USA > Rhode Island > Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England. Printed by order of the General Assembly, Vol. III pt 1 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
And wee returne our hearty praises to God Almighty, for your Majesty's wonderfull preservation and deliverance from that late hellish conspiracy against the life of your sacred Majesty, and the subvertion of the Christian religion in your kingdoms ; with our hearty prayers to God to grant your · Majesty a long, happy and prosperous reigne.
Wee humbly prostrate our selves and lives to your Majes- ty's feet, and in bounden duty remaine your Majesty's most loyall faithfull subjects, and humble servants.
Signed in the name and by order of the Generall Assem-
bly of your Royall Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
JOHN CRANSTON, Governor.
Rhode Island, the Ist of August, 1679.
To our dread Sovereigne, Charles the 2d, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
r
1679.]
47
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
Voted, That the Governor, the Deputy Governor and the Assistants on the Island, are desired and empowered to draw up letters unto those honored gentlemen in England, viz .: Sir Robert Southwell, William Blathwaite, Esq., Secretarys to his Majesty, and to Mr. Robert Mason, by way of thankfull re- turnes to them for their noble respects to this Collony ; and our honored friends Capt'n Randall Houldon, and Capt'n John Greene. And the Governor to signe the same in the name and on behalfe of this Assembly. And the Governor is desired to order and appoint the time for that worke, when if all appeare not, soc many as appear, are empowered to finish the same.
Voted, That a petition presented to this Assembly by Capt'n Randall Houldon and Capt'n John Greene, for the sum of forty-five pounds by them disbursed in England on the Col- lony's account ; and fifteene pounds, their passages out of England. This Assembly doc owne their demand, and order the said money, being sixty pounds sterling, shall be truly paid and borne by the Collony.
Voted, And that for the payment of the aforesaid sum of sixty pounds, it shall be paid as followeth : the towne of New- port to pay the sum of eighteen pounds ; the towne of Ports- mouth eleven pounds; the towne of Providence four pounds ; the towne of Warwick four pounds ; the towne of Westerly four pounds ; New Shoreham four pounds ; Kings Towne six pounds ; Greenwich three pounds ; Jamestowne six pounds.
And it is ordered, That the said sums in each the respective townes to be assessed on the freemen and inhabitants of each towne, and be paid in by the severall townes unto the Generall Treasurer in money, or pay equivalent to money ; and cach towne is to bee at the charge according to proportion for that by law allowed to the Generall Treasurer for his sallery, over and above this assessment aforesaid. And the said sums are to be levied in each towne on or before the last day of August next, and brought in and delivered to the Generall Treasurer on or before the last day of September next, which shall forth- with upon receipt thereof, or any part thereof, be paid by the Generall Treasurer, as is after expressed. And upon neglect
;
48
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND, [1679.
or refusall of not levicing the assessment or non-payment, the same method and course to be taken and used, as is ordered concerning the £300 rate, last assessed by the Collony.
And further ordered, That whereas Capt'n Randall Howldon and Capt'n John Greene, inhabitants of the towne of Warwick, should have the sum of sixty pounds in New England money, as aforesaid, paid them by the Collony, in a rate to be levied upon the severall townes in this Collony, viz. : the towne of Newport, on Rhode Island, to pay the sum of eighteene pounds in money ; the towne of Portsmouth, on said Island, to pay the sum of eleven pounds in money ; the towne of Providence the sum of four pounds in money ; the towne of Warwick the sum of four pounds in money ; the towne of Kings Towne the sum of six pounds in money ; the towne of Westerly the sum of four pounds in money ; the towne of Shoreham the sum of four pounds in money ; the towne of East Greenwich the sum of three pounds in money ; the towne of Jamestowne the sum of six pounds in money, with the charges of transportation to Newport, and the Generall Treasurer's fees. And there being a necessity for the present money to answer the engagements of Capt'n Randall Howlden and Capt'n John Greene, Mr. Ste- phen Arnold haveing paid downe the said sum of sixty pounds upon the engagements of the severall persons here under writ- ten, to see him paid again, viz. : Major John Cranston, Govern- our, Mr. Walter Clarke, Deputy Governour, Mr. Caleb Carr and Mr. Joseph Clarke, haveing given their bills to Mr. Arnold for eighteen pounds, eight shillings, in money, Mr. Thomas Ward gave his bill for three pounds, twelve shillings in money ; Capt'n John Albro, John Sanford, Mr. George Lawton and Mr. William Codman gave their bills for eleven pounds in money ; Mr. John Warner gave his bill for fifteene pounds in money ; Mr. Joseph Jencks gave his bill for four pounds in money ; Mr. George Lawton gave his bill for four pounds in money, and Mr. John Williams gave his bill for four pounds in money. The said bills being given to Mr. Stephen Arnold for the pay- ment of the sum of sixty pounds in money. Therefore these are to order the Generall Treasurer, Major Peleg Sanford, to
1
49
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1679.]
