As good settlers made good neighbors, the purchasers of Sowams lands were specially careful to select the best for this civil plantation and to ensure the preservation of the high quality of future inhabitants, the following agreement was entered into by the proprietors. It will be noticed that unanimous consent and not majority rule prevailed in that early day as to the admission of new inhabitants to the settlement.
An agreement under ye hands of ten of the Proprietors in order to the settlement of the Lands aforesaid,
Dated December 25: 1660.
Wee whose names are here under written the proprietors of those Lands called and known by the name of Sawomes Lands doe unanimously and Joyntly binde our selves and covenant to perform these peticulr.
1. That none of us shall at anytime Let or sell any of the said Lands to any stranger that is not allready a proprietor with us without the Joynt Consent of us all subscribed under our hands vidt, neither upland nor meadow.
2. That Henry Smith of Rehoboth be the man to measure all Lands yt is to be measured out and Appertaining unto any of us and that some two or thre of our selves are to be preasant with him to see it done.
3. That Thomas Willett by way of exchange is to have thirty Acres of upland measured out adjoyning unto the land of his formerly measured out by William Carpenter having the Towne fence on the North side and the Land of John Brown on the South Side and Mr. Willett doth Leave the home Lot formerly Lay'd out for Elder Cushman in consideration of the same, being of the quantity of thirty acres to Lye common Amongst us.
| John Brown, | Peter Hunt, |
| Thomas Willet, | Henry Smith, |
| Stephen Paine, | Phillip Walker, |
| Joseph Peck, | Thomas Chafey, |
| John Allen, | Samuel Newman. |
