Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

"Prince or State, nor within the Northern Colony heretofore “by us granted to be planted by divers of our loving Subjects "in North Virginia"--These Grants were also to extend "up "into the Land throughout from Sea to Sea, West and NorthWest;" and under them South Virginia (now Virginia proper) Col. Beverley's was settled and governed till 1626, when the Company was dissolved, and the Country erected into a Royal Government.

Hist. of Virg.

The North Virginia Company had no new or distinct Grant from 1606 till 1620, nor made any Attempt to settle, except a very feeble one at Sagahedoc in 1607, which was deserted the following Spring all who survived the Winter having returned to England. Even as late as 1618, when South Virginia began to make some Figure, Captain Argal its Governor, coming on a Cruize to the Coast of North Virginia, now New-England, found a French Settlement and Fort a little North of Cape Cod, and near the very Place where the first Settlers of New-England landed and began their Colony two Years afterwards. Captain Argal destroyed this Fort, broke up the French Settlement and obliged them to surrender their Charter.

Ibid.

Indeed the planting Colonies seems not, for a long Time, to have been even in Contemplation among the North Virginia Company, but the only Establishment of little Factories, like those of other trading Companies, for Traffic with the Indians and managing Fisheries on the Coast. This

Hutchinson.

[ocr errors]

was long since observed by Richard Blome, who in 1687 published, and dedicated to King James IId an account of the English Territories in America. No greater Improvement, says he, speaking of the North Virginia Grant, was made of those grand Portions of Land, than the erecting "a few Cottages for Fishermen." And a judicious Historian of our own time observes, that if "Religion had not become at "last the Inducement, it is doubtful whether Britain would "have had any Colonies in America at this Day. One hundred "and twenty Years had passed since the Discovery of this "northern Continent by the Cabots, "without any English Col"ony being planted there, except that of South Virginia, "which was then in its Infancy, struggling for Life."

It was not till August, 1620, that the first real Planters of New England embark'd from Old England, consisting only of Part of a single Congregation. Their original Purpose was to settle near Hudson's River, which they rightly considered (if it had not been for the Pre-cccupancy of the Dutch) as within the Grant to the South Virginia Company; from whom they accordingly procured some Right of Settlement. They did 9 VOL. XVIII.

not however proceed to Hudson's River, their Pilot, it is said, being bribed by the Dutch to carry them farther North; but it is as probable that, in their weak State, they did not even wish to be set ashore in a Part of the Country, where they would, on their first Landing, have to contend with a Power already in actual Possession.

1620. Patent to the Council of Plymouth.

This Emigration revived the Project of settling their Part of America among the North Virginia Company, who accordingly got a new Patent dated November 3d, 1620, incorporating them by the Name of the Council established at Plymouth, &c. "for the planting, &c. New-England in America"-This Council, as the Name implies, was rather a Board of Trustees, for parcelling out Lands to the King's Subjects, (which they were authorized and commanded to do) than real Proprietors of the Soil themselves. -And altho' they might transfer Lands within their Grant, they could not * transfer the Power of Government to any, nor constitute any subordinate Corporation.

As the Patent to the Council of Plymouth is the Foundation of other New-England Grants, it is necessary to give its express Limits, viz. :

46

"All that Part of America lying, and being in Breadth, from "40° North Lat. to 48° inclusively; and in Length of and within "all the Breadth aforesaid, throughout the main Lands from 'Sea to Sea, provided any of the Premises were not then ac"tually possessed, or inhabited, by any Christian Prince or State; "nor lay within the Bounds, Limits, or Territories of that "Southern Colony heretofore by us granted."

But the Dutch had then, and long before, actually possessed Hudson's River, and were now extending their Trade and Settlements as far East and North as Connecticut River; so that nothing could pass, by this Patent, West of that River, as has been urged in the Contest between New-York and New-England Colonies, and Determinations of Boundaries made on that Distinction. And if the Preoccupancy of the Dutch had not limited this Patent, the prior Grant to the Southern Colony, then in full Force, included the 40th and 41st Degrees; so that nothing of the Southward of the Beginning of the 42d Degree could pass by it, unless, that in Virtue of the Patent of 1606, which gave fifty Miles on the Sea on each Side of the first Settlement, the North-Virginia Company had made some Plantation on the Sea Coast, within less than fifty Miles North of the Completion of the 41st Degree, that is somewhere South of 41° 44'. But this is not pretended; the Attempt at

*This was admitted before the King in Council 100 Years ago. See Sir William Jones's State of the New Hampshire Dispute and Opinion in Hutchinson's History.

[graphic]

Sagahedoc, if that could be called a Settlement, being far North of this.

The first Grant by the Council of Plymouth was that of Massachusets Bay to Sir Henry Roswel and others, March 19, 1627 ; the Limits of which are material, as bounding one Side of the subsequent Connecticut Charter, viz.

First Bounds of the
Massachusets Col-

ony.

66

"All that Part of New-England in America between a great River called Monomack, "alias Merimack, and a certain other River, there called "Charles River, being in the Bottom of a Bay called Massa"chusets; with all, and singular, the Lands, &c. lying within "three English Miles on the South Part of the said Charles "River, or of any and every Part thereof and all, and singu“lar, the Lands, &c. lying within three English Miles to the "Northward of the said River called Merrimack, or to the "Northward of all and every Part thereof; and all Lands, &c. "lying within the Limits aforesaid, North and South in Lati“tude, and in Breadth, and in Longitude of and within all the "Breadth aforesaid, throughout the main Lands there, from "the Atlantic and Western Sea and Ocean on the East Part, "to the South Sea on the West Part."

