Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2
1630-09-30
About 2: in the morninge mr. Isack Johnson dyed, his wife the Lady Arbella of the house of Lincoln being dead about 1: monthe before. he was a holy man and wise and died in sweet peace, leavinge some a good parte of his substance to the Colonye.
The woulues killed 6: Calues at Salem: and they killed one woulfe.1
Tho: morton adiudged to be imprisoned till he were sent into England, and his house burnt downe, for his many iniuries offered to the Indians, and other misdemeanors. Capt Brooke master of the Gifte refused to carrye him.2
Finche of waterton had his wigwam burnt and all his goodes.
Billington executed at Plim
mr. Philips the minister of waterton
4 and others had their haye burnt.
The woulues killed some swine at Saugus.
5
A Cowe dyed at Plimmouthe, and a goate at Boston with eatinge Indian Corne.
On November 9, 1630, the first bounty on wolves was established. This bounty was limited to Englishmen and was assessed on owners of livestock in proportion to their holdings. Records of Massachusetts, I. 81.
Thomas Morton of Merry-Mount, for whom, see Charles Francis Adams, Ed., The New English Canaan of Thomas Morton (Boston, The Prince Society, 1883).
Possibly Daniel Finch, who took the oath as freeman May 18, 1631: Records of Massachusetts, I. 366. For the crime, the trial, and the execution of John Billington, a “knave” of one of the “profanest families,” see Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (1912), II. 110–112. Bradford says that Winthrop was consulted as to the Colony's authority to hang Billington.
At a Court of Assistants held at Charlestown, September 7, 1630, it was “ordered, that Trimountaine shalbe called Boston; Mattapan, Dorchester; and the towne vpon Charles Ryver, Waterton.” Records of Massachusetts, I. 75. For an early description of Watertown, see William Wood, New Englands Prospect (London, 1634), 34: “Hafe a mile Westward of this plantation Water-towne; a place nothing inferiour for land, wood, medow, and water to New-towne.” The main square of the present-day Watertown is about three miles west of the site of the plantation described by Wood.
See Wood, New Englands Prospect, 35–36, for a description of Saugus. Although Winthrop uses the name Lynn as early as November 8, 1636
D.J.W.
Records of Massachusetts, I. 211.