - William Janes struggled against great odds - against persecution for his religious beliefs, against the dangers of the Atlantic, against cold and hunger and disease, as he carved churches, towns ands schools out of the wilderness. With his Bible and his family beside him, he went unafraid.
The greatest toll was taken by the hostile Indians, those whose land the settlers sought to claim, the people they sought to tame. Our ancestor- a gentle man who valued learning and knowledge of the Scriptures and devoted his life to teaching-looked only for a peaceful place where he could offer his talent to his God. Yet he lost heavily to the Indians-three sons killed, 10 grandchildren killed, one daughter-in-law killed and another scalped, one daughter captured and badly wounded before her rescue.
Fortunately, at least two sons lived to marry and begat those who begat those who begat.....
1. Much of the information for this chapter and others comes from THE JANES FAMILY/A GENEALOGY AND BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM JANES/THE IMMIGRANT ANCESTOR OF 1637, with an EXTENDED NOTICE OF BISHOP EDMUND S. JANES, D.D., AND OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES by Rev. Frederick Janes; New York: John H, Dingman © Scribner & Co.) 1868, 419 pp. Rev Janes spent many years doing research on this book, gathering historical data, checking family records, and compiling details from family sources, his account is summarized here as he wrote it. Notes from existing histories and records are added in this volume for verification whenever possible. Numbers given to individuals in the genealogy are also from Rev Janes' book with digits added as necessary for persons not listed.
2. See also HISTORY OF EASTHAMPTON by James Russell TRUMBELL, 1866,"Genealogy of the Janes Family" pp 173/4: This family originally came from Kirtling, in the County of Cambridge, England, where it had been seated in 1235, when William de Janes, in fulfillment of a vow, made a pilgrimage to the tomb of our Savior at Jerusalem.
"The coat of arms of the family is thus described: - Arms-Argent-a lion rampant-azure-between three escallop shells-gules-Crest-Out of Ducal, coronet, gold, a demi-lion, rampant-azure-holding between the paws an escallop shell gules.
"The lion rampant in the arms, shows that the ancestor had won a battle, while in command of the forces engaged. The escallop shells show that he had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The ducal coronet was given to those who held command in the armies of the sovereign duke of the French Confederation.
"William Janes, a native of Cambridge, England, came to this country from Essex, and first established himself in New Haven, Conn., probably as early as 1638...."
3. Although many sources list William Jeanes as one of the early settlers of New Haven, there is a disagreement on the exact date. NEW HAVEN GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE, Vol LV, Number 3, P491, Lists "Wm. Janes, school teacher, New Haven, 1651: move to Northampton 1667, still living there in 1681:" VITAL RECORDS OF NEW HAVEN 1649-1750, Vol I. "Births, Marriages and Deaths," lists birth of Williams daughter Ruth 15 Feb 1649; DIRECTORY OF ANCESTRAL HEADS OF NEW ENGLAND FAMILIES, 1620-1750, compiled by Frank R, Holmes, shows "JANE, Wm., preacher, County Essex, England, 1610, came to New Haven CT., 1643." Also listed is his son. Wm. JANES, JEANES.
New Haven Records show that William JEANES was one of the signers of the fundamental agreement of "plantation covenant", when it was adopted by the first settlers at a meeting in Newman's barn in June 1639. He is listed as first owner )by allotment) of the lot at the corner of Church and Chapel Streets, abut 139 feet on Church Street and 235 feet along Chapel Street, which he held for nine years-1639-1648. With permission of the General Court, he sold the property to John MEIGS or MEGGS who lived there in the house built by Jeanes for 10 years. The property next reverted to the colony for a short time, then was purchased by Jervis Boykin. In 1764 the site was purchased by Richard Cutler who kept it for 46 years, selling the east end of the lot to Dr. Hez. Beardlee of Hartford in 1782. In 1752, a small piece of the land was bought by the Episcopal Church for the first building of that domination in New Haven. For a more complete account, see "History of the Cutler Lot," a paper read 29 Dec 1862. Evidently Wm. Jeanes returned to New Haven for a period of two or three years and taught school there before moving to Northampton about 1655/6. Where he lived during that period is not known.
