History of Marshfield

Introduction

The author was somewhat surprised (and he thinks the reader will be also) to find when searching through libraries and records, for matter for this work, that Marshfield in the historic growth of the country, was not so much engaged in the processes of legal enactments, as in being the harbor, the stronghold and the home of our greatest men, who gave birth, stability and strength to the powerful government under which we live. Garrett in his book, "The Pilgrim Shore," in speaking of Marshfield says : "An old town that has been truly said, shares with Plymouth the interest that attaches to the early home of the Pilgrims." And sure enough, why should we not claim for Marshfield the second place in the history of the Pilgrims, as the home of the most prominent officials of that period, and the same may be said of Duxbury, but not of any other town. Before Marshfield became fixed as the name of our town, it was given three or four names, such as Missaucatucket, the name known by the Indians, "Green's Harbour," "Rexham," and before the landing of the Pilgrims, when Capt. John Smith sailed along the New England Coast, it was called "Oxford."

Preface

Some time ago the President of the Massachusetts Agricultural College — Mr. Goodell — asked me to procure for him the History of Marshfield for his College. On making a thorough enquiry, I found there was no published History of Marshfield. Miss Marcia Thomas published some years ago a small book giving the genealogy of prominent personages of Marshfield. Rev. George Leonard published a pamphlet entitled "Marshfield Sixty Years Ago." Hon. Wm. T. Davis of Plymouth embodied in a book entitled "History of Plymouth County," a sketch of Marshfield.

It was with a feeling of regret that I was obliged to inform Pres. Goodell of my inability to find a History of Marshfield for his College library. The thought then occurred to me, that in view of the prominence of Marshfield in the history of our country, in the days of the Pilgrims and of the Revolution, there should be at once such a history written and a peg driven as far as we have progressed, to preserve in a general and concise form, the events and occurrences in the development of our Colonial town for the use and enlightenment of future generations. This is my excuse for undertaking this work.

Not having enjoyed the rare fortune of living in Colonial days among the Pilgrims, as a founder and promoter of a great government, I must make use of the accounts of them, and their doings, making such quotations as in my best judgment will mark the footprints of civilization in its march through nearly three centuries of Marshfield's development. For fear of making the volume too voluminous, I have refrained from putting in all the petty details of unimportant events, and rest content with an account of matters in general as they transpired. I have made a point of giving in this history the status of affairs in town as existing to-day, not so much for the benefit of the reader now living, as for the benefit of the generations to come, that they may become conversant with the affairs of the town as they exist at the beginning of the 20th century.

L. S. RICHARDS.

Marshfield HiUs, Massachusetts, U. S. A., 1901.

CHAPTER I. Marshfield 9

CHAPTER n.

Peregrine White 13

CHAPTER HI.

Old Colonists' Deeds 16

CHAPTER IV.

Indian Lands and Deeds 19

CHAPTER V.

Beginning of Marshfield Town Records 24

CHAPTER VI.

Marriages among the Pilgrims 32

CHAPTER VII.

Punishments by the Pilgrims 34

CHAPTER VIII.

The Founder of Marshfield 38

CHAPTER IX.

The Menu of our Forefathers 47

CHAPTER X.

Town Record Selections 49

CHAPTER XI.

Preparations for King Phillip's War 53

CHAPTER XII.

Selectmen's Powers — The Indians and other Matters 56

CHAPTER XIII.

Dress of the Colonists — Scolding Women 64

CHAPTER XIV.

Our Pilgrim Fathers 66

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XV.

Incidents of the Colonists 68

CHAPTER XVI.

Habits and Customs of our Forefathers 71

CHAPTER XVII.

North River Ferry Boats and other Matters 76

CHAPTER XVIII.

Town Record Selections 80

CHAPTER XIX.

Indians — Whipping Posts — Wolves and Lands 90

CHAPTER XX.

Churches 93

CHAPTER XXI.

Town Record Selections 98

CHAPTER XXII.

Stamp Act and other Matters 100

CHAPTER XXIII.

Tory Resolutions passed by the Town 102

CHAPTER XXIV.

Tories again in the Ascendent 105

CHAPTER XXV.

Preparations for the Revolution 106

CHAPTER XXVI.

It is now Patriots and Patriotism — Marshfield's Declaration of

Independence 108

CHAPTER XXVII.

Prices of Home Products during the Revolution iii

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Gov. Josiah Winslow and others 114

CHAPTER XXIX.

