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chased afterward; once within a few years. It comprehended even . the Pootatuck village itself, the chief seat of that tribe. A copy of this conveyance follows:

"July 14th, 1673.

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Yohcomge promiseth y same Tract of land y' Avomockomge doth below, and in part of pay, received five shillings in powder.

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Yohcomge

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"Avomockomge y proprietor of y land wh in this square, doth hereby ingage to sell unto Mr. Sherman, Lieu' Joseph Judson, & M'. John Minor ye above sd Land; viz., what is whin the Comprehension of this square, both West & South of ye purchase at Pomperoge; And hath allready received as earnest one grey coat at 1P 10s price this 17th of May, 1673.

"In consideration of yo uppermost purchase of Land upon ye West & South of Pomperaug purchase; viz., y° first purchase, July y 6, 1673, Avomockomge received one hatchett 4° & in lead & powder 10".

Witness Kenonge

Avomockomge

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From the consideration mentioned in this deed, it would seem, that the price of land was not very high in these Indians' estimation, however doubtful may have been their title.

A gray coat of homespun manufacture, a hatchet, a little powder and lead, seem very trivial payment, yet no doubt these untutored savages, who, as yet, considered their lands of little or no value, rejoiced greatly over the acquisition of such rare articles, and probably thought they had by far the best of the bargain. They knew not how soon they would be straightened for land, and their tribe scattered like the leaves of the forests.

At a very early period, a large tract of land had been purchased of the Indians for the consideration of a brass kettle, and received, from this circumstance, the name of Kettletown, which it has borne to the present time. On the 16th of April, 1679, this tract was again sold by

"Cheabrooke, an Indian, together with the consent and approbation of Coshusheougemy Sachem, the sagamore of puttatuck."

together with Quaker's Farms, in Derby, east of the Eight Mile Brook, to Ebenezer Johnson, of Derby, and his associates, in consideration of "corn & other goods, as allso of our meer love and Good will;" the former being described as

"Sam's field, or Kitle Town, Bounded on the west with puttatuck Riuer, that is to say, with the west side the Iland in the Riuer & ye west Chanell of the Riuer & Bounded on the South East & North East with the Eight Mile Brook & Bounded on the North & North West with the Hill aboue the playn called araugacutack, & so to go with a straight line from the upper end of the playne to the Eight Mile Brooke."

The Kittletown part of this conveyance is represented on the map by the division marked 5, being thus numbered from the fact, that it was the fifth of the subsequent regular purchases from the Pootatucks.

On the 10th of July, 1682, another irregular deed seems to have been received by the town, through its committee, from Wesuncks and Wonnokekunkbom, for which the latter received "two pair of trading cloth breeches & one yard of trading cloth," and in consideration of which, they engaged that the inhabitants "shall have liberty to improve land anywhere west or south of their first purchase, where they shall see cause." What claim they set up to the territory is not known. No notice seems to have been taken of it till nearly twentyfour years afterward, when it was confirmed in a deed ratifying all former sales, and it was not even recorded till two years after that.'

The second purchase of lands from the full board of regularly constituted authorities of the Pootatucks, was made on the 17th of March, 1685-6. This was the Shepaug purchase, comprising two-thirds of the present town of Roxbury, and part of Southbury, and is marked "2" on the accompanying map. This deed was granted to Lieut. Joseph Judson, Ensign John Wiatt, John Sherman, John Hurd and John Mitchell, in behalf of the town. It acknowledges and fully confirms the First Purchase, and then grants that

"Tract of Land lying and situate nere to ye place Commonly called by us Munnacommock running in length wth ye former purchase above exprest, about six Miles in length East and West for about four miles and an halfe North and South. More p'ticularly Bounded on ye North East with ye former purchase, and a little part of it at ye North end with Land not yet alienated; Bounded on ye North wh Land not yet sold; The mark' trees or boundaries to bee made clere and ffayre and so to be kept between us, Bounded uppon ye West with Shee

1 W. Land Records, vol. 2, p. 1.

paug Riuer; And Bounded on ye South with a part of a hill, called horse-hill; and so bending something South East from thence to wthin a small matter about fourscore rod of ye place called ye bent of y Riuer. More prticularly for ye Bounds wee refer to y exact Bound Marks."