4. WINTHROP'S JOURNAL, Vol I, pp 247, 265.
5. Although he probably taught school almost from the time he arrived in New Haven, he may have done this in addition to his church duties for little or no fee for a while. Court proceedings, March 1651, note" It was propounded to know whether the towne would allow any sollary (salary) to Mr. Janes for teaching schooe; much debate was about it, but nothing was ordered in it at present; only it was propounded to him that if the Towne would allowe hime 10' a years whether he would not goe on to teach, and take the rest (from) the parrents of the children of ye quarter, but he returned no answer." At the court session 1 Apr. 1651, the subject came up again: "For the incourgaeement of Mr. Janes in teaching scoole, the court ordered that he should have 10' for this yeare, to be paid him out of Towne Treasury, the yeare to begine when he began to reach which was the................., the rest he is to take of the parrents of the children that he teacheth, by the quarter, to make him just recompence for his paines." At the next meeting, it was reported that "Mr. Janes informed the Towne that he is offered a considerable maintenance to goe to Wethersfield to teach scoole, yet if the Towne will settle that 10' a yeare upon him formerly ordered, he is willing to stay here in the work hee is. Whereupon it was voted that for 3 yeares he have 10' a year as formerly ordered, and upon ye same terms as before.
For some reason. In spite of the action of the Court, he took the position at Wethersfield anyway, probably leaving New Haven in the spring or early summer of 1651. Word must have filtered back that he was not too happy with his new job-possibly because of the remoteness of the newer settlement or possibly danger from Indians - because the Court of New Haven, 8 Oct 1651 related that Mr. Janes had been informed that the towne wanted him back. But he 'desired them to proceed no further in it at this time, for he was not sure he shall gett free where hee is; and if he does, he doubts it will not be before winter; therefore no more was done in it at present", The following fall, he was back. At a called meeting of the General Court of new Haven. 8 Oct. 1652, to discuss hiring a school master, the Governor reported that he had applications from John Bowers of Cambridge (Harvard, 1649) and Joseph Rowelandson of Ipswich (Harvard 1652), but 'how they will succede hee knows not." Evidently the Governor had some doubts about the young graduates, because, he continued, "now Mr. Janes is come to the Towne and is willing to come heither again if he may have incouragement." Janes had been told about the other applicants and that they wanted to hold Latin schools. If one of them should be hired, he told the Governor, he would still be "willing to teach boyes and girles to read and wright, if the towne thought fit................. The Towne generally was willing to incourage Mr. Janes his comeing, and would allow him at least 10 pounds a yeare out of the Treasury, and the rest he might take of the parrents of the children he teacheth by the quarter as he did before, to make up a comfortable maintenance."
6. See HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY in Mass., Vol I, Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, p 195. Among the 71 persons signing the church covenant at Northampton 8 Apr 1661 "by those that begun that worke and afterward by such as were admitted into Church estate and subscribed their names thereunto" were William Jeanes, Thomas and Avis Bascom (probably parents of Hannah) all admitted 14 May 1661. At that time, it was called the First Church of Christ, actually part of the Congregational denomination. Wm. Janes was voted an inhabitant of Northampton 25 Jun 1657, voted recorder of lands 10 Jan 1658; voted to transcribe old records 18 Feb 1660; voted a house lot of two acres 17 Jun 1660; Elisha Janes, his son, was voted a town grant of 4 acres if he built a house on it within one year, but Elisha died suddenly at Springfield Mass a month later.
Among settlers of Northampton 1653-1658 listed by Trumbull are Janes, a two acre home lot and a eight acre meadow land; William Jeanes, teacher, a 2 acre home lot and a thirty-four acre meadow land. Listed among those making contributions from Northampton to Harvard College. "Mr. Jeans, payed for himself and two sons in Carttinge, 10 schillings." Only 10 persons gave more. Lift Clarke gave 10 bushels of wheat worth 1 pound, 2 schillings. (Appendix A). Trumbull (History of Northampton, p 192) says that Wm. Janes did not return to New Haven from Wethersfield, but went directly to Northampton in 1656 where he held home lots" on the easterly side of Pleasant Street." Trumbull earlier (p 6) claimed that Wm. JEANES, of New Haven" was one of 24 persons who petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts for liberty "to plant, possess, and inhabit Nanotuck" May 1653.
Trumbull added (p 192), "Mr. Jeanes appears to have been a man of more than ordinary ability. And was sufficiently educated for the grade of schools he was called upon to teach. An excellent penman, he was chosen recorder of lands in 1657, which office he continued to hold for many years. He it was who made the first entry on the church book of records, and the first thirteen pages of that volume, written in a clear, plain and even hand, are still legible as when they were inscribed nearly 250 years ago.
