Documentary history of Rhode Island

Front matter

WimB

«0¥^RD M.CHAPINl

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE

Preface

For the convenience of historical students it seemed desirable to bring together the material which is the source and authority for the early history of the state.

This volume includes the contemporary documents and extraAs from the letters, diaries, journals, and printed works of the contemporary writers, which throw light upon the history of the town of Providence from its founding in 1636 to the granting of the first town charters on 14 March 1648/9, of the town of Warwick to the same date, and of the colony to the adoption of the "Code of Laws" at the General Assembly held on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of May 1647.

The original manuscripts, whenever they could be located, have been followed, although a reference to some book in which the manuscript has been printed has often been added.

Brackets indicate that the words inclosed within them do not appear in the original but are supplied or added by the editor. The script abbreviation which represents pr with a vowel has been given as pr and the vowel is thus left, as it was in the original manuscript, to be supplied by the reader. Superior letters have been reduced as in modern abbreviations (as "rec*^" to "reed") for it is often difficult to distinguish between these two sorts of abbreviations in the old manuscripts. The line above a letter, "in,"which signified its repetition or the omission of a syllable, has been retained as there is no modern equivalent for it.

The script letters "th" which often resemble the letter "y,"the script letters "u" and "v," which were often carelessly made and resemble each other, and "i" and "j," which were used interchangeably, have been rendered as the writers

VI PREFACE

intended that the readers should understand them. Thus the "th" and its "y" form have been transcribed as "th," and "u" and "v," and "i" and "j" have been transcribed as "u" and "i" when used as vowels, and as "v" and "j" when used as consonants.

This mode of rendering these script letters into type was that generally followed by contemporary printers. When material has been taken from printed works, the spelling of these has been followed.

H. M. C.

Providence, 10 April, 1916.

ABBREVIATIONS

Backus = A History of New England by Isaac Backus.

Deane = A colonial manuscript, based on the writings of Edward Winslow. It

was reprinted by Charles Deane in 1850, in N. E. H. & G. R. and

in pamphlet form.

Fox = A New England Fire-Brand Quenched by George Fox. GoRTOK = Simplicities Defense by Samuel Gorton. Knowles = Memoir of Roger Williams by James D. Knowles. M. C. R. = Massachusetts ( Colonial ) Court Records. M. H. S. = Massachusetts Historical Society. M. H. S. C. = Massachusetts Historical Society Collections. M. H. S. M. = Massachusetts Historical Society Manuscripts in M. H. S. Morton = New England's Memorial by Nathaniel Morton. N. E. H. & G. R. = New England Hist. & Geneal. Register. N. H. M. = Newport Historical Magazine. P. R. = Providence Records in City Hall, Providence. P. T. P. = Providence Town Papers. Printed in P. T. R. P. T. R. = Early Records of the Town of Providence. (Printed.) P. C. R. = Plymouth Colony Records.

R. I. H. S. = Rhode Island Historical Society. R. I. H. S. C. = Rhode Island Historical Society Collections. R. I. H. S. M. = Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts. R. I. H. S. Q. = Rhode Island Historical Society Quarterly Proceedings. R. I. C. R. = Rhode Island Colonial Records. R. I. H. T. = Rhode Island Historical Tracts. WiNSLow = Hypocrisie Unmasked by Edward Winslow. WiNTHROP = The History of New England by John Winthrop.

Edition of 1853.

W. D. — Warwick Deeds.

Contents

PAGE

I. The Flight from Salem i

II. The Settlement in Seekonk ii