34 



were not on the land now called Salem." He also says 

 (p. 228), "The first fort was on Beverly side, and erected 

 by Conant's men, before Endicott arrived. It was called 

 Darbie or Derby fort." This latter statement, that Darby 

 fort was on Beverly side, and was built by Conant before 

 Endicott's arrival, explains why he thought the first 

 houses were not where Salem is now ; and proves that in 

 this part of his history he must have relied upon false 

 tradition or incorrect information, for there is abundant 

 evidence which shows conclusively that Darby fort* was 

 on Marblehead side ; and the depositions of Eichard 

 Brackenbury and Humphrey Woodbury, in 1681, made 

 for the purpose of proving an early possession of the 

 land on Beverly side, in opposition to Mason's claim, 

 show us that when the Old Planters removed from Cape 

 Ann (Gloucester), they came "to the neck of laud since 

 called Salem," and built their first houses there ; and that 

 they took possession of the land on Cape Ann side (Bev- 

 erly), sometime after the arrival of Endicott. (See 

 Thornton's Cape Ann, Appendix). 



In the Account of Beverly by Mr. Rantoul (Mass. 

 Hist. Coll. 3 Ser. Vol. 7, p. 254), he states that "Eoger 

 Conant, John Balch, John Woodbury and Peter Pal- 

 frey, first settled, in 1626, on the neck of land be- 

 tween Collins Cove on the south, and the North River on 

 the north, in Salem." "Their first houses were near to 

 the margin of the river, and their lots running from the 

 river, across the neck to Collins cove." No authority is 

 given for this statement, and it is most likely that it rests 

 upon some tradition derived from the name "Planters 

 Marsh." We have carefully traced the history of the 

 house-lots on the neck of land above described, and 



* Thomas Oliver, in 1658, conveyed to John Bradstreet ten acres "on Marblehead 

 Neck, butting upon Forrest River, and having in the south end an old Indian Fort." 



