History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Purchases, Deeds, Etc, 43
in 1698, in a letter from him to Lieut.-Col. Elisha Hutchinson
and others, dated Taunton, April 30, 1698, to be found in the
State Archives, Vol. 113, p. 167, in which he says:
"We bought it first of Woosamequin in the year '39 or '40 (this was in
my minority) the sum paid I know not; then we bought all again of Philip,
and paid him 16 pounds for it; then we bought that very spot of Josiah, he
claiming some land there as appears by his deed, then we bought that spot
again, with other land of Maj. Bradford, he had 20 pounds more," etc.
By the foregoing deeds it appears that the South Purchase, was originally
about four miles square; but a controversy soon arose between Taunton
and Swansey as to the new territory, which in 1672 was referred to the
General Court at Plymouth, which made this order thereon:
"In reference to a controversye depending betwixt the townes of
Taunton and Swansey respecting the lands mortgaged to the Treasurer by
Philip, the sachem, being by the said townes repectiue agents referred to this
Court for the finall determination and issue thereof, whose pleas being
heard and duly weyed, this Court orders, that the three miles first purchased,
for which a deed hath been obtained of the said sachem, shalbe and belonge
vnto the towne of Taunton, and accoumpted within theire township,
provided that Swansey men doe pay or cause to be payed theire full part of
the payment made or to be made for the redeeming of the said lands mortgaged,
or for the farther payment of the purchase vnto Philip, according
both for specie and time equally proportionable to the other lands purchased
as abouesaid; alsoe that Swansey men shall from time to time
allow convenient ways to Taunton men vnto their meddows lying within
the line of Swansey and timber to fence them, with such smalle stripps or
points of vpland to run theire fence on as may be necessary for fencing the
said meddowes, and that the said meddowes, bee exempted from rates att
Swansey." (Ply. Col. Rec. Vol. V. page 107.)
But this adjustment did not apparently prove satisfactory, for on the
next July the agents of each town made a division by which "the property
of the two miles abutting on the salt water shall belong to Taunton, and that
the property of the other two miles, running into the woods shall appertain
and belong to Swansey, the town of Swansey paying to Taunton thirteen
pounds ten shillings, (Ply. Col. Deeds, Vol IV, p. 105) This accounts for the
projection of a corner of Swansey into the southwest corner of Dighton,
and which has since been called "The Two Mile Purchase."
Incorporation of Somerset
As early as Nov. 2, 1720, some of the inhabitants of that
part of Swansea called "Shawomet," petitioned the General
Court to set off a new Town—It was voted down in Town
Meeting.
Again in 1724, the proposition was rejected. And as late
as 1789, the Town voted against separation. But after several
petitions and counter petitions, and various contentions
and town-meetings, *' An act for incorporation that part of the
town of Swansey known by the name of Showomett in the
County of Bristol into a separate town by the name of
Somerset," was enacted.
—