59 



that he had "made over his house" at Salem, to Thomas 

 Mayhew, and afterwards John Jolliffe, as security for a 

 debt to Matthew Craddock. The proof that this house 

 we have described was the one he referred to, is as fol- 

 lows. First, the town records, in 1640, mention a house 

 in this same locality as the house of Mr. Williams. The 

 title (Mr.) shows this must have meant Roger Williams. 

 Secondly, that part of Essex street is mentioned in the 

 Court records, in 1650, as "the way between Roger 

 Morey and Mr. Williams his house that was." Thirdly, 

 North street was described, in 1671, as "formerly called 

 Williamses Lane." Fourthly, the deeds of land next 

 west in 1662 and 1665, show that this was then owned 

 by Capt. Richard Davenport ; and it was conveyed, in 

 1675, by the administrators of his estate to Jonathan 

 Corwin, being described in the deed as "formerly belong- 

 ing to Capt. Richard Davenport ; " and by the same deed 

 was also conveyed a ten-acre-lot in the Northfield, and 

 this ten-acre-lot is described in a deed of adjoining land, 

 in 1650, as "Mr. Williams' lot." This, by the way, 

 shows conclusively that the statement that this house was 

 built by Capt. George Corwin, in 1642, and given by 

 him to his son, Jonathan Corwin, must be a mistake. We 

 have not been able to find in the records any evidence 

 that Capt. George Corwin ever lived there or had any in- 

 terest in that estate. 



Finally, in 1714, when every one who owned a house 

 which was built before 1660, was allowed by a law of the 

 Colony what was called a "Cottage right," and also a 

 "right for 1702," by virtue of a town vote that year al- 

 lowing a right for every house then standing, each of 

 these rights was allowed to "Jonathan Corwin, Esq., for 

 his house and Mr. Williams Cottage right." 



The following is the law of the Colony passed May 30, 



