495 Memo on Reynolds’ Lease

    [ca. 1750]

    About the year 1735 Mr. Reynols came to hire the Colleg Farm and wee, that is Mr. Wadsworth, Mr. Bordman and Mr. Flynt aggreed with him upon Terms and he went home and soon returned when we made an agreement, I suppose by bond, for his building a house upon the Farm of such dimentions and other particulars and to be finished wel and workman like to the turning of the key and he had a Lease (with bond) for 12 or 14 years of about 300 acres of the farm, he clearing and bringing to mowing English grass upon the whole of seventy acres and planting an orchard of 200 appletrees, which takes about 2 acres of land and fencing it with stone wall of such height and other dimentions. The orchard such as it is he planted about two years agoe which should have been planted in the beginning of his Lease in four years. No stone wall made about it, yet appletrees planted about 2 years exposed to creatures stunted trees, reynolds says is now fencing with pole fence.

    Mr. Reynolds says he generally keeps 12 or 14 horn cattle, 3 or 4 horses, 150 sheep, sells sometimes cattle and sheep and wool, plants 10 acres of Indian Corn, 6 of Rye, 4 or 5 of Oats, says Mr. Willet told he wrote to the Treasurer the farm would let a 100 per annum and Cleavlands for 40. Reynold says he has sould wood of his Farm and there is little fencing stuff now upon it. The Tenant before him (viz Condon) carryed of a great deal of Timber before his lease was out.

    Reynolds says the farm now wil let for 100 or 120 per annum. After the Term of the first Lease Reynolds proposed that if the College would give him 100 pounds to buy goats he would give 100 per annum for the farm for three years and he says the Hundred pounds was paid and he took another Lease for three years at a £100 per annum for the farm for 3 years.

    Reynolds has sould about 70 or 80 cord of wood from the farm worth about 20sh. per cord at the place of cutting it. That it is best to keep that part which is now under wood in the same state for tis not so good soil for other improvement, that his part is the best for grass. He has about 20 acres for mowing and the rest very good pasture for cattle and sheep that [he] cuts 12 Load of hay at 20 tun per Load, That many wil give £100 per annum for his Farm and some £120, That he summers about 20 or 25 head of cattle and horses for others, That the windows of the house [are] out of repair, the clapboard of on one side principally. He has fenced about 200 acres cheifly with Virginia fence, some ditch and hedge on it, the fences out of repair in many places.

    Narragansett Farm Papers, p. 15. These notes, in Flynt’s hand, are not dated, and may be as late as 1752. On March 26, 1754 the Corporation voted $20 to Francis Willett for his assistance, and on May 27, 1755 they asked Willett to arrange the release of Reynolds, who was imprisoned because of default on his debt to the College.