March the 22th day 1681 Upon a presentation made to the Councell this present day of their writing concearning Peter Tift Orphan of Joshua Tift that some course bee taken to apoint Guardians and ffeffeese in trust that may looke after all - All matters of Landes that may a pertaine to the said Orphan :xc: and the councell haveing seriously weighed the premisses have desired and selected and Chosen three persons for Guardians or feffees in trust viz Mr. Jreth Bull Ser of Pettequamscutt or Kingstowne John Greene Jur of Warwick and Samuell Tift of Providence Unckle to the sd Orphan Authorizing them or any two of them to demand and receive deed or deeds of any lands belonging to the said orphan-Peter Tift and to doe any matter or thinge for the benifit and beehoofe of the sayd orphan as they shall thinke necessary and to make returne to the Councell Ordered that John Potter Clarke of the Councell, be apointed to write unto the persons afore named a Coppy of the abovesaid order.

Warwick General Records No.1. 1681. A1:27-28.    The Shannock Purchase The Shannock Purchase was the second largest land grant to the citizens of the Rhode Island colony during the division of the "vacant" Indian lands in 1709. The Narragansett and Niantic Indian Nations agreed to sell the "vacant lands" in exchange for permanent possession of land located in the present town of Charlestown. The Shannock Purchase encompassed a large part of the present town of Richmond. Three of the 26 individuals to receive land in the Shannock Purchase were members of the Tefft family; including Joshua Tefft's brother Samuel and Samuel's eldest son, John - as well as Joshua's orphan son, Peter. "Know all men by these presents that we Weston Clark Randall Holden Richard Greene Philip Tillinghast being a committee appointed and fully empowered by the Government & Company of the Colony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations to dispose & make sale of the vacant lands in ye Narragansett County for & in consideration of the sum of 486 pound 2 shillings currant money of New England well & truely paid unto us who receive ye same in behalf & for the use of ye Governor & Company afore sd of & at the hand of William Gibson, Nicholas Utter, Samuell Tift, fransis Colgrene, George Babcock, George Foster, William Knowles, Samuell Clark, John Eanos, William Clark, Thomas Parker, James Deny, Daniel Wilcocks, Daniel Tenant, Samuell Lewis, William Utter, John Witter, Peter Tift, Jeremiah Crandall, Eber Crandall, Samuell Perry, Joseph Brown, Weston Clark, John Tift and Nicholas Utter, Junior, all inhabitants of Westerly Kingstown and Newport." Westerly Land Evidence 2:48   1713 Shannock Purchase Map. Westerly, Rhode Island   Below is a copy of the above map redrawn by Timothy Nathan Tefft in 2003. The land divisions of the 26 Shannock Purchase Proprietors are much more easy to see. The land that Peter Tefft owned was located near the present Washington County Fairgrounds. Samuel Tefft owned land nearby on Wilbur Hill, much of which is preserved by the Nature Conservancy. His property in the northern part of the Shannock Purchase is still known to this day as "Tefft Hill". John Tefft owned several properties and bought out other landholders, and many of his descendants can trace their roots to Richmond.