Relations between the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were sometimes less than cordial. They disagreed about theology, they disputed over land, and they competed for the Indian fur trade. It was the rivalry for furs that led to what was perhaps the first American inter-colonial crisis. John Hocking, of Piscataqua (later Portsmouth, New Hampshire) attempted to intercept the Pilgrims’ beaver trade on the Kennebec River by trading upstream from their posts. After he ignored their reproaches, a party set out to cut the moorings of his trading ship. He drew a gun to stop them, killed one man, and was then killed by the attacking Pilgrims. When shortly thereafter John Alden sailed into Boston harbor on a trading mission he was arrested. Hoping to avoid further trouble, the Pilgrims sent Miles Standish to explain why Hocking had been attacked and to establish that an infringement of Plymouth territory had clearly taken place. The dispute was later settled peaceably at a conclave of magistrates and ministers, who, in William Bradford’s words, “embraced with love and thankfulness … their love and concord renewed.” The following account is taken from James Kendall Hosmer, ed.: “Winthrop’s Journal,” in Original Narratives of Early American History, VII (1908); see also William Bradford: Of Plymouth Plantation, ed. Samuel Eliot Morison (1967).
May 3. News came of the death of Hockin and the Plymouth man at Kenebeck (and of the arrival of the ship at Pemaquid, which brought thirty passengers for this place).
The occasion of the death of those men at Kenebeck was this: The Plymouth men had a grant, from the grand patentees of New England, of Kenebeck, with liberty of sole trade, etc.
The said Hockin came in a pinnace, belonging to the Lord Say and Lord Brook at Pascataquack, to trade at Kenebeck. Two of the magistrates of Plymouth, being there, forbad him; yet he went up the river; and, because he would not come down again, they sent three men in a canoe to cut his cables. Having cut one, Hockin presented a piece, and sware he would kill him that went to cut the other. They bad him to do if he drust, and went on to cut it. Thereupon he killed one of them, and instantly one in the Plymouth pinnace (which rode by them, and wherein five or six men stood with their pieces ready charged) shot and killed Hockin.
15. At the general court at Boston, upon the complaint of a kinsman of the said Hockin, John Alden, one of the said magistrates of Plymouth, who was present when Hockin was slain, being then at Boston, was called and bound with sureties not to depart out of our jurisdiction without leave had; and withal we wrote to Plymouth to certify them what we had done, and to know whether they would do justice in the cause, (as belonging to their jurisdiction,) and to have a speedy answer, etc. This we did, that notice might be taken, that we did disavow the said action, which was much condemned of all men, and which was feared would give occasion to the king to send a general governor over; and besides had brought us all and the gospel under a common reproach of cutting one another’s throats for beaver.