My ancestor Thomas Dexter Sr, was not happy when the town of Lynn decided to assign land to settlers in the area known as Nahant. This was because he had purchased the land from an Indian Sagamore some years before. So in 1657 he took his case to the Essex County Court. The History of Lynn contains the testimony from witnesses in the case which started on 3Jun 1657:
1. "Edward- Ireson, aged 57 yeares or there abouts, sworn, saith, that liveing with Mr. Thomas Dexter, I carried the fencing stufFe which master Dexter sett up to fence in Nahant, his part with the rest of the Inhabitants, and being and living with mr. Dexter, I never heard him say a word of his buying of Nahant, but only his interest in Nahant for his fencing with the rest of the inhabitants; this was about 25 yeares since; and after this fence was sett up at nahant, all the new comers were to give two shillings sixpence a head or a piece vnto the setters up of the fence or inhabitants, and some of Salem brought Cattell alsoe to nahant, which were to give soe."
2. "The Testimony of Samuel Whiting, senior, of the Towne of Linne,, Saith, that Mr. Humphries did desire that mr. Eaton and his company might not only buy Nahant, but the whole Towne of Linne, and that mr Goblet and he and others of the Towne went to mr. Eaton to offer both to him,v.and to commit themselves to the providence of God; and at that time there, wa&jaone that laid claim to or pleaded any interest in nahant, Save the, town, and at that time farmer Dexter lived in the Towne of Linne."
The person to whom Lynn was thus offered for^sale, was Theophilus Eaton, afterward governor of Connecticut. He came to Boston, 26 June, 1637, and went to New>Haven? in,August?,, of the same year.
3. "The Deposition of Daniel Salmon, aged about 45 years,, saith, that he, being master Humphreyes servant, and about 23 yeares agon, there being, wolves in nahant, commanded that the whole traine band goe to drive them, out, because it did belong to the whole towne, and farmer Dexter's men being; then at training, went with the rest"
4. "This I, Joseph Armitage, aged 57; or there abouts, doe testifie, that: about fifteen or sixteen yeares a goe, wee had a generall towne meeting in Lin;: at that meeting there was mucL( discourse about nahant; the men that did! first fence at nahant and by an act of generall court did apprehend by fencing that, nahant was theires, myself by purchase haveing a part therein, after much, agitation in the meeting, and by persuasion of Mr. Cobbit, they that then did] plead a right by fenc^g, did yield up all their right freely to the Inhabitants of the Towne, of which Thomas Dexter, senior, was one."
5. "We, George Sagomore and the Sagomore of Agawam, doe testify that Duke William, so called, did sell all' Nahant unto ffarmer Dexter for a suite of Cloathes, which cloathes ffarmer Dexter had again, and gave unto Duke William, so called, 2 or 3, coat.es for it again." [Signed by the marks of the two sagamores.]
6. "This I, Christopher Linsie, doe testifie, that Thomas Dexter bought Nahant of Blacks Will, or Duke William, and employed me to fence part of it when I lived with Thomas Dexter."
7. "I, John Legg, aged 47 years or thereabouts, doe testifie, that when I was Mr. Humphreys servant, there came unto my master's house one Blacke Will, as wee call him, an Indian, with a compleate Suit on his backe; I asked him where he had that suit; he said he had it of ffarmer Dexter, and he had sould him Nahant for it." -pp241-242
HISTORY OF LYNN, Essex County Massachusetts Including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, Volume 1 John L.Shorey pub. Boston, Ma. 1865
My ancestor will give his side of the story in the next post.
To be continued...
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