sce that according to law the sum of sixty pounds money, with his fees for receiving and the charges, be gathered and insessed upon the inhabitants of each towne in the Collony, and brought by the last of October next, and be paid as it comes into his hands, to the severall persons according to their proportions, which have given their bills to Mr. Stephen Arnold for the same. And that the said sum of sixty pounds is not to be made use of, or any other wayes disposed than the true and absolute discharge of this the Collony's debt.
Voted, That whereas in the assessment made by the Assem- bly in October last, for the payment of the Collony's debts, money was ordered to be the principal rule for payments, and other species to be paid, a certaine price was sett, in which or- der wooll at six pence per pound, and great part of the said rate being brought in to the Generall Treasurer in wooll, which the Treasurer cannot refuse to receive, nor pay under the price assessed ; neither at that rate can produce moneys : this As- sembly doe order, That for what wooll the Treasurer hath re- ceived, and hath paid to Mr. Miles Forster, or to any person by him ordered to receive it, on the Collony's account for moneys due, shall be paid and accounted at five pence per pound, and the Treasurer shall be secured in paying wooll at that rate to the said Mr. Forster, or his order.
Voted, Whereas it hath evidently been made to appear to this Assembly that Mr. Richard Smith, inhabitting in Narra- gansett, in the King's Province, hath exhibited and layd a pe- tition before his Majesty and the Honorable Lords of his Privy Councill, in the Kingdom of England, the said petition being composed with many false, untrue and unjust charges on the government of this his Majesty's Collony, and alsoe therein endeavouring the absolute overturn and subversion of this gov- ernment under his Majesty, and bringing the same under the government of Connecticut, contrary to his Majesty's gracious grant in his Charter to us, which proceedings of his are against the law of this Collony, and true allegiance to his Majesty and his authority placed and established in this Collony : this As- sembly, in due obedience to his Majesty's honour and authority VOL. III. 4
50
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND, [1679.
doe see cause to order, That the said Richard Smith, with all convenient speed bee apprehended, secured and duly ex- amined, and prosicuted for those his unlawfull actings. And to that end, and for the full and reall performance of the premises, this Assembly doe desire that with all convenient speed the Governor be pleased by a warrant under his hand, to cause the said Mr. Richard Smith to be apprehended and brought before the Governor, or Deputy Governor, and such of the Councill as may be present, to be dealt withall as the Gov- ernor and Councill shall see cause to be just and legall, accord- ing to the meritt of his offense."
# Petition of Richard Smith and others.
To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. The humble petition of Richard Smith, in behalfe of himselfe, John Winthrop, Esq'r, Josiah Winsloe, William Harris, John Viall and others, proprietors and inhabitants on a tract of land called the Narragansett Country, part of your Majesty's dominions in New England Sheweth :
That your petitioners are inhabitants in that part of New England called the Narragansett Country, where their ancestors did about forty years since sit down and expend great sums of money in planting and improveing the same.
That in the 13th year of your Majesty's reigne, upon the humble petition of John Winthrop, Esq'r, Jolin Mason, Samuell Willis and others, inhabitants in the south- ermost parts of New England, your Majesty was graciously pleased to incorporate the said inhabitants by the name of the Governour and Company of Connecticut Colony, giving and granting unto them and their successors, all the part of land in New England, in America, bounded on the cast by the Narragansett Bay, with the Island adjoyning thercunto.
That in the 15th yeare of your Majesty's reigne, John Clark, on behalfe of Ben- jamin Arnold, Wm. Brenton and others, procured a grant of Incorporation like- wise from your Majesty, by the name of the Governour and Company of Rhode Is- land, and the rest of the Colony of Providence Plantation in the Narragansett Bay in New England, thereby including (as they pretend) all the lands planted by your petitioners, and formerly granted to the Governor and Company of your Majesty's Colony of Connecticut, as aforesaid.
