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74

Salem and Charlestown planted.

thew Cradock was elected the first governor, and Thomas Goff, deputy governor; Capt. John Endicott, who, the year before (1627) had gone over with one hundred persons to Salem to prepare the way for the settlement of a permanent colony, was appointed, by the Plymouth company, governor for the plantation.*

In May, 1628, about two hundred persons, with the Rev. Messrs. Skelton, Higginson, and Bright, embarked for New England, and arrived at Naumkeag, now Salem, on the 29th of June. The whole colony under governor Endicott, now consisted of about 300 souls; 100 of whom, the same year removed to Charlestown. Messrs. Skelton and Higginson remained at Salem, where they formed, and were ordained over the first church in that town; Mr. Bright removed with the others to Charlestown.

The colony was formed on the plan of the East India company, or any other trading corporation; for, though the object of the settlers was religion, the company had no motive but profit. Those who came over expected liberty of conscience, the company who sent them waited for furs and other articles of commerce. Accordingly the governor, deputy governor, and assistants were all residents in England. The nominal governor here was merely their agent. Mr. Endicott was the first.

But the situation of the persecuted puritans in

* HUTCHINSON.

Charter transferred to New England.

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England becoming more and more intolerable, this interested numbers of respectable and wealthy people, in their behalf, and converted them to their principles. Several more of consequence in the nation had formed a resolution to emigrate to Massachusetts, provided they should be permitted to carry the charter with them. They were aware of the inconvenience of being governed, in a new and distant country, different in most respects from England, by men, over whom they had no control; they wished to govern themselves. They insisted therefore that the charter should be transmitted with them, and that the corporate powers, which it conferred, should in future be executed in New England. Though the legality of the proposed measure was questioned, yet the importance of engaging men of wealth and influence in the enterprize, by which greater profits were expected, induced governor Cradock, who entered fully into their views, to call a general court Aug. 29th, 1629, to whom he submitted the question; whereupon it was unanimously resolved "That the patent shall be transferred, and the government of the corporation removed from London to Massachusetts Bay." The members of the corporation, who remained in England, were, by agreement, to retain a share in the trading stock, and the profits of it, for seven years; but it does not appear that any dividend was ever made, or that any trade was carried on for the company.

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Large increase of Inhabitants.

On the 20th of October, 1629, the company proceeded to a new choice of officers, to elect such persons only, as had determined to go over with the charter. John Winthrop was chosen governor, John Humphrey deputy governor, Sir Richard Saltonstal and seventeen others, assistants. The deputy governor and several of the assistants never came to America. Their places were supplied by a new choice. Thomas Dudley was chosen deputy governor in place of Mr. Humphreys.

In the spring of 1630, these officers, with about 1500 emigrants, embarked at various ports in England, in eleven vessels fitted at the expense of more than £21,000 sterling, having their char ter on board. This was the first charter that ever arrived in New England, and the only one under which Massachusetts ever acted, till king William granted them another after the revolution. After a tedious voyage, they arrived at Salem, in June, and at Charlestown the beginning of July. In consequence, the 8th day of this month, was celebrated in all the plantations in New England as a day of public thanksgiving to God, "for all his goodness, and wonderful works to them."*

But there were several circumstances, which operated as drawbacks upon the joys of this occasion. An extensive and formidable conspiracy of the Indians, as far as Narraganset, for the purpose of extirpating the English colonists, had been, but a few months before, discovered to the inhabitants

* PRINCE.

New Calamities.

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of Charlestown, by John Sagamore, in season, however, to prevent its horrid execution. The alarm and terror, which this event had occasioned, had hardly subsided. Of three hundred persons, who were previously at Salem and Charlestown, eighty had died the preceding winter. There was not corn enough to supply their necessities for a fortnight; and their other provisions, in consequence of their long voyage, were reduced to a scanty pittance. They were obliged to let their servants (who had cost them from fifteen to twenty pounds each) go free, and provide for themselves. Under all these disadvantages they had but a few months to prepare shelter and food for a long and cold winter.

To increase their calamities, a mortal sickness soon commenced its ravages among them, and before December, two hundred of their numbër had died. Among these was lady Arabella, who (6 came from a paradise of plenty and pleasure, in the family of a noble Earl, into a wilderness of wants," Mr. Johnson, her husband, highly esteemed for his piety and wisdom, and one of the assistants, and Mr. Rossiter, another of the assistants. To console them under their severe distresses, Mr. Wilson preached to them on the subject of Jacob's behaviour, who was not disheartened by the death of his nearest friends on the way, when God called him to remove. This worthy minister was liberal, almost to an extreme, in administering to the relief of the necessitous; he was

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Return of Immigrants.

at all times a father to the poor; and the wretched Indians often tasted his bounty.

Discouraged by such calamities, and gloomy prospects, about an hundred persons, who had lately arrived, of "weaker minds," and not of the best characters, returned to England in the vessels which brought them over. The return of these was considered as no loss to the plantation. This new accession to the Massachusetts colony collected, some from the west of England, but chiefly from the vicinity of London, were of all trades and occupations, necessary for planting a new country. As there were not buildings suffcient to accommodate such a number of people, the artificers among them erected tents, and temporary booths for their accommodation.

CHAP. VII.

Church gathered in Charlestown, first court held there, Morton sentenced for stealing an Indian canoe, Boston, Watertown, and Roxbury settled, description of the former, scarcity and its good effects, arrival of governor Winthrop's family, account of Newbury, union of the two colonies.

As the great object of these christian pilgrims, in leaving their native country, and settling this wilderness, was to " enjoy the ordinances of the gospel, and worship the Lord Jesus

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