A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Henry Winthrop to John Winthrop1
Winthrop, Henry Winthrop, John

1627-10-15

To the Worshipfull his Loving Father John Winthrop, Esqr., deliver these. I pray leaue this lettre att Mr Fones House at the Three Faunes in the old Bayly In London per a Frend whome god preserve Pay the Post
Most lovinge Father

after my humble dutye remembred to your sellfe and to my mother and Grandmother my loue to my brotheres and sisters and to the rest of my cindred respectively and frendes and acquantance—Thes are to let you vnderstand that I did wright to you be by captine Powell but least that you haue not reseyued my leter, I thought good to laye hould of an oppertunytye profered to me by a Plimmythe shipe tuchinge here to sertyfye you of my hellthe and wellfare so fare as time will giue me leue I blesse god that I was at scee aboue 3 mounthes and had not one houres sickenes nor science the time I was landed to this presente houre I ame here on this Iland of the weest Indyes called the Barbathes setled for a plantatyon for tobackow one which Iland here is but 3 score of christyanes and fortye slaues of negeres and Indyenes. and here I doe purpoes and if it please god to stay 3 yeres for the disscriptyon of the Iland I will leaue it till you doe reseiue my lettres by the captane Poowell in which letteres I haue wright to yow abought much bysynesse for the sendinge of me sume men ouer and clothes and othere thinges and in the meane time afore you doe reseiue these letteres and If you here of a ship that toucheyes here then that you woold send me ouer sum 2 or 3 men that they be bound to searue me in the west indyes sum 3 yere or 5 which you 362doe thincke good to binde them for and get them as resonable as you can promysinge them not aboue 10 pound a yere and a chest of conveniensie for clothese and sum linnynge clothes for my sellefe for shurte and stokinges for them and 30 payre of strong 3 solle shoes with alls and wax and thered and 5 thousand of sparow billes a dosen of kniues and a rundlyet of a good bute of 10 galyones and sume other thinge that you doe thincke I haue nede of and send me those thinges allso with all sped you can I wright for by my letteres by captine Powell and within this hallfe yeere I hope to send you 500 or a Thousand wayght of tobackow thus craving your prayres I rest as in haste Your obedyente sonne,

Henry Winthrope from the Barbathes this 15 of October 1627.
1.

W. 1. 27; 5 Collections , VIII. 180–181.