452 Request of Peter Reynolds

    [October–November 1738]

    The Raquest of Peter Raynolds of North Kingstown in the Colony of Rhod island &c., he having a Leas of Part of the Land which belong to the Coledg at Cambredg which Leas is for fourteen years and he to clear and subdue seventy acors of Land and to set out two hundred good apeltrees and to Doe many other things mensioned in said Leas as you may sea. And I having Duly Considered the Case as I hope you will Do the same the first thing that I shall begin on is the orchard. In fore years after the Commensment of the Leas I am obliged to set out and to keep in fence and to mock and Dig Round them to make them thrifty. Here I am obliged to work upon these treas till they begin to bare and be that time Sombody will be Ready to hire it from me or mine which I thing [think] I would have you Consider as if it ware your one [own] Case. The next is my family is grate and my house but small. One of my sons is a weaver and another a Cordwinder and I morst bild a shop for them which to leave so soon and not to be paid for them will not anser. The next thing is a swamp to be drownded that will be considerabel Charge. Now what I would have you consider is how many acors I shall subdue and Leave in virginna fence or in post and Rails fence and have the same twenty years. Pray consider the Case as thif it ware your one, if you shold plant a orchard trim mock and monure them till they begin to bare then to leave them pray consider. But if I were to have the same twenty years I shold live in hopes that I or mine shold live to Reap the profit of our Labour. If you think not proper to Let it longer or to lengthen not my time longer pray let me sell my Leas or […] pay me Reasonabel for the work which I have Don and let it out to another man your selves. I think it hath bin let above twenty years all Ready and never the beter to the Land but the wors in Deed. They gave six pounds a year and cot and caryed of twelve pounds worth of timber and wood as may easily be mad apear. If you will lengthen my Leas from this time twenty years I will oblige my self to clear and subdue two hundred acers of Land and bild a shop for to work in. I Dont Desire you to lengthen my leas now but to wait and if Squier Willett or Mr. Job Trip or any gentelman should inform you that I was likely to perform the same then to give the same. I have seventy three Goats and in tend to get so many more as shall make a hundred between this and spring and if you give mee any in congement [incouragement] I shall fence more Ground in. I would pray you not litly to over look but to look on it as your one Case. So I Remain yours to serve

    Peter Reynolds.

    Mem. Nov. 17 1738 I wrote to Cleaveland that I had wrote the Leases according to the Articles we sent up and those common ones in Reynolds’s Lease as we agreed and that we did not accept his proposal of clearing &c. 10 acres more we giving £10.

    Mem. Oct. 27th 1738 Mr. Reynolds having made two proposals desires we would take one of them and let him know which and make instruments or turn the old Lease into a new one and write a bond &c. and send up to Cozen Willet to be executed as soon as we can.

    Narragansett Farm Papers, p. 9. The two memoranda at the end were added by Tutor Flynt.