Connecticut Historical Collections

The following signatures are marks of I\Iomauguin and his counscllois to the above agreement, and are copied from the ancient records of New Haven, nearly in the position they stand on the record. 1. IMomauguin, his mark. o Sugcogisin. 3. Quosa quash. 4. Carroughood. 5. ^^'oos;mruck. G. The mark of Shaumpi shuh, the sister ol" Mo- mauguin, called in the agreement Sfjuaw Sa- chem, who, it appears, had some interest in part of the lands. In December following, they made another purchase of a large tract, which lay princiiially north of the former. This was of Montowese, son of the jireat sachem at Mattabeseck. This tract was ten miles in * The Indians iif Clninni|iiac, in this treat)-, dccliircd, that they still rcmeinbeicd the he;u'v. taxes of the Peqnoisand Alohawks; ami that, hy reason oflhe I'.'ar nt liicu), they eoLild not stay in their own eonnlry, but had been obliged to /lee. My iliese pow- erful enemies they had been ledueed to about forty men. t Tins was in the present town of East Haven. N K W II A V lu N. 137 length, north and soutli, and thirteen in breadth. It extended eight miles east of the river Quinnipiuc, and five miles west of it towards Hudson's river. It inchided ail the lands within the ancient limits of the old towns of New Haven, Branford and Wallingford, and almost the whole contained in the present limits of those towns, and the towns of East Haven, VVoodbridge, Bethany, INleriden, JNorth Branford, Cheshire, Hamden, North Haven, and part of Orange. These liave since been made out of the three oh] towns. For this last tract the English gave 13 coats, and allowed the Indians ground to i)lant, and liberty to hunt within the lands. The aimexed is a copy of the signature of iMuntowese and Sawsounck, an Indian who came with l;im to New Haven. JMon- towese's signature is the bow and arrow. It appears the above land descended to him from his deceased mother. His tribe or company consisted of but ten men, with their women and children. The New Haven adventurers were ihe most opu- lent company which came into New England ; and they designed to plant a capital colony. They laid out their town [ilat in squares, designing it for a great and elegant city. In the center was a large and beautiful square. This was compassed with others, making nine in the whole. The first principal settlers were, Theo[)hilus Eaton, Esq., IMr. Dav- enport, San)uel Eaton, Thomas (^regson, Robert Newnian, Matthew Gilbert, Nathaniel Turner, Thomas FugiJl, Francis Newman, Stephen Goodyear, and .Joshua Al\wik'r. There appears no act of civil, n)ilitary, or ecclesiastical authority, during the first year ; nor is there any appearance that this colony was ever straitened lor bread, as the other colonies had been. I\Ieanwhile, Mr. Henry Whitfiel.l, Wui. Leet, E^q., Samuel Desbor- ough, Robert Kitehel, Willinni Chittentlen, anil others, who were part of Mr. Davenport's and Mr. Eaton's company, arrived to assist them in their new settlement. These were principally from Kent and Surry, in the vicinity of London. IMr. Whitfield's people, like Mr. Davenport's, followed him into New England. There were now three ministers, with many of the members of their former churches and congregations, col- lected in this infant colony, and combined in the same general agree- ment. On the 4th of June, 1G39, all the free planters at Quinnipiac con- vened in a large barn of Mr. Newman's, and, in a formal and very sol- emn manner, proceeded to lay the foundations of their civil and reli- gious polity. J\Ir. Davenport introduced the business, by a sermon from the words of the royal preacher, " Wisdom hath budded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars." The following is the most ancient record of this event, and is a curi- osity in the history of civil government. IS 138 NEW IIAVKN. The 4th day of ihe 'llh inonelh, called June 1039, all the Tree planters assembled la- gelher in a general mceiini^'e, to consiill about settling civil government according lo God, and about the nomiMiiiion of |icrs(His that may be found, by consent of all, fittest in all re.speclij for the fouudation worlc of a Chuich which was intended to be gathered in Ciuinipiaclj. After sidlonme invocation of the name of CioD in prayer, for the pres- ence and help of bis spirit and grace in these weighty businesses, they were reminded of the business whereabout they met, (viz.) for the esiahlishmcnt of such civil order as might be most pleasing unto CJod and for the chusuig the hlie.'>t men for the foundation ■work of a church lo be gathered. For the belter enabling tlieni to di^cerne the mindc of God, and to agree accordingly conceiiung the e.