7. Ibid p 173
8. Trumbull, NORTHAMPTON, p 54. "William Janes was made the town recorder 19th February 1660. Mr Janes began his records with the preceding vote...He then goes back to June 1657, ignoring all business that had been transacted in the previous years... In later years this second book was copied in a fair and legible manner, but the quaint and venerable appearance of the original, as well as the amusing interest of its execrable orthography, are missing." Evidently Janes translated the "quaint" early records into readable form and destroyed the original copy.
9. HISTORY of CONNECTICUT VALLEY, p 195
10. Trumbull, NORTHAMPTON, p 125. "Three years after when the new meeting house was located upon another site, it was concluded to change the position of the burying ground...." A committee chosen to find a "convenient place" for it reported 23 Apr 1662 "in favor of a position on Bridge Street ' at the furtherest corner of the sequestered Ministers Lott where Mrs Jeanes was buried.' Mary, wife of William Janes, died April 4, 1662, and was probably buried there in anticipation of the determination to use this lot for such a purpose....Since that time it has been several times enlarged.
11. Trumbull, NORTHAMPTON, p 192-3 says Wm. Janes went to Northfield 1670,"One of the earliest settlers of Northfield, he carried on religious exercises there, in the capacity of Teaching Elder, till the town was destroyed by the Indians, in 1675. There is a tradition that divine services were held in the open air before a meeting place was built, and that during the first summer, Elder Jeanes preached under an oak tree. He did not return to Northfield after it was first abandoned...."
12. Ibid, p 255. "On the 2d of September, while the fires of Deerfield were still smouldering, Northfield was assailed by the Nipmucks and the Wampanoags. A party at work in the meadows was surprised and eight of their number killed....Ebenezer and Jonathon Janes were the sons of William Janes, from fourteen to sixteen years old." Rev. Janes lists them as 17 and 18 years at he time.
13. Inid, pp 414-5. According to Trumbull, a "widespread and virulent malady" swept through the Colony of Connecticut 1689-91, the epidemic "found its way up the river, and among its victims were many prominent and influential mem." Included in the list of "older and most eminent citizens" of Northampton were Lt. William Clarke, Wm. Miller, Samuel Davis, Lt. John Lyman, Alexander Edwards, Maj. Aaron Cook, David Burt and William Janes.
14. There is disagreement as to which John Searle - Jr. or Sr. - was killed that day. Rev. Janes, pp 44-46, says among those killed were John Searle and three children: Elisha, son of John Searle, was taken prisoner; Ruth Janes Searle "was the victim of the Pascomac massacre, severely wounded, but afterwards recovered, being rescued from the Indians, as they were fleeing before their white pursuers." In Trumbull's Northampton, pp 495-6, he lists among the 19 killed "John Searle and three children, viz: Abigail, aged seven, John aged four, and Caleb aged two...." and among those captured was Elisha Searle, 9, a son of John. In his history of Easthampton, p 174, Trumbull says Wm. Jeanes daughter Ruth "married the first John Searle of Northampton, whose son John, together with three children, were killed by the Indians at Pascommuck. At the time of the massacre there." Nor do the names of the Searl(e) children correspond. Rev. Janes list children of Ruth and John as James, Ebenezer, John and Elisha.
Several sources tell the story of the capture of young Elisha Searle. When the Indians saw they were being overtaken, they began to kill the youngsters and some of the women. Elisha knew he could be a help to them, so he grabbed up a pack and let the Indians know he could be a help to them and not slow their flight. For 18 years-until 1722-he lived among the Indians and French in Canada. When he finally returned home he was unable to speak his native tongue or to identify himself. Finally, he picked up a pair of stilts he had walked with as a boy, demonstrating his skill and proving he was really the missing son. Trumbull (Northampton, p 496) said he returned to claim his share of his father's estate, intending to go back to Canada and Indian friends. As an inducement to stay, he was granted 10 pounds by the General Court and given a commission as sergeant. He served in Deerfield in 1724 and became a Lt.. Serving at FT. Drummer the following year. He had been baptized by French Priests and renamed "Michael." Evidently, however, he resumed his given name.
15. In 1707 Benjamin Janes petitioned the Governor and council for aid to help pay medical expenses for his wife, Hannah, who had been scalped and left for dead on Pomeroy Mt. "Benjamin Janes, late of Northampton, now resident in Wethersfield, complained of his great suffering from the French and Indian enemies, who rifled his house, killed 4 of his children and scalped his wife who long had been and still is under cure, and himself so impoverished that he is unable to satisfy the surgeons in whose hands she had been and is likely to be, for the costs and pain therein." (From the Judd MMS as quoted in Northampton, p 496.)Hannah was under the care of Dr. Gershomm Buckley and others of Westfield. Later the family settled in Coventry, Ct.