Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/138

102 It is important to note that the name of Swansea takes the place of Sowams on the tax list in 1668. As Swansea was incorporated in 1667, and its people, mainly occupying the territory west of Palmer's River, are the residents of Sowams, Swansea takes the burdens of the community bearing: the Indian name of Sowams.

In 1667, before Swansea was incorporated, and when Sowams was bearing a tax levy nearly one-half the amount paid by Rehoboth, or of the mother town Plymouth, the territory, now known as Warren, was known as Brooks Pasture and was used for the common pasturage of cattle, horses and sheep, in a common herd. The fence on the North side of the Indian lands at Bristol guarded their passage southward and the salt water made the inclosure complete on the other sides of the great field and a secure pasture ground it was without a white inhabitant on the territory, until some time after Philip's War, for Hugh Cole and Mr. Butterworth had their homes on lands east of the Kickemuit, some of which are still owned by the Cole and Butterworth descendants. An Indian village could not easily exist in the common pasture of the white settlers, and at the very time that Sowams was paying an annual rate of £10, into the Plymouth Treasury, the territory of Warren was the quiet grazing ground of the settlers' cattle, and remained in the same state of useful service to the people of Swansea until 1680 and later.

In 1658 the Plymouth Court ordered "that a Troop of horse well appointed with furniture, viz.: a saddle and a case of petternells for every horse shall be raised out of the several townships to be ready for service when required," who were freed from foot service. Each troop numbered forty-eight horsemen. Rehoboth was ordered to raise three troops, Taunton, two, and Sowams one, showing that Sowams had one-half the financial ability and population of Taunton, and one-third that of Rehoboth.

As to the layout and occupation of Brooks Pasture (now Warren) by white settlers the following items from the