not be far wrong in ascribing the inspiration of this westward movement from Watertown, not alone to the proverbial Saxon greed of land, but partly to Doctor Child's sanguine expectation of mineral wealth to be discovered in the western hills, and the acceptance of his liberal theories by congenial spirits. It is noteworthy that of the chief men in the enterprise more than half, namely: Prescott, Day, Garret, Hill and Jenkes, were workers in iron. Little aid or sympathy could be hoped for by the company from magistrates or ecclesiastics, while it remained under the influence of one who was esteemed by them a factious schismatic. A few months later Doctor Child's petition for the enlargement of political and religious privilege, just and moderate as it now seems, so roused the ire of the Massachusetts theocracy that he was compelled to seek safety from his intolerant persecutors by flight across the

seas.

Nathaniel Norcross received the degree of A. B. at Catherine Hall College, Cambridge, 1636-7. He very soon abandoned the company of which he was only the available clerical figurehead. The cause assigned for his defection by John Winthrop, quoted on the preceding page, differs radically from that set down by Reverend Timothy Harrington one hundred years later. The former may record the excuse of the deserter; the latter, the tradition of a belief that had justified itself to the deserted. Mr. Norcross neither here, nor afterwards in England apparently, gave sign that he had in him the stuff of which apostles or martyrs are made, and even vexatious delays were not an unalloyed misfortune that put Joseph Rowlandson in his place.

1645. The humble petitō of the Company Intended to plāt at Nashaway 12 June 1645.

To the right Worp" Tho. Dudley Esq' Gou'nour and the rest of the Magistrates and deputyes now Assembled in the Generall Court at Boston. Yor petitioners, whose names are Vnderwritten Humbly Sheweth vnto yo

Worps yt wheras wee haue formerly received favour from this Court in haueing Liberty granted vs to plant att a place called Nashaway some 16 myles beyond Sudbery. Wee the sayd petitioners doe find itt an vtter Impossibilitye to proceede forwards to plante at the place aboue sayd except wee haue a conuenient way made for the transportation of our Cattell and goods ouer Sudbery River and Marsh. Now although Sudbery men haue begun to sett vpp a Bridge ouer the Riuer yett the worke is now decisted, And the bridge left altogether vnusefull, and the marsh now way mended, soe that wee caunot passe to the plantation abouesd without exposing our persons to perill and our cattell and goods to losse and spoyle: as yor petitioners are able to make prooffe of by sad experience of what wee suffered there within these few dayes. Yo' petitioners haue beene & are much damnifyed by the badnesse of the way at this place: for many of vs haue beene dependant on this worke aboue these two yeares past, much tyme and meanes haue beene spent in discouering the plantation and prouiding for our setlinge there. And now the Lord by his prouidence hath gone on thus farre with the worke that diuers of us have covenanted to sitt downe together And to Improue ourselues there this summer that wee may liue there the wynter next Insueing if God permitt. But vnlesse some speedy course bee taken yt wee haue a way made for the transplanting ourselues, cattell and goods we may perish there for want of Reliefe, not being able to prouide for our subsistance there this wynter. Vnlesse wee expose ourselues and goods to the perill and spoyle as abouesayd. Yo' petitioners doe therefore humbly Beseech yo' Worships that as you haue beene pleased to Countenance our beginnings, soe you would please to order that a conueniant way bee made at the place aforsd for transportinge our persones cattell & goods, that the worke of God there begun may further proceede and wee haue Incouragement to carry on the worke else our tyme, meanes and labour hitherto expended will be lost. But if yor worp please to further our proceedings herein yo' petitioners shall euer pray &c.

NATHANIEL NORCROSSE

JOHN PRESCOT

STEPHEN DAYE

HARMAN GARRETT

THOMAS SCIDMORE

JOHN HILL

ISAACK WAKER

JOHN COWDALL

JOSEPH JENKES

The above petition is in Massachusetts Archives cxx1, 5. The names were signed by the same hand that wrote the rest of the document, probably that of the minister, Nathan

iel Norcross. Endorsed upon it is this action of General Court:

The magistrats think fitt that 20lb should be allowed to the towne of Sudburye towarde the finishing of their bridge & waye at the ende of it to be payd them when they shall haue made the way passable for loaden horse-, & desire the concurrence of the deputyes herein.

Jo. WINTHROP D: Go:

The house of Deptyes doe concurr with or honnored magist herein so it be doune wthin a twelue monthe.

