Tom Nepanet (fl. 1676), also known as Tom Doublet, was a Christian

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian languages, Eastern Algonquian language, probably the Loup language. Their historic territory Nippenet, meaning 'the f ...

who took part in

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

. In April 1676, he began working as an emissary between Nipmuc leadership and Massachusetts colonists. Nepanet was imprisoned on Deer Island, but was respected as an interpreter for the English. The Council of Massachusetts, urged by

Daniel Gookin Danyell "Daniel" Gookin (1612 – 19 March 1687) was a Munster colonist, settler of Virginia and Massachusetts, and a writer on the subject of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indians. Early life He was born, perhaps in County Cork, ...

and the family of

Mary Rowlandson Mary Rowlandson, née White, later Mary Talcott (c. 1637January 5, 1711), was a colonial American woman who was captured by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ...

, sent Nepanet with a letter to

King Philip King Philip may refer to * Philip I of Macedon (fl. c. 593 BC) * Philip II of Macedon (380–336 BC), Greek conqueror and father of Alexander the Great * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960) * Ee-mat-la (died 1839) war leader of the Seminole in the Seco ...

and

Sagamore Sam Sagamore Sam (died 1676), also known as Upchattuck, Shoshanim, and Uskattuhgun, was a sachem of the Nashaway tribe of Massachusetts. He was an active leader during King Phillip's War. Sam was a major insurgent against white settlers, acting alongsi ...

to negotiate the freedom of captives. By May, many of the captives had been released. That month, Nepanet assisted

Captain Daniel Henchman Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

with an ambush outside of

Lancaster, Massachusetts Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population ...

. Nepanet married Wunnuhhew, known as Sarah Doublet. He was her third husband. After their release, the two returned to Nashoba. Wunnuhhew outlived Nepanet.

References

17th-century Native American people Nipmuc people People from colonial Massachusetts Native American people from Massachusetts {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub