{"id":103708,"date":"2025-07-30T11:07:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=103708"},"modified":"2025-11-13T09:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T14:03:38","slug":"mayflower-descendants-the-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-part-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mayflower-descendants-the-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-part-11.html","title":{"rendered":"Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 11)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on the genealogy of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, focusing on the Bearse, Mills, Coombs, and Foxx family lines. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue my \u201cMayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe\u201d series, featuring Mayflower<\/em> descendants who married into Mashpee Wampanoag families: Wop\u00e2n\u00e2ak, which means \u201cPeople of the First Light.\u201d<\/p>\n

To recap: My series on the Mayflower<\/em> lines of Katie Crocker<\/a> of Barnstable, Massachusetts, has featured a rare account book connected to the business of Zenas Crocker<\/a> (1761-1807) and his descendants.<\/p>\n

The Crocker account book<\/a> includes residents of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and the Cahoon Museum<\/a> granted me permission to share the account book\u2019s pages and do further research. Some of the ancestors of the Wampanoag families shown in the photo below are found in the ledger. (For previous stories see the links listed at the end of this article.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Wampanoag families and some Mayflower scions. Credit: Earle Mills.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Katie asked me to investigate her purported Wampanoag line. Her 10th great grandfather Augustine (Austin) Bearse married Mary<\/a>, believed to be the granddaughter of Iyannough, American Indian sachem and leader of the Mattachiest (Mattakeese, a sub-group of the Wampanoag people) Tribe of Cummaquid in the area of what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Hyannis and the Wianno section of Osterville are named after him.<\/p>\n

While there are no records found (so far) to verify Mary\u2019s lineage, there are many descendants who reference her and others who are curious. Much more on this subject will come in future articles.<\/p>\n

In Part VIII<\/a> I covered Civil War soldier Nathaniel D. S. Bearse<\/a> (1842-1928), a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Rogers, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley, and a 7th generational lineal descendant of Austin and Mary Bearse. He married Olive Gould Pells (1844-1910), a member of the Wampanoag people.<\/p>\n

Nathaniel and his wife are identified in this lineage chart compiled by Christopher C. Child, author and genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) from his post, \u201cCivil War Soldiers of Mashpee<\/a>.\u201d The Bearse line comes down through Anna Snow\u2019s marriage to Timothy Bearse.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: lineage chart. Credit: Christopher C. Childs; New England Historic Genealogical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Parts IX<\/a> and X<\/a>, I covered the descendants of Nathaniel and Olive which include the Oakley, Mills, Coombs. DeGrasse, and other allied lines.<\/p>\n

Another descendant, Maurice L. Foxx or \u201cStrong Bear\u201d (1948-2008), the great grandson of Nathaniel D. S. Bearse and Olive Gould (Pells) Bearse, was one of the six children born to Peace Alexander and Mildred Jacqueline (Bearse) Foxx. Mildred Jacqueline Bearse was the daughter of Maurice Stanley and Juliette M. (Brown) Bearse and the granddaughter of Nathaniel Doane and Elizabeth Blake (Peters) Bearse.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Maurice L. Foxx aka Strong Bear. Credit: Bryan Marquand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strong Bear was a former member of the Commission of Indian Affairs in Massachusetts and a well-regarded authority and lecturer on Native American history.<\/p>\n

He helped to establish several Native American museum programs including those at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard and the Children\u2019s Museum in Boston. He also served on the Wampanoag Advisory Committee at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth.<\/p>\n

His obituary notes that he is survived by a son, Maurice N. Foxx of Atlanta; two daughters, Monet C. Foxx of Dorchester and Aisha J. Foxx of Brockton; his grandson, Majai Grey Foxx of Dorchester; a sister, Anne M. Foxx of Yarmouth; four brothers, Peace Alexander Foxx Jr. of Virginia, Rev. L. Nelson Foxx of Cambridge, Vincent Foxx Sr. of Roxbury and Frederick Foxx of Minneapolis; and an extensive extended family and many friends. He was predeceased by a brother, Nathaniel Foxx.<\/p>\n

Lastly, his memoriam states he was a member of the tribe\u2019s Bearse family, descendants of Cape Cod\u2019s historic sagamore, or sachem, Iyannough (also Iyanough). Here is a photo of the statue commemorating Sachem Iyannough, leader of the Mattakeese Tribe of Cummaquid, located at Hyannis Town Green on Main Street.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: statue of Sachem Iyannough in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Credit: Kerowyn; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More Genealogy on Maurice L. Foxx<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strong Bear has an Amos line. He descends from Rev. Joseph \u201cBlind Joe\u201d Amos and his wife Abigail (Wickham) Amos<\/a>. Rev. Amos\u2019 brother Daniel, who married Delia Frances Hicks, appears on Child\u2019s genealogy chart above.<\/p>\n

The Amos family is listed in \u201cReport to the Governor and Council, Concerning the Indians of the Commonwealth, Under the Act of April 6, 1859<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rev. Amos\u2019 daughter Cordelia Amos married Charles Holmes Peters. Peters is listed in the \u201cActs and Resolves Passed by the General Court,\u201d and was named as a descendant of the Algonquin Tribe of Indians<\/a>, a branch of the Mashpee Wampanoag.<\/p>\n

Charles A. Peters of Mashpee, a descendant, attended the Carlisle Indian School. His student record is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Charles was listed as missing in action in August 1918.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Worcester Telegram (Worcester, Massachusetts), 13 August 1918, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Later in August 1918 it was reported that Charles was found, and he returned to duty. Here is a photo of him in uniform.<\/p>\n

\"A
Sandwich Independent (Sandwich, Massachusetts), 29 August 1918. Credit: Sandwich Library Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another descendant of this line is spiritual leader and supreme medicine man for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, John A. Peters (1930-1997) aka \u201cSlow Turtle \u2013 Cjegktoonuppa.\u201d son of Stephan A. and Clara Jane (Miles\/Mills) Peters. John was also a police officer for the Mashpee Police Department.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: John A. Peters, aka Slow Turtle. Credit: Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His obituary was published in the Providence Journal<\/em>. He died on 27 October 1997 and left many descendants which are listed below in the news clip.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Providence Journal (Providence, Rhode Island), 1 November 1997, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stay tuned for more!<\/p>\n

Explore your family history by creating your free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days, because every life deserves to be remembered, recorded, and rediscovered.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Ousamequin, or \u201cMassasoit\u201d (Wampanoag term for \u201cGreat Sachem\u201d) and Governor John Carver smoking a ceremonial pipe at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Credit: Sutro Library; Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n