I I! WimB , M ,1 H-i^Q'^r^ov^r^: j^jt'-" i\-^mr4 i I! ,'l'5''i,'!,i'il'f.'i^-'>'"h tdiliil «0¥^RD M.CHAPINl BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Henrg M. Sage 1891 ft-.3ipJ-fc-.3/7-;s" ^Ui lu.. 9306 Cornell University Library F 82 C46 3 1924 028 851 711 olin I Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028851711 No.i.A?_... EDITION LIMITED TO TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES THE PLIMPTON PRESS NORWOOD, MASS. ^^ TO EDWARD K. ALDRICH Jr. CHARLES D. KIMBALL SAMUEL P. COLT STEPHEN O. METCALF WILLIAM GAMMELL HOWARD W. PRESTON HENRY D. SHARPE ^atconiEf of JLt&tnine THIS VOLUME IS APPRECIATIVELY INSCRIBED PREFACE For the convenience of historical students it seemed desirable to bring together the material which is the source and authority for the early history of the state. This volume includes the contemporary documents and extraAs from the letters, diaries, journals, and printed works of the contemporary writers, which throw light upon the his- tory of the town of Providence from its founding in 1636 to the granting of the first town charters on 14 March 1648/9, of the town of Warwick to the same date, and of the colony to the adoption of the "Code of Laws" at the General Assembly held on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of May 1647. The original manuscripts, whenever they could be located, have been followed, although a reference to some book in which the manuscript has been printed has often been added. Brackets indicate that the words inclosed within them do not appear in the original but are supplied or added by the editor. The script abbreviation which represents pr with a vowel has been given as pr and the vowel is thus left, as it was in the original manuscript, to be supplied by the reader. Superior letters have been reduced as in modern abbrevia- tions (as "rec*^" to "reed") for it is often difficult to distin- guish between these two sorts of abbreviations in the old manuscripts. The line above a letter, "in,"which signified its repetition or the omission of a syllable, has been retained as there is no modern equivalent for it. The script letters "th" which often resemble the letter "y,"the script letters "u" and "v," which were often care- lessly made and resemble each other, and "i" and "j," which were used interchangeably, have been rendered as the writers VI PREFACE intended that the readers should understand them. Thus the "th" and its "y" form have been transcribed as "th," and "u" and "v," and "i" and "j" have been transcribed "j" as "u" and "i" when used as vowels, and as "v" and when used as consonants. This mode of rendering these script letters into type was that generally followed by contemporary printers. When material has been taken from printed works, the spelling of these has been followed. H. M. C. Providence, 10 April, 1916. ABBREVIATIONS Backus = A History of New England by Isaac Backus. Deane = A colonial manuscript, based on the writings of Edward Winslow. It was reprinted by Charles Deane in 1850, in N. E. H. & G. R. and in pamphlet form. Fox = A New England Fire-Brand Quenched by George Fox. GoRTOK = Simplicities Defense by Samuel Gorton. Knowles = Memoir of Roger Williams by James D. Knowles. M. C. R. = Massachusetts ( Colonial ) Court Records. M. H. S. = Massachusetts Historical Society. M. H. S. C. = Massachusetts Historical Society Collections. M. H. S. M. = Massachusetts Historical Society Manuscripts in M. H. S. Morton = New England's Memorial by Nathaniel Morton. N. E. H. & G. R. = New England Hist. & Geneal. Register. N. H. M. = Newport Historical Magazine. P. R. = Providence Records in City Hall, Providence. P. T. P. = Providence Town Papers. Printed in P. T. R. P. T. R. = Early Records of the Town of Providence. (Printed.) P. C. R. = Plymouth Colony Records. R. I. H. S. = Rhode Island Historical Society. R. I. H. S. C. = Rhode Island Historical Society Collections. R. I. H. S. M. = Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts. R. I. H. S. Q. = Rhode Island Historical Society Quarterly Proceedings. R. I. C. R. = Rhode Island Colonial Records. R. I. H. T. = Rhode Island Historical Tracts. WiNSLow = Hypocrisie Unmasked by Edward Winslow. WiNTHROP = The History of New England by John Winthrop. Edition of 1853. W. D. — Warwick Deeds. W. R. = Warwick Records. — CONTENTS PAGE I. The Flight from Salem i II. The Settlement in Seekonk ii III. The Removal from Seekonk to Providence . 17 IV. The Purchase of the Land 24 V. The Establishment of Religious Liberty and the Formation of the Town Government 32 VI. The Affairs of 1637 The Purchase of Pru- dence, Aquidneck, Patience and Hope . 