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

570 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1SS6.
However vague and uncertain had been the ideas of the first settlers here as
to the jurisdiction over this valley, there was no failure of their purpose to make
a plantation here. So they drew up and signed a formal agreement, declaring
the purpose of the signers " bj' God's providence to make a plantation at and
over against ' Agaam ' on Connecticut," and their agreement to " certain articles
and orders to be observed and kept by themselves and their successors " in the
management of their plantation. This paper was signed by eight jiersons, repre-
senting themselves to be " all the first adventurers and undertakers for the Plan-
tation." The names signed are AVilliam Pynchon, INIatthew Mitchell, Henry
Smith, Jehu Burr, William Blake, Edmund Wood, Thomas Ufford, and John
Cable. The paper bears date May 14, lG3t! (old style), which corresponds to
May 25 of the i)resent calendar.
Besides these eight signers, there were four others apparently concerned in the
Plantation and named in the i)aper ; to wit, Thomas Woodford, John Reader,
Samuel Butterfield, and James Wood. Of the eight names signed to the paper,
Mitchell, Blake, Wood, and Ufford remained here but a short time. Blake
returned to Dorchester, from which town lie had come ; ^litchell went to
Connecticut, .'ind lived in different towns tliere until Ids death; Burr and
Cable were liere as late as 1640, when tlieir names disappear from our
records. Only Pynchon and Smith of the original signers remained here over
five years.
Soon after coming to Springfield Mr. Pynchon made a bargain with the In-
dians for the purchase of the land required for the intended settlement. This
bargain was put in form July 15, 1G3G, by a deed from Commucke and Matan-
chan, two " ancient" Indians of Agawam, for themselves and as representatives
of the other Indian proprietors, conveying to William Pynchon, Ilenr}- Smith,
and Jehu Burr, their heirs and associates forever, a large part of the territory
now occupied b}' this city, with lands in its vicinity. This deed was fully ex-
plained to the Indians by Ahaughton, an Indian interpreter from the Bay, and
was perfectly understood by them. For it they received an adequate considera-
tion, according to the values of that day, and were never dissatisfied with the
bargain. Por the lands sold by the Indians in this purchase they received
" 18 fathoms of wampun, 18 coates, 18 hatchets, 18 hoAves, and 18 knives,"
and reserved to themselves the ground then planted, and liberty to take fish
and deer, ground nuts, walnuts, acorns, and a kind of wild peas. Wrutherna,
one of the Indians, received from Mr. Pynchon two coats as an extra con-
sideration.
There were fifteen articles or specifications in tlie original agreement signed