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Show 69 G20 INDIAN LAND CESSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES [ETH.ASK.18 Roger Williams and his wife" to his associates, December 20, 1638, that he had arranged for purchase of lands from tho Indians one or two years in advance of his arrival in the territory. As an examination of this deed is necessary to a clear understanding of Williams' first steps in this direction, it is given here: He it known unto all men by theso presents, that I, Roger Williams, of the'Towne of Providence, in the Narragansctt Bay, iu New England, having in the yeare one thousand six hundred aud thirty-fouro, and in the yeare one thousand six hundred aud thirty-five, had severall treaties with Conanicusso and Miantonome, the chief sachems of the Narragansctts, aud in the eud purchased of them the lands and meadows upon the two ffresh rivers called Mooshassick and Wanasquatucket; the two said sachems having by a deed under their hands two yeares after the sale thereof established and cpnffirmcd the boundes of theso landes from the river and ffields of Pawtuckqut and tho great hill of Neotaconconitt on the northwest, and the townc of Mashapauge on the west, notwithstanding I had the frequent promise of Miantcnomy my kiud friend, that it should not be land that I should want about these bounds mentioned, provided that I satisfied the Indians there inhabiting, I having made covenantes of peaceable neighborhood with all tho sachems and natives round about us. And having in a sense of God's mercifull providence unto me in my distresse, called the place Providence, I desired it might be for a shelter for persons distressed of conscience; I then, considering the condition of divers of my distressed countrymen, I communicated my said purchase unto my loving ffriends John Throckmorton, William Arnold, William Harris, Stukely Westcott, John Greene, senior, Thomas Oluey, senior, Richard Waterman and others who then desired to take shelter here with me, and in succession unto so many others as we should receive into the fellowship and societye enjoying and disposing of thesaid purchase; and besides the ffirst that were admitted, our towne records declare that afterwards wee received Chad Brown, William ffeild, Thomas Harris, sen'r, William Wickenden, Robert Williams, Gregory Dexter and others, as our towno booke declares. And whereas, by food's mercifull assistance, I was the procurer of the purchase, not by monies nor payment, the natives being so shy and jealous, that monies could not doe i t ; but by that lauguage, acquaintance, and favour with the natives and other advantages which it pleased God to give me, and also bore the charges and venture of all the gratnetyes which I gave to the great sachems, and other sachems and natives rouud and about us, and lay ingaged for a loving and peaceable neighbourhood with them all to my great charge aud travell. It was, therefore, thought by some loveing ffriends, that I should receive some loving consideration and gratuitye; and it was agreed between us, t h a t every person that should be admitted into the ffellowship of injoyiug landes and disposing of the purchase, should pay thirtye shillinges into t h e public stock; and ffirst about thirtye poundes should be paid uuto myselfe by thirty shillings a person, as they were admitted. This sum I received in love to my ffriends; and with respect to a towne aud place of succor for the distressed as aforesaid, I doe acknowledge the Baid sum and payment as ffull satisffac-tion. And whereas in the year one thousand six hundred and thirtye seaveu, so called, I delivered the deed subscribed by the two aforesaid chiefe sachems, so much thereof as coneerneth the aforementioned landes ffrom- myselfe and my heirs unto the whole number of the purchasers, with all my poweres right and title therein, reserving only unto myselfe one single share equall unto any of the rest of that number, I now againe in a more fformal way, under my hand aud seal, conffirm my fformer resignation of that deed of the landes aforesaid, and bind myselfe, my heirs, my executors, mv administrators and assignes never to molest any of the said persons alreadv received or hereafter to be received into the societye of purchasers as aforesaid, but they, theire heires, executors, administrators and assignes, shall at all times quietly and peaceably injoy the premises and every part thereof.• ' Rhode Island Colonial Records, vol. I, pp. 22-24. |