Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/183

GRANT OF NEW SWANSEA. 139 approbation of the Court, to the disturbance of the peace of the place, are fined, each of them, the sume of five pounds, and Mr. Tanner the sume of twenty shillings." The acquaintanceship which had sprung up between Rev. John Myles, Capt. Thomas Willett, Mr. John Brown, and others of the settlers at Sowams and Wannamoisett had ripened into close friendship, and the proposition was enter- tained between them of securing from the Plymouth Court the grant of a new township, south of the Rehoboth limits, including ancient Sowams. To this end, an application was made for a separate corporation under the name of New Swansea. The name was suggested by Mr. Myles, in remem- brance of his former home in Wales, and its original orthog- raphy indicates that the waters of the bay near the town were the favorite resort of the swan, and was called the Sea of Swans, or Swansea. This word has been corrupted to Swanzea, Swansey, Swanzey, Swansy, and Swanzy. The application for a new town was successful, as will be seen by the following: GRANT OF NEW SWANSEA. "A true copy of the grant of this township of New Swan- sea, lying on Record at the Court of New Plymouth, 1667. Whereas, libertie hath bine formerly graunted by the Court of the jurisdiction of New Plymouth, unto Captaine Willett and his naighbors att Wannamoisett, to become a township there if they should see good ; and that lately the said Capt. Willett and Mr. Myles and others theire naigh- bors have requested of the Court that they may be a town- ship there or neare thereunto, and likewise to have granted unto them such parsells of land as might be accommodate thereunto not desposed of to other townships ; this Court have graunted unto them all such lands that lieth between the salt water bay and coming up Taunton River, viz. : all the land between the said salt water and river, and the bounds of Taunton and Rehoboth, not prejudiceing any