Cemetery: Old Burying Ground, Ipswich Massachusetts

Salem Quarterly Court June 1684: Capt. Daniel Epes v. Henry Bennitt. Verdict for defendant. Appealed to the next Court of Assistants. Said Epes bound, with Daniel Epes, jr., his son, as surety.
Writ: Mr. Daniell Epps of Ipswich v. Mr. Henry Bennet of Ipswich; for keeping an Indian boy named Lyonel several years: dated June 19, 1684, signed by John Brewer, for the town of Ipswich; and served by Robert Lord jr., son of Robert Lord, marshal, by attachment of land of defendant.
John Ring, aged about forty-six years, and Thomas Smith, aged about thirty-six years, testified that Bennet pretended that he had the boy by indenture from an old Indian sqaw, but Epps declared that it was of no more value than as if he should take away one of Bennet's boys and sell him, etc. Sworn in court.
Rebecka Berry, aged about thirty years, testified that she lived several years since with Mr. Daniell Eppes, sr. and the Indians were cared for, the boy being considered belonging to said Epps, deponent having heard the old squaw often say so, etc. Sworn in court.
John Dent, aged about twenty-four years, testified that ten years ago he was apprentice to Epps, and that his master furnished the Indians with food and clothing and had his servants cut fire wood for them. In the summer the old squaw had a wigwam near their house and in the winter further off amongst thick pines on Epp's land where it was much sheltered from all cold winds. Epps sent help to make her wigwam winter and summer and the boy Lionel one time came to live in the house and would have stayed, but the squaw was sickly and desired that he return to help her. When she went away she took the boy and put him to Mr. Henry Bennet to pay a debt her son Robin owed, etc. Edward Badgott testified to the same. Sworn in court.
Indenture, dated May 15, 1679, between Laionall (his mark), Indian and Heanery Bennet of Ipswich, husbandman, said Indian, with the consent of his grandmother Prausqua (her mark) and his uncle Roben (his mark) Indian, bound himself to said Bennet for eleven years.
A Breife Narative Concerning an Indjan Boy whose name is Lyonel and the rest that came with him in the year of our Lord onethousand six hundred sixty and nine, welt is as Followeth p me Daniell Epps* Sen of Ipswich this 24 June 1684: "About 13 or 14 yeares past there came a Companie of Injans to my House some of which had bin there formarly, and had Dwelt upon my Land, and were releived by me, and with them came an old Squa from neare ye Lake at the upermost part of Merimack River (as the Indians tould me that I had bin formarly aquainted with) and with this old Squa came a younger Squa: which had Two Sonnes, one was between 2 and 3 yeares old the other (as wee understood) was about a quarter of a year old sucking his Mother, his mother when she came was very lame with a swelling on her knee. They were all very Poore had nothing nor could hardly doe any thing towards there lively hood The old squa being past worke and had enoufe to doe to looke after her Daughter and the young Chilldren. The occasion of there coming as I understood by other Indjans (for none of these could speake Inglish very little) was from the Moquages whoe had then Lately killed the Squas Husbands and one of the old Squas sonnes, and terribly massacred them, they tooke (as was sayd) This Companie being altogether strangers Poore and Desplicable, and not any wayes Capable of keeping them selves, at least towards a liveing, all the other Indians Quickly leaveing them rather laughing at there pitty full case and the ackwardness of the old Squas Sonne (who was called by the name of Bobbin) and his Indisposition unto any worke, I was at the Charge of supplying all there necessities, The younger Squa grew worse & worse with the Swelling on her knee, her sinnews shrank up soe on the inside of her knee, that her legg turned quitt backwards her heele almost Touched her back part of her Bodie, a very Lamentable object to behold, I sent constant releif for them all, they haveing a wigwam upon my Ground neare my House for the younger Squa I was constreined out of meer pitty to one in misserie, to send sugar spice candles besides other things in her necessite And about a mounth or six weakes before shee died which was upward of halfe a yeare after she came there, my Sonne Lyonell Epps and my selfe goeing into ye Wigwam to see them The younger Squa was very thankefull to me for all my Charge & trouble about them: and did earnestly desire me to take care of her eldest sonne which I then called by the name of Daniel, and hath bin ever since, And shee further sayde give you my younger sonne, which she intreated me to accept of (whoe was then scarce three quarters of a yeare old) which I promised I would my sonne Lyonel being by, he sayd unto me Father pray let his name be called Lyonel which I tould him it might soe my sonne Lyonel named him by which name he hath bin called ever since I kept the Mother and the rest of them in a manner whollie, whilst the younger Squa died, and after her Death sent some of my Folke to help burie her After which I gave the old Squa charge of the little Chilldren espeashally of Lyonel and told her I would supplie her with what might be convinient for them, and accordingly did supplie them with what there necessitie did require and soe I did whillst the young Child was five or six years old, at which time I would have had him home but the old Squa being alone and several times scared in the wigwam & did severall times come in a scarefull Condition unto our House and was often very sick as wee apprehended unto Death, did let the Boy Lyonell be with her to help her, and carry releife to her, Robin her sonne did help her with corne severall times but other things I was constreined to help her with for when shee came to our House which was pritty constant when she was well eat and Drunk and carried with her what she had occasion of and Required it as her right because shee had looked after as shee allwayes sed your Boy Lyonell and did Constantly owne and acknowledge him so to be whoesoever was present there, but a short time before she went quit away which was about 5 yeares since, Robin and his Squa being with her, my boy Lyonel came home and I did intend he should have stayed alltogether, but Robin leaveing his Mother the old Squa came about a fortnight or three weakes after and desired that Lyonel might be with her to help her a little longer and then shee intended to goe amongst the Indjans, and leave the Boy at home with me, but Robin as it seems (her sonne) being Idle and Cauking horses ran himself into debt to Mr. Bennet and was like to come in to trouble tooke away my boy when I was from home and put him to sayd Bennet by writing (as is sayed) to pay Robins Debt, Now if any one stealleing a boy from another and by writting putting him of to pay there sonnes Debt or Debts be either Legall or warrantable I think I understand little of Law or Reason." 35

Daniel Epes was voted Grammar Schoolmaster for the town on April 7, 1677. He also often served as a jurer for trials and as an attorney.35

Ipswich Quarterly Court, March 1678: Mr. Daniell Epps v. Henry Bennett. Trespass. Verdict for plaintiff, the land in controversy. Appealed to the next Court of Assistants. Henry Bennet bound, with Abraham Perkins and Jacob Bennett as sureties.
Writ: Mr. Daniell Epps of Ipswich v. Henry Bennet, sr., of Ipswich; trespass, in that Bennet's son Jacob felled trees and conveyed twenty of them away from said Epps' land at Castle Neck, which land he had from the town of Ipswich; dated Mar. 21, 1677-8; signed by Robert Lord, for the court; and served by Robert Lord, marshal of Ipswich by attachment of a part of the farm of Henry Benitt.