The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1834-12-31
THE TERMS
OF THE
MEMOIR OF RHODE-ISLAND.
1850.


1850.
Mount Hope Neck taimed by r. Island and other.
From Bailies Memoir of New Plymouth Vol. 3
part 4, page I'd.
Notwithstanding the conquered territory o
Mount Hope was originally included within the lin
its Of the Plymouth jurisdiction: Notwithstanding it
complete separation from Massachusetts, and it
contiguity to Plymouth: Notwithstanding it hac
been conquered principly by the prowess of the
people of this little colony, the government of Mas
sachusetts endeavored to wrest it from them and
obtain grant of its land from the king. Rhode
Island too who had not participated in the
preferred a claim to the lands and one VIM
Crown of Nova Scotia, alleging some obsolete
claim of his father on the bounty ofthe king, nearly
succeeded in obtaining the grant: but the monarch
finally granted the lands to Plymouth, and his sign
manuel was affixed to the grant, which in these
words We have taken into royal considera-
tlon how that by your loyalty and good conduct in
that war, you have been the happy instruments to
enlarge our dominons, and to bring the terrific
ry of Mount Hope into a more immediate depend
ance upon We are therefore gracously pleased
to give and grant, and do hereby give und grant
to you the full and entire property of the said terri
tory or scope of land commonly called Mount Hope
containing, by common estimation seven thousand
acres, be the same less, for the sole and
proper and behoof of yourselves and the of
our said COLONY of New PIvmnnth to be holden of
nc our heirs, and successors, as OF our castle u
windsor in the county of Berks, yielding and pay
ing seven beaver SKINS each and every year, &c.
"Bv the terms of this grant the tenor these lands
was different from that of all other lands IN the col
ony"
The above remarks of Bailies, as to the peculiar
title of the lands of Mount Hope-it having been
granted by the King, and with a rent reserved &C.
All other lands conquered from the indians III Phil
ips war, became the property of the respective col
onies where they were located, by'rlght OF conquest
or by common consent; the said Mount Hope lahds
being the only exception. There must have been
some reasons for that exception and what those rea-
sons were may now never appear, unless the petl-
tons from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, &c to the
king should yet come to light. Massachusetts
might have claimed it belonging originally to the
Narragansetts, who conquered more by their
arms. than the arms of Plymouth. Such conJec-
ture is countenanced by the fact-that IN the deed
of Cannonncus and Miantonomo OF the Island OF
Acuuidneck (now Rhode Island) TO " MIR. Coddlng-
ton and his friends united unto him they granted
" also the grass upon the rivers and coasts about
Kitackamuckuut and from thence to Pauparquash"
which is descriptive of the whole south boundary
of the Mount Hope tract, which tract, now comprl-
ses the town of Bristol and part of Warren. We
farther find that Osamiquin, the father OF Philip
granted the settlers of the Island the right to make
use of any grass trees on the main land IN Powa-
kasick (now Tverton) side without taking any eX-
ccptions to the grant, made by the Narraganse Sa-
chems, in their aforesaid deed, of the "grass upon
the rivers and coasts about Kitackumuckqut and
from thence to Pauparquatsh which privilege so
described is now in the south part of the town OF
Bristol. As a farther evidence that the Narragan-
setts claimed the aforesaid territory incidental
" mentioned in their deed to Mr. Coddington, that
their title to the land by right ofconques which
declaration in the following words BY virtue OF
our general command of this Bay; as also the par
ticuar subjectng of the dead Sachem of Acquidnoc<
and Kitackumuckqut themselves and lands unto us. "
The claim of Massachusetts to the Mount Hope
tract was as we conceive for the fee ofthc land and
not for the civil iurisdicon-thcir claim not being
intended to interfere with the right of Plymouth to
the government. The claim of Rhode Island, must
have been under her patent from the king, which
covered the Mount Hope tract, although she was
not then in actual possession and II she could have
been allowed by the King then to take possession
she afterwards did, the fee of the land-it being
waste land-would have passed with the right otJu-
risdicton