Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 203
The trade in pelts, both from domestic and forest animals, formed
the profitable basis for Mr. Pynchon's business. We will content
ourself with one extract from the formidable beaver account —
:
Beaver packed for England & sent to M>- Henry Ashburst & M^ Nicolas
Grigson.
July 24th r I packed a hhd. of Bever qt as in my old booke :
this Bever
1657. ] was most of it p'^ according to my order into my father as p acct
Aug. 10th
1659.
V retiirned \(Sa9,.
Packed 1 hhd of Bever marked T. M. No. 1 conteineth as foUoweth
203 Bever skhis (I thinke y«^ Number is so) weight is 273 lb. (about
30 lb. of this is Bad Bever :
U
otter skins : 32
Musquashes & Minks :
45 fox skins & racoone skins & a psell of Bever Cods weighing 11
lb. This hhd father had y'^ mony & it is charged to y« acct betwixt
him & mee.
Mr. Pynchon was continually letting out cattle to his neighbors for
a share of the returns and increase. He rented, sold, and bought
lands. He took land and goods for debt, but was known to go as
long as seventeen years before bringing suit on overdue accounts.
And the suits were not always favorable to him either. In 1690
Pynchon sued Abell Wright for trespass, and moving and carrying
away his grass ; jury found for defendant. He sells Deacon Chapin
a house for £13 in wheat. He lets out to John Lamb - that black
cow of mine at his house for two yeares for w^'^ he is to allow me
sixe shillings each yeare." He hires out his colored " maid Elizabeth
Waite" to Samuel Ely, for two years, and his oxen "Collier" and
" Russler" to Anthony Dorchester for one year. He owned cider-
mills, saw-mills, grist-mills, wharves and warehouses, canoes and
boats, and was also a ship-owner.
He had tenement-houses on both
sides of the river, and was always ready to sell, buy, or rent. Now
he pays Deacon Chapin for " worke & Bacon to y^ lead mines ;
" then
it is £8 " to John Bagg (by Mr. Winthrop his order) for 2 months
work at y'' Mine ;
" and John IMatthews, who could turn his hand to
coopering, gathered in £3 U.s. for twenty-six barrels " for y-^ Lead."