within the saide Landes and Premisses."[3] On account of the reckless manner in which the Council for New England granted away its territory, the patent conflicted with several others of an earlier date.

In March, 1622, they had granted to John Mason a patent for all the land between Naumkeag and the Merrimac River.

Then, in December, 1622, a part of this territory having a front of ten miles "upon the northeast side of Boston Bay," and extending thirty miles into the interior, was granted to Captain Robert Gorges.[4] Next, at the division in June, 1623, the part of New England about Boston Bay fell to Lord Sheffield, the earl of Warwick, and Lord Edward Gorges, a cousin of Sir Ferdinando.

The rights under the first and last of these grants were surrendered in 1629,[5] but, according to Ferdinando Gorges, he, as one of the council, only sanctioned the patent to Rosewell and his partners on the understanding that the grant to his son should not be interfered with; and the maintenance of this claim was the occasion of dispute for some years.[6] June 20, 1628, the new company sent out a party of emigrants under John Endicott, who arrived, September 6, at Naumkeag, where, with the number already on Boston Bay at their coming, they made about fifty or sixty persons.

He found the remains of Conant's company disposed to question the claims of the new-comers, but the dispute was amicably arranged, and in commemoration Naumkeag was given the name of Salem, the Hebrew word for "Peaceful."[7] For nearly a year little is known of the settlers except that in the winter some died of the scurvy and others of an "infectious fever."[8] Endicott wrote to Plymouth for medical assistance, and Bradford sent Dr.Samuel Fuller, whose services were thankfully acknowledged.