The Native Ancestry of Laura Vickers

Laura L. Vickers was born on Dec 30, 1869 in CT. She married Walter Tuttle on August 22, 1889 in Sturbridge, MA. Her marriage record lists her race as Indian.

Her parents were Charles K. Vickers and Polly Dorus*. Charles Vickers was born in Mar 1843 in Hampton, CT. He died on September 6, 1902 at the age of 59 in Sturbridge, MA. The death record lists his color as Indian.

Charles appeared in the 1870 census in Dudley and in the 1880 Sturbridge, MA census. He served in the Civil War, 76th US Colored Troops, Co. K, with his father, Samuel Vickers. Samuel Vickers is probably the grandson of Narragansett Revolutionary War veteran Sampson Hazard. Polly Dorus and Charles K. Vickers were married on April 22, 1868 in Woodstock, CT. Laura’s mother, Polly Dorus, was born in March of 1848 in Woodstock, CT. She died on June 24, 1899 at the age of 51 in Sturbridge, MA. Polly Dorus was a Nipmuc woman.

Polly Dorus’ parents were Charles L. Dorus and Mary Ann Dixon. Charles Dorus was born about 1818 in Connecticut to Joseph Dorus and Polly Pegan Nedson.  Mary Ann Dixon and Charles L. Dorus were married about 1845. Mary Ann Dixon was born on April 24, 1830 in Woodstock, CT to Hosea Dixon and Hopey Reynolds. Mary Ann Dixon Dorus died on March 1, 1888 at the age of 57 in Sturbridge, MA and was buried in Woodstock, CT. Her death record lists her as Indian.

Descendants of two of the children of Charles L. Dorus and Mary Ann Dixon are members of either the Nipmuc Nation or the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians.

                               

Martha A. Dorus was born on September 9, 1856 in Woodstock, CT. She married Charles M. Hewitt on

June 18, 1877 in Sturbridge, MA. Martha died on December 27, 1908 at the age of 52 in Sturbridge, MA.

Her descendants include Chaubunagungamaug tribal councilors Kenneth and David White.

Alice Susan Dorus was born on August 2, 1870 in Union, CT. She married Oscar Dean Bates around

1888 and died on March 22, 1940 at the age of 69 in Hampton, CT. Her descendants represent the

Dorus/White/Bates line included on the Nipmuc Nation tribal roll.        

Joseph Dorus was born about 1770 most likely in New York. He and Polly Pegan Nedson were married

about 1805. Polly Pegan Nedson was born about 1778 in Connecticut. She died on July 14, 1872 at the

age of 94 in Dudley, MA. Her death record clearly states that her mother’s maiden name was Pegan. Pegan

is a known surname of the Dudley/Webster Nipmucs.

One of the children of Joseph Dorus and Polly Pegan Nedson was Soloman W./ Esbon B. Dorus. Esbon

was born about 1811 in Pittsfield, MA. He married Nipmuc Angenette Briggs White on March 13, 1844.

He died on February 11, 1884 at age 72 in Webster, MA. His death record notes that he was buried in

“Indian Ground” (Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915: vol. 357, page 465).

Hosea Dixon was born on January 11, 1798 in Milford, MA. He died on October 25, 1857 at the age of 59 in Woodstock, CT. Hopey Reynolds and Hosea Dixon were married about 1823.  Hopey Reynolds was born between 1790 and 1797 in RI. She died on October 25, 1864 at the age of 74 in Woodstock, CT.

Among the children of Hosea Dixon and Hopey Reynolds were:

Elizabeth Dixon was born on 4 Feb 1836 in Woodstock, CT. She died on 19 Aug 1931 at the age of 95

in Putnam, CT. She was also known as Lovan Tiffany Dixon.

"Woodstock Woman of Indian Blood.  Miss Lovan Dixon Dies at Home of Miss Elizabeth Child Wednesday.  Child of 8th Generation born During her Lifetime." "She was in her 96th year.  She was born February 4, 1836, in North Woodstock, in the English Neighborhood. of Indian parentage and was the last survivor of a family of ten children born to Hosea and Hopey Dixon.  They were of the Wabbaquasset tribe which had long lived in Woodstock.  She is mentioned in the recent "History of Woodstock" by Clarence W. Brown.  At the time of her birth the family lived east of the "Luther rawson Place."  It is not standing at the present time.  At another time their home was near the woolen mill in "Pond Factory" now known to some as "Laurel Pond."

Hosea Dixon (II) was born on January 2, 1842 in Woodstock, CT.  He died on July 13, 1887 at the age of

45 in Woodstock, CT.

John Nedson was born about 1760 in Stonington, CT. A member of the Pequot tribe, he died on January 23, 1845 at the age of 85 in Woodstock, CT.  His wife Mary Pegan was born about 1760.

"The Nedson family still occupied their reservation near Hatchet Pond, swingling flax, chopping wood, weaving baskets and chair bottoms, when not too full of liquor.  It was perhaps one of the progenitors of this family who shouldered a barrell-full of cider and trudged home with it.  A pail-full at the gulp was nothing for them" (Larned, History of Windham County, Book IX, Vol. II).”

The above evidence demonstrates that the ancestors of Laura Vickers Tuttle are both Wabaquaset Nipmucs and Pegan Band Nipmucs. Their earliest known ancestors are John Nedson (Pequot), Mary Pegan (Pegan Nipmuc), Hosea Dixon (Wabaquaset Nipmuc) and Hopey Reynolds (Wabaquaset Nipmuc). In every subsequent generation, the children of these four ancestors married other Nipmucs and Native people.

Ancestor	Tribe/Band	Spouse	Tribe/Band
John Nedson	Pequot	Mary Pegan	Nipmuc
Polly Nedson	Nipmuc	Joseph Dorus	New York Indian
Hosea Dixon	Nipmuc	Hopey Reynolds	Nipmuc
Charles Dorus	Nipmuc	Mary Ann Dixon	Nipmuc
Charles Vickers	Narragansett(living in Nipmuc country abt. 1800)	Polly Dorus	Nipmuc

*Dorus is often spelled Dorous or Doras.