The Deed Walker · From Ninigret · Charlestown, Rhode Island land evidence, 1738 to today
Trail: 11915

5/27/1813 · DEED · book 5 page 175 doc 11915

From NARRAGANSETT INDIAN TRIBE life, BABCOCK DANIEL life
To WHITFORD BENJAMIN life
Consideration fifty five Dollars
Premises Twenty Acres and one quarter · One Lot situated in the Town of Charlestown (Charlestown, Cedar Swamp)
Also on this page: RELEASE TRAINOR JOHN J EST

Back — where this land came from

This is the first alienation
The grantor is the sachem or the tribe, so this instrument is where this ground enters the town's land evidence. Behind it stands the reserved tract of 1709 — the Narragansett reservation, about 64 square miles, carved out of the roughly 130,000 acres of "vacant lands" Ninigret quit-claimed to the Colony on 28 March 1709 (State Records, Land Evidence 3, p. 273; Tucker 1877, pp. 23–24) — and, before the reservation, the Narragansett country itself. There is no earlier deed to follow; the land is followed from here by its bounds and its abutters. From Ninigret — every such instrument ▸
indian Narragansett Tribe of Indians
“Common Land belonging to the Narragansett Tribe of Indians”
no book and page cited; the source is named, not recorded here
read by: gemma

Forward — where this land went

The grantee's later conveyances, by name — the man, not necessarily this land; the one that cites this deed as its source is the land

▶ 1822 · DEED · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → BOSANSDES FREDERICK · book 6 p 10
▶ 1823 · DEED · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → BOSEMODES FREDERICK · book 6 p 22
▶ 1827 · AGREEMENT · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → WHITFORD ELIZABETH; WHITFORD BENJAMIN · book 6 p 155
▶ 1827 · DEED · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → TILLINGHAST STATELY · book 6 p 171
▶ 1827 · DEED · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → WHITFORD AMY · book 6 p 172
▶ 1840 · DEED · WHITFORD BENJAMIN; WHITFORD ELIZABETH → TILLINGHAST STANLY · book 7 p 26

The instrument's own words

page 1
175 Know all Men by these present That I Daniel Babcock Esqr of Hopkinton on the County of Washington and State of Rhode Island By Virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of Said State passed February second AD 1810 Appointing the said Daniel Babcock a committee to sell as much of the Common Land belonging to the Narragansett Tribe of Indians in Charlestown as may raise the Sum of One thousand One hundred and Dollars and was Eighty four Pounds Sterling Do for and in Consideration of the Sum of fifty five Dollars to me in hand well and truly paid by Benjamin Williams of [illegible] in the County aforesaid the Receipt whereof I do hereby Acknowledge Have given granted Bargained and Sold the said Sum the said Benjamin Williams his Heirs and Assigns forever One Lot of Acre seven and one half and situated in the Town of Charlestown Containing Twenty Acres and one quarter and bounded a North West (on) Benjamin at the Edge of the Cedar Swamp at the St. Benjamin Williams Northward Common Road west on North thirty one Rode to a Stake Three North 3 West and bounded east from said to a Stake Distance Three East 3 South thirty one West and bounded to a fence Three hundred North 3 East Distance One hundred and from said to the first Mentioned Bound...... To have and to hold all the above Described Land and premises forever together with all and Singular the privileges and Appurtenances the said Land belonging with him the said Benjamin Williams his Heirs and Assigns forever And I the said said Daniel Babcock as Governor agree and with the said Benjamin Williams to him and Assigns forever covenant to warrant Seize and Defend by those successors all the before Described Bargained Premises against all Lawfull Claims or Demands of any Person or Persons whatsoever Applicable to the full Effect of the said said Act of Assembly - In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the 1st Day of April A.D. 1813 Signed Sealed and Delivered In Presence of Joshua Card Peleg Cross Daniel Babcock Esqr State of Rhode Island be - Washington Co Charlestown April 27th A.D. 1813 Personally Appear Daniel Babcock Esqr and acknowledged the Signing and Sealing of This Deed to be his Voluntary Act and Deed hand & Seal Thereunto Affixed - Recorded May 27th AD 1813 Before Peleg Cross Town Clerk Per Peleg Cross Town Clerk

The page as recorded

page 1

deed_walker_v1.9_2026-10-10 · the index is the town's own (i2l.uslandrecords.com); transcripts, chains and the assessor's cards are the Perry Machine's reading of it. Where the record we hold runs out, the page says so.