A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Folio 38
Winthrop, Adam (1548-1623)

1608 A festo sancti Michaelis Archangeli Anno supradicto.

The iijth of Octobre my Cosen Nathanaell Still and his brother John were at Groton.

The iiijth Sir Robert Crane1 sent his Coche for me my wyfe and my daughter Winthrop to dine with him at Chilton.

The vjth Mr. Ben: Brond kept Court and leet at Edwardeston.

The xth of octobre my soonne John and his wyfe Mary departed from Groton to dwell at Stambridge in Essex.

The xjth day Robert Waspe died and was buryed.

The xxjth my daughter Jane and Elizabeth Hilles went to Chilton Hall.

The xxijth my soonne Thomas Fones came to Groton and the xxiiijth in the morninge my daughter his wife was deliuered of hir first childe a daughter.2

The same day I kept a Court at Bromeley Hall.

The xxvjth Sir Robert Crane came to my howse.

The last of octobre Mr. John Coe the yonger borowed of me xl s.

100

The 1 of November my daughter Fones daughter was Christened Sir Robert Crane and his Lady3 were present and she was witnesse with Mres. Bridget Samson and Mrs. Bronde and my selfe she named the Childe Dorothey.

The vth Mr. Goslin deliuered my estate to Pooley in his house.

The same day Robert Surrey and I reconed and made eeven.

The xijth of November I tooke an estate from Sweetman of Linsey to the vse of Eve his wife in his howse.

The xvjth day Mr. William Clopton Mr. Brampton Gurdon and Dr. John Duke were committed to the Fleete by my Lord Chancellor.

The 24 Mr. William Parsons 4 of Much Bentley5 preached at Boxford.

The last of November Alice Reignold came to dwell with me. the next day I rode towardes Cambridge.

The seconde day of December I did ryde to Cambridge.

The same day my brother Roger Weston the vicar of Wormingford6 in Essex died.

The iiijth of December Barnabe Warde my tenant died.

The xijth of December I retorned home from the Auditt.

The xixth of December my soone Thomas Fones and his wyfe Anne with his little daughter Dorothy departed towardes London 24° filia sua in lecto mortua est inventa.

The last of December I did ryde to Stambridge in Essex and retourned home the xth of January.

A festo sancte nativitatis domini nostri Jesu Christi

The xijth of January Mr. Henry Sandes preached at Boxford.

The xixth Mr. Carewe7 preached at Boxford and I dyned with him at Mr. Brondes and muche snowe fell.

The xxiijth of Jan: I payd William Alston of Newton xlij li. in the presence of Tho: Alston his soonne and William Sharman.

The same day Mr. Henry Sands and Dr. John Duke did ryde to London.

The 26 Mr. John Chaplayne did preach at Boxford.

The 2 of Feb. the Buttes were repayred.

The 4 of Feb. I went to Hadley to see my sister Bridget Alibaster.

the same day John Wynthrop hurt his forhed with a fall.

The vjth of Feb. Dr. Some8 Master of Peterhouse died. and Dr. Plaifere9 died the blank of January.

The 21 of Feb. Harry Pease brought me a lettre from my soonne John.

The last of Feb. John Rawlin senior griffed10 xx heds for me in my nue orchyarde. the wynde blue very colde and Rough out of the West et rigebant omnes.

101

The 2 of Marche Mr. Henry Sands preched at Boxford after his retourne from London.

The 3 Mr. William Manocke and his eldest soonne were at my house, the same day Elizabeth Hilles fell sicke at London.

The vth day it snowed and was very colde.

The xjth Sir Henry Mildmay my Nephew came to Groton and the next day being sonday he ryd to Bury.

The xiijth thassises were holden at Bury.

The xiiijth James Ailwardes yongest Daughter was searched by women and fownde with Childe which she confessed and that Francis the Vinteners man was the Father therof.

The xviijth Sir William Waldegrave tooke a general view of diuers townes at Assington for the providing of Armour.

The xxth of March Steven Plombe deliuered an estate by a deede polle11 vnto the Wydow Gardiner and William hir sonne of and in the mesuage and tenement which she had before of their feoffement12 viz. to her for the terme of hir life the remainder to William and his heires.

The same day I sealed a bonde of c li. vnto William Alston for the payement of lij li. x s. the xxijth of September next.

