CHAPTER VI. INDIAN PURCHASES West of the Connecticut River. "HITHER THE NEIGHBORING INDIAN KINGS RESORT, THEIR TOWNS THEY BUILD, THEIR PURCHASED LANDS MANURE. Roger Wolcott. Notes on Indian Purchases would perhaps be a more proper heading to this chapter. From reasons alluded to in the previous chapter, it is now almost impossible in many cases, to define the exact boundaries of the different purchases. The Indians, when selling their lands to the whites, were parting with that which had no great value in their own eyes, and of which they had a superabundance; consequently they did not haggle about a mile or so, more or less, and adopted the natural features of the country as the most convenient landmarks and boundaries. The ancient names of these various localities are now obscure, and often lost; and the appearance of the localities themselves has undergone some change during the lapse of years. Many of these purchases, also, overlap previous purchases, and land was often repurchased by our honest ancestors-in cases where some doubt seems to have existed as to the validity of a former title- or of the full terms of the contract having been properly fulfilled. We have, therefore, rather than attempt any very close and accurate adjustment of these various purchases, preferred to set the matter before our readers in its simplest light, by pre senting the different deeds, either in full, or in abstract, just as we find them on the Land Records of Windsor; simply arranging them in the order of time, and connecting them by a slight framework of suggestions and notes. Thus we believe that, with the aid of the Map of Indian Purchases, the reader will be able, easily and satisfactorily, to trace out and comprehend the whole subject. In the construction of this map we have been greatly indebted to the researches and labors of our friend Mr. JABEZ H. HAYDEN, of Windsor Locks, Conn. Indeed, the outline, or skeleton, so to speak, of the chapter is his work; ours has been its arrangement and the elaboration of detail, in every step of which we have to acknowledge his aiding and guiding hand. We have not thought it worth while to give the references to our extracts of deeds, &c. They are derived from the 1st and 2d Book of Land Records of Windsor. The first volume was carefully copied by order of the town in 1710-12. From the original, which is still in existence, altho' some what the worse for wear" we have made our notes, supplying all lost words and passages from the better conditioned copy. The Indian signatures, having no uniformity, have no value as autographs, and are, therefore, not reproduced. One fact is most conclusively proved by this array of documentary evidence, that the whole of Ancient Windsor was honestly bought, and even rebought, by our ancestors, of the native proprietors. A strict sense of justice actuated our fathers in all their dealings with the Indians, and so far as we can learn, no taint of dishonesty or overreaching rests upon the broad acres. of Old Windsor. I. When the Plymouth Company erected their trading house at Matianuck, in 1633, they purchased "for a valuable consideration," from Sequassen and Nattawanut, "the rightful owners," a tract of land west of the Connecticut River. This purchase, extending from the great swamp near the bounds of Hartford on the south, to about a quarter of a mile above Mr. Francis Stiles's (the Ellsworth Place) on the north; bounded east by the Connecticut, and on the west extending "into the country as far as Sequasson and Nattawanut's proprieties," was the first land owned by the English within the present town of Windsor, and was transferred to the Dorchester settlers in 1637. This whole tract was afterwards (July 14, 1670) repurchased by the town of Windsor, from Nattawanut's successors, Arramamett and Repequam. In this sale, which was probably a mere matter of confirmation, the lands are described as extending from Hartford to "Nassahegan's propriety already sold to the inhabitants of Windsor" (Poquonnoc), and from the Connecticut River running seven miles westward "into the wilderness." They were sold "with all the trees, woods, underwood, brooks, rivers, waters and ponds lying therein for a valuable parcel of Trucking cloth."1 The north line of this purchase is indicated on the accompanying map by a dotted line. II. The land described in the foregoing deed of confirmation as "Nassahegan's propriety already sold to the inhabitants of Windsor," was situated in the Poquonnoc District. It was bought sometime in 1635, by William Phelps, Sen., who afterward, not being able to prove full payment of the same, honestly bought it over again. The transaction is thus detailed in a deed, dated March 31, 1665. "These presents testify, whereas there was a parcel of land purchased formerly by Mr. William Phelps, Sen., living at Windsor, about 30 years since, of Sehat, an Indian, a Paquanick sachem, and I [Phelps] not being able to prove full payment of the said purchase, in consideration whereof I now engage to make up the full payment by paying to the said Sehat's kinsman, Nassahegan, sachem of Paquanick, 4 trucking coats, or what upon agreement shall satisfy them to the value thereof. The said Nassahegan engaging to make said parcel of land free as shall be expressed from any challenge or demands for future. time of himself, his heirs, or successors, or any other Indian or Indians whatsoever. And Coggerynosset, Sehat's son and his sister, and the said Nassahegan's own sister shall subscribe to the said premises. The said parcel of land is thus bounded, as 1 Windsor Land Records. |