I love this document. It's a survey of property allotted to
Hassanamisco Nipmuc Sarah Robins who married Peter Muckamaug.
Though Native, Peter was not from Hassanamesit so the land could
not be allotted to (or owned by) him. When Sarah Robins died,
the land passed to her children. The Muckamaug allotment was
originally 106 acres. The land came from the division of the
Hassanamisco Praying Plantation. Praying Plantations, or towns,
were the colonial Massachusetts equivalent to today's
reservation system. The Praying Town at Hassanamesit was 8000
acres. In 1728, the MA Bay government allowed those 8000 acres
to be divided up between 40 English proprietors and 7 Native
families. Land was also set aside for a Native church and school
and stipulations made for a minister and teacher. The 7 Native
families received 1200 acres in separate parcels. The rest was
sold to the 40 proprietors and monies from the sale deposited
for use by the Hassanamiscos. Since it was not believed that
Native people could control their o