▁real ▁estate ▁as ▁fundamental ▁to ▁their ▁liberty , ▁status , ▁and ▁prosper ity , ▁the ▁colon ists ▁felt ▁hor r ified ▁by ▁the ▁swe eping ▁and ▁expensive ▁challenge ▁to ▁their ▁land ▁titles ." ▁And ros ▁had ▁been ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁bring ▁colonial ▁land ▁title ▁practices ▁more ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁those ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁to ▁introduce ▁quit - r ents ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁raising ▁colonial ▁reven ues . ▁Tit les ▁issued ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁and ▁Maine ▁under ▁the ▁colonial ▁administration ▁often ▁suffered ▁from ▁defect s ▁of ▁form ▁( for ▁example , ▁lack ing ▁an ▁im print ▁of ▁the ▁colonial ▁se al ), ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁did ▁not ▁include ▁a ▁quit - rent ▁payment . ▁Land ▁gr ants ▁in ▁colonial ▁Connecticut ▁and ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁had ▁been ▁made ▁before ▁either ▁col ony ▁had ▁a ▁char ter , ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁conflic ting ▁claims ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁areas . ▁ ▁The ▁manner ▁was ▁doub ly ▁divis ive ▁in ▁which ▁And ros ▁approached ▁the ▁issue , ▁since ▁it ▁threatened ▁any ▁land owner ▁whose ▁title ▁was ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁dub ious . ▁Some ▁land own ers ▁went ▁through ▁the ▁confirm ation ▁process , ▁but ▁many ▁refused , ▁since ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁losing ▁their ▁land , ▁and ▁they ▁viewed ▁the ▁process ▁as ▁a ▁thin ly ▁ve iled ▁land ▁grab . ▁The ▁Pur it ans ▁of ▁P ly mouth ▁and ▁Massachusetts ▁Bay ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁latter , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁extensive ▁land hold ings .