The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

28 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER,
of Massachusetts returned to England, and this was
the case with some of the Dorchester settlers, the
Southcotes and others; but continual accessions
were made to the plantation by arrivals from Europe for several years. Winthrop mentions (July
24, 1633) that a ship arrived from Weymouth with
eighty passengers and twelve kine, who sat down
at Dorchester. Much pains were taken to scrutinize the character and morals of all persons offering
for emigration to Massachusetts in England, and
such as arrived here without proper testimonials
were not received. * Many of the early inhabitants
of Dorchester being natives of the channel ports,
were accustomed to the sea, and employed themselves in fishing in the bay and coasting on the
shores of Maine in pursuit of furs. Hutchinson
mentions a shallop belonging to Mr. Glover, cast
away at Nahant, in February, 1631; and again, that
five men, belonging to a Dorchester shallop, were
murdered by Indians on the coast of Maine, in 1632.
Several of the principal inhabitants were men of capital, who devoted their energies to commerce, and
when the decided advantages for trade of the present metropolis became apparent, in 1642-3, removed thither.
The following is Wood's description of Dorchester
in 1633.
"Dorchester is the greatest town in New England, but I am informed that others equal it since
I came away; well wooded and watered, very good
* See Winthrop, p. 38.