Like Nathaniel Turner (see early Lynn, Massachusetts), William Pynchon initially started out to establish himself in the Boston area. He landed in Salem on June 15, 1630 after a thirty-seven day crossing from the Isle of Wright. He first settled in Dorchester but soon started a new plantation on the rocks of Boston Neck, call Roxbury, at least partially for the rocks. He established a church and attended the General Court, as Nathaniel did from Lynn, and was named treasurer of the colony. After receiving a license from the General Court, he began to trade in beaver skins with the Indians and owned a wharf in Boston harbor.
However, the trade was disappointing and the outlook for Roxbury was also not good because of the poor soil conditions. One of the other settlers, John Pratt, wrote back to England lamenting the barrenness of the soil. When the Massachusetts Bay authorities heard about John’s letter they were concerned about the adverse effect on emigration. He was forced to make a public retraction, giving the soil and climate a positive endorsement, in an early effort at spin.
Pratt said, under pressure, “As for the barrenness of the sandy grounds I spoke of them then as I conceived; but now, by experience of my own, I find that such ground as before I accounted barren, yet, being mannered & husbanded, doeth bring forth more fruit than I did expect.” Pynchon was one of the reviewers of this statement and had to sign off on it, which he did, most likely for political reasons as he probably agreed with the original poor soil assessment. In fact, shortly afterward he refused to pay his tax assessment as he felt the assessment was unfair compared to other towns that he likely felt were of better agricultural potential. He was fined 5 pds for this act of resistance.
Another fine was a reflection of the times. The settlers were not allowed to give guns to the Indians for fear of the consequences. However, the Indians were skillful hunters. Pynchon and his partner received a special permit from the Court of Assistants in 1634 to employ Indian hunters in their fur business. However, the General Court disapproved and fined both Pynchon and the court which granted him this permission. The ruling said that both should be fined for “breach of the order of Court against employing Indians to shoot with pieces, the one half to be paid by Mr. Pynchon and Mr. Mayhew (his associate), offending therein, and the other half by the Court of Assistants then in being, who gave leave thereunto.”
Pynchon decided it was time to go further into the wilderness to pursue his business and likely to avoid the various religious disputes that were increasing in the Boston area between different Puritan factions. The result was the founding of Springfield. At one point after 1650, William’s son, John, purchased for three years the services of John Stewart, one of Scotch prisoners who, like Robert Dunbar, were brought over after the defeat of the Scot armies under Charles II. (see upcoming posts on Scotch Prisoners Deported to New England and Dunbar family).
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