John Underhill

The soldier of the Pequot War, and in his last years a neighbour of the Frosts, Priors, Cocks and Fekes at Killingworth on Matinecock. He is only a possible ancestor: the family’s descent from him runs through his son David Underhill to Benjamin Underhill, and the step from Benjamin to David is the compilers’ guess (see Benjamin’s page). His second wife, Elizabeth Feake, was a sister of Hannah (Feake) Bowne and John Feke, so her parents are ancestors either way.

Holland and Boston. A cadet in the guard of the Prince of Orange, he married Heylken de Hooch at The Hague in December 1628 (source, 2:2). He and Daniel Patrick were brought to Massachusetts by Winthrop as the colony’s first paid military officers: in September 1630 the Court of Assistants allowed “Mr Patricke & Mr Vnderhill” provisions and a salary (source, 1:75-77). In 1637, with John Mason, he led the attack on the Pequot fort at Mystic. His own account, Newes from America (1638): “Captain Mason entering into a wigwam, brought out a firebrand, after he had wounded many in the house. Then he set fire on the west side, where he entered; myself set fire on the south end with a train of powder. The fires of both meeting in the centre of the fort, blazed most terribly, and burnt all in the space of half an hour … Many were burnt in the fort, both men, women, and children … It may be demanded, Why should you be so furious? (as some have said). Should not Christians have more mercy and compassion? … We had sufficient light from the word of God for our proceedings” (source, pp. 80-81).

Disgrace. In November 1637, for signing the petition for the banished minister John Wheelwright, “Cap[t] Vnderhill … is disfranchized, & put from the captaines place,” and his name heads “The Names of Boston Men to bee disarmed” (source, 1:207-212). Banished in 1638, he went to Dover and was chosen its governor, then was excommunicated for adultery and came back to Boston church on 3 September 1640: “He came in his worst clothes (being accustomed to take great pride in his bravery and neatness) without a band, in a foul linen cap pulled close to his eyes; and standing upon a form, he did, with many deep sighs and abundance of tears, lay open his wicked course, his adultery, his hypocrisy, his persecution of God’s people here, and especially his pride” (source, 2:12-13).

New Netherland. From Stamford he went into the Dutch service: in February 1644 he commanded the force that destroyed an Indian town near Greenwich; in 1645 he was one of the Eight Men of New Amsterdam; Stuyvesant made him sheriff of Flushing in 1648. In 1653, during the Anglo-Dutch war, he was jailed for hoisting Parliament’s colours, went to Rhode Island, and as its commander seized the Dutch fort, the House of Hope at Hartford, on 27 June 1653 (source, 1:30-31). He settled at Southold, where Helena died in 1658, married Elizabeth Feake, and moved to Setauket, where he signed the petition of 1659 with William Frost and James Cock (source, p. 3).

Killingworth. About 1661 he came to Oyster Bay; he was Surveyor of Customs for Long Island in 1665 and High Constable and Under Sheriff of the North Riding, and the Matinecock Indians’ adviser, who gave him 150 acres. He named the place Killingworth (source, 1:32). He gave part of his tract to his young brother-in-law John Feke (source, p. 10). His will, “Killingworth ye 7th Munth called, ye 12th day” 1671, left “my whole Estate In possession of my wife Elizabeth Underhill During ye Time of her widowhood but if she Marry then my Brother John Bound Henry Townsend mathew pryer and my Son John Underhill I impower hereby that they See to ye Estate that ye Children be not wronged,” with his son Nathaniel to stay with his mother until twenty-one, “and that no part of my Land be alinated from my present ofspring”; James Cock and William Simson witnessed it (record, p. 78).

His children by Helena included John, baptized at Boston in 1642, who married Mary Prior, daughter of Matthew Prior; by Elizabeth Feake, from the Flushing Friends’ records: Deborah (29th of 9th month 1659), Nathaniel (22nd of 12th month 1663), Hannah (2nd of 10th month 1666), Elizabeth (2nd of 5th month 1669) and David (2nd month 1672) (source, 2:3-4).

Research: research/mcmillan/Frost_Underhill_Bowne_Feake.md.

Open questions

• Whether he is an ancestor at all: the Westbury Friends’ certificate of Benjamin Underhill’s marriage (29th of 3rd month 1728) may name Benjamin’s father.