A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

385
John Winthrop to John Winthrop, Jr.1
Winthrop, John Winthrop, John, Jr.

1628-04-07

To his loving sonne Mr. John Winthrop at Mr. Fones house in the olde Baylye dd London
Sonne John:

I received your letter with the thinges you sente, I doe praise God for the continuance of your health and welfeare: For my selfe, my hande is soe ille, as I know not when I shall be able to travell. it hath pleased God to make it a sharpe affliction to me, I hope he will dispose it for my Goode and in his due time sende me deliverance. For your Iourney entended, seeinge you haue a resolution to goe to sea I know not wheare you should goe with such religious company and vnder such hope of blessinge, onely I am loth you should thinke of settlinge there, as yet, but to be goinge and comminge awhile and afterward to doe as god shall offer occasion. you may adventure somewhat in the plantacion at the present, and heereafter more, as God shall giue enlargment: if Mr. Featherstone will not deale I will looke no further, but your vncle Fones shall haue it, and the odde 50 poundes may be for your occasiones: Commend me hartily to all your Vncles and auntes. desire them to be mindfull of me in theare praieres, thank your Aunte Downinge for her kinde letter, tell her I see she now meanes to worke vpon the advantage in settinge me vpon the score for letters when I wante my hande to free my selfe: Put your vncle Downinge in minde againe of my chamber and tell him that this day My Brother Gostlinge and another shall goe about the businesse he did write of: tell him alsoe that Peter Alston is deade:2 commend me to Edward and desire him to get me out a privy seale against John Carver clarke, and Eliza: his wife at the sute of Mr. Atourney on the behalf of Thomas Foule:3 In the businesse conserninge your voiage I pray be advised by your vncle and other your worthy freindes who are experienced in these affaires: but aboue all seek direction and blessinge from God and soe beinge forsed to vse anothers penne, soe as I am not at that freedome to write as I would I ende, and with your Grandmothers and Mothers salutation, and blessinges vnto you, I commend you to the gracious providence, direction, and rich blessinge of the allmighty. Farewell. your lovinge Father

John Winthrop Groton, Aprell 7 1628 386

as soone as I am able to stirre aboute the house I will looke oute those Geometricall instrumentes, and bookes4 and send them vnto you: and any thinge else that you will write for.

1.

W. 7A. 23; Savage (1825), I. 352; (1853), I. 420–421; L. and L. , I. 252–253. The letter is in the writing of Forth Winthrop.

2.

Probably son of John Alston of Edwardstone. Sudbury Archdeaconry, bk. 45, fo. 273.

3.

Papers relating to Thomas Fowle of Hedingham-Castle, co. Essex, and the Fowle wardship will be printed in Volume II.

4.

“A copy of the Conic Sections of Apollonius Pergaeus, the Great Geometer (Venice, 1537), which belonged to John Winthrop, jun., is in my possession, containing his autograph annotations.” L. and L. , I. 253, note.