Concord Treaty 1646
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Concord Treaty 1646 as found in A History of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts by Lemuel Shattuck, 1835 as found on Googlebooks.
Pages 22-24
The following are the orders agreed on at Concord, which Mr. Shepard assures us were drawn up by “two faithful witnesses,” and “their own copy with their own hands to it.”
“Conclusions and orders made and agreed upon by divers Sachems and other principal men amongst the Indians at Concord in the end of the eleventh Month (called January) An. 1646.
1. That everyone that shall abuse themselves with wine or strong liquors, shall pay, for every time so abusing themselves, twenty shillings.
2. That there shall be no more Powwawing amongst the Indians. And if any shall hereafter powwaw, both he that shall powwaw, and he that shall procure him to powwaw, shall pay twenty shillings a piece.
3. They do desire that they may be stirred up to seek after God.
4. They desire they may understand the wiles of Satan, and grow out of love with his suggestions and temptations.
5. That they may fall upon some better course to improve their time than formerly.
6. That they may be brought to the sight of the sinne of lying, and whosoever shall be found faulty herein, shall pay for the first offence five shillings, and the second ten shillings, and the third twenty shillings.
7. Whosoever shall steal any thing from another shall return fourfold.
8. They desire tat no Indian hereafter shall have any more but one wife.
9. They desire to prevent fallout out of Indians one with another, and that they may live quietly with one another.
10. That they may labor after humilitie and not be proud.
11. That when Indians doe wrong one to another, they may be liable to censure or fine, or the like as the English are.
12. That they pay their debts to the English.
13. They they do observe the Lord’s day, and whosoever shall prophane it shall pay twenty shillings.
14. That there shall not be allowance to pick lice as formerly, and eat them, and whosoever shall offend in this case shall pay for every louse a penny.
15. They will weare their haire comely as the English do, and whosover shall offend herein shall pay four shillings.
16. They intend to reform themselves in their former greasing themselves, under the penalty of five shillings for every default.
17. They do resolve to set up praying in their wigwams, and ot seek to God both before and after meate.
18. If any commit the sinne of fornication, being single persons, the man shall pay twenty shillings, and the woman ten shillings.
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20. Whosoever shall play at their former games shall pay ten shillings.
21. Whosoever shall commit adultery shall be put to death.
22. Wilful murder shall be punished with death.
23. They shall not disguise themselves in their mouyrnings as formerly, no shall they eep a great noyse by howling.
24. The old ceremony of the maide alking alone and living apart so many days twenty shillings.
25. No Indian shall take an English man’s canooe without leave under penaltie of five shillings.
26. No Indian shall come into an English man’s house except he first knock: and this they may expect from the English.
27. Whosoever beats his wife shall pay twenty shillings.
28. If any Indian shall fall out with and beat another Indian, he shall pay twenty shillings.
29. They desire they may be a towne, and either dwell on this side of Beaver Swamp, or at the East side of Mr. Flint’s Pond.
Immediately after these things were agreed upon, most of the Indians of these parts set up prayer morning and evening in their families, and before and after meate. They also generally cut their haire short, and were more civil in their carriage to the English than formerly And they do manifest a great willingness to conforme themselves to the civil fashions of the English. The Lord’s day they keepe a day of rest, and minister what edification they can to one another. These former orders were put into this forme by Captaine Simon Willard of Concord, whom the Indians, with unanimous consent, intreated to bee their Recorder being very solicitous that what they did agree upon might be faithfully preserved without alteration.
Thomas Flint Simon Willard
