Sarah P. Rowlandson was born on 15 September 1669 in Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Rowlandson and Mary White. Sarah Rowlandson died on Tuesday, 18 February 1676 at age 6 years, 5 months and 3 days at the Wenimesset (Menameset, Winimusset) Indian camp. A granite marker on Hardwick Road commemorates the event.
On February 10, 1675, the settlement of Lancaster, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was attacked by Native Americans. The Native Americans burned down houses and opened fire on the English settlers, killing several of them and wounding more. They took many of the survivors captive, including Mary White Rowlandson and her three children. Mary and her youngest child were among the injured, while others of Mary’s family, including her brother-in-law, were killed. Her husband, Reverend Joseph Rowlandson escaped the attack.
Upon her capture, the injured Mary Rowlandson travelled with her youngest child Sarah, who had been shot. Both were suffering from starvation and depression enroute to an Indian village. Sarah, aged 6 years and 5 months, died shortly after arriving in the village. Mary and her other surviving children were kept separately and sold as property, until she was finally reunited with her husband after 11 weeks of captivity with the Nipmuc Indians and a ransom payment of 20 pounds was paid to King Philip. A year later, Mary Rowlandson wrote a book about her experiences and her faith in God.
