171 Plan of Land in Rumney Marsh

    Salem April 5th, 1715/16

    Reverend Sir—

    I Received A Letter the first day of this month by John Hood from you Baring date March 19 wherin you desire me to Measure and decipher A piece of marsh Leying in Rumny Marsh belonging to the Colledg and to give my opinion of it. I have measured the same and herewith sent you A plat of it. Both of marsh and sedge as they Ley, the quantity of each set in it, with other things nesesary, As by the Platt will appear. As for the quality I am not so well able to say by reason of the Grass being not grown. I beleve that their is near 1/8 of it small salt ponds; sum of them are dreaned and baer sedge, the Creek and some Low places allso. Which by far is the better fodder and generlly baers the most. I understand by those that have wrought in the marsh in the season of it that it is indifferent good. And I think upon the whol that the sedge in goodness will make up for what the salt Ponds take Away, so that the whol will be as good as ordinarily marsh is. And its Leying so Long upon the Great Creek makes it much more convenient to get of the hay.

    Sir I am yours to serve

    Jno. Gardner

    [Addressed:] To the Honourable John Leverett, Cambridge.

    [Endorsed:] Marsh given by Mr. Coggan to Harvard College, with a plat thereof.

    Deeds Papers, seventeenth-century series. The land, in what is now Revere, was given by John Cogan in 1654/55; see Morison, Seventeenth Century, i. 34–35.