“Word also was brought unto us that Conbitant, a petty sachem or governor under Massasoit (whom they ever feared to be too conversant with the Narragansetts), was at Nemasket, who sought to draw the hearts of Massasoit’s subjects from him speaking also disdainfully of us…”
Mourt’s Relation, 1621

Conbitant was Sachem of Pocasset, one of many regional Wampanoag leaders in counsel with Ousamequin, the Massasoit. He opposed the Massasoit’s friendship pact with the English colonists and reportedly supported an alliance with the Narragansett instead. This stance put him at odds with Plymouth’s colonial leaders, who viewed him as a dangerous opponent.

Most early accounts about Conbitant are reports of what others were saying about him, often regarding his presumed hostility towards the English. There is only one first-hand account of this intriguing leader. In Good News from New England (1624), Edward Winslow described a personal encounter with Conbitant, when he and another Englishman were invited to stay overnight in his home in 1623.

Conbitant welcomed his guests with hospitality. Winslow found his host to be a “a notable politician, yet full of merry jests….& never better pleased than when the like are returned again upon him.” The two men shared a thoughtful and far-ranging conversation about governing, religion, and military affairs.

During the evening, Conbitant questioned Winslow about the colony’s commitment to Wampanoag allies, asking if he fell sick, would the Governor extend help and would Winslow tend to him as he had for Ousamequin? He also inquired why the English stood guard and pointed their muskets at Native visitors to Plymouth. When Winslow explained it as a gesture of respect and honor, Conbitant shook his head and said he disliked such salutations. As Winslow blessed his food before eating, the pair began discussing and comparing religious beliefs. Their leisurely exchange was “delightful” and “comfortable,” according to Winslow, who observed that he “never had better entertainment [among them].”