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

14 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
The Indians signing the above deed were Menis, Machetuhood,
Cuttouas, Kenis, Cnmmucke, Matanchan, AVessa (or Nepinani),
Macossak, Wrutherna, Koekuinek, Wiunepawin, Wenawis, and
Coa.
The Indians, as they crowded about the table, seemed to have
no difficulty in hitting uj^on designs to stand for their signatures.
One drew a canoe, one an arrow, another a bow and arrow. The
white witnesses of this historic deed were John Allen, Richard
Everett, Joseph Parsons, Thomas Horton, Faithful Thayeler, and
John Cownes. It is to be noted that these are all new luinies,
and also that two of them, P^verett and Cownes, made their marks
just as the savages did.
The double title to the site of tSi)ringfield was now obtained, —
the transfers under the king's patent and the Indian deed. The
political status and official allegiance of William Pynchon, during
this interregnum, is uot quite clear. He was a member of
the provisional commission that governed Connecticut ; and yet,
after this commission, he sat, as an assistant, in the Massachu-
setts Bay colony. A few weeks after the signing of the Indian
deed Mr. Pynchon was once more in Boston-, and attended the
Court of Quarter Sessions, as well as the General Court. The
latter continued nntil the close of October ;
but
ju-obably Mr.
Pynchon was permitted to leave before that, as he appeared at
Newtown (Hartford, Conn.) at tlie opening of the Connecticut
court there, November 1
.
Mr. Pynchon was undoubtedly too busy with the affairs of the
plantation to go through the valley to any extent during the first
year. He had written to John Winthroi), Jr.: "I will hasten to
settle myself there [Agawnm] as soone as I can, & then I shall see
all the plantations." I'ynchon was already at work shipping goods
to the younger Winthrop. There are records of "liver-culler
shagg " cloth and " tauuy shagg " sent to Winthrop ; and we find
this bit of business advice, from Pynchon to his Connecticut