But as the Council of Plymouth could not constitute the said Sir Henry Roswel and his Associates a Body Corporate, nor convey to them the Powers of Government, they obtained from Charles I, a Royal Patent dated March 4th, 1628, for the Purposes aforesaid, as well as for the Confirmation of their Right in the Soil. This Patent is bounded and limited exactly as above, with the like Proviso as in the Patent to the Council of Plymouth itself; viz. of the Land or any Part thereof “not "being actually possessed by any other Christian Prince or "State."

Hutchinson.

The first Design of these Grants was, as hath been binted, only to constitute Trading Companies, like that to the East-Indies. But, considerable Settlements being soon made within the Massachusetts Grant, it was resolved to transfer the Patent and Government to NewEngland. How far this was a legal Measure, need not now be enquired. It was certainly an useful one.

We come next to the Colony of Connecticut, with which we are more immediately concerned. The first Grant made of any Part of this District is said to have been to the Earl of Warwick, but from whom is not certain. Hutchinson, Vol. I. p. 64. in the Note, says only in general, that "he had obtained "a Grant of the Sea-Coast, from Narraganset River to the "South-West, forty Leagues, to keep the Breadth to the South"Sea;" but does not say from whom the Grant was obtained.

However, in Vol. II. p. 203, he adds, that it "was obtained from "the Council of Plymouth in 1630." Neale says, he obtained 'it about the Year 1630 from Charles I."-Probably both may be right. The Council of Plymouth may have granted, and the Crown confirmed, as in the Case of Sir Henry Roswel's Grant; but neither of those Grants to Lord Warwick are to be found in America, nor could they long since be found in England; though some say the latter of them, viz. that from the Crown is to be found inrolled in the Petty Bag Office in England. Others still think that Lord Warwick, who conveyed his Right to Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook, Pym, * Hampden and others, March 19, 1631, acted only as President, or one of the Members, of the Council of Plymouth, empowered so to do. - But no Authority or Right, of this or any other Kind, is set forth in the Deed itself, by Lord Warwick.

SECTION II.

Sir Henry Vane the younger, and John Winthrop Son of John Winthrop, Esq; Governor of Massachusetts, were the first who are said to have been empowered to plant under this Grant to Lord Say and Seal, &c. Sir Henry came to Boston on this Project about the Year 1636; but, without beginning the Connecticut Settlement, soon returned to England, to act in a different Sphere. Others † however prosecuted the Design.

The first Set of Adventurers, who went out, were about 100 in Number, with Mr. Hooker at their Head. They push'd West'ward till they came to Fresh-water (now Connecticut) River; and sat down at Hartford, where the Dutch had a Trading

*These Men, who afterwards became so famous in England during the Civil Commotions, it seems then aspired no higher than for a Retirement in America.

The most desirable Places in the Massachusets were now settled; and what would be strange to tell, (if any of the Obliquities of human Nature can be accounted strange) they who profess'd to have settled a Wilderness for Liberty of Conscience, in the short Space of 16 Years, forgetting their own Principles, refused Liberty to others, and began to fine, banish, and disfranchise those who dissented from, or questioned any of, their established Modes and Doctrines. Those who thought themselves persecuted, withdrew chiefly to Rhode Island, to be wholly out of the Massachusets Jurisdiction. Others who only wanted Lands, and some who disliked the immediate Scene of those religious Confusions, went to Connecticut River, about Hartford, &c. which they at first rather believed to be within, than without, the Massachusets Jurisdiction.

Hutchinson.

House, called Fort Good Hope, which had been erected about 13 Years before. But to quiet the Dutch, it was agreed that they should continue their Trade there as well among the English as the Indians; and in Return the Dutch allowed the English to trade at Manhadoes, now New-York. All this was friendly; and the Dutch seemed the less alarmed, as Connecticut River was their most easterly Settlement and generally considered as the Extent of New Netherlands on that Quarter, although sometimes they would claim as far as Cape Cod. Butthe next Year, viz. 1637, when Mr. Eaton led out another Company and settled, still more Westward and Southward, at New-Haven, the Dutch were alarmed, and charged the English with Encroachments, claiming (as the undoubted Right of the States-General, long held by the Name of New Netherlands) all the Sea Coast from Cape Henlopen on the West Side of Delaware Bay, to Connecticut River, and even to Cape Cod; and as far back into the Country as could be discovered, towards the Heads of all the Rivers that emptied into the Sea within those Limits.

These Disputes continued for several Years, while the two new Colonies of Hartford and New-Haven kept extending their Settlements, and each of them formed themselves into a Kind of voluntary Association for the Purposes of Government, chusing their respective Governors, and funiting with Massachusetts and New-Plymouth for mutual Defence, &c. For though the Hartford Colony first had a Sort of Commission for Settlement and Government under the Massachusets, they soon understood themselves to be beyond their Jurisdiction, and NewHaven was still farther beyond it; and neither Colony had yet any better Title to their Lands than what Possession gave them.

*This Fort or trading Place was begun by the Dutch in 1623. Smith's Hist. of New-York. It was not till 1633, that the Massachusets sent John Oldham, &c. upon Discoveries Westward, "who travelled 100 "Miles, till they struck a great River which they afterwards found to "be Connecticut, or the Fresh-River;" and on this River they reported that they had found good Interval Lands, &c. Hutchinson. It was with Reason, then, that the Dutch contended that they "were "actually possessed of Connecticut River, long before any other Europeans knew of the Existence of such a River; and were not only "possess'd of the Mouth of it, but had discovered it 100 Miles up, had "their People trading there, and had purchased of the Natives al"most all the Lands on both Sides of the said River.”—Report of the Committee of Council, to the Governor of New-York. Smith's Hist.

[ocr errors]

See the Articles of Union and Confederacy entered into by Massachusets, Plymouth, Connecticut and New-Haven, in 1643. Neale, Vol. I. p. 223. 2d. Edit.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »