USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Jamestown > History of Jamestown on Conanicut Island in the State of Rhode Island > Part 2
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Richard Smith Junr. negotiated with the Indian sachems and a price of £100, to be paid in wampum and peag, was agreed upon. The sachems, with their braves, and the purchasers assembled at the house of William Coddington in Newport where the deed was signed and witnessed, after which it was ratified by the passing of turf and twig from other sachems to Caleb Carr and Francis Brinley.
Newport on Rhode Island in ye Narragansett Bay in New England April 17, 1657.
Know all men by these presents that I Cashanaquont (Indian) and a Chiet Sachem and Commander of the Indians of Narragansett Bay and Quononaqutt Island in Narragansett Bay aforesaid etc. For and in consideration of several gifts of value before hand received, and also for and in consideration of ye full and just sum of one hundred pounds Sterling in hand also received in name and nature or a fine or purchase money I say that I ye aforenamed Sachem, for the aforesaid con-
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siderations have and by these presents do fully bargain for, make over, and make lawful sale of all and every part and parcel of the aforenamed Island Quononaqutt Together with all ye appurtenances, benefits, profits, commodities and privileges thereof, thereupon and thereunto properly belonging or appertaining unto William Coddington Esq. & Benedict Arnold (Senior) both of Newport on Rhode Island in ye aforesaid Bay of Narragansett, for themselves and such other of ye free inhabi- tants of Rhode Island aforesaid and other their friends as are in covenent with them (the said William Coddington Esq. and Benedict Arnold Senr) by writings about ye premises, which writing beareth date March the 10th 1656/57.) And furthermore ye aforesaid Island of Quononaqutt is hereby avouched and declared by me ye forenamed Sachem that it is the proper right and inheritance of ye persons before premised themselves, their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns for all and every and either of them, to hold use possess and enjoy quietly with out any lawful let or hindrance as their and every and either of their true rightful and lawful inheritance forever according to cach his proportion as mentioned in ye premised covenants written between themselves as aforesaid. And furthermore I the aforenamed Sachem Cashanaquont do hereby own myself obliged to clear and satisfy all ye other Sachems or others pretending, or that shall or may here after pretend or lay claim and interest in the premises to the disturbance of the premised purchases. And more over I hereby engage, that upon my own proper charge to satisfy them and every of them so claiming, and also in time convenient as shall be required by ye aforenamed purchasers I do engage upon my own proper charges to remove all ye Indian inhabitants, and clear them off from ye aforcsaid Island Quononaqutt, and cause them to leave free and full possession of the said Island wholly to yc said purchasers, without putting ye said purchasers to any further charges, cither for the Indian Corn Fields or any other labours of theirs that is to remain on said Island at their departure from off the said Island: and in witness of this my free and considerate bargain and sale I the above named Cashanaquont do set my hand this 17th of April 1657 as first above is mentioned ye date of these presents.
Signed and Delivered Cashanaquont his mark
In presence of Fran Brinley Hugh Bewit Matackes (Alias) Newcome his mark
This decd of sale above written was entered upon record ye 25th of January 1680
Jno Fones Clerk
The complete agreement covers many pages and is made up of 12 articles defined as follows;
1. Quoted above
2. Proportion of island allotted to each purchaser.
3. Appoints perpetual council of 16 as managers.
4. Deals with those who fail to live up to the agreement.
5. Deals with accounts, disbursements, deeds.
6. Defaulted shares returned to the benefit of all.
7
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Conanicut in existence. Josias Lyndon, who attests that it is a true copy of the original, was in public
map of Conanicut Island made by Joshua Fisher in 1657. It is 12" x 40" and is the oldest map of
This print is made from a copy of the original
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office in Newport 1727-1777.
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7. Allotted shares can be sold only to other original purchasers. To other than original purchasers only upon approval of the Council.
8. Original deeds from Indians to be kept by Benedict Arnold, Sr.
9. Appoints John Sanford as secretary.
10. Power to survey island and determine acreage of each purchaser, assess cost proportionately, authorizes highways, reserves 60 two acre shares for a town, and acreage for town plot, Artillery Garden etc.
11. Rules for fencing property.
12. Dutch Island to be held in common for pasturage, cach purchaser having same interest as given in Article 2.
Lastly-Joseph Clarke authorized to subscribe for his brother John Clarke, "who is in England."
The agreement is signed by the following 100 names. The fraction after the name is the amount of their interest in the purchase.