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"This deed was acknowledged ye same day at ye same time of ye subscription and delivery before Me.

John Minor, Comiss'."

The Third, or Quassapaug Purchase, comprising a part of Woodbury, Middlebury and Southbury, was acquired on the 30th of October, 1687. This tract is marked 3 on the map, and was sold to the town for

"Severall sums of Money in hand received, And good Assurance, to receive in the whole to ye value of fifty pounds, and a mortgage of a certain parcell of meadow Land lying to ye Southward of ye Road Northward or westward of ye Eight Mile Brook."

This tract is described as a

"Parcell of Land lying to ye East of ye first purchase, made by ye Inhabitants of Woodbury, extending Northwardly about halfe a mile north of ye first purchase, and so running due East, or Easterly to fourscore rod Eastward of

1 Woodbury Land Records, vol. 2, p. 186.

ye Easternmost of ye pond called and commonly known by ye Name Quassapaug; and so running Southward between Waterbery and us and Darby and us till it comes to ye place where y road between Woodbury and Darby crosseth y Eight Mile Brook; and bounded West wth ye first purchase yt ye sd Inhabitants of Woodbury made."

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"Exactly recorded from ye originall ye 29th of May 1699 as attest

John Minor recorder"

On the 18th of May, 1700, the inhabitants of the town, having become numerous for those days, made their fourth, or Nonnewaug Purchase. To this time, it seems that the sagamore of that name had retained his possessions in the valley of the Nonnewaug or East Sprain stream. But now it came his turn to make room, and it seems that he and his companions did it with a good grace, as the deed informs us, the sale was made

"For valid considerations moveing thereto, besides yt yo desire y' is wthin us of a friendly correspondency with ye English Inhabitants of sd Woodbury."

For these considerations and inducements they granted

"All yt parcell of Land, bee it more or less, by estimation six square miles; And bounded on ye East wth ye stated Boundaries between ye inhabitants of gd Woodbury and Waterbury, Bounded North wth ye Bound granted by y Gen Court to ye sd Inhabitants of Woodbury; Bounded West wth Land belonging to Indians as yet not purchased by ye sd English at a Brook well known both by English and Indians, called ye North-Spraine, taking in y⚫ sd Brook, as it runs North and South, so that this o' Deed of sale comp❜hends all ye Land

1 W. L. R., vol. 2, p. 137.

bounded West wth ye sd North-Spraine, and East wth Waterbury & Woodbury Bounds, taking in all ye land on both sides of ye East Sprain. And bounded South why Land formerly purchased by y English Inhabitants of sd Woodbury."

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In ye behalf of himself and all potatuck Indians confirming this Bill of Sale

Exactly recorded from ye originall this 16th day of May 1701 Pr John Minor record "2

On the 25th of October, 1705, it became necessary to buy Kettletown purchase for the third time. Something more than a quarter of a century had passed since the last sale, and by this time it is probable they felt the need of the "consideration." It is represented on the map by division 5, being the fifth regular purchase of the Pootatucks. Its description is obscure and defective, but it evidently means this division. It is described as being

"Bounded northerly by our first and former purchases, bounded southerly by ye Heep of rocks or hill on ye south of a Brook called Transilvania, which rocks incompasse sd brook, and all ye lowland rounding till it comes at our river; on y South-East part of it & bounded on ye West with sd rocks at an angle with a purchase3 formerly made running from Chepague Falls to this tract."4

1 Meaning the First Purchase, or town plot. 2 W. T. R., vol. 2, p. 137.

8 The Second Purchase.

4 W. Land Records, vol. 2, p. 137.

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