8 th - century ▁murder ed ▁monarch s <0x0A> </s> ▁H ia co om es ▁( ~ 1 6 1 0 s ▁– ▁ 1 6 9 0 ) ▁was ▁a ▁W amp ano ag ▁American ▁Indian ▁from ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Mar tha ' s ▁V ine yard , ▁( W amp ano ag : ▁), ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 3 ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁member ▁of ▁his ▁society ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁the ▁mission ary ▁Thomas ▁May hew ▁Jr . ▁He ▁would ▁then , ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁May hew , ▁become ▁a ▁leading ▁pre acher ▁to ▁his ▁fellow ▁W amp ano ag ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁playing ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁conversion ▁of ▁the ▁W amp ano ag ▁from ▁their ▁traditional ▁belief s ▁to ▁Christian ity . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁English ▁ ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁H ia co om es ' ▁early ▁life ▁except ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁of ▁' mean ' ▁descent ▁and ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁man ▁of ▁a ▁sad ▁and ▁so ber ▁spirit " ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁low ▁ranking ▁in ▁the ▁then ▁existing ▁social ▁hierarchy ▁of ▁the ▁W amp ano ag . ▁In ▁ 1 6 3 9 ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Thomas ▁May hew ▁Senior , ▁had ▁begun ▁at ▁Ed gart own . ▁H ia co om es ▁took ▁an ▁unusual ▁interest ▁in ▁these ▁new com ers ▁and ▁eventually ▁began ▁to ▁form