Transcribed by Cheryl Lassiter
There is detailed discussion of these documents in Cheryl Lassiter's article here.
March 3, 1635/6
The Bound House is Ordered to be Built
Ordered that there shall be a plantation settled at Winicumet & that Mr. Dummer & Mr. John Spencer shall have power to press men to build a house forthwith in some convenient place, & what money they lay out about it shall be repaid them again out of the Treasury or by those that come to inhabit there. (Massachusetts General Court)
November 2, 1637
First Permission to Settle Winnacunnet Plantation
The inhabitants of Neweberry having been moved to leave their plantation, they have granted them Winnacunnet, or any other plantation upon Merrimack below the first falls, & to have six miles square, & those that are now inhabitants, & shall remove within one year, shall have three years immunity (as Concord hath).* The three years beginning the first of the first month next. (Massachusetts General Court)
June 8, 1638
Massachusetts Clears Illegal Settlers from Winnacumet
It is ordered that the magistrates of Ipswich shall have power to discharge Mr. Easton & Mr. Geoffry from building at Winnacumet, & if they will not take warning to clear the place of them. (Massachusetts General Court)
September 6, 1638
Second Permission to Settle Winnacunnet Plantation
The Court grants that the petitioners, Mr. Stephen Bachiler, Christopher Hussey, Mary Hussey vidua,* Thomas Cromwell, Samuel Skullard, John Osgood, John Crosse, Samuel Greenfield, John Moulton, Thomas Moulton, William Estow, William Palmer, William Sergant, Richard Swayne, William Sanders, Robert Tucke, with diverse others, shall have liberty to begin a plantation at Winnacunnet and Mr. Bradstreet, Mr. Winthrop, Junior, and Mr. Rawson, or some two of them, are to assist in setting out the place of the town, and apportioning the several quantity of land to each man, so as nothing shall be done therein without leave from them, or two of them. (Massachusetts General Court)
October 9, 1638
Stephen Bachiler’s Letter to John Winthrop, Jr.
Worthy Sir~ I commend me to you and yours in the Lord. So it is, that we are resolved (God so consenting) the second working day of the next week to set forward toward our plantation, preparing thereto the day before. We intend to go by a shallop. So that, as our hope and desire is to have your help & our christian friend Mr. Bradstreet, so we pray you both to be with us, the day following. We were there and viewed it cursorily: & we found a reasonable meet place, which we shall show you: but we concluded nothing. This day had not an hindrance fallen out I had brought your father in laws two stalls of Bees to you. For that one of them hath robbed & spoiled a stall of mine (as the manner of Bees is) and I cannot tell how to proceed against the offenders to have law & justice against them but by removing the thievish stall, & keeping in the innocent till they be removed. I pray you acquaint Mr. Bradstreet with our desire and purpose, that we may lay some foundation, & the better by your help & assistance. The Lord's good eye be ever upon you & yours & so trust in him that is all sufficient. Yours in all christian office & service, his most unworthy,
Stephen Bachiler
The 9 of this 8th month 1638
(Stephen Bachiler to John Winthrop, Jr., Winthrop Papers)
June 6, 1639
Winnacunnet is Allowed to be a Town
Winnacunnet is allowed to be a town, & hath power to choose a constable & other officers, & make orders for the well ordering of their town, & to send a deputy to the court; & Christopher Hussey, William Palmer, & Richard Swaine [are authorized] to end all business under 20 shillings for this year. The laying out of land to be by those expressed in the former order. (Massachusetts General Court)
May 13, 1640
Hampton’s First Colony Tax Assessment
...and so it was ordered that there should be a levy of 1200 [pounds] raised. The proportion for the rate agreed upon is for...Boston 179...Salem 115...Neweberry 65...Hampton 10. [The committee appointed to value goods] for Hampton both Goodman Moulton & Goodman Crosse. (Massachusetts General Court)
July 28, 1641
Rules for Town Meeting
It is now further ordered...that the moderator...shall first of all be the mouth of the company...to put up petitions to the Lord concerning the present occasions; after which...the moderator shall make way for propositions or things to be considered of; & so begin to speak of some particular himself or call upon the rest that one of them may begin; & when he or any of the rest shall speak he shall stand up or put off his hat; & while anyone is orderly speaking another shall not without leave; neither shall one man speak oftener than twice or thrice to one business without leave; nor shall anyone propound anything till the former be for that time determined; nor shall any...be talking of any other thing...if any man (whether free or no) do contrary to any of these particulars he shall forfeit for each time 6 shillings...the moderator & constable...[shall] see it paid...& the money shall be employed about mending highways or other necessary town business. (Hampton Records)