Posted by Richard Gabriel on Wed, Jul 07, 2010 @ 08:18 AM
Rare Native American land deeds, even such as this one, copied around 1711 by the grand son, Josiah Cotton (1680-1756) of John Cotton (1585-1652) who was one of the Massachusetts Bay Colony founders. This particular deed lays out the territory that was purchased from the original founders because of constant encroachment, tribal wars and other more difficult matters to "Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng, Thomas Brattle and John Winslow of the Four of Boston in the County of Suffolk in the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts in New England in America". Truly a rare ephemera item sold only on eBay auction: Click the image or the eBay icon to bid!
The territory was about 1,500,000 acres of land and is bordered by rivers, most notably, the Kennebec River. Since the Cotton's had access to most of the records kept during the early days of the founding of our country, this particular 'copy' was made by Josiah Cotton when he was a 'registrar' for the Plymouth county and it is so noted in his history. He had taught many times amongst the Native American peoples, both religion as well as other matters of society, government and laws. During this time, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the Massachusetts Bay Colony were based upon English law. This copied document is a very rare item, finding its way to an auction, where we purchased it. The document is laid on watermarked paper and although toned, stained and with minor creases, tears and other usual annomalies, it is undoubtedly one of the rarest of ephemera items we have had in our inventory.
“1655 Prence (Presence) God
A Deed appointed to be recorded.
This indenture of the twenty seventh day of October Anno Donal One thousand six hundred Sixty one, made between the General Coast for the Jurisdiction of Plymouth in New England in America in the Behalf of the said Colony on the one Part and Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng, Thomas Brattle and John Winslow of the Four of Boston in the County of Suffolk in the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts in New England in America aforesaid merchants on the other Past, Wilsoforth that whereas our late loved Lord King James for the advancement of a Colony and Plantation in the Countrey called or known by the name of New England in America by his Highness Letters, Letters Patents and as the Great Seal of England bearing Date at Westminster the Kind day of November in the Eighteenth Year of his Highness Reign of England & c. does Give Grant and Confirm unto the Right Honorable…”