*William Coddington 1/20
John Roome 1/54
*Richard Smith 1/40 John Cranston 1/40
*Richard Tew 1/54 James Babcock 1/67
*Francis Brinley 1/40
Thomas Dunger 1/200
*Caleb Carr 1/40 Mark Lucar 1/200 Edward Richmond 1/300
"Emanuel Wooly 1/200 Joseph Terry 1/200
*Samuel Billing 1/300 Edward Larkin 1/250
*Thomas Fish 1/300 George Lawton 1/200
* John Green 1/40 *George Bliss 1/405 Bartholomew Hunt 1/450
* John West 1/450
*Richard Sisson 1/250 Latham Clarke 1/300
*Thomas Tooly 1/250 Richard Knight 1/67 James Smith 1/40 Henry Stevens 1/300 William Codman 1/300
*Anthony Law 1/200 * John Tripp 1/250 William Havens 1/200
*John Green Jr. of Warwick 1/200
*Anthony Ravincroft 1/900
*Thomas Goud 1/111
*Robert Taylor 1/300 Thomas Baker 1/300
*Edward Greenman 1/111 Thomas Hart 1/200 John Fones 1/900 John Fairfield 1/300
*Benedict Arnold 1/20 Walter Congrave 1/60 Wm. Baulston 1/60
*Wm. Brenton 1/40 James Barker 1/40 Wm. Lytherland 1/300
"John Cooke 1/250 Robert Burdick 1/300 Jeremiah Clarke 1/300
*Thomas Manchester 1/300 Andrew Langworth 1/450
*Thomas Clarke 1/111 Stephen Wilcocks 1/200
*Tobias Saunders 1/200
*Christopher Almy 1/200 Robert Spink 1/300
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*Thomas Valston 1/200 Thomas Waite 1/250
Thomas Cass 1/900 Marmaduke Ward 1/450
*Thomas Waterman 1/200
*Lawrence Turner 1/200 Richard Card 1/200 Matthew West 1/200
*James Rogers 1/40 Thomas Brownell 1/67
*John Anthony 1/300 Joseph Ladd 1/450
*William Case 1/300
*Richard Dune 1/200 Samuel Hubbard 1/300
*Richard Smith Jr. 1/40
*Edward Thurston 1/200
*Samuel Sanford 1/150 John Peabody 1/40
*John Sanford 1/40
Wm. Vaughan 1/111
*Robert Carr 1/40
* Joseph Clarke 1/54
*John Clarke 1/54 Adam Mott Sr. 1/111 William Weeden 1/111
Thomas Cook Jr. 1/111 Robert Bennett 1/250
John Briggs 1/111
*John Gould 1/11
*Thomas Newton 1/300
*Robert Hazard 1/300
*William Hall 1/300 Richard Bulger 1/200
*Nicholas Brown 1/300 William Earll 1/300
*John Porter 1/111 John Vaughn 1/200
Daniel Wilcox 1/111
*Thomas Oliver 1/900 Ichabod Sheffield 1/450 Henry Bull 1/111
*Will Jefferay 1/200
*Thomas Newton 1/300
* Denotes that these names appear on original map drawn by Joshua Fisher -sec page 8-9.
The names Valentinc Whitman 1/40, John Easton 1/111, Daniel Gould 1/111, Randall Houlden 1/150, Jeremiah Willis 1/200, and Henry Timberlake 1/200 appear in Article 2 of the agreement but are not among the signatures to the agreement, neither do they show on the Fisher map. Evidently they disposed of their interest as there are names on the map which do not appear in the agreement.
Chief Cashanaquont lived up to his promise to satisfy all other Sachems laying claim to the island as there are deeds of conveyance entered upon the records from Sachems Towisibbam, Quasaquann, Caskotape, and Wequa- quanuit.
Joshua Fisher made a survey and computed the area of the island at about 6,000 acres. A copy of this map, made about the same time as the original, is in the Carr Homestead, on Carr's Lanc. This is the oldest map of the island in existence.
It was agreed to allot 4,800 acres for division among the proprietors, 260 for a township, 20 acres of which were to be used for an Artillery Garden, a "place for buriel of ye dead," a prison house and other uses. 240 acres were reserved for a townplot to be divided in the proportion of one acre of townplot to 20 acres of farm land. The remaining land was reserved for highways and for reallotment to those whose lands proved to be undesirable.
It will thus be seen that the originators of the purchase had quite an elaborate scheme. The farm lands were to be at the north and south ends
11
of the island, and the four rod road, now Narragansett Avenue, formerly Ferry Road, was to be the main road for the townplot.
