Report of a Committee respecting the Lands of the Sharon and Salisbury Indians

To the Honorable General Assembly of his Majesty’s Colony of Connecticut Sitting in New Haven in October, in the Year of Our Lord, 1742.

We the subscribers, Your Honors’ committee appointed at your sessions in May last to inquire into the claims made by and purchases made of the Indians in the Towns of Sharon and Salisbury, etc., humbly report that pursuant to Your Honors’ appointment on the memorial of Peter Pratt and others agents for Sharon and Neguntemauge and other Indians living in or near Sharon, we (having first notified the parties concerned) repaired to the Town of Sharon and on the 13th and 14th days of this instant October proceeded to inquire into the several matters referred to in said memorial and the several parties concerned being present and having interpreters both of English and Indian we were informed by deeds and witnesses and would humbly report to Your Honors that we find that one Metoxon, alias Callonek alias Carlow, is allowed by all to be the chief sachem of the Indians in these parts, and that he and his tribe or nation are the claimers of those lands not sold and also claimed and sold all that have been sold there about.

That the said Metoxen and other Indians in the year 1726 sold to Richard Sackett and company all the western part of Sharon within about two miles of Housatonic River little more or less and the southwest corner of Salisbury, which sale some of the Indians who signed the deed being present owned to be honestly made.

That afterwards, viz., 26th of October, 1738 the said Metoxon and other Indians by agreement with and for eighty pounds and received of Thomas Lamb sold to the Governor1 and Company the township of Sharon, except one mile at the south end which deed and bargain several witnesses declared was fairly made and well understood by the Indians.

That in February 1739, the said Thomas Lamb procured another deed from an Indian of that tribe as we understand who is sometimes called John, sometimes Nauness, etc., to the Governor and Company for one mile across at the south end of  Sharon for nine pounds. 

That by sundry deeds to diverse persons given by some of that tribe of Indians, the township of Salisbury has been purchased except about (as near as we could guess) two mile square at the north east corner and this seemed to be generally agreed to both by the English and Indians and concerning the said north east corner we find that the deed to Knowles and Stenman describes the lands sold by certain natural monuments as ponds, mountains, etc., in which description the said north east corner is not contained but then the lands are again bounded by general boundaries, viz., north by the Massachusetts, east by the river, etc., which includes the land at the northeast corner but it’s generally declared both by English and Indians that they have always understood and now believe that corner was never intended to be sold neither was it ever honestly sold, on which we are of opinion that it’s most probable that the said corner never was intended to be sold. 

Therefore, we think the Indians who are generally allowed to claim that corner and for whom, as the Indians say, the said corner was intended to be left when the other was sold should be quieted by giving them some consideration to resign their claim which Umpachence on their behalf declared they would do for sixty pounds and not less. 

And concerning the northwest corner of Sharon, we find it all to be sold and included in the aforesaid deed to Sacket and that procured by Lamb. Yet from Indian evidence only, we are informed that the Indians did and do now think they might and may live there, and the people of Sharon are willing they should live there if an equivalent is given.  Whereupon, considering the circumstances of those Indians, we think it might be well to allow them about fifty acres of land to live on, which appears to be sufficiency, and that on the proprietors of Sharon securing the same to them an equivalent of about two acres for one be given Sharon at the south end of their town, they purchasing the same of the Indians if not already done. 

As to the mile at the south end of Sharon complained of, we find little or nothing worthy of notice about it.  Wherefore, upon the whole, seeing the Indians desire to live there and have made improvement where they live, etc., we therefore recommend it to your honors to quiet and favor those Indians as aforesaid and considering they are, as we were informed, disposed to be instructed in the Christian faith, we think it might be well to make some provision for that purpose, their number being thirteen males, fifteen females adult and seventeen children, forty-five in all.  And further that one Tossaunee who on some encouragement given him by the committee for laying out lands in Salisbury, that they would endeavor he should have two blankets, resigned a considerable improvement he had made and lived upon in Salisbury should be considered and made easy accordingly.  And upon the matters aforesaid being settled, we conclude the Indians will be easy and peaceable and friendly and we hope comfortable neighbors and friends and probably Christian brethren.

All which is most humbly submitted to this Honorable Assembly by Your Honor’s obedient humble servants,

• 1. The Governor of Connecticut in 1738 was Joseph Talcott.