In 1681, June 7th, Thomas Hinckley, Esq., was chosen governor, and by annual election, continued to 1686. · In the year 1685, the government being much enlarged through the divine benediction upon their labor and industry; the colony was divided into three counties, namely, The ' county of Plimouth, of which the shire town is Plimouth. The county of Barnstable, the shire town Barnstable. In the county of Plimouth, are now ten towns, namely, Plymouth, Duxbury, Marshfield, Scituate, Bridgewater, Abington, Pembroke, Plimpton, Middleborough, and Rochester. In the county of Barnstable, are eight towns, namely, Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Harwich, Eastham, Truro, Falmouth, and Chatham. In the county of Bristol, are twelve towns, namely, Bristol, Rehoboth, Swanzey, Taunton, Dighton, Norton, Barrington, Freetown, Tiverton, Dartmouth, Little Compton, and Attleborough. In December, 1686, Sir Edmund Andross arrived at Boston with a large commission from his Majesty, King James the Second, comprehending the governments of the Massachusetts, Plimouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut, etc., who continued our governor till the happy and glorious Revolution under King William and Queen Mary of blessed memory. In April, 1689, Sir Edmund Andross being dismissed from his government, each colony reassumed their former powers, and Mr. Hinckley was annually elected governor to the year 1691. Our last election of governor, deputy governor, and assist ants, being June 2, 1691, the said Mr. Hinckley was chosen governor, and William Bradford, Esq., deputy governor, John Freeman, Daniel Smith, Barnabas Lothrop, John Thatcher, John Walley, John Cushing, assistants; and Mr. Samuel Sprague, secretary. And note, that Constant Southworth, James Brown, and James Cudworth, first chosen, between the year 1670 and 1675, assistants in government, are the only assistants, whose names are not mentioned in this book, and therefore here inserted. In the year 1690, was the unsuccessful attempt on Canada, in which Plimouth bore its part both of charge and loss. And in the same year the Massachusetts sending over their agents to England, with whom went the Rev. Mr. Ichabod Wiswall from Plimouth Colony, obtained of King William and Queen Mary, a charter, containing many valuable privileges, wherein Plimouth (with some other additions) was united to the Massachusetts, and incorporated into one real province, by the name of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England; the King reserving to himself and successors, the power of appointing governor, lieutenant-governor, and secretary; and, consonant to this new constitution, Sir William Phips, knight, being commissioned our first governor, arrived at Boston with the new charter, May, 1692; under which constitution we have ever since continued. For a more complete account of the church which went into exile in Holland, and its pilgrimage to Plymouth, we here give such portions of Got. Bradford's History, found upon the church records at Plymouth, as are not found in the preceding pages of the Memorial. MORTON'S PREFACE. CHRISTIAN READER: I have looked at it as a duty incumbent on me to commit to writing the first beginnings and after progress of the Church of Christ at Plymouth in New England; forasmuch as I cannot understand that there is any thing particularly extant concerning it, and almost all the members of the said church, both elders and others, being deceased, by whom intelligence of matters in that behalf might be procured. I dare not charge the reverend elders of that church who are gone to their rest, with any neglect on that behalf; for when they were in Holland, they were necessitated to defend the cause of Christ by writing against opposites of several sorts; so as such like employs, together with the constant and faithful discharge of the duties of their offices, probably took up the greatest part of their time; and since the church parted, and a considerable part thereof came unto this going down of the sun, it might be neglected partly on the account that divers writings, some whereof being put forth in print, did point at and in a great measure discriminate the affairs of the church; forasmuch as then the small commonwealth, in our first beginning at New Plymouth, consisted mostly of such as were members of the church which was first begun and afterwards carried on in Leyden, in Holland, for about the space of twelve years, and continued and carried on at Plymouth, in New England, a small part whereof remaineth |