Indian Land Sales in Plymouth Colony, 1641-1657

Drawn from Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs, Indian Deeds: Land Transactions in Plymouth Colony, 1620-1691

Compiled by Jenny Hale Pulsipher for John Wompas Digital Archive, 2018. This is not a comprehensive listing. It represents information encountered in the course of my research on Swindler Sachem.

Sachem involved Woman involved

Year and land description Seller Buyer Rights reserved? Price Source

Deeds 1-27 Deeds 1-27 appear to Bangs, 227- assume Native gift. They 249 record Plymouth’s grants of land to different groups, with no mention of payment to Native owners. 17 June 1641 Nepaiton Inhabitants of A section, marked by trees “besides what the said Bangs, #28. [Nepoyetum] & Barnstable and ocean, reserved to Napaiton hath already,” See also #45. Bounds of Yarmouth and Twacommacus Massatanpaine the sachem. inhabitants are to build Barnstable, described by him “one dwelling house, landmarks, one line not Plain lands bordering upon with a chamber flored ‘above eight miles.’ the sea are reserved to with bords, with a Nepaiton, and liberty to get chimney and an oven wood for fences or firewood therein.” from woods, and harvest this year’s corn, “and in winter to

1 live where he pleaseth.”

1641 Osamequen John Browne “for good and valluable Bangs, #29 and Edward Considerations” 8 miles square on east and 30 March 1668, Winslow, for west side of Palmer’s river at Phillip use of John Hassell swears, 1 Sequnk alias Rehoboth acknowledges townsmen of Nov. 1642, “that that Osamequin Sequnke alias Ussamequine chose out X Bangs, #33 Confirmation 30 March 1668 “Received full Rehoboth fathome of beads at Mr satisfaction” for Williams, and put them in Confirmation the 8 mile a baskett, and affirmed [Year?]: Bangs, square and 100 that he was fully satisfyed #208 acres of marsh. therewith for his lands at Seacunck, but he stood upon it that he would have a coat more, & left the beads with Mr Williams, & willed him to keep them untill Mr Hubberd came up.” [ID #33]

Confirmation: no additional payment 2 June 1644 Mattaquason Thomas Prence A neck of land from land Payment made, amount Bangs, #36 the sachem, and others purchased of Gorge the not mentioned Purchase of land called Gorge the sachem “which necke of land, Namskekitt [Nausett, alias Sachem the English were to ffence, Eastham] from for the Indians to plant Corn Mattaquason, uplands and upon.” Liberty to get shellfish meadows from Gorge the from the cove, blubber from

2 Sachem any whales driven ashore.

English ask who laid claim to Later, finding it “inconvenient land called Billingsgate for us to have the Indians att “understood to be all the both ends of our Towne,” land in that Bay, from the they exchange the land on land that was purchased of the neck at the harbor’s Gorge aforesaid, The mouth for “a peec of land att answare was there was not Gesquoquasett and payed any owned it, then said the them a valluable sume for to English that land is ours; the ffence it themselves, and soe Indians answared, it was.” by mutuall agreement were freed from that Ingagement” Later, Indian named [sounds like the neck was Lieftenant lays claim to land never fenced by English] (ID, at Billingsgate. Prence and 253-54) others purchase it from him, Pockett Iland also reserved “by the Sachem for the Indians to plant upon”; later purchased.

Lieftenant (Indian] reserves right to plant on land he sells at Billingsgate 26 Aug. 1644 Serunk Indian Town of 4 coats and 3 axes Bangs, #38 Barnstable All Serunk’s land lying between bounds of Sandwich and lands belonging to Prexit

