Sheffield Patent facts for kids

The Sheffield Patent, dated January 1, 1623, was an important land grant. It was given by Edmund Sheffield, 1st Earl of Mulgrave from England to Robert Cushman and Edward Winslow. These two men lived in Plymouth Colony in America. The patent allowed them and their friends to use the land around Cape Ann in what is now Massachusetts. This included the nearby bay and islands.

The patent set aside 500 acres (about 2 square kilometers) for public buildings. It also gave 30 acres (about 121,000 square meters) for private use to each settler who arrived within the next 70 years.

Later, people from the Dorchester Company settled Cape Ann. This company eventually became part of the larger Massachusetts Bay Colony.