It was further agreed that the land was to be divided in the same pro- portion as the amount subscribed, and those subscribing the larger amount had the first choice of location, thus we read :
"William Coddington of Newport Esq., & Benedict Arnold, Senr. shall each of them pay one twentieth part of the whole charge and shall cach of them receive one twentieth part of the premised purchase, and William Brenton, Merchant shall pay one fortieth part and one, one hundred and eleventh part of the whole charge and shall receive one fortieth part and one, one hundred and eleventh part of the premised purchase. And Richard Smith Senr., Capt. John Cranston, Richard Smith Junr. Robert Carr, Caleb Carr, Francis Brinley, James Barker, James Rogers, John Sailes, John Green, Valentine Whitman, and John Sanford shall each of them pay one fortieth part of the whole charge and shall receive one forticth part of the premised purchase."
And so it goes through the whole list. of 100 names until the last, which reads :
"Thomas Case, Anthony Ravenscraft, Thomas Oliver, and John Fones shall cach of them pay one nine hundreth part of the whole charge and shall each of them receive one nine hundredth part of the premised purchase."
In a statement dated August, 1715, now in the possession of the Newport Historical Society, Francis Brinley writes, in part;
"After this (the above agreement) was accomplished, the surveyor took time to place cach proprictors choyce upon the draught according to the agreement, and then presented ye draught to the company met on purpose at Mr. Arnolds house ye usual place of meeting, and was well accepted by the company to their full satis- faction and content, as by the said draught may be clearly scen. Every particular person pricked out on the plat in the outside bounds thereof, their names written therein and the quantity of acres therein included, and all the highways pricked both they that went along the island and cross ye island. The great highway along the island was four rod wide, the rest two rod wide. Afterwards the surveyor was ordered to goe upon the land and lay out every particular mans property upon the land, as it was pricked out on ye draught, and in ye same place, which being accom- plished the surveyor presented his draught again to the company, met att the usual place, and in the bounds of every mans land he marked trees that stood in the lines, and where trees were wanting he drove stakes into the ground or set heaps of stones. After every proprietor settled his lands, some sooner and some later, as to them scemed meet and convenient. The aforesaid John Green mentioned in the draught was the first person to improve his land, and immediately sowed hay seed on his land where about he intended to build a house. Note-that the two hundred and forty acres for the Town plot was never partitioned as the farms were, and was generally sold one to another, and the buyers agreed among themselves."
The original plan of the purchasers provided for town plots as well as farming sections. The four rod road, now Narragansett Avenue, connecting the east and west ferries, was the old Indian trail and along this were located the town plots. The farms were at the north and south ends of the island and every 20 acres of farm land carried one acre of town plot. But those actively interested werc farmers and they generally sold or traded the town
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JuHtall 22
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Ed. Carr 21
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P. Barker 20 The. hoyes 19
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8. Martindale 18
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J . Pain 17
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2. Q. Mowry 16 IN Sanford 15
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N. Car 14 9. almay 13
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J. Causton 12 Jos carr 11
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7. Branky 9
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Um Sanford Land
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Jones 8
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E.Stormen
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9. Car 6
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Joseph Mary
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B. arnold 8
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Do. Laco 2
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Job Carr 72
Thos. Carl
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Bliver Arnold a
1
EARLY TOWNSHIP PLAT
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
plot to which they were entitled. Then again the purchase of the island, with many, was simply a speculation and they sold their interest even before the property was divided. All these things resulted in great confusion and in 1680 the island was resurveyed by Robert Hazard and all the records obtain- able were ordered presented to the town clerk for recording.
Even this did not get matters straightened out, for in 1703-4 the General Assembly had John Mumford and James Carder make a survey of the roads and restore them, as near as possible, to the original Fisher survey ; and in 1707 the town voted that "Joseph Morey, Nicholas Carr and John W. Weeden shall
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Um Sanford Land
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5 8/1
Yard
,
5
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and have full power to goe and new marke bounds of ye township which was laid out by Carder and Mumford." But with all this, the matter of the Artillery Lot and highways was far from settled and what with renting, selling, fencing, building and repairing and building bridges, was to bother the town fathers for still another hundred years or morc.
A great influx of people to this undeveloped land could not be expected, but evidently there was an increase in population for in 1678 Caleb Carr and Francis Brinley, on behalf of the proprietors, petitioned the General Assembly for the incorporation of the town. This was granted on November 4, 1678 "the inhabitants to have the same priviledges and libertyes as were granted to New Shoreham." The new town was named James Town in honor of James 1 of England.
