on the first board of Selectmen and held the office of Clerk of the Writs from 1649 to his death in 1662. Benjamin Cooley was prominent in town affairs, and Thomas Stebbins was later known as Lieut. Thomas Stebbins, a son of Rowland Stebbins, who was one of the first settlers of both Springfield and Northampton. Joseph Parsons was for five terms a Selectman at Northampton and again for one year in Springfield, on his return from his residence in Northampton, which indicates that his services as a public officer were held in high demand and regard. At the town meeting November 1, 1653, "Joseph Parsons & Miles Morgan were chosen surveyors of the highways for the year ensuing." This was the last time he held public office before removing to Northampton. Clocks were unknown to the first settlers of Springfield, and we find in the transactions of the Selectmen at a meeting held February 10, 1653, that it was voted to give "Joseph Parsons 13 shillings for an houre glass." It is probable that this hour glass was to note the passing of time during the religious services at the meeting house on Sundays, or at public gatherings on other occasions. It would appear that Joseph Parsons at or about the time he moved to Northampton in 1655, had begun trade with the Indians. His accounts were opened with John Pynchon in 1652. For several years afterwards his purchases at the Pynchon store indicate that they were mostly family supplies, articles needed in his own household. Later a large share of them were evidently intended for trade, and it is also evident that his trade to some extent was extended to the settlers as well as to the Indians. "Blew Trading cloth" was evidently largely exchanged with the Indians for Beaver and other skins, and most likely other items mentioned in these accounts were also exchanged with them for such products as they had for sale or barter. Wampum, largely made by the settlers from shells of the sea-shore, were disposed of to the Indians. and for many years served a good purpose in New England dur¬ ing the absence of a currency that had greater intrinsic value,. but which disappeared like the fiat money of later times when our commercial transactions concerned the world beyond our own surroundings. Pynchon's special privileges gave him. great advantage over every other settler. While they toiled in the fields and in the woods, his time was devoted to getting gain through the channels of trade. The Beaver and other skins which he bought were sent to England and there turned into cash. The wheat, peas and Indian corn were taken down to Warehouse Point or Hartford, and there sent around in sailing vessels to Boston, where they found a market. The first agreement that Pynchon made with Parsons for the Indian trade is copied from the Pynchon account books, and is as follows: "August 24, 1657. Agreed with Joseph Parsons for ye trade of Nolwotog & thence up the River, for which he is to allow for this yeare ensuing ye Sum of Twelve pounds to be pd in Bever. Ye winter Bever at 8s pr lb, ye spring at 9s, & I am to furnish him wth Trading cloth at 7s 6d pr yd, & wth shag cotton at 3s 7d pr yd, & to take of his Bever at Es pr lb ye winter Bever, & ye Spring Bever at 9s pr lb, excepting the stag Bever & small skins, wch I am to take at such price as wee can agree at, & in case of not agreeing, yt is to say, if I cannot yield to his price for ye stag & small skins, then he is at liberty to pay to me so much wheate as ye stag Bever comes to in leu thereof, he being otherwise ingaged to pay unto me all his Bever & likewise otter & musquashes." Another agreement was made with John Webb concerning the trade at Nolwotog on "behalf of Joseph Parsons," as Pynchon states, but for some reason this was cancelled, for Pynchon writes underneath it "Void." It is here, however, given in full: "Sept 1st, 1657. Agreed with John web on ye behalf of Joseph Parsons: yt he, ye John web, shal give foure pounds this year comeing for his liberty to trade at Nolwotogg, he being furnished from Joseph Parsons wth 200 yds of trading cloth, or 250 yds at 7s 9d, & 60 or 80 yds of Cottons at 3s 9d pr yd, wth a proportionable quantity of wampum & other smal things for trade, & cloth is to be marked out by mee, for John web, & of yt cloth Joseph is to let web have his quantity. And John web Ingages to pay all the Bever, otters & furs wch he receives to mee or to Joseph Parsons, ye winter Bever at 7s 9d pr lb, & spring Bever at 8s 9d, stag Bever, walsis excepted, wch is to be paid at such prices as Mr. Pynchon shall accept." Nolwotog, was one of the Indian names of Northampton, but Nonotuck was more frequently used and has come down to us as the name in general use when that region was bought of the Indians. John Pynchon's orthography was never consistent with itself, and the same might in some instances be said of his book-keeping. His accounts often show that he made mistakes, sometimes in his own favor, but about as likely to be against himself. His "walsis" finds no explanation in our modern dictionaries, and may have been a word of John Pynchon's own coining. If it refers to small and less valuable skins the kind is not known. In 1657 Pynchon reduced the price to £3 to Joseph Parsons for the Beaver trade, and "I pr'mise not to give or allow liberty to any more trade than to Edward Elmer." This privilege was renewed for several years, the price varying from £2 5s to £3 10s for each year. That the Pynchon accounts may be more easily understood it may be well to state that his abbreviations and contractions were generally in accordance with the practices of his time. The orthography belongs to Pynchon. Wt stood for white, ye for the, yt for that, and ym for them. The foundation of these contractions is in the Saxon character resembling the letter "y," which stood for "th." Some of the other abbreviations used in these accounts to the casual reader are misleading. Wherever the letter "G: " precedes a Surname, as in G: Bliss, or in G: Parsons, it stands for "Goodman."* The use of Mister and Mistress seldom occurs in the writings of that time, only applying to people of distinction, or so regarded by the recorders who have saved to descendants what is known of the people who were the first to come to New England.† * "Goodman, goodwife; applied to the master and mistress of a house, implying some degree of respect." (Stormonth.) "The goodman of the house." (Matt. xxiv. 43.) +"Our Northampton forefathers lived in a simple democracy. A very few only were distinguished by civil titles. Ministers, schoolteachers, Justice Joseph Parsons, and Lieutenant William Clark had the honorable title of "Mr." (President Dwight: "Strong Family.") These accounts, which extend over the greater part of Joseph Parsons' more active years, and during his commercial relations with the Indians, indicate his own progress in what was a most successful business career. His steady advancement in acquiring wealth is well illustrated in these purchases of Pynchon. His indebtedness to him frequently exceeded what would now be more than $3,000. Then, too, the large dealings in Beaver, Otter and Moose skins, for so many years unknown in the Connecticut Valley, carry us back to a very primitive period, making in some degree an almost forgotten past a reality to us. The originals of these accounts are in a fair state of preservation and can be seen in the City Library at Springfield. Reced by bringing up 1⁄2 Tun of goods with G: Mirick in October last 1652 your halfe is..... 00 03 06 Recd 37% of wheat at 3s 10d for ye Purchase & to acot here 25 bush 11⁄2.... 04 17 09 Recd by Carrying down ye ffalls 61 bush Corne..... Reced by carting downe to ye foote of ye 40 bush of wheate at 3d per bush..... 01 00 04 00 10 00 12 13 03 1653 Acoted & Rests due to mee..... And for John Porter you are to pay me.. all is 05 00 08 04 10 08 00 10 00 |