Guilford Covenant

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On June 1, 1639, aboard the ship, Saint John, twenty-five men, soon to be the first settlers of Guilford in the New Haven Colony of Connecticut, executed an agreement of cooperation, now commonly referred to as the Guilford "Plantation Covenant".

The Plantation Covenant:

The Plantation Covenant

We whose names are herein written, intending by God's gracious permission, to plant ourselves in New England, and if it may be in the southerly part, about Quinpisac, we do faithfully promise each for ourselves and families and those that belong to us, that we will, the Lord assisting us, sit down and join ourselves together in one entire plantation and to be helpful to the other in any common work, according to every man's ability and as need shall require, and we promise not to desert or leave each other on the plantation but with the consent of the rest, or the greater part of the company, who have entered into this engagement. As for our gathering together into a church way and the choice officers and members to be joined together in that way, we do refer ourselves until such time as it shall please God to settle us in our plantation.

In witness whereof we subscribe our hands, this first day of June 1639.

Signers:

• Robert Kitchell
• Abraham Cruttenden
• John Housegoe
• John Mepham
• William Plane
• John Bishop
• William Chittenden
• Thomas Joanes
• Thomas Naish
• John Stone
• Francis Bushnell
• Henry Doude
• John Jurden
• William Noble
• William Stone
• Francis Chatfield
• William Dudley
• Henry Kingnoth
• Thomas Norton
• Richard Guttridge
• Thomas Cooke
• John Hoadley
• William Leete
• John Parmarly
• Rev. Henry Whitfield