Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/94

64 Osamequin and Wamsetto his Sone Covenant promise and grant, that whensoeuer the Indians shall Remoue from the Neck that then and from thenceforth the aforesaid Thomas Prince, Thomas Willett, Miles Standish, Josiah Winslow shall enter upon the Same by the same Agreement as their Proper Rights And Interest to them and their haiers for Ever.

To and for the true perforemance of all and Every one of the aforesaid severall Perticulars wee the said Osamequin and Wamsetto Bind us and every of us our and every of our haiers Executors and Administrators and Assignes ffirmly by these presents.

In witness whereof wee haue hereunto sett our hands and Seales this twentieth day of March, anno Domini 1653. Signed, Sealed and Delivered,

The first business of the Sowams Land Company was the division of the grant into lots and the assignment to shareholders by lot, of a particular portion of the upland and meadows, the meadows being the salt and fresh grass lands on the borders of the rivers and smaller streams, where these natural grasses grew abundantly, without cultivation. In the Sowams Plantation, each of the original lots of upland contained eighty acres, and a whole share entitled the purshaser to one hundred and sixty acres of land. The meadow land was divided into lots of ten acres each for each shareholder. Sometimes the share of uplands and meadow lands was laid out in two localities, in order that an equal quality as well as quantity might be assigned to each.

The Second agreement of the Proprietors about the devition of the lands at Sawomes, March 11, 1653.

It is agreed and concluded by the company of partners yt are interested at Sawomes that there shall be twenty lots of Land Layed fourth