That your petitioners finding many inconveniences arising daily by reason of a government usurped by the inhabitants of Rhode Island, on the pretence aforesaid, the exercising and imposing other lawes and formes of government, than what your petitioners had been accustomed unto, did about seven years agoe by the hand of Richard Smith, the present petitioner, who came then alsoe into England, [to] pre- sent their humble petition to your Majesty, signed by the principall proprietors and inhabitants in the said Narragansett Country, setting forth the many irregularities in the proceedings of the government of Rhode Island, and humbly prayed your Majesty's reliefe therein ; but the warrs with Holland and other weighty affaires of
. :
1
51
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1679.]
Voted, Whereas upon a petition of Capt'n John Albro to this Assembly in May last, in behalfe of his sonn John Albro,
State intervening, your petitioners were referred to a more convenient time ; by which means your petitioners are without any settled government.
That in the time of the late Indian warr, the petitioners sent to the government of Rhode Island for their protection and defence, which was absolutely denyed them, the then Governor of Rhode Island being a Quaker, and thought it perhaps not lawfull either to give commission or take up armes; so that their townes, goods, corne, and cattle were by the savage natives burnt and totally destroyed : whereby the petitioners are become great sufferers in their estates and fortunes.
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your Majesty to take the matter into your gracious consideration, and to grant your Royall letters, directed to the government of Rhode Island, requiring them to forbear to exercise any authority over the in- habitants of the Narragansett country ; but that your petitioners and other inhab- itants of the said country, together with the Islands Quonaniquett, Hope, Patience and Dutoli Island, thereunto belonging, may be settled and restored unto the gov- ernment and jurisdiction of your Majesty's Governour and Company of Connecti- cut Colony, according to your Majesty's precedent grant, and so remaine untill your Majesty's pleasure be further knowne.
And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c. RICHARD SMITHI,
In behalf'e of himselfe, and others above mentioned.
Order in Councill, on the petition of Richard Smith and others.
At the Court at Whitehall, the 3d of July, 1678.
By the King's Most Excellent Majesty and the Lords of his Majesty's most Honor- able Privy Councill.
Upon reading this day, at the Board, the humble petition of Richard Smith, in behalfe of himselfe, John Winthrop, Esq'r, Josiah Winsloe, William Harris, John Vyall, and others, proprietors and inhabitants on a tract of land ealled the Narra- gansett Country, part of his Majesty's dominions in New England, setting forth the many great inconveniences arising dayly by reason of a government usurped over them by the inhabitants of Rhode Island, on pretenee of a Charter of Incor- poration granted to them in the 15th yeare of his Majesty's reigne, and praying his Majesty's letters to the government of Rhode Island to forbear to exercise any au- thority over the inhabitants of the Narragansett Country, but that they together with the lands Quonaniquett, Hope, Patience and Dutch Island thereunto belong- ing, may, according to his Majesty's precedent grant in the 13th year of his reigne, be settled and restored unto the government and jurisdiction of the Connecticut Colony. It was ordered by his Majesty in Councill, that it be, and is hereby re- ferred to the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee of this Board for Trade and Plantations, to examine and consider of the matter of this Petition, and to re- port to his Majesty in Councill how they find the same, with their opinion, what they judge most fit to be done for redressing the inconvenieneys complayned of.
JOIIN NICHOLAS.
1
: :
i
52
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND, [1679.
Jun'r, concerning a verdict of the jury in the Generall Court of Tryalls (held the 12th of said May), against his said sonn John Albro, upon which petition, the Assembly did see cause to order the Court of Tryalls to suspend judgment, referring the further consideration of that matter to their next sitting, as is more fully expressed in that act; and this Assembly haveing perused the said petition, and scariously considered the matter, doe referr the further consideration of that matter unto the Generall Assembly in October next, to judge of and determine.
Voted, That the Generall Sergeant shall from time to time take care for the providing victualls for the members of the Generall Assemblys and Courts of Tryalls, as is ordered in the act of the Assembly sitting in May last, and shall be truly paid by the Generall Treasurer.
Voted, That an order be given from this Assembly by the Recorder to the Generall Treasurer for the payment of twenty-
Warrant for apprehending Richard Smith.