British Soldiers quartered here among the Tories 117

CHAPTER XXX.

Marshfield Fathers of the Revolution 120

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXI.

Town Record Selections 125

CHAPTER XXXn.

Ship Building in Marshfield 130

CHAPTER XXXni.

Captains Sailing on North River 131

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Ship Yards at Gravelly Beach and North River 134

CHAPTER XXXV.

Brooks & Tilden Ship Yard and other Yards 136

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Ferries in Alarshfield 140

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Town Record Selections 143

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Public Schools 145

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Town Items I59

CHAPTER XL.

Fugitive Slave Law 163

CHAPTER XLI.

Daniel Webster's Death 165

CHAPTER XLII.

The Civil War 168

CHAPTER XLIII.

Town Record Selections I75

CHAPTER XLIV.

Marshfield Agricultural Society 177

CHAPTER XLV.

Clift Rodger's Free Library 181

CHAPTER XLVI.

Formation of the Grand Army Post 183

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XLVII.

Stores — Tea Rock i86

CHAPTER XLVni.

Green Harbor Dike 189

CHAPTER XLIX.

Brant Rock 203

CHAPTER L.

Ventress Memorial Gift 206

CHAPTER LI.

Daniel Webster 208

CHAPTER LH.

The New Mouth of North River 212

CHAPTER LHI.

Marshfield Hills 219

CHAPTER LIV.

Railroad 220

CHAPTER LV.

Marshfield in its Corporate Capacity 222

CHAPTER LVI.

Cemeteries in Town — Streets 224

CHAPTER LVn.

Occupations — ^Trees on the Roadside 229

CHAPTER LVni.

Marshfield Items — Postoffices 231

CHAPTER I.

MarshHeld.

Marshfield we find first mentioned in Colonial History — [Palfrey's N. E. His.] — in 1632, eight years before its settlement as a town. Plymouth was fast becoming an area too small for the farmer colonists of that town, hence some of the larger and more progressive landed proprietors began to look about them for larger fields, and passing through Duxbury they found in Marshfield not only extensive, but excellent pastures for their cattle, and this is undoubtedly the reason why the Standishes, the Aldens and the Brewsters settled in Duxbury, and the Winslows, the Whites, and the Thomases took up their abode at an opportune time in Marshfield. To prevent further scattering, Goodwin says "several grants of farm lands had been made [1632-3] at Cut River, which from its verdant shores became Green River." "It was thought no one would desire to live so far from Plymouth, and that even the employes would remain there only in the busy season of agriculture; but this plan led to another grievous dispersion under no less a leader than Edward Winslow (afterward Governor). A new church was necessarily conceded, and in 1640 the place became a town called Rexham, soon re-named Marshfield." In some other authorities we find its early name spelt Marchfeeld, and again Marshfeeld. The incorporation of Marshfield occurred in 1640. It was the eighth town incorporated in Plymouth Colony. Four towns were incorporated only the year before, in 1639, Duxbury being incorporated in 1637, and Scituate in 1636. Duxbury was the third town incorporated. It is not known in history why it was given the name of Marshfield, but probably on account of the ex-

Marshfield 11 lo History of Marshfield.

tensive marshes occupying 5,000 acres or more along its eastern borders.

Owing to a great plague visiting the Aborigines on our coast a short time before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, the Indian population, which had been quite large, was greatly reduced by the scourge, so that when our forefathers landed, there were but few natives to oppose them if they had so desired, which, notwithstanding the general opinion that they did, the record of that period fails to prove. In the early days of the Pilgrims' existence on our coast, the Indians, for the most part, were hospitable, showing no signs of hostility, and acting with kindness and gentleness, which the Pilgrims reciprocated. A few hostile Indians, as with a few hostile whites of to-day, worried their neighbors. Our forefathers did not rob the poor Indians of their lands, as currently reported among our people from time immemorial, but paid for them, not large amounts to be sure, but satisfactory prices to the Indian nevertheless, in corn, blankets and trinkets. Our forefathers in Marshfield found the ground already tilled when they settled here. The Indians cultivated corn, one of the greatest products of to-day, the 20th century. Into a hill of corn they put a couple of alewives, or other fish, and thus gave us of the 20th century a hint in the growth of this staple article; hence the Indian was the earliest user of commercial fertilizers. At the time of John Smith's voyage along our coast, years before the advent of the Pilgrims, he saw large and thrifty fields of corn grown by the "poor'' Indian. The country in Marshfield and thereabouts, except on the marshes, was covered with a large growth of trees, chestnut, hickory, oak, maple, pine, also the hazlenut, beechnut, butternut, and shagbark. It was indeed pleasant for our forefathers to locate in a region where the strawberry, the raspberry, the blackberry, the huckleberry and the cranberry grew in abundance, and then they were delighted to find in their midst the mountain laurel, the azalia, the rhododendron, the gentian, the asters, and the water Hly. Our North River to the sea furnished abundant cod, shad, hahbut, trout, herring, smelt, haddock, and pickerel. Again, they were blessed with a large supply of pigeons, geese, ducks, quail, partridge, woodcock, and wild turkey. Bears, wolves, and wildcats chiefly constituted the dangerous animals, but they could hunt the moose, the deer, and the racoon for meat, and for fur, the beaver, the otter, the skunk, the sable, and the fox, and Marshfield at the beginning of the 20th century is yet troubled by foxes and racoons, who make their meals of chickens, ducks and geese in the farmer's poultry yard.

