Pynchons Schweinefarm, Springfield, MA

Schon Thomas Pynchons Vorfahren hatten es mit Schweinen, insbesondere Mr. John Pynchon, dessen Erfahrungen mit der Schweinezucht in der Chronik der puritanischen Gemeinde Springfield, Massachusetts berichtet werden:

"In 1656 John Pynchon set out on a pork–raising speculation, on Freshwater river, now in Enfield, Conn. – at that time within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. He procured a grant of land, 20 acres for himself and 10 acres for George Colton and Benjamin Cooley. When granted it was with the agreement that "if they doe not make use of it themselves it is to return into the Townes hands agayne – they are not to sell it to any other."

The sequel was not recorded until October 8, 1660, when it appeared that Cooley had with–drawn, Pynchon taking his portion. The record give the conditions and the results:

"According to order by the Selectmen there was granted parsell of land at fresh water brooke, to Mr. Pynchon, George Colton and Benjamin Cooley, in proportion as they carry on their design of keeping swine there. In all forty acres of upland, ten acres to each quarter part, and thisupon conditon that they doe within two years carry on the design of keeping swine there. If they fail in carrying on that design within two years, or such of them doe faile, they forfeit the land & it remains to the other or them that do keep swine there; or else falls to the town, if none carry on that design of keeping swine. The design of keeping swine there was accordingly caryed on & within the tyme limited, and continued until Windsor corne fields eat up ye swine."

This quotation is in the handwriting of John Pynchon, and what he probably intended to say was that the swine ran out of the Enfield woods, in which they were fattening on acorns, and other nuts, into the Windsor corn–fields and ate so much that they consequently died from the effects and not by being eaten up by the fields."

The First Century of the History of Springfield. The Official Records from 1636 to 1736, pp 59–60.
With an Historical Review and Biographical Mention of the Founders. By Henry M. Burt. Volume I, Springfield, Massachusetts. Printed and Published by Henry M. Burt, 1898. Content graciously typed by Janice Farnsworth. HTML coding and web pages by Kathy Leigh.

Eine interessante, typisch pynchon’sche Umkehrung, die Mr. John Pynchon da gebraucht. Mehr zum Thema Pynchon und Schwein hier