The Deed of Stephen Gates:
This indenture made ye twentieth day of February in ye yere of our Lord one thousand six hundred ninty & six between Leut john morgan of New London in the county of New London in the colony of conecticot New England one ye one party & Stephen Gates of Preston in ye above county of New London & clone afforesd one the other part ___ that the sd John morgan for & in consideration of the full & just sume of eleven pounds to him in hand at & before the sealing & ______ of these presents by ye sd stephen gates well & truly paid ye receipt whereof I the sd morgan doe here by acknowleg myself there with fully satisfied & payed & therof & of every part & persell therof doe ___ly acqut exonerate & discharge ye sd stephen gates his heires executors & administrators for ever by these presents have granted barganed sould alieanated & confirmed & by these presents doe fully clerly & absolutely grant bargan sell alien & confirme unto ye sd Stephen Gates his heires & assignes forever a sartain parsell of land containing by estimation about eighty acres be it more or les lying & being in preston aforesd and all so by pachauge river being buted and bounded as followeth viz: begining at a whit oak tree mark with ZM the sd tree standing one ye souwestard of a peece of medow caled hobs holle and all so one the east side of a rige from thence runing a north Line nerest one hundred and thirty two rods ____ pole to the Land that is Thomas Rose and also by ye eastarend of sd Roses sotell it runs ye number of pole first mentioned and from thence runing east nerest one hundred and sixten rods to a black oak tree stand my on the south side of pachauge river from whence uning southerly one hundred and fiften rods to a geape of stons staked upon the south side of pachaug river from thenc runing southerly one hundred and fiften rods or pole to ye tree first above mentioned sd Land to have and to hold ye sd here by granted Land unto sd Stephen gates his heires executors administrators and assignes with all ye rights members priviliges apurtanances there unto be longing for ever and ye sd john morgan for himself his heires executors and administrators & every of them doe by these presents covenant ___ & grant to & with ye sd Stephen Gates his heires executors administrators & assignes and every of them in maner & forme following viz: that the sd Stephen Gates his heires executors administrators & assignes & every of them shall & may force of these presents from time to time & at all times hereafter lawfully peaceably & quiatly have hould use occupy posses and injoy the sd here by granted Land with all & every ye Rights members priviliges & apurtanances there of belonging to his and theres own proper use & behoofe for ever with out any Let Lawseat truble ___ enjction molestation or disturbance of them ye sd morgans ___ there his heires executors administrators or assignes or ______ what soever Lawfully claiming from by or order or any of them theres or any of theres meanes act or consent all so that the here granted premises & every part & persell there of at the time of ye sealing and Delivering of these presents are free & clere or otherwise from time to time shall be suffitiantly saved except harmles by ye sd john morgan or other of his heires executors administrators or assignes of & from all & singular former & other gifts grants bargans sales Leases Lgases morgages joynters don___ title of ____ and of & from all and singular truble or title claimse demands & encombrances what soever had made omited or comited sufered ___ted or dun by ye sd morgan or other of his heires executores administrators or assignes or any person or persons what soever Lawfully claiming from by or under them or any of them those or any of theare manas act consent title or intrest priuity procurement furthermore shall and will at & upon ye resonable request and at ye proper cost and charge of ye Law of the sd Stephen Gates & do proper forme acknowleg Liu__ execute or cause to be done performed acknowledged Liquid and executed every such further Lawfull and reasonable act and acts th__ and things Device and ___ and convayances what soever in ye Law shall be thought and full & riquisite for the more perfect asurances sure making and convaying my all full and singular ye hear by granted premises with all Rights members privilidges and apurtenances unto ye sd Stephen Gates his heires executors administrators and assignes in wittnes where of ye sd Leut John Morgan have hereun to my hand and sealle the day and year a bove written

John morgan (signed)           (seal)

Witnes Samuell Mason
Elizabeth mason

Liut John morgan appered and acknowledged the a bove writen Deed be fore me Samuell mason attest in Stonington march the 30: 1696

This Deed entred may 6th: 1696 R me
Jonathan Tracy     Recorder

(Transcribed by Jan (Wilson) Ramos 9 Jun 1999 preserving original spelling, syntax, & grammar. Some words illegible due to new book binding.)