Individual Details
Charles Kittamaquund
(1607 - 1641)
King Chitomacken Male (I353)
Charles (Chitomachen) Kittamaquund, Tayac (chief) Other names for Charles were Big Beaver and Chitomachen E
Tapac (Head Chieftan or Emporer) of Piscataway nation. Also called Chitomachen (Big Beaver). Charles was his Christian name after 5 July 1640.
"Father Andrew White is distant still farther, one hundred and twenty miles, to wit: at Kittamaquindi, the metropolis of Pascatoe, having lived in the palace with the king himself of the place, whom they call Tayac, from the month of June, 1639 (MHS 1874: 63).
The letter reports that the Tayac was fond of Father White because White had appeared in dreams and had also cured him of an illness with medicines and bleeding. In 1640, the annual letter records that White baptized Kittamaquund (also spelled Chitomachen), the chief, and his wife and children in a special ceremony. The Tayac and his wife also had a Christian wedding, began wearing European clothing, and changed their names to Charles and Mary. Their seven-year-old daughter was sent to be educated and live among the English colonists." (5 July 1640)
Lisa Mackie, Fragments of Piscataway: A Preliminary Description, 2006, p.10.
MD Historical Society Fund Publication No. 7 (MHS). 1874. Relatio itineris in Marylandiam: declaratio coloniae domini baronis de Baltimoro. Excerpta ex diversis litteris missionariorum ab anno 1635, ad annum 1638. Narrative of a voyage to MD / by Father Andrew White, S.J.; an account of the colony of the Lord Baron of Baltimore; extracts from different letters of missionaries, from the year 1635 to the year 1677 ; edited by Rev. E.A. Dalrymple. Baltimore: MD Historical Society.
-------------------------
"Once the colonists had established a settlement, Jesuit Andrew White went to live
among the tribe and learn the language. Historian James Merrell suggests that the
availability of the Piscataways for conversion by the English Jesuits was a political move
on the part of Wannas?s successor, Kittamaquund. Kittamaquund killed Wannas, his
brother, in 1636, usurping his title. Many members of the tribe then and later felt that he
was not the legitimate ruler. ?Because he had to look to St. Mary?s [the seat of the
English colony] for support against members of the tribe who opposed his usurpation, he
made nonviolent intrusion by another culture possible? (Merrell 1979: 556)."
Lisa Mackie, Fragments of Piscataway: A Preliminary Description, 2006, p.95
Merrell, James H. 1979. ?Cultural Continuity among the Piscataway Indians of Colonial
MD.? The William and Mary Quarterly 36(4): 548-570.
http://eprints.ouls.ox.ac.uk/archive/00001098/01/MackieThesis.pdf
-------------------------
"The Native Americans of southern MD played an important role in the founding of the MD colony. While some native peoples made war on the colonists, others, like the Piscataway, became their allies and trading partners.
"Kittamaquund was an important Piscataway warrior and the younger brother of a man named Wannas. Wannas served as the Piscataway's head chieftain, or tayac, when Governor Leonard Calvert arrived in 1634. "Tayac" is the Piscataway word meaning "Emperor" or "ruler of all the chiefs.
"The Piscataway Tayac ruled over 130 miles of native territory and villages on the both shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Kittamaquund and his followers saw that Wannas mistrusted the English. They believed that Wannas might lead the Piscataway to war against the colonists. Kittamaquund killed his brother in 1634, and became tayac in his place.\super 1\nosupersub As tayac, Kittamaquund led his people to peaceful ties with the Marylanders.
"Some of the Piscataway were angry that Kittamaquund had killed Wannas, but Kittamaquund also had friends among his people. They thought their new tayac was wise. They also wanted the benefits of English fur trade and military protection from their enemies, the Susquehannocks.
"Father White visited Kittamaquund in June 1639. Father Andrew White was a Jesuit priest who had learned some of the native language and who wanted to teach the Indians about his Christian beliefs. The tayac liked Father White, and invited the priest to live in his "palace" with his family. Later that year, Kittamaquund became ill with a disease that native medicine men could not cure. Father White cured the tayac with some English medicine powder and blood-letting.
"Kittamaquund was so grateful that he allowed Father White to instruct him in Christianity. He also adopted the colonists' style of clothes and learned to speak some English.Kittamaquund finally converted to Christianity in 1640. He asked to be baptized along with his wife and daughters. Other Piscataway leaders decided to become Christians with their tayac.
"Father Andrew White performed Kittamaquund's baptism on July 5, 1640. Governor Leonard Calvert, other MD officials, and Piscataway leaders all attended the ceremony. The ceremony took place at a chapel built with bark walls, just like other Piscataway buildings. During the baptism, the priests gave the Piscataway Christian names. Kittamaquund's name became Charles, and his wife was named Mary. Kittamaquund's daughter, Princess Mary, went to live with the Brent's and later married Giles Brent. Kittamaquund died in 1641."
Sources:
Clayton Colman Hall, ed. "Extracts from the Annual Letter of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, 1639, 1640, 1642." In Narratives of Early MD, 1633-1684. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1910.
Hughes, Thomas. History of the Society of Jesus in North America: Colonial and Federal Documents, 1605-1838, 4 vols. London and New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1908.
Roundtree, Helen C. and Thomas E. Davidson. "Chapter Three: The First Century with MD." In Eastern Shore Indians of Virginia and MD. Charlottesville and London: University of Virginia Press, 1977.
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gerow&id=I10373
http://www.glenn-cook.com/Family%20Data/8%20Feb%202007/8097.htm
Charles (Chitomachen) Kittamaquund, Tayac (chief) Other names for Charles were Big Beaver and Chitomachen E
Tapac (Head Chieftan or Emporer) of Piscataway nation. Also called Chitomachen (Big Beaver). Charles was his Christian name after 5 July 1640.
