Scope and Content: Over the centuries, the land of the various Massachusetts Indians was sold off for their support, often under the supervision of state-appointed guardians. In 1681 the Nipmucs sold a combined total of 1,000 square miles to William Stoughton and Joseph Dudley acting on behalf of the Massachusetts Bay colony, reserving five square miles along the Massachusetts/Connecticut border for themselves (Mass Recs 5: 365-7). This land was reduced to 8,000 acres in 1707, and an Apr. 9, 1724 indenture by William Dudley leased to the Indian natives one square mile.  St 1731-32, c 17 (Feb. 3, 1732) incorporated the town of Dudley, including this area, with the local Nipmucs becoming known as Dudley Indians. –Resolves 1762-63, c 184 (Jan. 29, 1763) allowed the heirs of William Dudley to sell the land he had leased to the Indians, leaving them with 200 acres on the east side of Dudley, as long as they continued to improve it. In exchange, Dudley’s heirs were to pay the Dudley Indian guardians for debts incurred for their care, as well as an annual sum for supporting the Indians. –Per Resolves 1797, c 21 (June 17), the General Court allowed the sale of Indian land in Dudley by the Dudley guardians to Levi Davis, who in turn was to reimburse the guardians for their expenses in supplying the Indians, to provide a payment interest from which was to be used to benefit the Indians, and to convey a deed to the Commonwealth for a 26-acre plot for the use and benefit of the Indians. In 1832 this part of Dudley became part of the new town of Webster. –The guardianship system ended when St 1869, c 463 extended Massachusetts citizenship to all Indians remaining under guardians. Probate judge-appointed commissioners disposed of remaining common lands, and the indigent were placed under the care of the Board of State Charities. The general agent of the Board of State Charities was directed to take charge of the Commonwealth-owned Webster land, which was sold. –St 1889, c 443 allowed commissioners to sue on behalf of the Dudley Indians to receive shares of money from the sale of reservation land by the state and trust fund money on deposit. Resolves 1890, c 69 authorized the paying out to the commissioners of
Notes: From 1870 the state treasurer’s  office was the official repository of deeds for Commonwealth real property. Extracted from: Massachusetts. Treasury Dept. Deeds for lands owned by the Commonwealth, 1817-1975 ((M-Ar)2468)
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