H. 2.

On the day of Mr. Cushing's ordination, (December 9, 1736,) the following named persons signed a covenant, and were organized into a church state, viz.

Cornelius Brown, Joseph Hovey,

Stephen Runnells,

The church being embodied, the following named persons were admitted in virtue of dismission from other

HISTORY OF ROWLEY,

ANCIENTLY INCLUDING

BRADFORD, BOXFORD, AND GEORGETOWN,

FROM THE YEAR 1639 TO THE PRESENT TIME.

BY THOMAS GAGE.

HISTORY OF ROWLEY.

A FEW years previous to the landing of our forefathers at Plymouth (in 1620), that section of the country was nearly depopulated by a great pestilence among the Indians. Johnson, in his "Path-way to erect a Plantation," says, "It seems God hath provided this country for our nation, destroying the natives by the plague, it not touching one Englishman, though many traded and were conversant amongst them. They had three plagues in three years, successively, near two hundred miles along the sea-coast, that in some places there scarce remained five of a hundred." The first settlers of Plymouth embarked at Plymouth, in England, September 6, 1620, and landed upon Forefather's Rock, so called, at Plymouth, New England, on the 22d day of December in the same year.

But few years elapsed after the planting of Plymouth colony, before the planting of the Massachusetts colony was projected by several friends, met together in Lincolnshire, England, in 1627, who fell into discourse about New England, and the planting of the gospel there; and, after some deliberation, they addressed letters to some in London and other places, where it was also deliberately thought upon, and at length, with often ne

gotiation, so ripened, that, in the year 1628, they procured a patent from King Charles the First for their planting between the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River on the south, and the river of Merrimack on the north, and three miles on either side of those rivers and bay; as also for the governing of those who did or should inhabit within that compass; and the same year Mr. John Endecott and others are sent over, and begin a settlement at Salem. The next year, 1629, the company sent divers ships over, with about three hundred people, and some cows, goats, and horses, many of which arrived safely.

The next year, 1630, the company sent over sixteen ships. One left England in February; one in March; four in April; eight in May; one in June; one in August; and one other sent by a private merchant. These

all arrived safe in New England, (at Salem.)

On the arrival of Thomas Dudley † and others, in June and July, 1630, the colony at Salem was found to be in a sad condition. Above eighty had died the preceding winter; and many of those alive were weak and sick; having food hardly sufficient to feed them a fortnight, insomuch, that the remainder of one hundred and eighty servants the company two years before sent over, coming for food to sustain them, the company being wholly unable to feed them, by reason, that the provisions shipped for them were taken out of the ship they were put in ; and they, who were trusted to ship

*Boston Harbour was called Massachusetts Bay.

This sketch of the first settlements of Massachusetts Colony is taken principally from a letter of Thomas Dudley to Lady Bridget, Countess of Lincoln, dated March 28, 1631.