Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 15.

[p. 33] the upland between High street and said marshland. It included that point of marshland that was cut off, when a new channel of the river was made by Messrs. Curtis and Stetson, shipbuilders, as a passageway for their ships. This point of marshland or island has been removed by recent improvements made in the river. The easterly part of these twelve acres is the land in the rear of the Armory building. This deed shows that the Mansion house therein spoken of could not have been the so-called Cradock house.

In Book 3, page 397, of the abovesaid records, Richard Russell of Charlestown sells to Jonathan Wade of Ipswich ‘3/4 part of the land purchased of Edward Collins, with all buildings.’ Mr. Russell reserved the other one-quarter part adjoining Blanchard's farm, viz.: one-quarter part of the meadow and one-quarter part of all other lands, ‘which were of that part that is furthest from the dwelling house,’ and ‘adjoining that farm which was Mr. Nowell's, and to Blanchard's as above.’ Here we have the Mansion house described in the deed of Collins to Russell called a dwelling house by Russell to Wade. They are identical.

Next in Book 8, page 35, of the records aforesaid, we have a deed from ‘Richard Russell, Executor of the will of his father Richard Russell, Senior, to Peter Tufts of Charlestown, of 350 acres of land more or less, part of Meadford plantation. . . being 1/4 part of that farm which Mr. Collins sold to said Russell, and hath thereon one dwelling house and barn. . . .’ Bounded northerly with Charlestown line, southerly with Mistick river, westerly with Mr. Wade's land, easterly on land of the said Peter Tufts (this land of Tufts was the Nowell farm). The date of this deed was April 20, 1677.

Again in Book 8, page 36, of the records before mentioned, Peter Tufts, Senior, of Charlestown, sells to Peter Tufts, Junior, of Meadford (commonly called Captain Peter), ‘1/2 part of the farm bought of Richard Russell bounded westerly by Mr. Nathaniel Wade's land, easterly ’