To Mr. John Easton, one of his Majesty's Constables for the towne of Newport, or any other of his Majesty's Constables of said Towne, or Towne of Ports- mouth, greeting :
These are in his Majesty's name, King of England, Scotland, France and Ire- land, &c., to require you or either of you forthwith upon sight hereof, to apprehend the body of Richard Smith, merchant, inhabitant in the Narragansett, in the King's Province, in his Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and him the said Smith finding or apprehending, to secure and bring before us in the towne of Newport, the next Wednesday, the twenty-third (23) day of this instant moneth, July, 1679, and then and there to answer to such charges as shall bee ex- hibited against him; and also to the examinations that the authority shall see cause to premise, in his Majesty's behalfe. Hereof fail not at your perill.
Given under hands, the 19th day of July, 1679 .- (J. Carter Brown's Mss. Vol. II. Nos. 132-4.)
JOHN CRANSTON, Governor. WALTER CLARK, Deputy Governor. CALEB CARR, Assistant. THOMAS WARD, "
A true copy of the warrant, by JOHN EASTON, Jun'r, Constable.
[For additional papers relative to the controversy connected with the Narragan- sett country, see the end of this session.]
i
53
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1679.]
two shillings in money, to be paid to the Generall Sergeant for the payment of Robert Lovis for a dinner by the said Lovis, made for this Assembly.
Voted, Whereas there is an act made by the Generall As- sembly in the yeare 1678, wherein is expressed that noe rate, tax or mulet shall be laid or imposed upon the inhabitants of this Collony, before each respective towne have legall notice from the Governor or Deputy Governor, by warrant, this As- sembly upon the searious consideration thereof, and finding that clause in the said act to be prejudiciall to the carrying on and managment of the publick affaires and weale of this Collony, doe therefore see cause, and repeale and make null the said clause in that act ; and order, That it shall be lawfull for the Generall Assembly at any time being to assess and impose such rates, taxes and mulcts on the inhabitants of this Collony as to them now, or at any time for the future, shall appear neces- sary for the maintaininge his Majesty's authority, and the good and weale of this his Majesty's Collony ; any law or act to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.
Voted, That in pursuance of and obedience to his Majesty's gracious favours, and for the settlement of his Majesty's au- thority and government in the King's Province, it is ordered, That the Governor or Deputy Governor, with six of the Assist- ants at least, when the Governor shall see cause to order, shall goe to the said King's Province, and endeavour the performance of his Majesty's favours and commands to us granted, accord- ing to his Commissioners' determination.
Voted, That the Recorder doe draw a copy of his Majesty's letter to this Collony, brought by Capt'n Randall Howldon and Capt'n John Greene, and the said copy shall be sent in the first place to the towne of Providence, and from thence with all ex- pedition to the towne of Warwick, and soe with all expedition from towne to towne, unto all the townes on the maine land in the King's Province ; and in each towne to be published to the inhabitants, that thereby his Majesty's pleasure may be duly made knowne ; and that towne or townes that desire and are willing to keep a copy of the letter, have liberty to take one :
:
54
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND, [1679.
soc that it be speedily done, not to hinder the expedition of the publication thereof. And then the said originall copy to be re- turned to the Recorder's office ; and alsoe, that the King's let- ter, or copy thereof, shall be published in the townes of New- port, Portsmouth, New Shoreham, and Jamestowne.
And alsoe ordered, That the Governor, Deputy Governor and the Assistants in Newport; the Assistants, or Conservators of the Peace in each the other townes, shall take care and or- der the publication thereof.
Voted, That whereas there is a dayly expectation that his Honor, Sir Edmund Andros, Governor of New Yorke, will give us a visitt, and if he please soe to doe, that he may be suteably honored and accommodated as a person of his high degree and worthiness (according to our abillity), this Assembly doe fully recommend the performance thereof unto the care and order- inge of our Honored Governor, and the Generall Treasurer, Major Peleg Sanford ; the charge thereof to be borne and paid by the Collony.
Voted, Upon a petition presented by William Clarke, this Assembly doe forgive him the paying five shillings.
Voted, William Clarke haveing petitioned this Assembly concerning severall Indians by him and his Company taken in the time of the warr, he then being Commander of one of the sloops in the yeare 1676, which as he affirmeth, were taken from him and disposed of by the authority on the Island, with- out giveing him satisfaction, and therein desireing reliefe from this Assembly.
The Assembly, upon the searious consideration of the matter, doe see good cause to recommend his case to the Councills of the townes of Newport and Portsmouth, to take effectnall care, and soe far as appeare just, to answer the petitioner for his reliefe.
