Early baseball in Massachusetts/Predecessor Game 1

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Spread of baseball: Home -> Massachusetts -> Early baseball in Massachusetts/Predecessor Game 1

Location	Massachusetts
Year	1621
City	Plymouth
State	MA
Country	US
Name of game	Stoole Ball

Governor Bradford describes Christmas Day 1621 at Plymouth Plantation, MA, “most of this new-company excused them selves and said it wente against their consciences to work on ye day. So ye Govr tould them that if they made it mater of conscience, he would spare them till they were better informed. So he led away ye rest and left them; but when they came home at noone from their worke, he found them in ye street at play, openly; some at pitching ye barr, and some at stoole-ball and shuch like sport. . . . Since which time nothing hath been attempted that way, at least openly.”

Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation, [Harvey Wish, ed., Capricorn Books, 1962], pp 82 – 83. Henderson cites Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1856. See his ref 23. Full text supplied by John Thorn, 6/25/2005.