Increase Mather, and Rev. Ichabod Wiswall, minister of Duxbury. In February the town of Plymouth voted their acceptance of the three agents above mentioned, and also voted that it was their desire that the utmost endeavors be made to obtain a charter of his majesty, that we might be and continue a government as formerly. It was further voted that they would be held for their proportion of £500, and more if need require, for that purpose, and at the same time agreed to raise their proportion of £200 in advance, to be sent to the gentlemen empowered as agents. It was known to have been in contemplation by the English government to annex Plymouth colony to that of New York, and there was some misunderstanding among the agents on that subject, but the Rev. Mr. Increase Mather had the credit of preventing that annexation taking place. 1691.-The General Court voted their thanks to Sir H. Ashurst, Rev. Mr. Mather, and Rev. Mr. Wiswall; and to Sir H. Ashurst a grant of 50 guineas, and Mr. Mather and Mr. Wiswall 25 guineas each for their services. A charter was at length obtained for Massachusetts, which was signed October 7, 1691, and Plymouth was annexed to it. Had the sum of £500 been raised and properly applied, a separate charter would probably have been obtained. The last court of election was holden at Plymouth in June, 1691, the deputies from Plymouth were John Bradford and Isaac Cushman. Mr. Hinckley was re-elected governor, and William Bradford, deputy governor. 1692. Sir William Phipps, Kt., arrived at Boston, with the new charter, on the 14th of May. He was commissioned governor-in-chief in their majesty's name, William and Mary, and summoned a court on the 8th of June. The new province of Massachusett's Bay proceeded to exercise their charter authority, and the amalgamation of the two colonies was soon perfected. By the new charter, Plymouth colony was entitled to four counsellors. Those who were named for this purpose in the charter were Thomas Hinckley, William Bradford, John Walley, and Barnabas Lothrop. The qualifications of electors, according to that warrant, was "a freehold of 40 shillings per ann. or other property of the value of £40 sterling. The old General Court, however, was summoned, and met at Plymouth on the first Tuesday of July, and exercised their power for the last time by appointing the last Wednesday of the following August to be kept as a day of solemn fasting and humiliation. It appears that some distinguished individuals were dissatisfied with the union of the two colonies, but Governor Hinckley was well reconciled to the measure, and it is clearly understood that the union was at no period a subject of regret with the people generally. Governor Hinckley sustained the office of governor for 12 years, and was in that office when the union took place. He died and was buried at Barnstable, and the following lines are inscribed on his tomb-stone. "Beneath this stone, erected A. D. 1829, are deposited the mortal remains of Thomas Hinckley. He died A. D. 1706, aged 85 years. History bears witness to his piety, usefulness, and agency in the public transactions of his time. The important offices he was called to fill evidence the esteem in which he was held by the people. He was successively elected an assistant in the government of Plymouth colony, from 1658 to 1681, and governor, except during the interruption by Sir Edmund Andros, from 1681 to the junction of Plymouth colony with Massachusetts, in 1692." The children of Governor Hinckley were one son, Ebenezer, and five daughters, one of whom, Mary, was married in 1686 to Samuel Prince, of Sandwich, father of the chronologist. The first General Court, under the new charter, June 8th, passed an act, declaring that all the laws of the colony of Massachusetts bay and the colony of New Plymouth, not being repugnant to the laws of England, nor inconsistent with the charter, should be in force, in the respective colonies, until the 10th of November, 1692, excepting where other provision should be made by act of assembly. Governors of the Colony of Plymouth from 1620 to 1692.* 1620, John Carver, four months and 24 days. 1635, William Bradford. 1636, Edward Winslow. 1644, Edward Winslow, 3 years. 1680 to 1692, Thomas Hinckley, 12 years, including several years interruption by Andros. There was no Lieutenant Governor till 1680. Before that *The first record of the election of any governor is in 1633. period, the governor, when obliged to be absent, appointed one pro tempore. The names of the lieutenant governors were as follows: Thomas Hinckley, 1680. James Cudworth, 1681. Major William Bradford, 1682 to 1686, & 1689 to 1691. There was no Secretary previous to 1636; but the records appear to have been previously kept by the governors. The hand-writing of Governor Bradford is very legible, and resembles a modern hand. The first Secretary was Nathaniel Souther. The second, Nathaniel Morton, from 1645 to 1685. The third, Nathaniel Thomas, 1686. The fourth and last, Samuel Sprague, who, except the interruption by Andros, continued till the union of the colonies. The Treasurers were William Paddy, in 1636. Jonathan Atwood, in 1641. Constant Southworth, 1662 to 1678. There was no Sheriff till 1685. Writs and precepts were served originally by an officer, styled Messenger. In 1645, he was styled Marshall, and had the power of appointing deputies. Constables, however, were chosen in each town, with power to execute precepts, and collect rates. Upon the division of the colony into counties, sheriffs were appointed. A coroner was appointed at the beginning of the colony, but the office was soon abolished, and the duty of taking inquisitions devolved on the constables. There was no distinct office of register of deeds, or of wills and inventories, but those duties were performed by the secretary of the colony. This accounts for these records being blended with the other records of the government. Till 1685, the court of assistants was the only judicial court, except that the selectmen of the towns had the power of trying small causes. The assistants also formed a part of the legislature. The following is a correct list of Representatives from the Town of Plymouth in the general court of Plymouth Colony, from 1639 to 1692. 1639 William Paddy, Redypton, Jr. 1639 John Cook, Jr. The following were the Town Clerks of Plymouth to the present time. Nathaniel Morton from 1679 to 1685. Thomas Faunce from 1685 to 1723. John Dyer from 1723 to 1731, and from 1733 to 1738. Gershom Foster 1732. Edward Winslow 1740 and 1741. Samuel Bartlett from 1742 to 1765. Ephraim Spooner from 1767 to 1818. Thomas Drew from 1818. The proper bounds of Plymouth township, according to the patent, extended southward to the bounds of Sandwich township, and northward to a little brook running from Stephen Tracy's to another little brook falling into black water from the commons left to Duxbury, and westward eight miles up into the lands from any part of the bay or sea; always provided that the said bounds shall extend so far up into the wood lands as to include the south meadows towards Agawam, lately discovered, and the convenient uplands there-abouts.' The first division of lands made by the settlers was in the year 1623, when they granted to each Free-holder a house lot, of from one to seven acres: in proportion to the number in each family. These lots were located on both sides of the town brook and consisted mostly of cleared land, being the ancient Indian corn land. The second division of land, was agreed on January 3d, 1627, when each free-holder was granted a 20 acre lot, which was mostly laid out near the centre of the town, but some lots were at Eel river, for the convenience of the inhabitants located there. After the grants of the first 20 acre lots, from |