Taunton, Bristol Co., MA, North Purchase, 1662
Extracted from
Our County & Its People
A Descriptive & Biographical Record of
Bristol County
Massachusetts
Alanson Borden
1899
Page 231
.. in 1662, "Captaine WILLETT is appointed by the Court to purchase the lands of the Indians which is graunted to such that were servants, and others that are ancient freemen." At a little later date this WILLETT and another were requested by the court to "view the bounds of Taunton, whrein they desire to bee enlarged," and to confirm the enlargement if it seemed best. All of this opened the way for making the so-called North Purchase of the Indians, which was accomplished in 1662. In this purchase thirty-five men wee interested, ... they were:
This purchase did not come into possession of the Taunton men for some years. A part of it was granted to the town of Rehoboth and was known as the Rehoboth North Purchase. About fifty square miles remained, bounded by the Massachusetts patent on the north, Bridgewater on the east, Rehoboth North Purchase (attleborough) on the west, and Taunton on the south. This tract Taunton naturally wanted and, with its usual good fortune, obtained. The purchase was effected and a deed made under date of "sixt of June Ann. Dom. one thousand six hurndred sixty and eight." The signers of the deed (which is in the Plymuth Records, book iii, p. 118) were Thomas PRENCE, Josias WINSLOW, Thomas SOUTHWORTH and Constant SOUTHWORTH. The sale was made to fifty-two persons, the then proprietors of Taunton.