EDWARD RAWSON

The mention of "sad experience" in the petition, is explained by the following "special providence” narrated by Winthrop in his "History of New England,” 11, 306:

Prescott another favourer of the petitioners lost a horse & his lading in Sudbury River, and a week after his wife and children being upon another horse were hardly saved from drowning.

were com

That the dangers and difficulties of this crossing were not overrated by these pioneers, is proven not only by the above stated facts, but because one hundred years later the bridge and causeway —"half a mile long plained of as dangerous, and in floods impassable. Travellers were obliged to make long detours to avoid it, and in 1759 and 1761, lotteries were granted for its improvement, the proceeds of which, amounting to 12274, were expended upon it. It is not surprising that the twenty pounds allowed in 1645 proved an insufficient inducement to the Sudbury men for the completion of the bridge. The deputy governor and magistrates had no sympathy to expend upon the troubles of a company wherein Robert Child, or any of his favorers, had an interest. Therefore they permitted the Sudbury marsh to remain a lion in the path to the Nashaway Plantation, and this was one cause of the delays which not only, as John Winthrop records in the passage quoted, drove the first minister from the enterprise, but also disheartened every member of the copart

nership, save their stalwart leader, John Prescott, whom neither Sudbury marsh nor deputy governor could daunt.

The 3d of 8th month 45. To the honored Gou'no' wth the Rest of the Magistrates and Deputes now Asembled at Boston the Humble petition of the undertakers for the plantation of Nashawaye :

Whereas wee perceive there is some of the men excepted Agaynst yt weere presented to this honoured Court in our petition yesterday: we humbly desire to present these men whose names are underwritten for the worke mentioned in that petition, in theyr Roomes that are Excepted Against, humbly Intreating this honored Court that you will please to depute all or pt of these men for the worke there mentioned: and the whole company shall ever pray.

John Hill

Sernt John Davis
John Chandler

The petition of the day before, above referred to, has not been found. As John Prescott's and Stephen Day's names are omitted in this list, they were probably "excepted agaynst." This petition is from Massachusetts Archives, CXII, 16, and is endorsed thus:

The magistrates are willing that Jo: Hill, Serient Jo: Davis Jo: Chandler Isaake Walker, Sam" Bitfield, and Mathew Barnes or any 3 of them shall haue power to sett out Lotts to all the Planters belonging to the sd Plantation - Prouided they sett not their houses too far asunder & the greater Lotts to be proportionable to mens estate & charges, and that no man shall haue his Lott confirmed to him before he hath taken the Oath of Fidelity before some magistrate — and desire the consent of the Deputies herein. Jo: WITHROP D: GO:

Consented to by ye deputies EDW. RAWSON.

Capt. Pellam, Left Willard & Segnt. Wheeler are appointed Commissioners for this Courte to lay out ye planters of Nashaway such proportions of land as they shall judge fitting for their present occasions & not prejudiciall to them yt hereafter may desire to sitt downe there. Ye Deputys desire ye magist" consent hereto. EDWARD RAWSON

Barnes & yt Jno. Hill is dead, Jno. Chanl'. Isaac Walk & Jno. Davies have signified unto ye Corte yt since ye said graunt they have acted nothing as und'takTM yr nor lajd out any lands, & furth3, have made request to ye Corte to take in ye said graunt, manifesting their utt' unwillingness to be engaged y'in, ye Co'te doth not thinke fit to destroy ye said plantation, but rath' to incurage it. onely in regard ye psons now upon it are so few & unmeete for such a worke care to be taken to pcure oths, & in ye meane time to remaine in ye Co'ts pow' to dispose of ye planting & ordring of it.

[Massachusetts Records.]

11th Nov. 1647. Towne Marks agreed by ye General Co'te for horses &c. . . . ordered to be set upon one of ye nere q'rs. X Nashaway [Massachusetts Records.]

1648. Showanon the great sachym of Nashaway doth embrace the Gospel & pray unto God, I have been foure times there this Summer, and there be more people by far then be amongst us, and sundry of them do gladly hear the word of God, but it is neer 40 miles off and I can but seldom goe to them: whereat they are troubled and desire I should come oftener, and stay longer when I come.

[John Eliot's letter in Edward Winslow's "The Glorious Progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New England."]

1648. This year a new way was found out to Connecticut by Nashua which avoided much of the hill way.

[John Winthrop's History of New England, II, 325.]

1649. I had, and still have a great desire to go to a great fishing place Namaske upon Merimak; and because the Indian way lyeth beyond the great River which we cannot passe with our horses, nor can we well go to it on this side the river unless we go by Nashaway which is about and bad way unbeaten, the Indians not using that way: I therefore hired a hardy man of Nashaway to beat out a way and to mark trees so that he may Pilot me thither in the spring, and he hired Indians with him and did it, and in the way passed through a great people called Sowahagen Indians, some of which had heard me at Pautucket and at Nashaway . There is another aged Sachem at Quabogud three score miles Westward, and he doth greatly desire that I would come thither and teach them and live there, and I made a journey thither this summer, and I went by Nashaway; but it so fell out that there were some stirres betwixt the Nazagansit and Monahegan Indians, some murder committed &c, which made our church doubtful at first of my going, which when the Nashaway Sachem heard, he commanded twenty armed men (after their manner) to be ready, and himself with these twenty men; besides sundry of our neer Indians