Our Pilgrim fathers were not the first visitors to our shores; the Norsemen Lief and Eric explored the coast of New England as early as the year 1000, and called it Vineland on account of the abundance of grape vines growing everywhere. Two or three years later Thorwald, a brother ,. of Lief, visited these shores, and sailing along Cape Cod |' | ^; Bay, discovered [in the words of Goodwin] "a fine headland, ."^ --' which drew from Thorwald the exclamation, 'This is a beautiful spot and here I should like to fix my dwelling.' Shortly after, being mortally wounded by natives, he gave the following directions : 'Let me be buried on the beautiful headland where I wished to fix my dwelling, put a cross at my head and one at my feet, and let the place be hereafter called "Krossaness." ' " "The Gurnet head, crested and crowned with two lighthouses, standing on the north side of the entrance to Plymouth Harbor, a narrow strip of land running from the mainland at Marshfield, answers well to the description of Thorwald's burial place, and here it is believed was the spot wh.ere the brave Captain was laid to rest with Christian rites," three or four centuries before the discovery of America by Columbus, "and the grave was marked with the symbol of his faith. In 1007 Thorfin Karlsefne, with his wife, Gudrig, and one hundred and sixty men, came with three vessels to our shores and remained three years. During this time a son was born to him, receiving the name of Snorre; he was the first white child born on the American Continent and an ancestor of Thorwaldsen."

Marshfield is bounded easterly by the North River, the ocean and the town of Duxbury, and southerly by Duxbury and Pembroke, westerly by Duxbury, Pembroke, and the North River, and northerly by the North River and the ocean.

CHAPTER II. Peregrine White

When Bradford and a few other Pilgrims returned to the Mayflower, after exploring the country shortly after landing, the Pilgrim Republic says : "A son had been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. White, and in token of the pilgrimage then in progress the little stranger was named Peregrine. He was destined to outlive every member of the company into which he was born; and after a youth unduly gay for his day and generation, even in the next century, long after Plymouth Colony had been merged in Massachusetts, a fine, hearty looking veteran of Marshfield used to be pointed out with great respect as Capt. Peregrine White, the first English child born in New England. It was in 1632 that Peregrine White went to Marshfield with his stepfather's family. In 1636 he volunteered for the Pequod war. In 1642 he was ancient bearer (or ensign) of the train band, under Myles Standish. He was a member of the General Court and also a member of the Council of War. In 1648 he married Sarah, daughter of Wm. Bassett, by whom he had six children. She died in 171 1. He was very attentive to his mother, visiting her daily in his later years. He made these visits on a black horse and wore a coat with buttons the size of a silver dollar. He was vigorous and of a comely aspect to the last. In 1665, at the request of the King's commissioners, the General Court gave 200 acres of land to him, as the first white native in New England." His estate was held in the family through all the generations up to within two or three decades.