3 March 1647 Nepoyetum Thomas For Nepoyetum to “Rest Bangs, #45; Dimocke & himself fully satisfied for see also #28 Isaac Robinson ye Sd Land” and “in in behalf of Consideration of their Barnstable making him three score Rod of fence in ye Range of ye General fence” and “two Coats & one Days plowing in breaking up of ground already In hand paid” 8 May 1648 Ramegin, alias James Smith Smith et al to “pay unto Bangs, #46 Robin Hood, mee yearely unto my Part of his land starting at Sagamore of heires one peck of Indian Merry Meeting Cove down Negusett Corn the first day of the Maine River to November [tribute] Winslow’s Rock, plus hunting, fowling, fishing privileges 17 May 1648 Paupmunnuck, Capt. Myles 30 acres reserved for 2 brass kettles and 1 Bangs, #47; with brother’s Standish for Paupmunnuck, brother, and bushel Indian corn, plus see also #50 Lands between Barnstable consent and inhabitants of assoc. one half part of as much upon the sea (commonly assoc. Barnstable Free liberty to hunt in sold fence as will fence in 30 called the South Sea) and lands, if they give notice acres lands of Janno and to before setting any traps Nepoyetum and Seaqunneks land northward

8 August 1648 Monquine alias William 2 hogsheads of provision, Bangs, #48, Natahanada, Bradford, one of bread and one of #49 [additional

4 All lands on Kennebeck river son of old Edward pease, 2 coats of cloth, 2 consent] from Ousenoike to Natawarmett Winslow, gallons wine, 1 bottle of Weserumskicke Sagamore of Thomas Prence, strong waters Kennebecke Thomas Willitt, River William Paddy 28 March 1649/50 Woosamequin Miles Standish 7 coats a yard and 1/2 Bangs, #51 [Osamequin], of Duxborough, each, 9 hatchets, 8 hoes, Land called Saquatucket, sachem of Samuel Nash 20 knives, 4 mooseskins, extending from weir at Pokanoket and Constant 16 1/2 yards cotton Satucket 7 miles due east, Southworth of west, north, south [7 miles Duxborough in square], with all timber, behalf of town woods, rivers, etc. of Duxborough 1 and 7 June 1650 Bangs, #52

Testimony of the bounds of land owned by Chickatawbutt

“Mr Hatherley and others with him have bought so much of the land above mensioned of the said Josiah Wampatuke as concerned them to buy.”

29 Nov. 1652 Wosamequen William 30 yards of cloth, 8 moose Bangs, #57 and Wamsutta Broadford, skins, 15 axes, 15 hoes, 15 Tract of land 3 miles east of Capt. Standish, pair of breeches, 8 River called Cusheningg to a Thomas blankets, 2 kettles, a cloak harbor called Acoaksett, etc. Southworth, 2 [yd?] in wampum, 8 pr

5 “to goe soe high that the John Winslow, stockings, 8 pr shoes, iron English may not bee John Cooke and pot, ten shillings worth of annoyed by the hunting of assoc. another commodity the Indians in any sort of theire Cattle.” 2 Dec. 1652 Eketabacke John Winslow, None stated Bangs, #58 [Chickatabut?] Thomas Punkateesett Southworth, John Cooke, Myles Standish 3 March 1652/3 Josiah, dwelling Miles Standish, none stated Bangs, #59 at Nawsett for Thoams Miles Standish ordered to Burgis satisfy Indian for small tract of land at Manomett granted to Thomas Burgis of Sandwich 29 March 1653 Ousamequin Thomas Prence, 35 pounds Bangs, #63 and Wamsitto Thomas Willett, several parcels and necks of “his eldest son” Myles Standish, upland, swamp, and Josiah Winslow, meadow on south side of in behalf of Seaconk alias Rehoboth inhabitants of bounds; promise that Plymouth “whensever the Indians shall remove from ye Neck that then and from thence forth . . . [buyers] shall enter upon the same.”

6 15 April 1653 Sachem of Town of Bangs, #64 Manomett, Sandwidge Dispute over quituite represented by [Sandwich] Miles Standish Conclusion: Indians granted and John Alden 26 acres of upland out of Sr. sold lands, rights to wood throughout Quituite. Indians to build fence at own charge.