Voted, Whereas Edward Lay, of Portsmouth, hath petition- ed this Assembly to be granted the liberty of keeping an Inn, or house of entertainment in the towne of Portsmouth, under the injunctions by law ordered and appointed, pleadinge age and debillity of body to hard labor : this Assembly, upon the
4 :
:
- -
55
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1679.]
searious consideration thereof, doe recommend to the towne of Portsmouth their desires that they considering the petitioner's reasons in his petition and other searious considerations, they doe condescend to the petitioner's desire, and if he transgress therein, to be proceeded against according to law.
Voted, The Recorder shall draw forth the copy of the act of the General Assembly in October, 1674, concerninge the con- firming of the act of the Generall Councill, in establishing a towneshipp in Narragansett, and calling it Kings Towne, which shall be sent to the inhabitants there, under the seale of the Collony.
Voted, Wee have received a letter from the Honored Gov- ernor Winslow, of Plymouth, that we desire to survay Mount Hope Neck, Mr. James Browne, and Capt'n John Browne will assist in doing it.
The Assembly doc conceive it necessary to have the said Mount Hope Neck survayed, in order to render an exact account thereof unto his Majesty. This Assembly doe therefore desire and employ John Smith, to survay the said Neck, and draw two draughts thereof. And John Borden is desired to behelp- full to and assist John Smith in that worke, and the charge thereof shall be borne and paid by the Collony.
Voted, Whereas the proprietors of Potowomet and the pro- prietors of East Greenwich, and the proprietors with Capt'n John Foanes, haveing amongst themselves made a loveinge agreement, by which said agreement Capt'n John Foanes with twenty-three others his partners, are allowed to be part of the inhabitants of East Greenwich, and are to have their lands without the former engagement laid upon it in the first grant- ing the said lands, each division is to be according to the platt here presented in Court. And whereas there were three pur- chasers of a place called Maskachusett, those three persons are hereby esteemed to be three proprietors of the said East Greenwich, without the injunetion of building. And whereas, there hath been a grant of Court to severall persons that are not yett settled in East Greenwich, this Assembly doe order, that if there bee not roome in East Greenwich for their accom-
i
56
RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND, [1679.
modation, that then they shall be first accommodated in the next towneshipp, except it bee such as have forfeited their grant.
Voted, That the Recorder shall give forth copys under the seale, of the acts of this Assembly, to all the townes in this Collony, soe as the said copys may be ready to be sent to each towne within three weeks time of the adjournment of this As- sembly ; and the Recorder is to take care for the sending the copys to each towne, to pay the Recorder the sum of nine shil- lings in or as money, for each copy.
Voted, That the Recorder, John Sanford's bill for six pounds, ten shillings currant pay, is owned and accepted, and ordered to be paid by the Generall Treasurer.
Voted, The Recorder is ordered to write in the behalfe of this Assembly to Mr. James Browne, to signifie to him that wee have employed John Smith and John Borden to survay Mount Hope Neck, and desire their concurrance.
Voted, This Assembly is adjourned untill the first Wednes- day in September next, then to assemble againe at Newport; but if there doe present occasion to the Governor, or in his ab- sence, to the Deputy Governor, they are to bee convened be- fore that time.
DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE NARRAGANSETT COUNTRY.
Certificate of John Greene concerning the Narragansett Country.
TO ALL WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN.
I, John Greene, inhabiting in the Narragansett Country, called King's Province, I being sworn a Conservator of the l'eace, do on my oath affirme, that forty years and more, Mr. Richard Smith, that I then lived with, did first begin and make a settle- ment in the Narragansett, and that by the consent and with the approbation of the Indian Princes and people, and did improve land mow meadows severall yeares before Warwick was settled by any English man; and I do declare, that I being present, did see and heare all the Narragansett Princes, being assembled together give by livery, and seizing some hundreds of acres of land about a mile in length, and so downe to the sea ; this being about thirty years agoe, many hundred Indians
-
57
AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
1679.]
being then present, consenting thereunto. I doe alsoe declare, and by these pres- ents affirme, that in all the times of our late troubles, we the inhabitants of the King's Province, have had no reliefe or assistance from Rhode Island government, although we have often complayned to them of the injuries done us by the heathen, which made us apply our selves to the Massachusetts government for reliefe and safety, the Indians being very insolent and bold then towards the English. Nor had we or could we have any reliefe in the time of the late war to keep any one place or house in the whole King's Province. This I certify to be true, as I am in publique office, on oath, and under my hand.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.