(120 INDIAN LAND CESSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES [eth.anx. 18 



Eoger Williams and liis wife" to his associates, December 20, 1638, 

 that he had arranged for jjurchase of lauds from the Indians one or 

 two jears in advance of his arrival in the territory. As an examina- 

 tion of this deed is necessary to a clear landerstanding of Williams' 

 first steps in this direction, it is given here: 



Be it liioivn unto all men by these presents, that I, Roger Williams, of the Towne 

 of Providence, in the Narragansett Bay, in New England, having in the j-eare one 

 thousand six hundred and thirty-foure, and in the yeare one thousand six hundred 

 and thirty-live, had severall treaties with Conauicusse and Jliantonome, the chief 

 sachems of the Narragansetts, and in the end purchased of them the lands and 

 meadows upon the two ftresh rivers called Jlooshassick and Wauasquatucket; the 

 two said sachems having by a deed under their hands two yeares after the sale 

 thereof established and coniHrmed the boundes of these laudes from the river and 

 ffields of Pawtuckqut and the great hill of Neotaconcouitt on the northwest, and 

 the towne of Mashapauge on the west, notwithstanding I had the fr.equent promise 

 of Jliantenomy my kind friend, that it should not be land that 1 should want about 

 these bounds mentioned, provided that I satislied the Indians there inhabiting, I 

 having made covenantes of peaceable neighborhood with all the 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 dis- 

 tressed countrymen, I communicated my said purchase unto my loving tfriends John 

 Throckmorton, William Arnold, William Harris, Stukely Westcott, John Greene, 

 senior, Thomas Olney, senior, Richard Waterman and others who then desired to 

 take shelter here witli me, and in succession unto so many others as we should 

 receive into the fellowship and societye enjoying and disposing of the said purchase ; 

 and besides the iifirst that were aduiitted, our towne records declare that afterwards 

 wee received Chad Brown, William fteild, Thomas Harris, sen'r, William Wickenden, 

 Robert Williams, Gregory Dexter and others, as our towne booke declares. And 

 whereas, by God'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 

 it ; but by that language, acquaintance, and favour with the natives and other 

 advantages which it pleased God to give nie, and also bore the charges and venture 

 of all the gratnetyes which I gave to the great sachems, and other sachems and 

 natives round and about us, and lay ingaged for a loving and peaceable neighbour- 

 hood with them all to my great charge and travell. It was. therefore, thought by 

 some loveing ft'riends, that I should receive some loving consideration and gratuitye ; 

 and it was agreed between us, that every person that should be admitted into the 

 ffellowship of iujoying landes and disposing of the purchase, should pay thirtye 

 shillinges into the public stock; and ffirst about thirtye poundes should be paid unto 

 myselfe by thirty shillings a person, as they were admitted. This sum I received in 

 love to my ftrieuds; and with respect to a towne and place of succor for the dis- 

 tressed as aforesaid, I doe acknowledge the said sum and payment as (full satisft'ac- 

 tion. And whereas in the year one thousand six hundred and thirtye seaven, so 

 called, I delivered the deed svibscribed by the two aforesaid chiefe sachems, so much 

 thereof as concerneth the aforementioned landrs ft'rom 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 eqnall unto any of the rest of that 

 number, I now againe in a more ft'ormal way, under my hand and seal, confifirm my 

 ffornier resignation of that deed of the landes aforesaid, and bind myselfe, my heirs, 

 my executors, my administrators and assigues never to molest any of the said per- 

 sons already 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.' 



' Khode l3land Colonial Records, vol. I, pp. 22-24. 



