Bradford's history of the Plymouth settlement, 1608-1650 / Rendered into modern English by Harold Paget

by William Bradford

CHAPTER XIX

Trial of three Murderers—Rise in value of Livestock—Earthquake: 1638.

This year Mr. Thomas Prince was chosen Governor.

Amongst other enormities that occurred this year three men were tried and executed for robbery and murder. Their names were Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings. There was a fourth, Daniel Crose, who was also found guilty, but he escaped and could not be found. Arthur Peach was the ringleader. He was a strong and desperate young man, and had been one of the soldiers in the Pequot war, and had done as good service as any there, always being one of the first in any attack. Being now out of means and loth to work, and taking to idle ways and company, he intended to go to the Dutch colony, and had lured the other three, who were servants and apprentices, to go with him. But there was also another cause for his going away secretly in this manner; he had not only run into debt, but he had seduced a girl, a maid-servant in the town, and fear of punishment made him wish to get away, though this was not known till after his death. The other three ran away from their masters in the night, and could not be heard of, for they did not go by the ordinary route, but shaped such a course as they thought would evade pursuit. Finding themselves somewhere between the Bay of Massachusetts and the Narragansetts’ country, and wishing to rest, they made a fire a little off the road by the wayside, and took tobacco. At length there came a Narragansett Indian by, who had been trading at the Bay, and had some cloth and beads with him. They had met him the day before, and now he was returning. Peach called him to come and drink tobacco with them, and he came and sat down. He had told the others he would kill the Indian and take his goods. The others were afraid; but Peach said, Hang the rogue, he has killed many of us. So they let him do as he would, and when he saw his opportunity he took his rapier and ran the man through the body once or twice, and took from him five fathoms of wampum and three coats of cloth; and then they went their way, leaving him for dead. But the Indian managed to scramble up when they had gone, and made shift to get home. By this means they were discovered, and the Indians caught them; for, wanting a canoe to take them over the water, and not thinking their act was known, by the sachem’s command they were taken to Aquidnett Island, and were there accused of the deed, and examined and committed upon it by the English. The Indians sent for Mr. Williams, and made grievous complaint; and the friends and relatives of the injured native were ready to rise in arms and incite the rest to do the same, believing they would now find the Pequot’s words were true: that the English would turn upon them. But Mr. Williams pacified them, and told them they should see justice done upon the offenders, and went to the wounded man and took Mr. James, the physician, with him. The man told him who did it, and how it was done. The physician found his wounds mortal, and that he could not live, as he testified upon oath before the jury in open court. He died shortly after. The Governor at the Bay was acquainted with it, but referred it to New Plymouth, because the act was committed in this jurisdiction; but he urged that by all means justice should be done, or it would cause a war. Nevertheless, some of the more ignorant colonists objected that an Englishman should be put to death for an Indian. So at last the murderers were brought home from the Island, and after being tried, and the evidence produced, they all in the end freely confessed to all the Indian had accused them of, and that they had done it in the manner described. So they were condemned by the jury, and executed. Some of the Narragansett Indians and the murdered man’s friends, were present when it was done, which gave them and all the country satisfaction. But it was a matter of much sadness to them here, as it was the second execution since they came,—both being for wilful murder.

This year they received more letters from England, full of renewed complaints, on the one hand that Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Andrews could get no money or accounting from Mr. Sherley, on the other that the latter should be importuned by them, retorting that he would account with those here and not with them, etc. So, as had been decided before, viz., that if nothing came of their last letters, they would then send them what fur they could, thinking that when some good part had been paid to them, Mr. Sherley and they would more easily agree about the remainder,—they now sent to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Beauchamp through Mr. Joseph Young in the Mary and Anne 1325 lbs. of beaver divided between them. Mr. Beauchamp returned an account of his share, showing that he made £400 sterling out of it, freight and all expenses paid. But Mr. Andrews, though he had the larger and better half, did not make so much out of his through his own indiscretion, and yet charged the loss, which was about £40, to them here. They sent them more by bills and other payments, which was received and acknowledged by them, and divided between them, such as for cattle of Mr. Allerton’s which were sold, and the price of a bark which belonged to the stock and was sold, amounting to £434 sterling. The total value was thus £1234 sterling, except what Mr. Andrews had lost on his beaver, and which was made good otherwise. But this did not stay their clamours, as will appear hereafter.

It pleased God about this time to bless the country with such an influx of people that it was much enriched, and cattle of all kinds stood at high prices for many years. Cows were sold at £20, some at £25 apiece, sometimes even at £28. A cow-calf usually fetched £10; a milch-goat £3, and sometimes £4; and she-kids thirty shillings and often £2 apiece. By this means the original settlers who had stock began to increase in wealth. Corn also commanded a high price, viz., six shillings a bushel. So other trading began to be neglected, and the old partners, having forbidden Mr. Sherley to send them any more goods, abandoned their trade at Kennebec, and, as things stood, decided to follow it no longer. But a few of them were loth that it should all be lost by closing it entirely, so they joined with some others and agreed to give the colony about one-sixth of the profits from it; and with the first fruits of this the colony built a house for a prison. The trade at Kennebec has since been continued to the great benefit of the place; for, as some well foresaw, such high prices for corn and cattle could not long continue, and the revenue got by trade would be much missed.

This year, about the 1st or 2nd of June, there was a fearful earthquake. Here it was heard before it was felt. It began with a rumbling noise, or low murmur, like remote thunder; it came from the northward and passed southward. As the noise approached, the earth began to shake, and at length with such violence that platters, dishes, and other things standing on shelves came clattering down, and people were afraid for the houses themselves. It happened that at the time several of the chief citizens of the town were holding a meeting in a house, conferring with some of their friends who were about to move from the place—as if the Lord would hereby show His displeasure at their thus shaking apart and removing from one another. It was very terrible for a while, and as the men sat talking in the house, some women and others were just out of doors, and the earth shook with such violence that they could not stand without catching hold of the posts and palings near by. But the violence did not last long. About half an hour after, or less, came another noise and shaking, but not so severe as before, and not lasting long. Some ships along the coast were shaken by it; but it was not only felt near the sea, for the Indians noticed it inland. So powerful is the mighty hand of the Lord as to make both the earth and the sea to shake, and the mountains to tremble before Him when He pleases; and who can stay His hand?

It was observed that the summers for several years after this earthquake were not so hot and seasonable for the ripening of corn and other fruits as formerly, but were colder and more moist and subject to early and untimely frosts, so that often much Indian corn failed. Whether this was the cause, I leave it to naturalists to judge.