It is now held and occupied, at the beginning of the 20th century, by Alonzo Ewell, who keeps upon it the largest flocks of poultry, ducks, geese and pigeons in Marshfield. Even at this late day, he is troubled with foxes, and has killed the past winter five of them. There is still growing, or was a few years ago, a shoot of the apple tree planted by Peregrine upon this place, and a portion of the timbers of the house occupied by Peregrine is still in existence in the dwelling of Mr. Ewell. Notwithstanding this place is among the earliest settled in Marshfield, the region thereabouts is perhaps the most sparsely inhabited of any village in town. It is two and a half miles north of the Webster place. Mr. White joined the church in his 78th year, and died in Marshfield in 1704, aged 84. His descendants were many and honorable. Notwithstanding he served as a soldier in the Indian wars and gained the title of Captain, he seems to have led a peaceful life, except that at one time we find in 1649 ^ ^^^- Hollaway and Peregrine White were indicted for fighting. We think that Hollaway must have been the aggressor, for we found elsewhere that "Hollaway was fined 5s. for abusing and provoking Sprague." Yet there is no doubt that our beloved townsman was a lively, gay youth and kept things moving about him. The last direct descendant of Peregrine living on the place was Miss Sybil White, a maiden lady, who removed from there about a quarter of a century ago, as it was considered unsafe for her in her old age to live there longer. A while before her departure from the home place, her brother, John White, carried on the farm with her, but he became insane and was removed to the hospital. It was after this event that she felt compelled to leave it and remove to the village of East Marshfield, now Marshfield Hills, some three or four miles distant. The author became a neighbor and was acquainted with this rather eccentric woman up to the time of her death. She was a good and pious woman. A short time before her death, she was a little worried because she knew of no near heir to whom she could leave her property, and finally she adopted a novel method of finding one.

She advertised in a Boston daily paper for an heir. A brother had left home in his early manhood and she had not the slightest knowledge of him or his children. In answer to her advertisement she received a number of letters. I would not dare to say how many, but there were nearly fifty, and out of this number there was one that impressed her as genuine, that of Ashton White, of Washington, D. C. He came here at her request, and at an interview the proofs he offered of his relationship were convincing to her. After he had returned to his post in Washington, in one of the departments, she made out her will, and at her decease, not a long while after, Mr. White (a nephew, as claimed) became the possessor of her well invested property, and although that was nearly 25 years ago, I have never heard doubted among her distant relatives, living at the Hills, that he was the rightful and only heir. He or his children are now living in Washington. She also left in her will some $800, in trust, to the selectmen of the town, the income or interest of which was to be spent in providing aid to worthy and destitute spinsters in Marshfield, and it has for these years following been so spent. There are many descendants of Peregrine White now living in Marshfield, but none on the old homestead.

CHAPTER III. Old Colonists' Deeds

From the Plymouth Colony records I will select three or four copies of deeds in Marshfield, as follows :

"27th September 1642 — Memorand: That Mr. Edward Winslow came into Public Court and did acknowledge That he hath absolutely and freely given, granted, enfeoffed and confirmed unto Peregrine White, his son in law, all & singular those his lands lying at the Eele River wth all singular the apprtenences thereunto belonging and all his right title and interest of & into the same. To have and to hold all and singular the said land & wth their apprtences unto said Peregrine White his heirs and assignes for ever to the onely proper use and behoofe of him the said Peregrine White his heires and Assignes for evr."

The following is a deed given to Robert Carver (a brother of the first Governor of the Colony, Gov. John Carver, said Robert Carver being the progenitor or ancestor of many Carvers now living in Marshfield) of a lot of land in Marshfield at Green Harbor, near the Careswell place of Gov. Ed. Winslow, said Carver becoming an early settler in Marshfield with Gov. Winslow and others. It reads :

"The Xth of Septembr 1641. Memorand. That Edmond Hawes of Duxborrow doth acknowledge that for and in consideration of the sum of two thousand foote of Sawne boards to be delived and payed him by Robert Carver of the same Sawyer Hath freely and absolutely bargained and sold unto the said Robert Carver all those his Ten acres of upland lyinge crosse Green's Harbor payth wth all his labors in & aboute the same wth all and singueler the apprtencs thereunto belonging and all his Right Title an interest of and into the said prmisss. To have and to hold the said Tenn acres of upland & wth all and singuler the apprtenences thereunto belonging unto the said Robte Carver his heirs and assignes for ever and to the onely per use and behoofe of him the said Robert Carver his heires and assignes forever."

''Bradford Govr "The seaventeenth day of March 1645.

"Memorand the same day That Mr. Myles Standish and Mr. John Alden do acknowledged joyntly and sevally That for and in consideracon of the sum of three score and eleaven pounde and tenn shillings to them allowed in payment of the said account to Mr. John Beauchamp Have freely and absolutely bargained and sold unto Mr Edmond ffreeman All those their three hundred Acrees of vplands wth the meddowing therevnto belonging lying on the North side of the South River wth in the Township of Marshfield to them formly joyntly granted by the Court the second day of July in the fourteenth yeare of his said Maties now Raigne of England and all their Right title and interest jointly or seually of and into the said prmisss wth their apprtence & every part and pcell thereof To have & to hold the said three hundred Acres of upland wth the meddowes thereunto belonging wth all & every their apprtences unto the said Edmond fifreeman his heirs and assigns forever to the onely p per use and behoofe of him the said Edmond ffreeman his heires & As-ss forever."

