In answer to the motion & peticion of Wm. Stoughton and Joseph Dudley, the Court judgeth it meete to grant this motion, and doe further desire & impower the worshipfull Wm. Stoughton & Joseph Dudley Esqrs, to take particullar care & inspection into the matter of the land in Nipmug country, what titles are pretended to by the Indeans or others, and the validity of them, and make returne of what they find therein to this Court as soon as soon as may be. [MASS. BAY RECORDS, vol. 5: 315]

[I]nhabitants of the towns of Natick, Punkapoge & Wamasitt..being subject to his Majesty and this Government...having approved our Selves faithful to ye English in yet late warr and served them most of us as Soldiers...some of ye Relations lost their lives, we doe hereby...have a naturall right to most of the lands lying in Nipmuck country...

John Awassamugg Sen, Andrew Pittome[e], Thomas Romneymarsh, Peter Ephraim, Anthony Tray, El[e]azor Pegun, Zachary Abraham, Sam Awassamaug, Waban, Piam Bow, Tom Tray, John Awassamaug, James Romneymarsh, Tom Dublit, Sa Somit, John Awassamaug Jr., [MS tear: name missing], Jethro, Benjamin, Sasowanno, John Magus, Nathaniel, Wattertown William

Testimonies of Severall Aged and Principall Indians herafternamed:

Waban Aged About 80 Years, Piam-boa Aged about 80 years, Nowanit aged about 81 years, Jethro aged about 70 years, William Aged 68 years, Anthony Tray & Tom Tray unckles by the father’s side unto John Woampus deceased aged 60 years & 58 years or thereabouts...

These men do...affirme and say that they well know John Woampus from a child and his father also old Woampus who was [MS ripped] and brother to some of them; and do say that John Woampus was no sachem and had no more right [MS ripped] and title to any lands in Nipmuk country...than other common Indians had...before he left the country in [MS rip] the said Woampus because he speaks English well and was acquainted with the English’ was claiming ‘to get selled and recorded the Indians title & right to those lands but we utterly deny that we ever gave him any power to sell, give, mortgage or other dispose of those lands...And now he is deceased without children, what right he had in common with other Indians belongs to his kindred and...we further say that there is about on[e] hundred Indians young and old living among the Christian Indians that have right & title to those lands in Nipmuck Country

Waban, Piambow, William, Jethro, Anthony Tray, Tom Tray

In the spring of 1677 I kept a court among the Indians at Coowate near the Lower falls of Charles River. At the Court John Woampus was present...being questioned for his mistakes in claiming a great tract of land...in several places in the Nipmuk’s country challenging those lands for his posterity and suffering to sell those lands...[he] could not prove or demonstrate any Right he had in lands more than other common Indians had...all the old men & principal Indians together...in particular his onkles Anthony & Tom Tray, did beare witness against his practice & disclaim his right’, claiming he sold lands ‘to gett money to be drunk’, so they were requesting at that time that he be forbidden to put forward claims or intefere with their affairs

In pursuance of an order of this honnorable Court to inspect the clajmes of the remayning Indians to lands in the Nipmug country

In June last wee appointed a gennerall meeting of all Indian claymers to the sajd lands, & gave full notice of the same to holden at Cambridge Village, & there obtejned Mr. Elljots company & others to asist in interpretation & better understanding of their severall pleas. Wee then found them willing enough to make clajme to the whole country, but litigious & doubtfull amongst themselves; wee therefore, for that time, dismissed them to agree their severall clajmes amongst themselves, & then told them wee would further treate them to comprimise the whole matter on the countrys behalfe.

Since which time, in September last, perceiving a better understanding amongst them, wee warned severall of the principall claymers to attend us into the country, & travajle the same in company with as farr & as much as one weeke would allow us, & find that the southerne part clajmed by Black James & company is capable of good setlement, if not too scant of meadow, though uncerteine what will fall within bounds if our ljne be to be quaestioned.

The middle part above Sherborne & Marlborough, clajmed by the Hassanamesit men now resident at Naticke, but interupted by the clajme of severall execcutors to John Wampas, whom wee summoned before the Governor & Magistreates in Boston soone after our returne, and find their clajme very uncertajne, but, if allowed, will be to the ruine of the middle part of the country, of which the Indians make complaint to this Court.

The northerne part, adjoyning to Nashaway, is found the best land, most meadowed, & capable of setlement, which land, except a smale tract about Hassanamesit desired to be kept by the Natick Indians, may, wee suppose, upon reasonable termes, be, so farr as respect the Indian clajme, taken into the countrys hands, which wee offer our advise as best to be donne, least the matter grow more difficult by delays. If there be any further service for us in the matter, wee are

Your humble servants, William Stoughton, Joseph Dudley

The Court doe approove of this returne.