-,ialilislunent of civil order, Mr. John JDavenport propounded divers queries lo ihein, publicly praying iheni lo consider se- riously in Ihe presence and feare of God, the weight o( the business they met about, and not to be ra.'bh or sleight in giving their votes to things they understood not, but to digest fully and thoroughly what should be propounded to them, and Mithont respect to men, as they should be satisfied and perswaded in their own minds to g^ive their answers in such sort as they would be willing they should stand upon record for pos- terity. This being earnestly expiesseil by Mr. Davenport, Air. Robert Newman was untreat- ed to write in characters, and to read dislincily and audibly in the hearing of all the people, what was [uopounded and accorded on, that it might appear that all consented to matters propounded according to words wiiileu by hun. Cluu're 1. Whether the' Sciipiuies du ImKle luimli a [UTfect rule for the direcliou and government of all men in all duieyi s \i hull ihey are lo peilbnn to Gou and men, as well in the government offamylj-esand eeiiiinHni wealihs as in nuitlers of Ihe church ? This was asscnletl unio by all, no man dis,-,eniing. as was expressed by holding up of hands. Aliei wards it was rend over lo lliein, that they might see in w hat wordes their vote was expressed : they againe exjiressed tlieir consent iheielo by holding up their hands, no man dissenting. U,ua're 2. ^Vhereas there was a covenant soUeiniiedy made by ilie whole a.ssembly of free planters of this planlaluni, the fust tlay of extrauidiiiary hnmiliaiion that we had hfter we came together, thai as m mnJters that concern the galheiing and ordering of a church, so likewise in all publique olliees, w hieh concein civil order, as choyce of ma- gistrates and oihcers, making and repealing id' laws, divideing allotments of niherii- nnces, and all things of like nature, we would all of i»s be ordered by those lules wliieh the scripture holds forth to us. This C(jvenant was called a plantation covenant, to distinguish it from a church covenant, which could not at that time be made, a chuicli not being then gathered, but was deferred till a church might be gathered according toGiiD. It was ileiiKunled whelher all the free planters doe holde themselves botujd by that covenant in all business of that nature which are expressed in ihe covenant, lo submit themselves to be ordered by the rules which are held forth in the scripture. ^I'liis also was assented unto by all, and no man gainsa3-e(t it, :ind ihey diil leslify Ihe same by holding up their handes, both when it wa.s I'lrst propounded, and aflerwants ronlirmed the same bv iudding up their Ir.iiuis when it was i^a,! unlo ihem in pii'.v- Inpie. John l.^lark bem- afseiil u hen ihe e>.\enaht \^as iii,.de, dnih n,,w inanifeM his consent (o It. Also IJieliard lleach, .\ndiev.- l,(,u , ( .'...nlnian llauiMei , A I ihur IJal- bidge, John Poller, llichaid Ilill.Johu llrcekeil, an.lJuliM Jnlui-.^i, ihese persons be- ing not adiuilled planters when the covenant was made, iIliIIi now expresse their con- sent lo it. ausere 3. Those who have desired lo be leccived as free planters, and are settled in the plantation with a puiposed resolution and desire that ihey may be admiiied nito church fellowshi|), according lo Christ, as soon as Gun shall lilt ihem Ihereunto, were desiretl to expresse it by lujlding up of hands—aceordinglv all did ex[)resse this to be their desire and purpose, by holding uplheir hands iwiee, (vi/,.)boih at the proposal of it, and after, when these w rilten words w ere read unto them. CluKre -1. All Ihe free phmteis weie called upon lo express whether they held them- selves bound to establish such civil order as might best coinliice to the .securing the [m- rity and peace of the ordinances to llu.'inselves and iheir posieiily, aecoiiling to Gnn. In'answer hereunio they expressed bv huldmg uji then hands twice, as befoie. That Ihey helde iheuv.elves bound lo establish such eivi! t.rder as might best conduce to the ends aforesaid. Then Mr. davenport declared unlo them by Ihe scriptures what kind of persons might best be trusted wiih matters of goveiiimeiit, and by sundry arguments from scripture proved that .such as were described, Ex. 18, 1. Deut. 1, i;?. with Deul. I'J, l.^>. and 1 Cor. (!, 1 lo 7, ought to be entrusted bythciu, seeing they were free to cast them- selves into that mould and forme of commoiuvealih which ajiiiearelh best for them la reference to the securing the pure and peaceable enjoyment of all Christ his ordinan- ces in the church according lo Gon, whereunto they have bound themselves as hath NEW HAVEN. 139 been acknowledgeil. Ilavinj^ said this, lie sal down, praying Ihe company fiec]y to consider wlieliier lliey would have a voted at this tune or not. After some siiace of silence, Mr. Theopliikis Eaton answered it mii^'hl be voted, and some otheis also spake to the same purpose, none at all opposinj? it. Then il was propounded lo vole.