Upon the granting of the charter they proceeded to draw up their form of government and in April, 1679, met together in their first Town Meeting for the election of officers.
TOWN MEETING FOR THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS
April 1679
John Fones chosen Moderator Engaged
John Fones chosen clerk of said town Engaged
Mr. Caleb Carr, Sen'r., Mr. Francis Brinley, Caleb Carr, Jun'r., and Nicholas Carr chosen to be Town Counsell Engaged
Ebenezer Slocum and Michaell Kally chosen to be the two constables of the said town, but Michacll Kally obstinately Refusing to take his engagement to said office, Caleb Carr, Jun'r. chosen in his stcad
Ebenezer Slocum and Caleb Carr, Jun'r. Engaged to their said offices. Peter Wells chosen town sargeant
Engaged
Nicholas Carr and Caleb Carr, Jun'r. chosen to be viewers of cattle, sheeps Swine and Horses which may be carried or transported from this Township.
John Foncs
Ebenezer Slocum ye two deputies for ye court.
For over 100 years town meetings, council and proprietors meetings were held in private homes, (usually at the home of one of the officers) and in the Meeting House. From December 1776 to November 1779 (the Revolu- tionary period) these meetings were held at the home of Matthew Allen in North Kingstown. The first town meeting held in Jamestown after the British had left Newport was on November 10, 1779, "at the stone ferry house in this town." Although a Town Hall was ordered built as early as 1690, all records of the various meetings are dated as being held at some private house. The first Town Hall stood on the east side of the North Road just south of the North Ferry Road.
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The inhabitants were predominantly farmers and the vision of a settle- ment on the town plots, four miles south of North Ferry Road, was not realized until many years later. The only part of the town plot which was used was the Artillery Garden. It was evidently intended to have this for a village green but it was early used for a burial ground and is so used today. There are stones standing that bear dates in the early 1700's.
There were four main highways, one running across the island on the old Indian trail through the proposed town plot, now called Narragansett Avenue. One ran north and south from this road to the north end of the island now called North Road, another from the Indian Trail south to the town beach at Mackerel Cove, now called Southwest Avenue, and the other, North Ferry Road, now Eldred Avenue, ran east and west connecting the sailboat ferry landings.
The development of additional roads became very complicated. The great majority of the farms extended from the main road to either the east or west shore and it would seem as if the one main road was sufficient. It is unfortunate that there is no copy of the survey and map made by Mumford and Carter in 1707, for, by the records, it would almost seem as if there were roadways running east and west separating all the farms one from another. As early as 1681 Major Peleg Sanford petitioned the town "that he have liberty to take in part of ye middle highway which lieth between ye land of Lieut. Nicholas Carr and ye land which he is about to fence in which he purchased of Mr. Jahleel Brenton." This the town allowed "provided he doth set up a pare of bars or hang a gate so that the inhabitants may have a Recourse for themselves or through his land when occasion doth require."
Then in 1707 it was voted "that whare two parsons Land lyt on ye Cross highways they two parsons agreeing shall have the liberty for seven years to fence in said Highways leaving soficront bars or gates for people to pass with horse and cart, they paying 10 shillings a year into ye town treas- urer for every such highway so fenced."
In 1729 it was voted "that the north highway between Teddeman Hull and francis Brinley and Nicholas Carr be soaled, also the highway which runs through Clark Rodmans Land be sold." Each year new rentals were added until finally there were so many rentals, instead of voting each renewal separately, they were all renewed by one vote. And so for nearly 100 years the town rented and sold highways. Some paid as high as 15 pounds a year rental and others 2 bushels of corn; some of the roads were sold at the rate of 200 pounds an acre. By the number of rentals and sales appearing in the records these transactions must have brought in a considerable revenue to the town. But all this led to great confusion which continued, in a small way, up to 50 years ago when, in driving to Beaver Tail, nearly a dozen gates had to be opened and closed as you passed from one farm to another.
There is a story told about the proposal to close one of these roads because it was not used. This was opposed by Robert Watson and to prove
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that it was used, he yoked up his oxen to the ox cart and drove up and down it all day with his wife contentedly knitting, seated in a chair placed in the cart. That night the opposition felled a number of trees, thus closing the road, but old Robert cleared these up the next morning and resumed his solemn journey. In the end, however, he lost out and the road was closed. A later owner of the property deeded that part of the farm back to the town to be used for a road if it was ever thought best to open it again. This happened some seventy-five years ago and was the last of the controversies regarding roads.
