The
William Cahoone (Colquhoun) Society Founded
on the 325th anniversary of his death, June 24, 2000, by
The Descendants Of William, The First American Cahoone
Last Updated February 18, 2002 Check out the NEW Block Island
link! (below)
This site is dedicated to William
Cahoone (Colquhoun) of Luss, Scotland, and Swansea, Massachusetts, and
his lineage.
The FIRST AMERICAN CAHOONE ! One of the founders of Block
Island, Rhode Island (1661) and Swansea, Massachusetts (1669)
Officially made Swansea's
first town brickmaker,
Dec. 24, 1673
William Cahoone finally met with
"success" as a Freeman in Swansea, Massachusetts, when he was officially
appointed as the sole brickmaker for that town. There is still in
existence, in the Swansea Town Offices, the original bound volume entitled:
"Proprietors Book of Grants and Meetings, 1668-1769".
It includes the following entry
(actual photo below):
"At A Town Meeting of the Towns
Men, December 24, 1673, It was Agreed upon by and Between the townsmen
In the behalf of the town and William Cohoone (Cohoune/Cohowne?) brickmaker
that for and In Consideration of a Lot and other Accommodations or Grantes
And Given by him from the town unto him the said William Cohoun. It was
therefore Agreed and Concluded upon by the Parties Above so that the said
William Cohoon Shall Supply all the Inhabitants of the Town with Bricks
at a Price not Exceeding Twenty Shillings a Thousand in Current Pay Putting
between Man and Man."
NOTE:
in each instance where William’s name is written, his last name is spelled
differently! This, to me, indicates that perhaps William Cahoone
was illiterate, not that uncommon for his times and circumstances. Is
it any wonder, therefore, that even today this name is spelled in so many
different ways?
On June 24, 2000,
William Cahoone's direct descendants
donated this Commemorative Plaque
to the Swansea Historical Society.
It will be affixed to a rock
and erected near the site of the
Cahoone Brickworks,
close to the location of the Myles
Garrisoned House
along the Palmer River in Swansea,
Mass.
Give the plaque a click to see
images from the FIRST GATHERING of WILLIAM CAHOONE JUNE 24 AND 25, 2000
It was the intent of this site
to list you, the descendants of William’s 7 children, with your lineage.
However, upon further reflection it seems more reasonable, for the sake
of saving space and privacy, to list only your names and e-mail addresses
and/or your regular postal addresses, with the option of listing only by
name. If you are listed by "name only", then we will keep your addresses
private, forwarding any inquiries concerning your lineage to you.
Each one of William's children
has a page dedicated to his/her line.
The
William Cahoone (Colquhoun) Society