One half of the above estate was sold two years later to Arthur Rowland (who became a resident of Marshfield and one of the earliest) for twenty-one pounds sterling, part to be paid in money and part in corn and cattle. It will be seen that if the above half sold was equally as good as the other half, our Pilgrim fathers were not good speculators, for in the space of two years Mr. Freeman sold one half his purchase for fourteen and a half pounds less than he gave for it.

The other half I find recorded in Plymouth Colony Records sold to Thomas Chillingsworth, Oct. 4, 1648. Three years after the original purchase of Myles Standish and John Alden in 1645, for the consideration of six and twenty pounds sterling, to be paid in money, corn and cattle.

Another deed I find given Oct. 22, 1650, from Richard Church, of land lying in Marshfield on the south side of South River to John Dingley.

CHAPTER IV. Indian Lands and Deeds

I will give a copy of some of the Indian lands owned and occupied by them before the landing of the Pilgrims, showing that our fathers were not the robbers and grabbers of land commonly supposed.

"1674 Winslow Govr [Plymouth Colony Records.]

"Know all men by these prsents that I Quachattasett Sachem of Mannomett doe acknowlidge my selfe fully satisfyed and payed therewith for and in consideration of a certaine tract or prsell of land sold by mee the aforesaid Quachattasett unto the aforesaid Will Hedge the which tract of land lyeth att a place by the English the blacke banke near unto break hart hill but called by Indians 'Monechehan.' (Then follows a long description of boundary from top of hill to a certain pond, etc., etc., which I will not farther relate.) In witness whereof I the aforesaid Quachattasett have hereunto sett my hand and seale this sixt day of Aprill in the yeare one thousand six hundred seaventy and four.

"The Mark of Quachattasett (here)

"and a (seal)

Signed, Sealed and delivered in the prsence off Richard Bourne Slier jasrubb Bourne

(This deed was acknowledged by Quachattasett the 4th of the 4th Month 1674 before mee

John Alden, Assistant."

The following is a document made and given by that renowned Indian chief, King Philip :

"This may informe the honord court that I Phillip ame willing to sell land within this draught, but the Indians that are vpon it may live upon it still, but the land that is (waste) may be sold and Wattachpoo is of the same mind; I have set downe all the principall names of the land wee are not willing should be sold. ffrom Pacanankett the 24th of the 12th Month 1668

"Phillip :P : his mark."

Another deed from the Indians :

"Know All men by the presents that I Quachattasett Sachem of Manmomet doe sell vnto Hope a certaine pcell of Land lying att Pokasett; bounded as followeth viz: of land lying betwixt the Rivers or brookes called Annussanatonsett and another called Wakonacob; and soe downe to the sea and to the old way as they goe, to Saconeesett; all which the premises, I the aforesaid Quachattasett doe freely sell from mee and myne vnto him and his heirs foreur all privilidges, libertie of the sea and what ever is prmises; I doe confeirme this prsent day being the 9th of June in the yeare 1664.

Witness my hand (Signed) Quachattasett — his < mark. Witness Richard Bourne

Paumpunitt — James Attukoo"

In consulting the old Plymouth Colony Records, I find between two and three dozen conveyances of lands which the Indians in their own right possessed, and in quite a number of instances deeds were conveyed and recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records in Colonial times, conveying from father to son or from father to daughter, or to some friend, without any consideration or price, and these Indians had them recorded on the Plymouth record book, so that the lands they owned could be passed from one Indian to another and held sacred by the Colony as lands belonging to these Indians in severalty.

To show the caution the Plymouth Colony Court took, in seeing that the Indians should not be deprived unjustly of their lands, I have copied the following from the Plymouth Colony Records :

"The Court understanding that some in an underhand way have given unto the Indians money or goods for their lands formerly purchased according to order of Court by the magistrates thereby insinuating as if they had dealt unjustly with them, it is enacted by the Court that some course be taken with those whom we understand have lately transgressed in that kind."