As originally laid out the North Road went through a marsh or pond about a mile north of the township road, and was impassable. In 1681 it was voted "that Jno Fones and Ebenezer Slocum ..... treat with Joseph Remington and agree with him about a highway at ye sea syd on ye east syde of ye island until such time as ye other highway be made passable." They evidently came to an agreement and a road was opened along the east side of the island, turning west at Potter's Cove, joining the North Road at the present site of the Quaker Meeting House. The east-west portion of this road was later called Deputy Lane and is now known as Weeden's Lane. Evidently this road was sufficient until 1722 when it was voted "that there shall be a Bridge Built over the Pond in the Main Highway by the inhabitants of the island." From the records it would seem that the bridge or bridges (there were 2 bridges in the early 1900's) and the connecting parts of the highway were not completed until 1729. In June, 1725, the General Assembly voted "that there be 10 pounds out of the general treasury allowed to James- town toward the building of a bridge on their island."
It was the general practice to turn cattle out to pasture on the highways. Some trouble evidently developed for in 1698 it was voted "that no hog nor hogs, nor pig nor pigs shall be keep in the highways without a yoak on them". In the same year it was voted "that Nicholas Carr is apointed by the freemen of this meeten to gitt timber and build a pare of stocks and to gitt timber and make a pound and put them both up att nere John Weedens corner nex to the highway with all expedishon and he is to be paid by the town for his Paines." Probably the pound was built. In 17.17 the council passed a vote prohibiting the pasturing of cattle in the highway "except young stock under one year old", and ordered that a pound "35 foot long and 25 feet Broad be made in this town". Fines for violation were "2 pence for every Sheep and 6 pence per head for every horse or mair with all charges of poundage". The cost of the pound was £6 16 s 7p. All through the records there are votes to build a new pound, buy new locks, hinges and hasps for the pound. There was always a pound and a pound keeper up to 60 years ago.
But the building of the stocks was a different story. At the meeting of 1698, quoted above, Nicholas Carr was ordered to build a "pare of Stocks". There is no record of payment for building the stocks but there is for build- ing the pound, so it is doubtful if the stocks were built. In 1717 Nicholas Carr and Richard Tew were voted overseers to see "that a pound, pair of
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stocks and whipping post" were built. The pound was built and paid for but no account rendered for the stocks, and again it is doubtful if they were built, for in May, 1724, the proprietors voted "that Thomas Carr Build a pare of Stocks and Set them up at Aabell Franklins house". Thomas Carr, as also his father Nicholas, was a Quaker and such form of punishment was not in accord with his religious convictions. Evidently the stocks were not built for on May 16, 1738 it was ordered that "Richard Tew procure Irons and Stuff and build a pair of Stocks". The only evidence that the stocks ever were built is in the records of August 13, 1773, when it was voted "that a Pair of Stocks be erected and set up where the old ones formerly stood in this town". Nothing has been found in the records to indicate that either the stocks or the whipping post ever were used except, possibly, as hitching posts for horses.
In the original survey of the island 20 acres were reserved for an "Artillery Garden, a place for buriel of ye dead, a prison house and for other public uses", and a part for the township plot which the proprietors anticipated would be built up along the old Indian trail, the 4 rod road, now Narragansett Avenue. But the settlers preferred to build their houses on their farms and the settlement on the town plot did not materialize for many years. Evidently the proprietors saw a chance for revenue from the Artillery Garden for in 1725 it was voted "that David Green Soe down the Artillery Lot and turn it out by the last of August next" and in October he was allowed to sow it down to ryc. In 1731 it was rented to John Martin for 20 shillings per annum, but "the Town shall have the liberty of burying their dead during his possession". Evidently Martin did not keep it in good condition for in 1745 Abel Franklin was appointed to build a fence around it "of good Chest- nut Rails and good oak Stakes" for which he was paid £24 plus £7 for cartage. In 1746 it was rented to John Clarke for 30 shillings. In 1717 Martin had it again and kept it until 1757 when it was rented to Jonathan Hill and William Mott, but Martin refused to give it up, demanding that it be surveyed. Then in 1759 he voluntarily promised "to Fence out the towns burying lot and deliver possession thereof to the town". In 1771 a town meeting was held "to know what shall be done with the town artillery or Burying Lot whether the house there on standing shall be sold or not for the Benefit of the town". It is not known who built the house but the records reveal that at one time it was used for housing the town's poor. Some of the older inhabitants are of the opinion that it was also the first school house.
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