In the Tuspaquin family it is handed down traditionally that the Indian Sosomon, who aided the English in the Pequot war, was identical with John Sassamon, the educated and praying Indian, and that the "young little squaw" he desired and was permitted from among the female captives to take, was a daughter of the Pequot chief Sassacus, which daughter, Sassamon made his wife, and she thus became the mother of Assowetough, who by the English was called Betty. Admitting the truth of this Indian tradition, and our publisher, Mrs. Mitchell, is shown to be of the sixth generation in lineal descent from Sassacus, the earliest chief known of the numerous and powerful Pequot tribe of Indians.

13. LYDIA TUSPAQUIN (5) (Benjamin -4, Benjamin -3, Amie -2, Massasoit -1), daughter of Benjamin Tuspaquin, by wife Mercy Felix, married an Indian named Wamsley. She was drowned in Assowamset Pond, July, 1812. She was born at what is still known as "Betty’s Neck," then in Middleborough, but now in Lakeville. Both her parents died when she was but a child, but her grandfather Benjamin [No. 8] continued to care for her as long as he lived, and while Lydia was still young, she went to live with Joanna Hunt, who married a Mr. Moore, and afterwards resided in Petersham, Mass., Lydia accompanying them, they caring for her as if she had been their own child. Improving these opportunities, Lydia attended school and became quite a good scholar, and in after life became the chief amanuensis of her people residing at "Betty’s Neck." While she was residing at Petersham, a bear came one night and took a small pig, when in the darkness Lydia resolutely rushed out, musket in hand, shot the bear and saved the pig before bruin had time to kill it. Lydia claimed great skill in the healing [216] art, and was in the act of gathering herbs for medical purposes, when she fell from a high bank into Assawomset Pond and was drowned. Her married life was mostly spent at Betty’s Neck. What is here stated concerning Lydia Tuspaquin was communicated by Mrs. Zerviah Gould Mitchell, of North Abington, a granddaughter and the publisher of this book, to whose retentive memory the writer is indebted for much of the genealogical as also other information herein contained.

WAMSLEY and wife LYDIA TUSPAQUIN (5) had children as follows:

14. ZERVIAH (6), b. in 176-; m. Dec. 4, 1791, James Johnson, of Gayhead. She died in July, 1816. They had one child, named ARABELLA (7), that d. when 3 months old.

15. PAUL (6), b. 176-; m. Phebe Jeffries, and had: i. MARY (7), ii. JANE (7), m. John Rosier of Middleborough, that part now Lakeville; he was drowned in Feb. 1851, iii. WEALTHY (7), iv. LYDIA (7), v. EPHRAIM (7), never married, vi. BATHSHEBA (7), m. .... Munroe, vii. .... (7) (name not now remembered).

16. PHEBE (6), b. Feb. 26, 1770; d. Aug. 16, 1839; m. twice - 1st, Silas Rosier, and 2nd Brister Gould.

17. JANE (6), b. in or about 1771; d. April 15, 1794, aged about 23 years.

18. BENJAMIN (6), b. about 1773; d. April 22, 1799, aged about 26 years.

16. PHEBE WAMSLEY (6) (Lydia Tuspaquin -5, Benjamin -4, Benjamin -3, Amie -2, Massasoit -1), daughter of Wamsley and Lydia Tuspaquin, was born Feb. 26, 1770. She married 1st, Nov. 27, 1791, Silas Rosier, an Indian of the Marshpee tribe, who served as private soldier in the patriot army of the war of American Revolution, entering that service at the commencement [217] of the conflict, and serving until its close. He died at sea, and his widow married 2nd, March 4, 1797, Brister Gould. He for a time served as teamster to the patriot army in our revolutionary war. He was drowned at a place called Hawkley, in East Weymouth, Mass., Aug. 28, 1823. She died Aug. 16, 1839.

SILAS ROSIER and wife PHEBE WAMSLEY (6) had children as follows:

19. Martin (7), b. June, 1792; d. July, 1792.

20. John (7), b. Sept. 15, 1793; m. Jane Wamsley, his cousin, a daughter of Paul Wamsley and wife Phebe Jeffries. John Rosier was a sailor on board the U.S. Frigate "Macedonia," and was drowned in the Assawomset Pond, Middleborough, February, 1851. At the date of his death he resided at Betty’s Neck, in what was then Middleborough, but now the town of Lakeville. They had a son JOHN (8), who was also a sailor, and never married.

BRISTER GOULD and wife PHEBE WAMSLEY (6) had children as follows:

21. BETSEY (7), b. Nov. 26, 1797; m. Aug. 7, 1816, James Hill of Boston; d. in that place, April 16, 1824. They had children: i. KEZIAH (8), b. Jan. 15, 1818; m. Camoralsman Gould, and died Sept. 15, 1844, having had one child; ii. JAMES (8), b. Sept. 15, 1819; d. Sept. 15, 1821.

22. LYDIA (7), b. June 12, 1799; m. Nov. 12, 1819, Antonio D. Julio, a native of Portugal. She died April 22, 1855. They had no children.

23. JANE S. (7), b. March 12, 1801; m. July 14, 1821, John Williams. She died in New Orleans, May 27, 1844. They had no children. She was remarkable for her skill in managing a horse, riding on horse-back without saddle or bridle. She was also an expert swimmer, and once when swimming in the water at Ipswich she came near losing her life, from a man who aimed his gun at her head that he mistook for a wild duck. With her husband [218] she visited Paris and other places of note in the old world.

24. RUBY (7), b. May 30, 1803; m. Dec. 22, 1824, Benjamin Hall of Philadelphia. She died in or about 1851. They had one child: LYDIA (8), who d. when about 5 years old.

25. MALINDA (7), b. April 23, 1805; never married; d. June 16, 1824. 26. ZERVIAH (7), b. July 24, 1807; m. Oct. 17, 1824, Thomas C. Mitchell. He died March 22, 1859.

27. BENJAMIN S. (7), b. Oct. 31, 1809; never married; was lost at sea.