The xxiiijth my sister Elizabeth Winthrop came to my house and I paid hir v li. in the presence of Adam Podde.

The xxvjth I payd the Widowe Beeche13 xx s. in the presence of John Dogett John Brug and John Cole and I deliuered to Philip Goslin the yonger a xx s. to be paid vnto hir the 26 of August 1610.

The xxvth Thomas Booth14 came to dwell in Groton in Hartewells Howse where William Sweetsur did dwell.

The same day I received a lettre from my soonne John Winthrop.

The last day of Marche the commissioners did sett at Bury for the levienge of Aide to make the prince knight.15 39

1.

Robert Ryece dedicated to Sir Robert Crane the manuscript of A Breviary of Suffolk, February 9, 1618–19. Sir Robert gained a baronetcy in 1627 and was high sheriff of Suffolk, 1632. W. S. Appleton, Memorials of the Cranes of Chilton (Cambridge, Mass., 1868), 79–82.

2.

Dorothy, who died December 24 following. Infra, p. 100.

3.

Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Hubbard [or Hobart], Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and Dorothy, daughter of Sir Robert Bell, Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Appleton, Cranes of Chilton, 67; D. N. B. , XXVII. 31.

4.

Vicar of Much Bentley, 1603–20, and died June 27, 1625. Venn, A. C. , III. 314.

5.

Great Bentley, a parish in the hundred of Tendring, co. Essex.

6.

A parish in the hundred of Lexden, co. Essex.

7.

Possibly George Carew, rector of Boyton, co. Suffolk, 1609–17. Venn, A. C. , I. 291.

8.

Robert Some (1542–1609). D. N. B. , LIII. 217–218, where the date of his death is given as January 14 and his burial February 10.

9.

Thomas Playfere (1561?–1609). Ibid., XLV. 416. He died February 2, 1608–09.

10.

An obsolete form of graft.

11.

A deed made and executed by one party only; so called because the paper or parchment is ’polled’ or cut even, not indented. N. E. D.

12.

Livery of seisin, which invested a person with a freehold estate, was not at common law always evidenced by a deed.

13.

Susan Vintener, widow of Henry Beache.

14.

Son of Richard and Margaret Booth of Chelsworth. Sudbury Archdeaconry, bk. 42, fo. 99.

15.

The various state papers on levying this aid are calendared in the Calendar of State Papers, Domestic, 1603–1610, 494–570, passim. Henry Frederick, born February 19, 1594, died November 6, 1612. Of the meeting at Bury Mr. Redstone writes:

“This was a stormy meeting and occasioned differences of opinion between the Commissioners for East and those for West Suffolk. The West Suffolk Commissioners were the first to meet, at Bury St. Edmunds, and determined that juries from the hundreds should only be summoned at the end of their proceedings. Sir Robert Hicham, Knt., strongly opposed the decision, and as he sat also for East Suffolk he carried with him the East Suffolk Commissioners, and adopted the Norfolk procedure of taking a presentment from jurors, hundred by hundred, at the very first. The question was referred to the Earl of Salisbury, but there is no record of his decision.”

Folio 39
Winthrop, Adam (1548-1623)

April 1609. The 3 of Aprill my sister Elizabeth Winthrop came to Groton with her Cosen Thomas Springe.1

The same day I had ij lambes fell.

The iiijth day I went to Hadley and the vth to Bury.

102

The vjth goodwife Potter the midwife died.

The ixth Elizabeth Hilles retourned from London to Groton.

The xiiijth day my soonne John Winthrop and his wife came to my house from Stambridge in Essex.

The xviijth day I went to Mr. William Manockes, and the same day my Cosen William Firmin came to my house.

The 21 of Aprill I sealed a bonde of xl li. to Mr. Thomas Pretyman for the payement of xxj li. v s. the 22 of July next at Robert Brownes house in Bury.

The xxijth of Aprill I demanded in my hall xxx s. which William Gosnold shoulde haue then paide me for his half yeres rent.

The xxvjth I went with my sonne to deliuer an estate vnto Richard Cooke in Father Hilles ferme.

The 29 of Aprill Nicholas Cokes wife came to her Father Cookes howse with one Mr. Drury the minister of blank.

