Individual Details
Cateronas
(Abt 1603 - Aft 1659)
She was the Indian wife of Dutch settler Cornelis van Tassel (van Texel). Litigation records show she was the daughter of the chief of a tribe of Indians who lived on the north shore of Long Island, in the area of what is now Eaton's Neck in Suffolk County, New York. Her father was erroneously identified as Wynadanch in an early Van Tassel genealogy and the error has been perpetuated, even though it is now known to have been impossible on chronological grounds.
She was one of fourteen Indian women taken captive by Ninigret, chief of the Narragansetts and later ransomed by Captain Lion Gardiner. After her marriage to Jan Cornelius she was know as Catoneras.
Petitions in 1705 and 1713 by her grandchildren asking the Colonial authorities to grant them a patent of lands on Long Island (Nassauw), four miles by six, claimed this land was Catoneras inheritance from her father. The second petition in 1713 did receive a favorable reply for a survey to be made.
It is claimed by many that Cateronas was the daughter of Wyandance, chief of the Montauk tribe. This claim is not supported by research. Greg Inskip posts (Genforum, 2001) that Jan Cornelissen and his sons attested in New York colonial documents that Catoneras was from Eader's (Eaton's?) Neck Beach near Huntington, Suffolk County, Long Island. The tribe was Matinecock, not Montauk proper, and Catoneras' "sachem" father was someone other than Wyandanch.
Constance Harmon (Genforum, 2001) posts in reply that "In all the information I have received from the Smithtown, NY library, there is not one mention of Catoneras connected to Wyandanch. In many instances his family of his wife, Wichikittawbut, son & heir Wyancombone and his daughter, Quashawam, also called Momone or Heather Flower are mentioned. No Catoneras. "As far as can be ascertained Wyandanch had only one daughter", quoted from "The Long Island Historical Journal", Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 189-204.
After the death of Wyandanch in 1659, his wife following soon after, the son died within 3 years never reaching maturity to take over his fathers reign. The only survivor was Quashawam and she became the Sunksquaw (Queen) of the Montauks.
In "Northeastern Indian Lives, 1632-1816" edited by Robert S. Grumet, published by Amherst: Univ of Mass, 1996, there is a chapter on Wyandanch-Sachem of the Montauks by Dr. John A. Strong, professor of history on Long Island. He states that Wyandanch "was born about the time of the arrival of the Pilgrims". According to information I have gotten, Catoneras (b abt 1603 and Cornelius (b abt 1600) were married abt 1621 and Wyandanch couldn't be her father."
*Let me address here the misconceptions about Sarah Van Tassel's grandparents, CORNELIS JANSZEN VAN TEXEL and CATERONAS. Cornelis was born about 1600 in Texel, Netherlands,and married in about 1624 to CATERONAS (called Catherine by the Dutch). "We know from petitions to governors of the New York colony that Catoneras was a full-blooded Native American, the daughter of a sachem, and laid claim to land at the base of Eaton's Neck. We can infer from the petitions that the land was sold out from under the aboriginal inhabitants by men who did not have permission to do so. The plot described corresponds to a plot of land described in the records of Huntington, NY, as being sold by a sachem of the Matinecock band of Indians. We also know from that Wyandance--"grand sachem" of the Montauk tribe (whose homeland was the eastern part of Long Island, far from Huntington and Eaton's Neck)--was much, much too young to have fathered Catoneras. There is not a shred of evidence of her in his more well-documented life." So, yes, Cateronas was the daughter of a sachem--probably the daughter of Asharoken the Matinecock--but just not the daughter of Wyandance the Montauk. My thanks and a tip o' the hat to Mike Wolfe, another Van Tassel descendant!
She was one of fourteen Indian women taken captive by Ninigret, chief of the Narragansetts and later ransomed by Captain Lion Gardiner. After her marriage to Jan Cornelius she was know as Catoneras.
Petitions in 1705 and 1713 by her grandchildren asking the Colonial authorities to grant them a patent of lands on Long Island (Nassauw), four miles by six, claimed this land was Catoneras inheritance from her father. The second petition in 1713 did receive a favorable reply for a survey to be made.
It is claimed by many that Cateronas was the daughter of Wyandance, chief of the Montauk tribe. This claim is not supported by research. Greg Inskip posts (Genforum, 2001) that Jan Cornelissen and his sons attested in New York colonial documents that Catoneras was from Eader's (Eaton's?) Neck Beach near Huntington, Suffolk County, Long Island. The tribe was Matinecock, not Montauk proper, and Catoneras' "sachem" father was someone other than Wyandanch.
Constance Harmon (Genforum, 2001) posts in reply that "In all the information I have received from the Smithtown, NY library, there is not one mention of Catoneras connected to Wyandanch. In many instances his family of his wife, Wichikittawbut, son & heir Wyancombone and his daughter, Quashawam, also called Momone or Heather Flower are mentioned. No Catoneras. "As far as can be ascertained Wyandanch had only one daughter", quoted from "The Long Island Historical Journal", Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 189-204.
After the death of Wyandanch in 1659, his wife following soon after, the son died within 3 years never reaching maturity to take over his fathers reign. The only survivor was Quashawam and she became the Sunksquaw (Queen) of the Montauks.
In "Northeastern Indian Lives, 1632-1816" edited by Robert S. Grumet, published by Amherst: Univ of Mass, 1996, there is a chapter on Wyandanch-Sachem of the Montauks by Dr. John A. Strong, professor of history on Long Island. He states that Wyandanch "was born about the time of the arrival of the Pilgrims". According to information I have gotten, Catoneras (b abt 1603 and Cornelius (b abt 1600) were married abt 1621 and Wyandanch couldn't be her father."
*Let me address here the misconceptions about Sarah Van Tassel's grandparents, CORNELIS JANSZEN VAN TEXEL and CATERONAS. Cornelis was born about 1600 in Texel, Netherlands,and married in about 1624 to CATERONAS (called Catherine by the Dutch). "We know from petitions to governors of the New York colony that Catoneras was a full-blooded Native American, the daughter of a sachem, and laid claim to land at the base of Eaton's Neck. We can infer from the petitions that the land was sold out from under the aboriginal inhabitants by men who did not have permission to do so. The plot described corresponds to a plot of land described in the records of Huntington, NY, as being sold by a sachem of the Matinecock band of Indians. We also know from that Wyandance--"grand sachem" of the Montauk tribe (whose homeland was the eastern part of Long Island, far from Huntington and Eaton's Neck)--was much, much too young to have fathered Catoneras. There is not a shred of evidence of her in his more well-documented life." So, yes, Cateronas was the daughter of a sachem--probably the daughter of Asharoken the Matinecock--but just not the daughter of Wyandance the Montauk. My thanks and a tip o' the hat to Mike Wolfe, another Van Tassel descendant!
Events
| Birth | Abt 1603 | Eader's (Eaton's?) Neck Beach near Huntington, Suffolk County, Long Island | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1624 | New York, Long Island - Jan Cornelius Van Tassel (Texell) |  | ||
| Death | Aft 1659 |
Families
| Spouse | Jan Cornelius Van Tassel (Texell) (1600 - 1684) |
| Child | Jan Cornelius Van Texell 2nd (1625 - 1704) |
Endnotes
1. Gazaway, Kathryn DeWitt, DeWitt family research. (Utopia, Texas: compiled by Kathryn DeWitt Gazaway, grannykk@peppersnet.com).