both Mr. Williams, Mr. James, and some Indeans testified in courte. The Gov[ernment] in the Bay were aquented with it, but refferrd it hither, because it was done in this jurissdiction;1 but pressed by all means that justice might be done in it; or els the countrie must rise and see justice done, otherwise it would raise a warr. Yet some of the rude and ignorante sorte murmured that any 1 And yet afterwards they laid claime to those parts in this controversie about Seacunk. - BRADFORD. In a letter, the date of which is conjectured to have been November 10, 1637, Roger Williams writes of an intended settlement near him [Providence] under the lead of Benjamin Hubbard, of Charlestown. "On the Narragansett side," Williams continued, "the natives are populous, on the side to Massachusetward Plymouth men challenge, so that I presume if they come to the place where first I was, Plymouth will call them theirs." 4 Mass. Hist. Collections, vi. 219. A deposition by John Hassell, in 1642, would indicate that Williams purchased the land at Seekonk of Ousamequin, and held it for Hubbard. Plymouth Col. Rec., 11. 49. Williams, however, could not have had any doubt upon the conduct New Plymouth would pursue. Early in the previous year, when he had fled from the Bay, he stopped at Seekonk, and even claimed to have purchased it at that time from Ousamequin. But Governor Winslow, learning of his presence, wrote in the name of the Plymouth government, claiming Seekonk to be in their jurisdiction, “as also their advice to remove but over the river unto this side, (where now, by God's merciful providence we are,) and then I should be out of their claim, and be as free as themselves, and loving neighbours together." Testimony, December 13, 1661. Narragansett Club, vi. 316. In 1641 certain inhabitants of Seekonk applied to be accepted by the government of Massachusetts Bay. The General Court of that plantation agreed on June 2 to accept the tender, "if it fall not in Plimouth patent," and sent James Parker to Plymouth to view the patent, "and that clause in writing which concerned the bounds from Narragansetts Bay to the vtmost parts and limits of the country called Pockanockett, in regard the Bay men would have had Sicquncke from us." Plymouth Col. Rec., 11. 22. It does not appear what report, if any, Parker made to his government. After three years the petitioners turned to Plymouth and applied to be taken under its jurisdiction. Thereupon Massachusetts claiming to have been tender of the Plymouth claim to full jurisdiction, declared "that this Court doth esteem and repute Seacunck plantation in this iurisdiction, and that the inhabitants thereof are subjects to this government: provided if our friends at Plimoth or the inhabitants of Seacunck shall doubt of the equity hereof, we shalbe content to refer the resolution of the question to the commissioners for the United Colonies." It would appear that both parties appealed to the Commissioners and the decision was wholly in favor of Plymouth. Mass. Col. Rec., 11. 68; Plymouth Col. Rec., IX. 28. English should be put to death for the Indeans. So at last they of the iland brought them hither, and being often examened, and the evidence prodused, they all in the end freely confessed in effect all that the Indean accused them of, and that they had done it, in the maner afforesaid; and so, upon the forementioned evidence, were cast by the jurie,1 and condemned, and executed for the same. Sept[ember] 4.2 And some of the Narigansett Indeans, and of the parties freinds, were presente when it was done, which gave them and all the countrie good satisfaction. But it was a matter of much sadnes to them hear, and was the 2 execution which they had since they came; 3 being both for willfull murder, as hath bene before related. Thus much of this mater. [229] They received this year more letters from England full of reneued complaints, one the one side, that they could gett no money nor accounte from Mr. Sherley; and he againe, that he was pressed therto, saying he was to accounte with those hear, and not with them, etc. So, as was before resolved, if nothing came of their last letters, they would now send them what they could, as supposing, when some good parte was payed them, that Mr. Sherley and they would more easily agree aboute the remainder. So they sent to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Beachamp, by Mr. Joseph Yonge, in the Mary and Anne, 1325li. waight of beaver, devided betweene them. Mr. Beachamp returned an account of his moyety, that he made 400li. starling of it, fraight and all charges paid. But Mr. Andrews, though he had the more and beter parte, yet he made not so much of his, through his owne indiscretion; and yet turned the loss 5 upon them hear, but without cause. 1 The names of the jurymen and the form of sentence are given in Plymouth Col. Rec., 1. 96. ? This date is written in the margin. The first execution was that of John Billington, p. III, supra. In July, 1635, the Love, Joseph Young, master, sailed for New England. The names of her six passengers are in N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XIV. 322. Being about 40 li. — BRADFORD. They sent them more by bills and other paimente, which was received and acknowledged by them, in money 1 and the like; which was for katle sould of Mr. Allertons, and the price of a bark sold, which belonged to the stock, and made over to them in money, 434/i. sterling. The whole sume was 1234/i. sterling, save what Mr. Andrews lost in the beaver, which was otherwise made good. But yet this did not stay their clamors, as will apeare here after more at large. It pleased God, in these times, so to blesse the cuntry with shuch access and confluance of people into it, as it was therby much inriched, and catle of all kinds stood at a high rate for diverce years togeather. Kine were sould at 20li. and some at 25li. a peece, yea, some times at 28li. A cow-calfe usually at 1oli. A milch goate at 3li. and some at 4li. And femall kids at 30s. and often at 40s. a peece. By which means the anciente planters which had any stock begane to grow in their estates. Corne also wente at a round rate, viz. 6s. a bushell. So as other trading begane to be neglected; and the old partners (having now forbidden Mr. Sherley to send them any more goods) broke of their trade at Kenebeck, and, as things stood, would follow it no longer. But some of them, (with other 1 And devided betweene them. BRADFORD. 2 Writing from Richmond Island in June, 1638, Richard Gibson said: "Corne thriues not in the ground. Like to be a deare yeare." In July Winter refers to the little expectation he had of corne, but attributes it to the fact that "our husbandmen proue all so bad." In this he was not disappointed, for he estimated late in August that he would have only some six hogsheads of corn from fourteen acres, and so late had the seed come up, that it might not ripen at all. Trelawny Papers, 128, 136, 146. Winthrop notes a severe winter and a late spring, and adds "the spring was so cold, that men were forced to plant their corn two or three times, for it rotted in the ground; but, when we feared a great dearth, God sent a warm season, which brought on corn beyond expectation." History, 1. *265. The more northerly settlements sent to the Bay to buy corn, which explains the high price ruling at Plymouth. In Massachusetts Bay trade with the Indians was regulated by the King's proclamation of 1622 (vol. 1. p. 313), but the practice does not point to a rigid monopoly exercised under the government. The rates at which beaver could pass or be sold were determined by law, and a tax for revenue was imposed upon it. This tax |