Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

an amazing impulfe that wrought fo powerfully upot fuch numbers of people, to make them forfake their native country to go to reside in the midst of a wildernefs.

What declared the principal defign of thofe emigrants, was their practice; for they had no fooner arrived in New England, than they began to pursue that reformation in religion, which they had projected before they left their native country. On August the 27th 1630, they kept a folemn faft, and chofe a minifter

to us our heirs and fucceffours the fifth part only of all oare.of gould and filver, which from time to time and at all times hereafter fhall be there gotten, had or obtained, for all fervices, exactions and demands whatsoever, according to the tenure and refervation in the faid recited indenture expressed.

And further know ye that of our more especiall grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have given and granted, and by thefe prefents do, for us, our heirs, and fucceffours give and grant unto the faid Sir Henry Rofewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard SaltonItall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Alderfey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increafe Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffal, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, Wil liam Vaffal, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, their heirs and aflignes, all that part of New Eng land in America which lies and ex: tends between a great river there commonly called Monomach river, alias Merrymack river, and a certain other river there called Charles river, being in the bottom of a cer

tain bay there commonly called Maffachufets, alias Mattachufets, alias Mattatufets bay, and alfo all and fingular thofe lands and hereditaments whatfoever lying within the space of three English miles on the fouth part of the faid river called Charles river, or of any or every part thereof, and alfo all and fingular the lands and hereditaments whatfoever lyeing and being within the fpace of three English miles to the fouthward of the fouthermoft part of the faid bay called Maffachufetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias Mattatufets bay. And also all those lands and hereditaments whatsoever which lye and be within the space of three English miles to the northward of the faid river called Monomack alias Merrymack, or to the northward of any and every part thereof, and all lands and hereditaments whatfoever lyeing within the limits aforefaid north and fouth in latitude and breadth, and in length and longitude of and within all the breadth aforefaid throughout the maine lands there from the Atlantick and weftern fea and ocean on the eaft part to the fouth fea on the west part, and all lands and grounds, place and places, foyles, wood and wood grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters and hereditaments what-foever lyeing within the faid bounds and

H

[blocks in formation]

124

One Mr

a the coun

This new 1orth fide of

at that time

were feven
obferving
which the

re to the
feven

an, Plymouth.

ay other per-
tfoever there
*any of them,
ein. Provi-
e faid lands,
the premiffes
ned, and by
1 and meant
t the time of
former let-
third day of
eenth yeare
rs reigne a-
fed or inha-
ftian prince
the bounds,
that fouth-

pre granted
o be plant-
ng fubjects
erica, that
t fhall not
ts or par
y inhabited
nds of the
aforefaid,
parcells fo

pottened or innvited by fuch chriftian prince or ftate, or being within the bounds aforefaid, thall be utterly voide, thefe prefents or any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. To have and to hould, poffefs and enjoy the faid parts of New-England in Aabutted merica, which lye, extend and are

120

an amazin

fuch numl

native cou

nefs.

What ¿

grants, w

arrived ir

that refor before thi 27th 1630

to us our heit fifth part onl and filver, w and at all tin there gotten, all fervices, e whatsoever, and refervati indenture ex And furth our more ef knowledge we have give thefe prefent and fucceffot the faid Sir John Young Itall, Thon Humfrey, J Whetcombe, muel Alder

[blocks in formation]

S the breadth aforefaid throughout the maine lands there from the Atlantick and weltern fea and ocean on the eaft part to the fouth fea on the welt part, and all lands and grounds, place and places, foyles, wood and wood grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters and hereditaments whatfoever lyeing within the faid bounds and

nifter to prefide in their public worship. One Mr Wilfon, formerly a minister of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk, was appointed their pastor. This new church was formed at Charlestown, on the north fide of Charles'-river, not far from Boston, which at that time did not exist. In a very short time there were seven churches formed in Maffachufett's-Bay, all obferving the fame order, worship, and discipline*, which the writers of the New-England history compare to the

feven Charlestown, Dorchester, Boston, Roxbury, Lyn, Watertoun, Plymouth.