"1665 Prence Govi""

"A deed appointed to bee Recorded. These prsents witnesseth that I Josias allias Chickaatabutt doe promise by these prsents to give vnto the Indians living vpon Catuhtkut River viz : Pompanohoo Waweevs and the other Indians liveing there ; that is three miles vpon each side of the River (excepting the lands that are alreddy sold to the English, either Taunton or Bridgewater and doe promise by these presents not to sell or give to any pte or pcell of land; but that the aforesaid Indians shall peaceably enjoy the same without any interruption from mee or by any means in any respect; the which I doe engage and promise by these prsents. witness my hand this 9th of June in the yeare 1664. (Signed)

Chickatabutt allias Josias I O his mark Wullanaumatuke Q his mark Witness

Richard Bourne John Low O his mark"

"These prsents Witnesseth that wee Adloquaupoke and Saseeakowett both of Onkowan doe sell vnto Nokanowitt of Ashumueitt a sertaine Hand with a longe beach adjoining to it, being neare vnto a place called Ouanaconwampith the Hand being called Ontsett, the

22 History of MarshMd.

which land wee convey from vs and our children for ever vnto the aforesaid Nokanowitt and his assignees for our acknowledging ourselves fully satisfyed and payed. Witness our hands this twenty fourth of July 1666. Signed Saseeakowutt Q his mark

" Adloquanpoke Q " "

Witnesse Richard Bourne"

In 1659. a large tract of land (says Baylies) on Taunton river was purchased of Ossamequin (Massasoit) and his son Philip (King Philip) and the squaw sachem Tatapanum, by several of the inhabitants of Duxbury and some of Marshfield, which tract was afterwards included in Little Compton, Rhode Island, but no settlement was commenced for several years."

I trust I have made it sufficiently manifest, by publishing the preceding conveyances of lands, and documents, that the lands the Indians occupied were not stolen by our Forefathers or taken possession of by right of occupation, or in the words of the frontiersman, by "squatting" on them.

The King may have taken possession formally of lands as a whole in the various Colonies, as lands belonging to his kingdom, by conquest or discovery, the same as the United States took possession of Louisiana by right of purchase from Napoleon in the name of France, but the title of individual lands purchased and conveyed from individual to individual before or after the United States purchase did not change. Each man or woman severally and individually retained his acre or acres obtained by right of individual purchase, gift, or inheritance, undisturbed.

Of course there were many lands and large tracts of land uninhabited and forsaken by the Indians at the time of the landing of the Pilgrim Forefathers, owned by nobody, and in the getting possession of these lands we find the following recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records :

"A fforme to be placed before the Records of the feverall inheritance & granted to all the King & fubjects inhabiting within the Governmt of New Plymouth.

Wheras John Carver — Will. Bradford — Edw. Winslow — Wm. Brewster — Isaah Allerton and divers others, the subjects of our late Sov. Lord James, by the grace of God, King of Eng. Scot, ffrance & Irel. Defender of the ffaith &c. did in the eighteenth yeare of his raigne of Engl, ffrance & Ireland, and of Scot 1. the fifty four which was in the yeare of our Lord God 1620 undertake a voyage into that pt of America called Virginia or New England, thereunto adjoining, there to erect a plantacon & colony of English, intending the glory of God, the inlargemt of his maties dominions and the speciall good of English nation. And whereas by the good providence of our gracious God the said John Carver — Will. Bradford. — Edward Winslow — ^Wm. Brewster — Isaac Allerton & their associates arived in New England aforesaid in the harbour of Cape Cod or Paomet scituate in New England, aforesaid, where all the psons entred into a Civill Combinacon being the eleaventh of Novb in the yeare afore mentioned as the subjects of our said Sov. Lord the King to become a Body-politick binding ourselves to observe such lawes & ordinances and obey such Officers as from time to time should be made & chosen for our wellordering & guidance, And thereupon by the favor of the Almighty began the first Colony in New England (there being then no other wthin the said Continent.) at a place called by the natives* Apaum a Z s Patuxet, but by the English New Plymouth. All wch lands being void of inhabitants, we the said John Carver — Will. Bradford Edward Wynslow — Wm. Brewster — Isaack Allerton the rest our Associates entrins: mto a league of peace wth Massassowatt, since called Woosamequin Prince or Sachim of those pts. He the said Massassowat freely gave them all the lands adjacent to them & their heires forever, acknowledging himselfe content to become the subject of our Soveraigne Lord the king aforesaid, his heirs, successors," etc., etc.