John "Iyannough" HYANNO (1595?-1623)

Individual Events and Attributes

Additional Information

Marriage

Individual Note 1

Iyannough (also Iyanough) was a Native American sachem and leader of the Mattachiest (Mattakeese) tribe of Cummaquid in the area of what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Hyannis, the Wianno section of Osterville, and Iyanough Road (Route 132) are all named after him.

Historic records mention the assistance and entertainment offered by him and his tribe towards the Pilgrims and later colonists. When the son of Mayflower passenger John Billington wandered away from the new settlement at Plymouth in January 1621, Iyannough assisted William Bradford and his party in finding the boy.[1] The sachem impressed the Pilgrims as being personable, gentle, courteous, and fair-conditioned.[2]

He died in 1623 when he was only in his mid-twenties. Following a surprise attack by the Pilgrims on the Massachusett tribe that winter, many Native Americans in the region including Iyannough grew fearful of the colonists and fled to hide in the area's swamps and remote islands.[3] It is believed that Iyannough himself died of exposure during this time. Upon his early death his lands went to his eldest son Yanno [4] (aka John Hyanno). Yanno is mentioned in several land deeds on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard and appears to have been a prominent figure in the early settlement of the communities.

In the mid 19th century, a farmer plowing his field discovered what is believed to be Iyannough's grave.[5] The gravesite is just north of Route 6A in the Cummaquid section of Barnstable and is maintained by a non-profit organization called "Tales of Cape Cod." A sign along Route 6A marks the spot.

A statue of Iyannough can be found today on the village green in downtown Hyannis.

REFERENCES:

1 Philbrick, Nathaniel (2006). Mayflower. New York: Penguin Group. pp. 110–112. ISBN 0-670-03760-5.

2 Willison, George F. (1945). Saints and Strangers. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock. pp. 228–229.

3 Philbrick (2006) pp 154

4 "Opinion: January 11, 2002 - The Barnstable Patriot" (page), BarnstablePatriot.com, webpage: [1]

5 "Guidebook Cape Cod ~ Barnstable" (page), GuidebookAmerica.com, webpage: [2]²

Individual Note 2

Note: aka John Hyanno, Iyanough, Young Sagamore at Cummaquid, Cummquid

GRANDSON OF THE GREAT NARRAGANSETT CHIEF CANONICUS

SACHEM (CHIEF) OF THE WAMPANOAGS OF MATTACHEE (CUMMAQUID)

PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

Iyanough was a participant in the First Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and often extended hospitality to them. When hostilities arose with the English and particulary the pilgrim Myles Standish, Iyanough fled to the swamps and died of illness.

There is a bronze statue of Chief Iyannough at the Village Green on Main Street in Hyannis, MA. It was believed that the town was named after this chief, but evidence now suggests the town actually took its name from his son John Hyanno, who was involved in deeding land to the early settlements. Much of the confusion arose because of the numerous spellings employed at the time. The same person's name might be spelled three, four, five, six different ways in the records. In fact, the town of Hyannis was spelled numerous ways before 1800, including Jannos, Iyannos, Hyannos, Hyanos and Hianna.

Iyannough's grave was discovered in 1960 and is now maintained off Mass. Rte. 6A in Cummaquid by a non-profit organization called "Tales of Cape Cod."

"...[T]he pinnace sailed south past Plymouth to the bottom of Cape Cod Bay, dropping anchor off Cummaquid, a name retained by one of the shore villages in the township of Barnstable. They were well received by Iyanough, the local sachem, whom the Pilgrims had met and been so impressed with the year before. A young man in his twenties, he was 'personable, gentle, courteous, and fair-conditioned; indeed, not like a savage save for his attire. His entertainment was answerable to his parts, and his cheer plentiful and various.' So it was again, and Iyanough undertook to gather as large a supply of provisions as the Cummaquid could spare." -- George F. Willison, Saints and Strangers, (New York: Time Incorporated, 1964, pp 228-229)

"The English sent their war captain Myles Standish, Hobbamock and some others to help the new English. Standish picked a fight with a Massachuset pniese named Pecksuot and killed him with his own knife, while others killed his companion Wituwamet and after which they hanged Wituwamet's teenage brother. Wituwamet's head was placed on a pole above the Plymouth fort in the barbaric custom of the English. These events so alarmed the Massachuset and others of the People who had been talking about attacking the English that many fled for their lives. Some became ill and died in hiding, including Canacum, sachem of Manomet; Aspinet, sachem of Nauset; and Ianough (from which the town of Hyannis gets its name) of Mattachiest." --Bruce Cox¹

Individual Note 3

John Hyanno

Father: Sachem of Wampanoag Ihyannough

Mother: of Canonicus

Birth: 1595 Cape Cod,Barnstable Co.,Massachusetts

Death: Cape Cod,Barnstable Co.,Massachusetts

m: Mary No-Pee (ABT 1600-)

Children:

John Hyanno (ABT 1620-AFT 1661)

Mary Hyanno (1625-) m. Austin (Augustine) Bearse (ABT 1618-ABT 1686) on 1639 at Mattacheevillage,Barnstable Co.,Massachusetts, children: 1. Mary Bearse (1640-), 2. Martha Bearse (1642-), 3. Priscilla Bearse (10 MAR 1644-30 MAR 1712), 4. Sarah Bearse (28 MAR 1646-), 5. Abigail Bearse (18 DEC 1647-), 6. Hannah Bearse (16 NOV 1649-), 7. Joseph Bearse (25 JAN 1652-27 JAN 1727/1728), 8. Hester Bearse (2 OCT 1653-), 9. Lydia Bearse (ABT 30 SEP 1655-), 10. Rebecca Bearse (26 SEP 1657-), 11. James Bearse (ABT 31 JUL 1660-7 OCT 1728).

http://chrisman.org/pedigree/out60.htm

Sources