Thomas Commuck

Short Name: Thomas Commuck
Full Name: Commuck, Thomas, 1804-1855
Birth Year: 1804
Death Year: 1855

Thomas Commuck, a Narragansett Indian, was born January 18, 1804 at Charlestown, Rhode Island. His father died while he was a child. At the time of Commuck’s birth, the Narragansetts had, by and large, converted to Christianity and adopted English as their language. English was Commuck’s native language, and he only learned six words of the Narragansett tongue. In 1825 Commuck moved to Brothertown, New York. The remainder of his life was spent with the Brothertown Indians. In 1831 Commuck moved to Wisconsin along with other Brothertown people who were relocating there. In 1845 Commuck’s tunebook, Indian Melodies, was published. He learned music on his own. He also published “Sketch of Calumet County,” and “Sketch of the Brothertown Indians.” He died November 25, 1855.

From "Thomas Commuck and His Indian Melodies, Wisconsin's Shape-Note Tunebook" by James Philip Page (1989), used by permission


Tunes by Thomas Commuck (116)sort descendingAsInstancesIncipit
ALGONQUIN (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
ANNAWONThomas Commuck (Composer)151565 31427 12325
APESThomas Commuck (Composer)1
ASSAWOMSETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
BROTHERTOWNThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CADDOEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CALUMETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CANONECHETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CAYUGAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CHEROKEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CHICKASAWThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CHILTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CHIPPEWAYThomas Commuck (Composer)1
COMMUCKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CREEKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
CUMMANCHEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
DELAWARE (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)113324 55331
FLATHEADThomas Commuck (Composer)1
FOXThomas Commuck (Composer)253422 55517 56551
GROTON (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
HURON (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
IROQUOIThomas Commuck (Composer)1
JERSEYThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KEOKUCKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KEWANOWUTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KICKAPOOThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KISKARRAHThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KUSICKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
KYOEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
LITTLE OSAGEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MAGNUS (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)155165 35443 16455
MANDANThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MASSASOITThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MENOMINIEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MIAMI (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)151122 33423 21255
MICHIGANThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MILWAUKIEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MISHWAUKIEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MISSIONARY (Commuck)Ths. Commuck (Composer)613565 35671 53211
MISSISSIPPI (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
MISSOURI (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)153332 11132 22345
MOHAWKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MOHEGANThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MONTAUKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MOOANAMThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MUNPONSETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
MUNSEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
NARRAGANSETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
NATCHEZThomas Commuck (Composer)1
NEECHYThomas Commuck (Composer)1
NETOPThomas Commuck (Composer)1
NIANTICKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
OCCUMThomas Commuck (Composer)1
OKAWWUCKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
ONEIDA (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
ONONDAGAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
OSAGEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
OSCEOLAThomas Commuck (Composer)2
OSHKOSHThomas Commuck (Composer)1
OTTAWA (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
OTTOEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PASSAMAQUODDYThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PATCHAUGThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PAUGUSThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PAUTUCKETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PAWNEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PENOBSCOTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PEORIA (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)154345 17127 1
PEQUOTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PESSICUSThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PHILIP (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)112354 32133 75176
PIANKASHAWThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PISCATAQUAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
POCAHONTASThomas Commuck (Composer)1
POCASSETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
POKANOKETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
PONTIAC (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)151535 43215 67121
POQUYANTUPThomas Commuck (Composer)1
POTTAWATTAMIEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
POWHATANThomas Commuck (Composer)1
QUAPAWThomas Commuck (Composer)1
QUINNEBAUGThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SACThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SASSAMONThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SCATAKOOKThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SCHOHARRIEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SECONETThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SEMINOLEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SENECAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SHAWNEE (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
SHENANDOAH (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
SHOSHONEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SIOUXThomas Commuck (Composer)1
SIPPICANThomas Commuck (Composer)1
STOCKBRIDGE (Commuck)Thomas Commuck (Composer)1
SUSQUEHANNAHThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TALLAHASSEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TECUMSEHThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TETONThomas Commuck (Composer)132155 43455 31354
TISPAQUINThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TONAWANDAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TOTOSONThomas Commuck (Composer)1
TUSCARORAHThomas Commuck (Composer)113123 53254 32342
UMPAMEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
UNCASThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WABASHThomas Commuck (Composer)132171 32172 32345
WAMPANOAGThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WATCHAUGThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WAUPUNThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WAUSHARAThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WESSAGUSSETTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WINNEBAGOThomas Commuck (Composer)1
WYANDOTThomas Commuck (Composer)1
YAMASSEEThomas Commuck (Composer)1
YARACOThomas Commuck (Composer)1
YAZOOThomas Commuck (Composer)1
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us