Chief Mahue / Mayhew of Unkechaug

Mahue, also known as Mahew, Mayhew, and John Mahue, was born in the Setauket area of Long Island and later moved closer to his kinship southeast to  Unkechaug lands during the 17th century. While living in these two areas, he was involved in land transactions in the areas.

The Warawakmy Deed, April 14, 1655

In 1655, Warawakmy, the chief of the Setauket, opened negotiations with English entrepreneurs who came from Southold for a thirty-two square mile tract of land on the north shore, bounded on the west by the Nissequogue River and on the east by what is now Port Jefferson Harbor.

Mahue (Mahew, Mayew, John Mahue) is one of the men whose name appears on the deed.¹

1659

Setauket settlers opened land negotiations with Mahue, a Setauket, who was joined by Wyandanch and Wyandanch’s advisor Checonow ( Cockenoe ) and Sasarataicko (Sassakataka) shortly before Wyandanch’s death.

The resulting deed transferred a small neck of land called “Old Field” by the English and “Cataconacke” by the Indians.²

1. John Strong, The Unkechaug Indians of Eastern Long Island, 2011, pp. 40[↩]
2. John Strong, The Unkechaug Indians of Eastern Long Island, 2011, pp. 52[↩]