Col. Benjamin Church grave, Little Compton, RI, Father of American Range...

Col. Benjamin Church grave, Little Compton, RI, Father of American Range...

Trying to find Great Swamp Fight Monument

Image of Great Swamp Fight during King Philip's War. (From "Annual Record of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts" By Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts Published by s.n., 1900 Item notes: 1899-1903, pg. 103[1] Retrieved: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Swamp_Fight_painting.jpg)



Soon I will make my third attempt at trying to locate the site of Great Swamp Fight in South Kingston, RI. The first time my husband and I drove up to the gated entrance to the swamp (there are two entrances), but realized we weren't dressed properly in our sandals to avoid ticks so vowed to be better protected in our next try with proper shoes and bug spray. I actually felt a little uneasy at the edge of the swamp because the numerous wild animal calls reminded me how the native Americans communicated before an attack (unlike the English who loudly whispered to each other, giving their position away). Did the ghosts of the slain Indians know I was a descendant of Captain Benjamin Church?

In our second attempt at finding the site of the bloody conflict where Capt. Church was seriously wounded (but not before killing several Indians), we wore brightly colored clothes to avoid being shot by hunters. We trekked various trails throughout the swamp but could find no monuments to mark the spot. 

My ancestor Captain Benjamin Church. Photo from New York Public Library - Stephen Schwarzman Building -

Captain Benjamin Church (c. 1675). Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Swamp_Fight#/media/File:Colonel_Benjamin_Church.jpg

Images from Great Swamp Fight Monument

“The Great Swamp Fight Monument, West Kingston, RI, commemorating the King Philip's War battle between Narragansett Native-Americans and New England colonial militia on December 19, 1675. (Image courtesy of Christopher McCabe, 2016).Photographs were taken on November 4, 2016, at 41 Great Swamp Monument Road, West Kingston, RI 02892, 41.468464, -71.595505.

Christopher P. McCabe, M.A., G.C.GIS/RS, RPA

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI 02881

mccabe@my.uri.edu

King Philip's War: NINIGRET, English Friend. Statue in Watch Hill, RI

King Philip's War and NINIGRET: "July 15, 1676 – Ninigrit and Niantics formally sign peace treaty with Massachusetts Bay" (From: http://kpwar.org/sample-page/timeline/)

Descendant of Benjamin Church seeks information and experts to interview on TV

I am a descendant of Col. Benjamin Church. If you have information about Benjamin Church, please contact me at LisaSaunders42@gmail.com. 
Want to see if we are related?

From Richard Warren of the Mayflower to Benjamin Church then to me:

• Richard Warren, b. ca. 1595 in Hertford, England (married Elizabeth Warren). 1620: Richard Warren, passenger on the Mayflower, arrives in Plymouth.
• Elizabeth (Warren) Church (married Richard Church--some give name as Joseph Church)
• Benjamin Church, b. ca.1640 (married Alice Southworth)
• Elizabeth (Church) Rosbotham, b. 1684 (married Joseph Rosbotham)
• Hannah (Rosbotham) Munro, b. 1711 (married John Munro)
• Nathan Munro, b 1730 (married Hanna Allen)
• Squire Monro, b. 1758 (married Mary Daggett)
• Mary (Polly) Munro Arne, b.1794 (married (David Arne)
• Harriet (Arne) Sisson, b.1825 (married William Henry Sisson)
• Frank Munro Sisson, b.1855 (married Emma Louise Leach)
• Mary Sisson McDowell, b. 1882/3 (married Gilbert McDowell)
• Russell Gale McDowell, b.6/28/1911 (married Ida M. Lee, b. 1/5/1918) on 6/3/1937
• Mary Ann (McDowell) Avazian, b.10/21/1938 (married Richard W. Avazian, b. 9/10/1937) on 1/10/1960.
• Lisa (Avazian) Saunders, b.3/31/1961 (married James Patrick Saunders, b. 8/6/1958) on 5/29/1983

My Mayflower paperwork: 

The following is my genealogy from Richard Warren, which was verified by The General Society of Mayflower Descendants (I was in the New York chapter, Society No. 5099, General No. 73,463). My certificate reads: The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Richard Warren, Mayflower Ancestor: This certifies that Lisa Marie Avazian Saunders is a member of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, founded 12 January 1897, to perpetuate the memory of the Pilgrims, to maintain and defend their principals of civil and religious liberty, to honor their unfailing strength, undying courage, and abiding faith, to which they committed their lives. 

Richard Warren (Mayflower passenger)

Elizabeth (Warren) Church

Benjamin Church, b. 1639 (died 1718/19)

Elizabeth (Church) Rosbotham, b. 1684 (she was born after King Philip's War)

Hannah (Rosbotham) Munro, b. 1711

Nathan Munro, b 1730

Squire Monro, b. 1758

Mary (Polly) Munro Arne, b.1794

Harriet (Arne) Sisson, b.1825

Frank Munro Sisson, b.1855

Mary Arne (Sisson) McDowell, b.1882

Russell Gale McDowell, b.1911

Mary Ann (McDowell) Avazian, b.1938

Lisa (Avazian) Saunders, b.1961