Before I go on, let me say, that she was not the last of the Nipmuc tribe -- there are still well over 1000 of us alive and kicking -- including descendents of the Jahas. :D

From "Full Circle -- A Directory of Native and African Americans in Windham County, Ct, and Vicinity, 1650-1900" by Marcella Houle Pasay:

"Jaha, Rhoda: Dau. of Caesar; of Natick, MA; married 1 Sept 1784 Abel Benson; Framingham, MA vitals"

"Jaha, Rhoda: Dudley Indian: Born ca. 1816; dau. of Lucien/Luke and Rhoda; in 1871 Louis Daily is paid to care for Rhoda; died 20 June 1872; the town notes her burial expenses as $24.09; Dudley,MA, Town Records; Dudley Vitals; Two Hundred Years of Progress, p.27. Child: Joseph E. b.1846. "

"Jaha Rhoda ( ): Wife of Lucien/Luke; Two Hundred Years of Progress. Children: Paris, b.1812; Levi, b.1813; Mary, b. 1815; Rhoda, b.1816; Julia."

Various spellings: Jaha/Jahai/Jalia/Jeaha/Jehizea/Jehu/Jahah

The following Jahas are also listed in Pasay's book:
Alcie, Ana, Anstra, Esther, Caesar, Cate, Eliakim, George, Hannah, Joseph, Julia, Kate, Levi, Lucien/Luke, Mary/Molly, Paris, Rebecca, Scipio, and Thomas.

Excerpts from the John Milton Earle Report, primarily correspondence, through 1859.
From the Dudley Indians section:

"Letter from E.W. Mixer of Webster, 8 June 1859. "Friend Joslin" is absent, will try to answer your questions. All about specific individuals. There is no Daniel C. Jaha. the Spragues live in Sturbridge. Antis Jaha is dead."

"Complaint by Martha Fiske, Dudley Indian, 2 Feb. 1860. COPIED. 'Mr. Earl - Sir, I sat my self to write a few lines to you in regard to Miss Rhod Jaha's conduct towards me, and also her Brother Paris, to. I am her Daughter, and have lived with my Aunt, Mrs. Dailey, in Oxford, until the Summer past, for the two, as three weeks past i have stayed with my Aunt Mary, who live in Webster. The reason of my doing so, is that I can get more work there than in this place, and my Mother and Uncle Paris are both mad about it. he has ordered me to take my things out of the house ------ and he told Aunt Mary that if she kept me there, if she did lock her doors that it would do no good for he would break the door open..." This letter continues at length, and I won't include the rest, as it is not the best reflection on poor Rhoda. If you think this is your Rhoda, I will send it onto you personally -- send me your email address.

Abel Benson's Revolutionary War pension records are also online at fold3.com. You can get a free trial for a week. They are photocopies of the actual records. After he died, Rhoda applied for the widow's pension. It might help with dates, etc, and a cool thing to have.

The Jahas/Dalys are also listed in the Briggs Report, and the 1890 Disbursements List from Worcester County Probate Registry. You can find Mary Jaha's Will in Worcester and other probate for her -- the info is listed on the NEHGS site.

You have to check all the leads you get RT and MA, because Nipmucs moved around quite a bit -- it could be Warwick, RI, or Natick,MA or both.

Aquene,
Cheryl