[Item]. The new Booke for ye entry of land euidences, with nine pages wrott upon, and part of ye tenth page wrott 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 upon,' The new Book for ye entry of ye Towne Counsells Acts, there being part of one page of ye sayd Booke wrott A small paper Book Containeing the Enrolement of wills2 Courts Acts sewed to geather, in ye manner of: 2:3 Books, As also seuerall Courts Acts made up in roules to the number of: 18 with noe seales Afixed, Seuerall Coppies of William ffeildes and William Carpenters papers A Deed of Gift from Richard Waterman to his Grand Chill- 6 The deed of Confirmation Seattupp, and Quequagonuett. The Deed in parchment from mr. Roger Williams to the (1) Apparently the volume of Providence Deeds, numbered I, in the office of the Registry of Deeds. (2) No volume now on file in the Probate Office corresponds to this description. (3) The letters "th," as above. (4) The letters "th," as above. (5) The letters "Cop" had been written before "Seuerall," and struck out. (6) Cussuckquansh," as signed by him. (7) The "e" is written above the word. (8) For the five foregoing entries see the (printed) R. I. Col. Records, I. 18, 22-25, 30-38; also, (for the Indian deeds), Narragansett Historical Register, II. 222-25, 287-97. [Item]. The Inuentory of the Estate of John Clawson, Ass alsoe an account in a paper by Thomas olney senr of ye Disspossition of John Clawsons:1 Goodes, 66 66 66 66 66 The Indenture of Daniell Comstock . The Bond of Joshua Winsor and James Ashton, as also As alsoe a roule of papers, being most of them bills, some -We whose names are here under subscribed, being impowered by an order of this Towne as before sayd, have this Twenty third day of August: 1678 Receiued of John Whipple Junr the former Towne Clerke, all the sayd Books, papers, parchments, and writeings herein before mentioned and perticularized, which belong to ye Towne, And Doe thereof in the Townes behalfe fully, clearely, and absolutely, Acquitt and Disscharge the sayd John Whipple Junr of and from all papers that Conscerne this Towne, In Wittness whereof wee doe here unto sett our handes the day and yeare aboue sayd: [Signed] ROGER WILLIAMS DANIELL ABBOTT Clerke (1) The final "s" is written above the word. (2) The letters "th" as above. (3) The word "Seaventeenth" was at first written here, but was struck out, and replaced by "Twenty-third." Memorandom,' the wordes Twenty Third were enterlined before these presents were Delivered as wittness our handes [Signed] ROGER WILLIAMS DANIELL ABBOTT Clerke.2 (1) This entry occurs at the left of the signature above given. (2) In the above copy, the spelling, punctuation, and capitalization of the manuscript have been exactly reproduced. This transfer of the records took place, it will be observed, soon after the close of King Philip's War. John Whipple, Jr., was one of those who "tarried in Providence during Philip's war,” and his devoted care of the records merits special remembrance. As will readily be seen from the above schedule, there are unfortunate gaps in the records, (as at present preserved in the archives of the city), which did not exist in 1678. Certainly argument can scarcely be needed, to show the importance of printing these early records, for preservation; for it is plain that their gradual diminution and consequent destruction, through constant handling, can only be regarded as a question of time. Action looking to such preservation, (the printing of the "first four books of records of the town of Providence"), was taken by the City Council, July 2, 1884. NOTE. A letter written by Roger Williams, in behalf of the town of Providence, to Sir Henry Vane, in England, has been previously quoted from. (See page 53, ante). The variation of Governor Hopkins's version from that in the colony records has already been referred to, and was partially indicated at page 53 by the use of brackets. It has been thought best, however, to reprint the entire letter, following the text of the R. I. Col. Records, I. 287-89. PROVIDENCE, 27th, 6th mo., 1654 (so called). Although we are aggrieved at your late retirement from ye helm of publicke affaires, yet we rejoice to reape ye sweete fruits of your rest in your pious and lovinge lines most seasonably sent to us. Thus Sir, your sun, when he retires his brightness from ye world, yet from ye very cloud we perceave his presence and enjoy some light and heat, and sweete refreshinge. Sir, your letters directed to all and everie ye particular townes of this Providence Colonie. Surely, Sir, amongst ye many providences of ye Most High, towards this Towne of Providence, and this Providence Colonie, wee cannot but see, apparently, his gracious hand, providing your honorable selfe for so noble and true a friend to an outcast and despised people. From ye first beginning of this Providence Colonie (occasioned by ye banishment of some in these parts from ye Massachusetts), we say ever since, to this very day, we reaped ye sweete fruits of your constant loving kindness and favour towards us. Oh, Sir, whence, then, is it that you have bent your bow and shot your sharpe and bitter arrowes now against us? Whence is it yt you charge us with divisions, disorders, &c. Sir, we humbly pray your gentle acceptance of our two-fold answer. First, we have been greatly disturbed and distressed by ye ambition and covetousness of some amongst ourselves. Sir, we were in compleate order until Mr. Coddington (wanting yt publike, self-denyeing spirit which you commend to us in your letter), procured by most untrue information, a monopolie of part of ye Colonie, viz.: Rhode Island to himselfe, and so occasioned generall disturbances and distractions. Secondly, Mr. Dyre (with no less want of a publike spirit), being by private contentions with Mr. Coddington; and being betrusted to bring from England ye letter of ye Councell of State for our re-unitinge, he hopes for a recruit to himselfe by other men's goods; and (contrarie to the State's intentions and expressions), plungeth himself and some others, in most unnecessary and unrighteous plunderings, both of Dutch and French and English; all to our great griefe, who protested against such abuse of our power from England; and ye end of it, even to ye shame and reproach of himselfe, and ye very English name itselfe, as all these parts doe witness. Sir, our second answer is, (yt we may not lay all ye load upon other men's backs), yt possibly a sweete cup has rendered many of us wanton and too active. For we have long drunck of the cup of as great liberties as any people yt we can heare of under the whole Heaven. We have not only been long free (together with all English), from ye iron yoaks of wolfish Bishops, and their Popish ceremonies (against whose cruell oppressions, God raised up your noble spirit in Parliament); but we have sitten quiet and drie from ye streams of blood spilt by ye warr in our native country. We have not felt ye new chains of ye Presbyterian tyrants; nor (in this colonie) have we been consumed with ye over-zealous fire of ye (so called) Godly and Christian magistrates. Sir, we have not known what an excise means. We have almost forgotten what tythes are; yea, or taxes, either to Church or Commonwealth. Sir, we could name other speciall priviledges,(ingredients of our sweete cup), which your great wisdome knows to be very powerfull (except more than ordinarie watchfulnesse), to render ye best of men wanton and forgetfull. But, blessed be your love, and your loving heart and hand, awakening any of our sleepie spirits by your sweete alarms; and blessed be your noble family, (roote and branch), and all your pious and prudent engagements and retirements. We hope you shall noe more complaine of ye saddinge of your loving heart, by ye men of Providence Towne or Providence Colonie; but yt sir, when we are gone and rotten, our posteritie and children after us, shall read in our Towne records, ye pious and favourable letters and loving kindness to us; and this our answere, and reall endeavours after peace and righteousnesse; and to be found. [,]Sir, Your most obliged, and most humble servants, the Towne of Providence, in Providence Colonie, in New-England. GREGORIE DEXTER, Towne Clarke. To ye truly hon'ble Sir Henry Vane, at his house, at Belleaw, in Lincolnshire, these present. |