"Father Andrew White is distant still farther, one hundred and twenty miles, to wit: at Kittamaquindi, the metropolis of Pascatoe, having lived in the palace with the king himself of the place, whom they call Tayac, from the month of June, 1639 (MHS 1874: 63).
The letter reports that the Tayac was fond of Father White because White had appeared in dreams and had also cured him of an illness with medicines and bleeding. In 1640, the annual letter records that White baptized Kittamaquund (also spelled Chitomachen), the chief, and his wife and children in a special ceremony. The Tayac and his wife also had a Christian wedding, began wearing European clothing, and changed their names to Charles and Mary. Their seven-year-old daughter was sent to be educated and live among the English colonists." (5 July 1640)
Lisa Mackie, Fragments of Piscataway: A Preliminary Description, 2006, p.10.
MD Historical Society Fund Publication No. 7 (MHS). 1874. Relatio itineris in Marylandiam: declaratio coloniae domini baronis de Baltimoro. Excerpta ex diversis litteris missionariorum ab anno 1635, ad annum 1638. Narrative of a voyage to MD / by Father Andrew White, S.J.; an account of the colony of the Lord Baron of Baltimore; extracts from different letters of missionaries, from the year 1635 to the year 1677 ; edited by Rev. E.A. Dalrymple. Baltimore: MD Historical Society.
-------------------------
"Once the colonists had established a settlement, Jesuit Andrew White went to live
among the tribe and learn the language. Historian James Merrell suggests that the
availability of the Piscataways for conversion by the English Jesuits was a political move
on the part of Wannas?s successor, Kittamaquund. Kittamaquund killed Wannas, his
brother, in 1636, usurping his title. Many members of the tribe then and later felt that he
was not the legitimate ruler. ?Because he had to look to St. Mary?s [the seat of the
English colony] for support against members of the tribe who opposed his usurpation, he
made nonviolent intrusion by another culture possible? (Merrell 1979: 556)."
Lisa Mackie, Fragments of Piscataway: A Preliminary Description, 2006, p.95
Merrell, James H. 1979. ?Cultural Continuity among the Piscataway Indians of Colonial
MD.? The William and Mary Quarterly 36(4): 548-570.
http://eprints.ouls.ox.ac.uk/archive/00001098/01/MackieThesis.pdf
-------------------------
"The Native Americans of southern MD played an important role in the founding of the MD colony. While some native peoples made war on the colonists, others, like the Piscataway, became their allies and trading partners.
"Kittamaquund was an important Piscataway warrior and the younger brother of a man named Wannas. Wannas served as the Piscataway's head chieftain, or tayac, when Governor Leonard Calvert arrived in 1634. "Tayac" is the Piscataway word meaning "Emperor" or "ruler of all the chiefs.
"The Piscataway Tayac ruled over 130 miles of native territory and villages on the both shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Kittamaquund and his followers saw that Wannas mistrusted the English. They believed that Wannas might lead the Piscataway to war against the colonists. Kittamaquund killed his brother in 1634, and became tayac in his place.\super 1\nosupersub As tayac, Kittamaquund led his people to peaceful ties with the Marylanders.
"Some of the Piscataway were angry that Kittamaquund had killed Wannas, but Kittamaquund also had friends among his people. They thought their new tayac was wise. They also wanted the benefits of English fur trade and military protection from their enemies, the Susquehannocks.
"Father White visited Kittamaquund in June 1639. Father Andrew White was a Jesuit priest who had learned some of the native language and who wanted to teach the Indians about his Christian beliefs. The tayac liked Father White, and invited the priest to live in his "palace" with his family. Later that year, Kittamaquund became ill with a disease that native medicine men could not cure. Father White cured the tayac with some English medicine powder and blood-letting.
"Kittamaquund was so grateful that he allowed Father White to instruct him in Christianity. He also adopted the colonists' style of clothes and learned to speak some English.Kittamaquund finally converted to Christianity in 1640. He asked to be baptized along with his wife and daughters. Other Piscataway leaders decided to become Christians with their tayac.
"Father Andrew White performed Kittamaquund's baptism on July 5, 1640. Governor Leonard Calvert, other MD officials, and Piscataway leaders all attended the ceremony. The ceremony took place at a chapel built with bark walls, just like other Piscataway buildings. During the baptism, the priests gave the Piscataway Christian names. Kittamaquund's name became Charles, and his wife was named Mary. Kittamaquund's daughter, Princess Mary, went to live with the Brent's and later married Giles Brent. Kittamaquund died in 1641."
Sources:
Clayton Colman Hall, ed. "Extracts from the Annual Letter of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, 1639, 1640, 1642." In Narratives of Early MD, 1633-1684. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1910.
Hughes, Thomas. History of the Society of Jesus in North America: Colonial and Federal Documents, 1605-1838, 4 vols. London and New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1908.
Roundtree, Helen C. and Thomas E. Davidson. "Chapter Three: The First Century with MD." In Eastern Shore Indians of Virginia and MD. Charlottesville and London: University of Virginia Press, 1977.
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gerow&id=I10373
http://www.glenn-cook.com/Family%20Data/8%20Feb%202007/8097.htm
Events
| Birth | 1607 | Piscataway, Prince George's, MD | |||
| Death | 1641 | Maryland | |||
| Title (Nobility) | Tapac |
Families
| Spouse | Mary (1600 - 1650) |
| Child | Mary Kittamaquund (1632 - 1654) |