24 June 1653 Wono and Thomas Prence, 15 L Bangs, #65 Sachimus, William Tract of land upon sachems of Bradford, and Mamomyst and Satuckett partners Maamskekett, part of Satuckett land 10 Sept. 1653 Essemenosque, Mr Lake, others Bangs, #68 one of the right Conflict over Baggedussett’s owners of sale of land to Mr. Lake, Taconett which belonged to Essemenosque and Natchogoe’s wife 1653 Josia Timothy 14 L Bangs, #70 Wampatuck Hatherley, Two miles southerly, one James mile to east Cudworth, Joseph Tilden, Humphry Turner, William

7 Hatch, John Hoare, James Torrey, for inhabitants of Scituate 1653 Mattaquason William Chase Bangs, #70; see also #376 7 Feb. 1653/54 Wamsetts, son Richard Smith in consideration of full Bangs, #71 of Ossamequen Jr. of satisfaction Iland called Chseawanocke, Portsmouth, RI or Hog Iland Ussamequen gives his consent, 21 Sept. 1657 20 April 1654 Seayk, sachem Thomas gift Bangs, #72 of Monument Mayhew of One Island near Wood’s Hole Martins [wood his hole], called Vineyard Cataymuck 1654 “or sometime before” Sampson, Thomas Prince 2 brass kettles, 6 coates, Bangs, #74; Indian of 12 hoes, 12 axes, 12 see #354 5 Feb 1679 Pottonumacutt, knives, 1 box Peter Indian of Land on Cape Cod, from Paomett, Capt. John House Point to Lowell’s Joshua Indian of Freeman of Creek Paomet Eastham, New Plymouth, for Plymouth 1655 Ackanootus Thomas Willett, One half of small neck "Fully paid" Bangs, #76; Attaquanpacke Gorge Watson, reserved, plus a small point of see also #77 Agawam and Awanpocke Nathaniell land

8 of Acquetnett Warren for or Scauton neck town of New in “the liberties Plymouth of Sandwich”

31 March 1659, Safewnanett alias Peter, with consent of his father Homream, claimed right to “small point of land” and sold it to George Watson and Nathaneell Warren for town of Plymouth 3 June 1656 Bangs, #78

Dispute over William Nicarson’s illegal purchase of land from Indians 5 March 1656-57 Bangs, #82

Warrant concerning complaint of Janna, Indian sachem, re lands purchased from him by Anthony

9 Thatcher of Yarmouth, “unpaid for” 4 May 1657 See resolution #89, Bangs, #83 payment and costs born Complaint over land Janno, by committee and town sachem, said he never sold. Committee to treat with Indian about the same

ID #89: 14 May 1658 notes that town thought lands had been purchased by committee, “but through some neglect of theires in not paying of hte Indian for the said lands, have bine of late deneyed by him to bee sould, and the possessors molested.” 8 May 1657 Mashantampai William “all . . . I was to have” Bangs, #84 ne, sagamore Bradford, paid Stony Cove to Stony Brook by Antony and Saquatucket harbor Thacher, John Crow, Thomas Howes 3 June 1657 Bangs, #85

Dispute with Indians over land 10 Aug. 1657 Quaquaquymey Thomas two [?] in full satisfaction Bangs, #86 gat sachem Mayhew

10 Nawsewen, or Caytaymunk Something re Quaqua “the great iIand of bought it of Seayicke the Elysabethen Ilands” Monument sachem, had deed of gift, later paid him 16 L 24 Dec. 1657 Wamsutta Capt. James “Except the land that 20 coats, 2 rugs, 2 iron Bangs, #88; Cudworth, Sabadecauson hath in pots, 2 kettles, 1 little see #105 Wamsutta treated with Josias Winslow, present use” and all meadow kettle, 8 pr shoes, 6 pr committee “to buy a persell Constant on west of river from Taunton stockings, 12 hoes, 12 of land which they say is Southworth, hatchets, 2 yds graunted by the Court of John Barnes broadcloth, “and to Plymouth unto themselves satisfy unto John Barnes with some others and I for those thinges I the Wamsutta am not willinge said Wamsutta tooke up att present to sell all they of him” doe desire yett of this at present.”

He agrees to sell them all upland and meadow from Quequetham unto Assonett neck, 4 miles from river into woods

Wamsutta “doe Covenant promise and graunt agree not to sell remaining land to any but them

Source: Bangs, Jeremy Dupertuis. Indian Deeds: Land Transactions in Plymouth Colony, 1620-1691. Boston: NEHGS, 2002.

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