limits and every part and parcel thereof, and alfo all islands in America aforefaid in the faid feas or either of them on the western or eaftern coafts or parts of the faid tracts of lands hereby mentioned to be given or granted or any of them, and all mines and mineralls as well royal mines of gould and filver as other mines and mineralls whatsoever, in the faid lands and premiffes or any part thereof, and free liberty of fishing in or within any the rivers or waters within the bounds and limits aforefaid and the feas thereunto adjoining, and all fishes, royal fishes, whales, balan, fturgeon, and other fifhes of what kind or nature foever that fhall at any time hereafter be taken in or within the faid feas or waters or any of them, by the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Tho. Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Alderfey, Jolm Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increase Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffal, Theopilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaffal, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft their heirs

and affignes, or by any other perfon or perfons whatsoever there inhabiting, by them,or any of them, appointed to fish therein. Provided always that, if the faid lands, iflands, or any other the premiffes herein before mentioned, and by thefe prefents intended and meant to be granted, were at the time of the granting of the faid former letters patent dated the third day of November, in the eighteenth yeare of our faid deare fathers reigne aforefaid, actually poffeffed or inhabited, by any other christian prince or ftate, or were within the bounds, limits, or territories of that foutherne colonie then before granted by our faid late father to be planted by divers of his loving fubjects in the fouth parts of America, that then this prefent grant fhall not extend to any fuch parts or parcells thereof, fo formerly inhabited or lying within the bounds of the fouthern plantation as aforefaid, but as to thofe parts or parcells fo poffeffed or inhabited by fuch chriftian prince or ftate, or being within the bounds aforefaid, thall be utterly voide, these presents or any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. To have and to hould, poffefs and enjoy the faid parts of New-England in America, which lye, extend and are

abutted

feven churches in Afia, which in fome things they endeavoured to imitate.

The colony of Maffachusetts-Bay foon became numerous, and it was refolved to plant other colonies in that country, as near one another as was poffible to fettle them. For this purpofe in the year 1635, Mr Thomas Hooker, and a company that joined with him, fent agents from Cambridge, Connecticut, who purchafed lands of the natives, where they fettled, and formed another colony.

abutted as aforesaid and every part and parcell the.eof, and all the if lands, rivers, ports, havens, waters, fifhings, fishes, mines, minerals, jurifdictions, franchifes, royalties, liberties, priviledges, commodities and premiffes whatfoever, with the appurtenances unto the faid Sir Henry Rofewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, 1faac Johnfon, Samuel Alderfey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increase Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard BelJingham, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffal. Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaf fal, William Pinchon and George Foxcroft, their heirs and a fignes forever, to the only proper and abfolute ufe and behoofe of the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Alderley, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increase Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne,

Thofe new colonists

finding

Thomas Hutchins, William Vassall, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, their heirs and aligns forevermore. To be houlden of us our heirs and fucceffours, as our marmor of East Greenwich in the county of Kent within our realme of England, in free and common foccage, and not in Capite, nor by knights fervice, and alfo yielding and paying therefore to us, our heirs and fucceffours the fifth part only of all oare of gould and filver which from time to time and at all times hereafter fhall be there gotten, had, or obtained, for all fervices, exactions, and demands whatfoever. Provided alwayes and our expreffe will and meaneing is, that onely one fifth part of the the gould and filver oare abovementioned in the whole, and no more, be referv. ed or payeable unto us, our heirs and fucceffours, by colour or ver tue of thefe prefents, the double reservations or recitals aforefaid, or any thing therein contained notwithstanding.

And for as much as the good and profperous fucceffe of the plantation of the faid parts of New-England aforefaid intended by the faid Sir Henry Rofewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Al

derfey

« ZurückWeiter »