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Norwich is
located at the convergence of the Thames, Shetucket, and Yantic Rivers about 25 minutes north of
New London.
The city, founded in 1660, has a
rich
Colonial
history.
The photo at left shows the Thames as it flows towards downtown Norwich.
City of Norwich web site |
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17th Century Colonial
Life Centered around the Green, an open space
bordered by buildings.
Norwich Green Markers
commemorate the original settlement |
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On
June 6th, 1659 Uncus, Chief of the Mohegan Tribe
and other Indians, sold 9 square miles of land to settlers for 70 pounds.
The area became known as Norwich
Plantation as shown in these
early colonial documents.
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Text from
Marker |
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Houses and church
along Norwichtown Green.
Norwichtown is the present day name
for the area of the original settlement. Many colonial buildings
still remain. |
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John Mason, Puritan, Co-Founder of
Norwich 1660 |
The
early life of John Mason in England (born circa 1600-1001) is obscure. A
puritan, he served as an officer under Sir
Thomas Fairfax in the Netherlands against Spain. He made the 63 day
passage to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with Reverend Wareham's party in
1630. One of the few experienced military men, he was elected captain at
Dorchester, and eventually helped found Windsor, CT., where the
Connecticut River Indians had invited settlement.
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1636 the first Pequot war began in New England, between Indians and the
English. The colony had but a few hundred English inhabitants. Mason
commanded a contingent of 90 solders, and with the principal aid of Uncus
and the Mohegans, he defeated the powerful Pequot nation in
1637. Disobeying orders, he made strategic decisions on his
own, which helped gain victory over a more numerous enemy. He lost 2
dead and 20 wounded. Mason said of Uncus... "He was a great friend and did
great service." |
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Major
Mason was the chief military officer in the colony for 35 years. He
was magistrate and major at Windsor for 8 years. He married his
second wife, Anne Peck, after the death of his first wife, and had
altogether 8 children. A son John Jr., was mortally wounded in King
Phillip's war (another English/Indian struggle) in 1675. For the
next 12 years he was placed in charge of a fort in Saybrook. In 1660 with
his son-in-law, the Rev. James Fitch, he founded Norwich. During the
first 8 years he was made deputy governor and for two years was acting
governor while Gov. Winthrop was in England seeking Connecticut's charter
from King Charles. He died January 30, 1672. |
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Marker
courtesy of a grant by the Gernon Trust |
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Vintage postcards of
Indian
Leap,
Broadway,
town hall, and the
can be seen on the
GenWeb
site.
Rose
City Genealogy Club A brief history of
Norwich
Norwich
Heritage Trust
Diocese of
Norwich
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Benedict
Arnold, the one time patriot and ally of George Washington, who later became
a
traitor
to the US by aiding the British forces, was born in Norwich in
1741. A marker a few blocks from the Green indicates the location of his
birth, but the house no longer exists.
The Mohegan Tribe Royal
Burial Ground is located in Norwich. Read a brief history of the Mohegan tribe
and their Shantok Burial and Festival grounds located in nearby
Montville at the
National Park Service website.
Present day Mohegans are noted for their casino, the
Mohegan
Sun Casino .
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