Not knowing probably any thing about it, they call it, even after
Nurse's death, "Mr. Allen's farm." This, however, was a slight matter.
When Allen sold the farm to Nurse, he bound himself to defend the
title; and he was true to his bond. What was required to be done in
this direction may, perhaps, have exposed the Nurses to animosities
which afterwards took terrible effect against them.

In granting lands originally, neither the General Court nor the town
exercised sufficient care to define boundaries. There does not appear
to have been any well-arranged system, based upon elaborate,
accurate, scientific surveys. Of the dimensions of the area of a
rough, thickly wooded, unfrequented country, the best estimates of the
most practised eyes, and measurements resting on mere exploration or
perambulation, are very unreliable. The consequence was, that, in many
cases, grants were found to overlap each other. This was the case with
the Bishop farm; and soon after Nurse came into possession, and had
begun to operate upon it, a conflict commenced; trespasses were
complained of; suits were instituted; and one of the most memorable
and obstinately contested land-controversies known to our courts took
place. In that controversy Nurse was not formally a principal. The
case was between James Allen and Zerubabel Endicott, or between Allen
and Nathaniel Putnam.

An inspection of the map, at this point, will enable us to understand
the grounds on which the suit was contested. The Orchard Farm was
granted to Endicott, as has been stated, July 3, 1632, by the General
Court. The grant states the bounds on the south and on the north to be
two rivers; on the east, another river, into which they both flow;
and, on the west, the mainland. Where this western line was to strike
the rivers on the north and south is not specified; but the natural