hn Endicott, and
Simon Whitcomb, gentlemen," for themselves, "their heirs, and
associates." Roswell and Young were gentlemen of Devon, Southcote was
probably of the same county, and Whitcomb is believed to have been a
London merchant.

Gorges, though not in the counsels of the patentees, supposed himself to
understand their object. Having mentioned the angry dissolution by King
Charles of his second Parliament, and his imprisonment of some of the
patriot leaders, he proceeds to say that these transactions "took all
hope of reformation of church government from many not affecting
episcopal jurisdiction, nor the usual practice of the Common Prayers of
the Church; whereof there were several sorts, though not agreeing among
themselves, yet all of like dislike of those particulars. Some of the
discreeter sort, to avoid what they found themselves subject unto, made
use of their friends to procure from Council for the affairs of New
England to settle a colony within their limits; to which it pleased the
thrice-honored Lord of Warwick to write to me, then at Plymouth, to
condescend that a patent might be granted to such as then sued for it.
Whereupon I gave my approbation, so far forth as it might not be
prejudicial to my son Robert Gorges' interests, whereof he had a patent
under the seal of the Council. Hereupon there was a grant passed as was
thought reasonable."

After three months Endicott, one of the six patentees, was despatched,
in charge of a small party, to supersede Conant at Naumkeag as local
manager. Woodbury had preceded them. They arrived at the close of
summer. The persons quartered on the spot, the remains of Conant's
company, were disposed to question the claims of the new-comers. But the
dispute was amicably composed, and, in commemoration of its adjustment,
the place took the name of Salem, the Hebrew name for peaceful. The
colony, made up from the two sources, consisted of "not much above fifty
or sixty persons," none of them of special importance except Endicott,
who was destined to act for nearly forty years a conspicuous part in New
England history.

Before the winter, an exploring party either began or made preparations
for a settlement at Mishawum, now Charlestown. With another party,
Endicott, during Morton's absence in England, visited his diminished
company at Merry-Mount, or, as Endicott called it, Mount Dagon, "caused
their Maypole to be cut down, and rebuked them for their profaneness,
and ad