At a meeting of the commoners and proprietors of Marblehead James Quannapowit laid claim to all lands in Marblehead and argued that the town was giving out land that rightfully belonged to him. A committee composed of Moses Maverick, John Devereux, Captain Samuel Ward, Theodore Riddan, William Beale, Thomas Pitman, Richard Reed, and Nathaniel Walton plus the Selectmen found in favor of James Quannapowit’s title claim. The committee empowered Ward and Devereux to negotiate “reasonable terms” and to obtain a lawful deed of sale. Developing political problems with the English government over the colony’s charter, claims of royal land ownership, Quannapowit’s seemingly clear legal claim, and memories of the all-too-recent war with King Philip were excellent reasons to enter into a rapid settlement.