41 VII. Difficulties with the Neighboring Colonies — The Settlement of Aquidneck — The Deeds of Aquidneck and of Providence . 54 VIII. The "Towne Evidence" and its Mutilation 61 IX. Case of the Town vs. Verin, 1638 — Liberty of Conscience Upheld — The Earthquake and THE Flood — The Initial Deed and the Deed of Pawtuxet 70 X. The Murder of Penowanyanquis 81 XI. The Baptists —The "Civil Compact" .... 90 XII. Miantonomi Confirms the Deed —The "Mem- orandum" TO the Deed 99 XIII. The "Combination" of 1640 110 XIV. Town of Providence. 1640 — 1644 121 XV. The Gortonoges 128 XVI. The Settlement and Defection of Pawtuxet 138 XVII. Pawtuxet as a Colony of Massachusetts Bay 150 XVIII. Williams Sails to Procure a Charter .... 161 XIX. The Settlement of Shawomet 166 XX. The Dispute Between Shawomet and Massa- chusetts Bay 177 XXI. The Siege of Shawomet 192 XXII. The Submission of the Narragansetts . 200 XXIII. The Arrival of the Charter 212 vni CONTENTS XXIV. Colony of Providence Plantations, 1643 — 1647 — The Struggle to Maintain the Charter — The Treachery of Coddington — The Machinations of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth — Indian Negotiations 221 XXV. Town of Providence 1644 — 1647 234 XXVI. Town of Providence 1647 — 1649 247 XXVII. Town of Warwick 1647 — 1649 252 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Slate Rock 22 The "Towne Evidence" 64 The "Civil Compact" 96 Map of Pawtuxet 158 Pomham's Fort 208 Map showing the early settlements 216 Map of Providence home lots (north section) 238 Map of Providence home lots (south section) 254 Documentary History of Rhode Island THE FLIGHT FROM SALEM [1636] THE settlement of Providence may be said to hinge, not upon the passage of the adt banishing Roger Williams from Massachusetts, for he did not then leave, but rather upon the decision to send Captain Underbill to seize him, for it was clearly to evade this seizure that Roger Williams decided to leave Salem, and not simply on account of the adt of banishment. Nevertheless, even before the adt of banishment, Williams, foreseeing trouble with the Massachusetts Bay Colony went among the Indians and negotiated with them concerning a possible settlement in their lands at Narragansett Bay, as the following quotations show: "Be it knowne unto all men by these prsentes. That I Roger Williams of the Towne of providence in the Narra- gansett Bay in New England, having in the yeare one Thousand Six hundred thirty Foure, And in the yeare one Thousand Six hundred Thirtye Five, had severall Treatyes with Counanicusse, And Miantenome, the Two cheife 2 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND [1636 Sachims of the Narragansett; And in the End, purchased of them the Landes and Meddowes upon the Two Fresh ." Rivers called Moshosick And wanasquattuckett, . (Orig. framed in Office of Recorder of Deeds, Providence. Copy printed in Prov. Rec. 5, 306) "The reason was, because he had drawn above twenty persons to his opinion, and they were intended to eredt a ." plantation about the Narragansett Bay, . (Winthrop I, 209) In referring to the Indians in his plea of 17th 9th mo ". 1677, Roger Williams wrote: . 2d God was pleased to give me a painful Patient spirit to lodge with them, in their filthy smoke holes, (even while I lived at Plymouth and Salem) to gain their tongue. 3d I spared no cost, towards them, and in Gifts to Ousamaquin, yea and to all his, and to Conanicus ^ his, tokens and presents many years before I came in person to the Nahiganset, and there- fore when I came I was Welcome to Osamaquin and that old prince Conanicus, who was most shy of all English, to his last breath." (Harris Papers 2, 237. R. I. H. S., R. I. H. T. H, 54) After the Colony of Massachusetts Bay had passed upon Roger WilHams the sentence of banishment in the autumn of 163 s, Governor John Winthrop, who was a friend of Williams, wrote privately to him and suggested that he should go and settle at Narragansett Bay. In his letter to Major Mason, dated Providence 22 June 1670 (ut Vulgo), Williams wrote: "First when I was unkindly ^ unchristianly (as I believe) driven from my howse i^ land ^ wife l^ children (in the midst of N. Engl: winter now about 35 years past) at Salem: that ever honrd Gor Mr Wintrop privately wrote to me to steer my Course to the Nahigonset Bay y Indians, for many high £5" heavenly l^ publike Ends, incouraging me from the freenes of the place from any English claims 1636] THE FLIGHT FROM SALEM 3 or pattents. I tooke his [most] prudent Motion as an Hint y Voice from God, ^ (Waving all other Thoughts Sff Mo- tions) I steerd my Course from Salem (though in Winter snow wch I feele yet) unto these parts, wherein I may say as (Jacob, Peniel, tht is I have scene the face of God." (Orig.