Upon the consideration of the report made to this Court of the Indian clajmes to lands to the westward by Mr. Stoughton & Mr. Dudley, and their advise that some compensation be made to the claymers for a full surrender of those lands to the Govenor & Company of the Massachusetts, to prevent future troubles & pretensions that may arise, and doe order & impower the aforesajd gentlemen to treat with the sajd claymers, & to agree with them upon the easiest termes that may be obtejned, which summe may be reimbursed by such as afterwards shall procure grants of any of the sajd lands from this Court. [MASS. BAY RECORDS, vol.5: 328-29]

In pursuance of the last order of this Court for the purchase of the Nipmug country, the subscribers have had severall treatjes with the Indians, and at length have concluded

1. That the Hassanemesit and Natick Indeans shall have added to the sajd plantations of Natick & Hassanemet, already granted & reserved by this Court for their oune improovment, all that remayning wast lands lying betweene those two plantations & adjoyning to Meadfeild, Sherborn, Mendon, Marlborow, & Sudbury, being wast @ of very inconsiderable value. The remainder of their clajme, lying fower miles northward of the present Springfeild road, & southward to that, have agreed betweene Blacke James & them, of which wee advised in our late returne, wee have purchased at thirty pounds money & a oate.

2. The southern halfe of sajd countrey wee have purchased of Blacke James @ company for twenty pounds, provided they may, by the grant & allowance of this Court, reserve to themselves a certeine tract of five miles square for themselves, or contents, in two parcells, to be at their oune dispose, to them; their heires & assigns, forever, as is expressed in there deed The whole tract in both deeds conteyned is in a forme of a triangle, & reduced to a square, conteyneth a tract about fifty miles long & twenty miles wide. Besides the fivety pounds above, a smale quantitjes, about five pounds, wee have distributed amongst them, and payt them tenn pounds money of the price.

3. Wee have thought best to take the deeds in our oune name, which wee now exhibbit, and are ready to passe our assignement & conveyance to the Govenor & Company, at the Courts direction, in pursuance of whose service wee have donn the same.

4. Wee have promised them, that, in convenient tjme, their complaint against severall tounes & farmers who have not purchased the title to that they hold shall be heard, & justice donn them.

5. The northern part, towards Wachuset, is yet unpurchased, & persons yet scarsly to be found meet to be treated with thereabouts. The two last articles may be further pursued if this Court judgment.

Willjam Stoughton, Joseph Dudley

This Court, having perused this returne, made by William Stoughton & Joseph Dudley, Esqrs, relating to their transaction with the Indians, & purchase made of the Nepmug lands, doe approove thereof, and order, that full & ample deeds & conveyances in due forme be forthwith made by the sajd gentlemen unto the Govenor & Company of the Massachusets, & etc., and that the Tresurer of the country doe reimburse what is by them expended already, and make such other payments as are by them engaged on this account; and likewise doe allow of, and doe hereby confirme to the sajd Indians, that tract of land mentioned to be reserved by the sajd Indians.

Also, the above named gentlemen are impowred, & heereby are desired, to doe what is yet necessary pursuant to the prosecution of the fowerth & fifth articles, & to make returne of what they shall doe therein to the next Generall Court. [MASS. BAY RECORDS, vol.5: 342-43]

The Court past their allowanc hereof, & confirmation of ye deeds annext. To all Christian people to whom this resent deed of sale shall come, greeting. Know yee that wee, Waban, Pyamboho, John Awasamog, Thomas Awasamog, Samuel Awasamog, John Awasamog; Junior, Anthony Tray, John Tray, Peter Ephraim, Nehemiah, James Rumney Marish, Zackary Abraham, Sam Neancit, Symon Sacomit, Andrew Pittyme, Eliazer Pegin, John Maquaw, James Printer, Samuell Acompanit, Joseph Milion, Elisha Milion, & Cocksquannion, Indian natives, and naturall descendants of the anntient proprietors & inhabitants of the Nipmug country (commonly so called) and lands adjacent, within the colony of the Massachusets in New England to us in hand,...

unto the sajd Willjam Stoughton and Joseph Dudley, theire heires and assignes, for ever, all that part of the Nipmug country above named, or their tract of land scittuate, lying, and being beyond the great ryver called Kuttatuck or Nipmug Ryver, and betweene arainge of marked trees, beginning at the sajd river, and runing south east till it fall upon the south lyne of the sajd Massachusets colony on the south, and a certeine imaginary ljne fowre miles on the north side of the road, as it now ljeth, to Springfeild on the north, the sajd great river of Kuttatuck or Nipmug on the eastward, and the sajd patent ljne on the westward; ...

Thomas Tray, John Magos, John Moquah, Nehemiah, Daniel, Capt. Tom, William Mahaughton, Thos Dublett, Andrew Pitmeh, Joseph Kewahch, Wawopequinnont, Samuel Wossamog, Peter Moquamoge, John Annonquin, old Nawanont, old Jethro, Peter Bogkotoge, old Nessawaninnu, Joshua Ashott, Agononoit, Abraham Spee[n], Grat John, Nataniel, old Sosanwinnu, old William, Razer [Eleazer] Pegin, old James [Romneymarsh]

Awoonsamag, Squamaug son to Sagamore John alias Quaquduonsick, Nussawano, Josias potaroo, Sunsawimno, John Robin, Israel Qunnopowit son to James Romney Marsh, Edmund son to Nussawinoo, James Printer, Samuel Nawonot, John Namashoot, Zachary Abraham, Peter Ephraim son to Peter Ephraim deceased, Simon Patacomb, James Wizer, Job Pompoonamam, Joseph Abraham, Joshua Ashunt, Joshua Wantcomo, Peter Puttabaug, John Aquittituo, Edward David, Benjamin Boho, Deborah & Sarah being grandchildren of Piamboho