JOHN PYNCHON'S EXPERIENCE IN PORK RAISING

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

>From a web resource that Glenn Scheper posted earlier today:

JOHN PYNCHON'S EXPERIENCE IN PORK RAISING.

In 1656 John Pynchon set out on a pork-raising speculation, 
on Freshwater river, now in Enfield, Conn. - at that time within 
the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. He procured a grant of land, 
20 acres for himself and 10 acres for George Colton and 
Benjamin Cooley. When granted it was with the agreement 
that "if they doe not make use of it themselves it is to return 
into the Townes hands agayne - they are not to sell it to any other."

The sequel was not recorded until October 8, 1660, when it 
appeared that Cooley had with-drawn, Pynchon taking his 
portion. The record give the conditions and the results:

"According to order by the Selectmen there was granted parsell 
of land at fresh water brooke, to Mr. Pynchon, George Colton 
and Benjamin Cooley, in proportion as they carry on their design 
of keeping swine there. In all forty acres of upland, ten acres to 
each quarter part, and thisupon conditon that they doe within 
two years carry on the design of keeping swine there. If they 
fail in carrying on that design within two years, or such of them 
doe faile, they forfeit the land & it remains to the other or them 
that do keep swine there; or else falls to the town, if none carry 
on that design of keeping swine. The design of keeping swine 
there was accordingly caryed on & within the tyme limited, and 
continued until Windsor corne fields eat up ye swine."

This quotation is in the handwriting of John Pynchon, and what 
he probably intended to say was that the swine ran out of the 
Enfield woods, in which they were fattening on acorns, and 
other nuts, into the Windsor corn-fields and ate so much that 
they consequently died from the effects and not by being eaten 
up by the fields.

In the grants of land at Woronoco were sixty acres on the request 
of Thomas Merrick and David Ashley to Timothy Mather of 
Dorchester, and forty acres to his father, the Rev. Richard Mather, 
the first minister of that town. The family of the Rev. Mr. Mather 
were of more than ordinary ability. His sons, with the exception of 
Timothy, were ministers. Two went back to England and preached 
there during their lives. Another, Eleaze Mather, was the first 
minister of Northampton and it was his daughter, Eunice, who 
became the wife of the Rev. John Williams, and was killed by the 
Indians after the burning of Deerfield, on the way to Canada. From 
her is descended Mrs. Elizabeth Storrs Mead, president of Mount 
Holyoke College at South Hadley. Timothy, the father of the family, i
s the ancestor of all who bear the name of Mather in New England. 
This grant at Woronoco remained in the family for a considerable period.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/county/hampden/spfld/hist1/p49-88.html