Indian Names of Places in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County Massachusetts

Monomoy, Monnamoiet, Monamoyick, Manamoyack, Manamoyake.
     The Indian name of land about Chatham. This I think has the same signification as Manomet and to me is additional proof that my translation of Manomet is correct. In Bradford's History we find there was a path from "Naumskachett" Harbor at the bottom of Cape Cod Bay to "Manamoyack Bay," the distance being only two miles, saving the passage by boat around the head of the cape, and it was used by the Indians for the very same purpose as the path at Manomet was used. In 1626 an English ship bound for Virginia was wrecked at Manamoyake and the Plymouth Colony sent them aid and provisions over this trail.
     Mainayeumauk- "the path where they carry (across) on their shoulders." ( See Manomet.) It was at this place that Squanto died in 1622.
     Monomoy Point, near Chatham.

Monumet.
     Name of river rising in Great Herring Pond on the boundary line between Plymouth and Bourne, flowing southwesterly through Bourne into Buzzard's Bay.
     The historical Indian village of Manomet (Monumet), was situated almost at its mouth. (See Manomet and Kitteaumut.)

Muchquachema, Mauthquohkoma
     "To a swamp called Muchquachema." (Indian deed, Ply. Col. Rec., v.1, p. 231.) Possibly this may mean-"where it is difficult to paddle a canoe"-from the verb Moosqhean--"it troubles," and cheman- "he paddles" or chemaun- "a canoe." Schoolcraft gives "chemaun" as the Indian word for canoe and Longfellow uses the same word in Hiawatha.
     The swamp was probably near Red Brook.

Muskapasesett, Muscapasset.
     "So running southerly to a. place called Muskapasesett." Boundary, Indian Deed, Ply. Col. Rec., v. 1, p. 231. Also in Ralph Jones's deed of 1703.
     Near Little Herring Pond, Plymouth.
     Muscho pauge-name of large pond in Worcester County "Mooskou paug, Muskrat Pond.''

Mussaauwomineukonett, Massaworninekonet.
     "To a place called Mussaanwomineukonett." Indian deed, 1703, Ply. County Registry of Deeds, book 5, p. 65.
     Somewhere near Great Herring Pond, Plymouth. (See Massassoomineuk. )

Namasakeeset or Mattakeeset.
     The Indian name of land about Duxbury including also Pembroke and probably Carver.
     These two names are without doubt the same, from Namas "fish" and ak "land or place" with the diminutive and the locative "at the small fishing place." "All the land lying between the path and the ponds between Namassakeset and Indian Head River. "
     Namassakeset River, in Pembroke, with Indian River form the two principal heads of North River.

Narragansett.
     Name of pond and ridge of hills in the northwestern part of Plymouth, now called "Clear Pond."
     In "Ancient Land Marks of Plymouth" Mr. William T. Davis says that the pond derives its name from a battle fought near it between the Narragausetts and the Pockonokets in which a large number of the Narragansetts were killed and their bodies thrown into the pond. The ridge of hills on which the battle was mainly fought is south of the pond.
     Narragansett; the anglicized name of the country of the Nahiganeuk, the "Nahicans" of the early Dutch explorers. Tile tribal name denotes "people of the point (Point Judith)" (J. H. T., Ind. Names in Conn., p. 35).

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Access Genealogy Library: Indian Names of Places in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County Massachusetts, by Lincoln Newton Kinnicutt ~ 1909

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