Iyannough

Who was Iyannough?

Iyannough was a Native American sachem and leader of the Mattachiest tribe of Cummaquid in the area of what is now Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Hyannis, the Wianno section of Osterville, and Iyanough Road are all named after him.

Historic records mention the assistance and entertainment offered by him and his tribe towards the Pilgrims and later colonists. When the son of Mayflower passenger John Billington wandered away from the new settlement at Plymouth in January 1621, Iyannough assisted William Bradford and his party in finding the boy. The sachem impressed the Pilgrims as being personable, gentle, courteous, and fair-conditioned.

He died in 1623 when he was only in his mid-twenties. Following a surprise attack by the Pilgrims on the Massachusett tribe that winter, many Native Americans in the region including Iyannough grew fearful of the colonists and fled to hide in the area's swamps and remote islands. It is believed that Iyannough himself died of exposure during this time. Upon his early death his lands went to his eldest son Yanno. Yanno is mentioned in several land deeds on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard and appears to have been a prominent figure in the early settlement of the communities.