The first of May my wyfe did ryde with my soonne and his wyfe into Essex to Stambridge. the same day Mr. Thomas Nicholsons soonne2 was to be arrayned at the quarter Sessions in Bury etc.

The iiijth of May Mr. Paul Powle sent me a lettre by Sweetsur who had complayned of me to him. and the vjth he came to my house.

The same day I hearde that my brother John Winthrop was come to London.

The same day I received 22 lambes and ij olde sheepe from my soonne John and ij mare coltes.

The xjth of May Mr. Cartar3 preached at Boxford Rom. 6. 12. the same day I had a yong barrowe hog died throwgh burstinge.

The xijth my blacke sowe was gelded.

The xvijth my wyfe retourned out of Essex.

The 22 I did ride toward London and returned the xxvijth of the same.

The last of Maye I hearde that W. F. had gotten a Wench with Childe quod cum iuramento negauit.

The first of June my brother John came to Groton.

The same day my nephew Sir Henry Mildmay was maried to Sir William Harris his daughter4 of Crickesey.

On Sundaye the xjth of June my brother John and I dined at Richard Spensers.

The xiiijth day I went with John Dogett to deliuer an estate vnto Mr. Brabant5 in lands at Levenhey.6

The xvjth day of June my brother John departed from Groton toward London.

The xvijth day it rayned and thundred exceedingly.

The xxjth day I did ryde with Mr. Gostin Gostlin toward London.

the same day Tho. Nicholson was arrayned at Bury.

The 20 of July I returned from Stambrige to Groton.

The 26 my sister Elizabeth Winthrop came to Groton.

103

The 27th. thassises were holden at Bury.

The viijth of August I and my wife did deliuer an estate to John Bronde the elder and John his soonne of and in all our messuages and tenementes in Shireburgh-streete.

The xjth of August my soonne John was taken with a fierce ague and the xviijth I redde to Stambridge to see him and retorned the xxijth.

The xxvjth I deliuered to John Bronde the wrightinges of the landes which he bought of me.

The first of Sept. Mr. Henry Sands and his wife dined with me.

The seconde and thirde Mr. John Knewstub preached at Boxford.

The vth of september Thomas Walton7 esq. died at Hadley of the age of lx yeres.

The xth my sister Elizabeth Winthrop came to Groton.

The first of Octobre I had a swellinge and payne in my right hande.

The xiijth day I kept a Court at Toppesfilde.

The xviijth day William Gale had a house burnt.

The xxvth my soonne John kept his first Court at Groton Hall where a Recouery was sued against Ed. Robertson.

The first day of Novembre John Rawlinge kept a feast at his nue house where Mr. Thomas Tilney Mr. John Dogett and diuers others dined.

The viijth I did ryde towardes london and retourned the xiiijth.

The xijth I did heare Dr. Kinge8 preache a Sermon at St. Andrewes in Holbrond vppon the 14 Joh. v. 1 pie et erudite.

The xxiijth of November I went to Lanham to my sister Elizabeth Winthrop.

The xxiiijth my daughter Jane went to London.

The xixth of December my soonne John Winthrop and my Nephewe Abraham Veysie9 came to Groton.

The seconde of Jan: I deliuered sesin to Mr. Philip Goslin in Wades ferme.

The xxxth day of Decembre my sonnes third sonne10 was borne at Stambridge in Essex.

The viijth of Jan: my cosen William Firmyn came to my house.

The 22 and 23 Mr. Dr. Meriton11 came to speake with me about the resigninge of my office in Trinity college to Mr. Brookes.12

The xiiijth of Marche I dyned at Dr. George Meritons in Hadley and Received of him a xx li. for my Auditorshippe. 40

1.

Elizabeth Risby, an aunt of Elizabeth (Risby) Winthrop, married Nicholas Spring of Lavenham and had a son Thomas. Robert Ryece, Breviary of Suffolk, 171; Muskett, 73.

2.

Thomas, baptized at Edwardstone May 17, 1575.

3.

Probably Thomas Carter, Christ’s College, M.A., 1599; curate of St. Margaret’s, Ipswich, 1604; rector of St. Helen’s, Ipswich, 1611; and of Shotley, co. Suffolk, 1616–24. Venn, A. C. , I. 301.

4.

Alice, daughter of Sir William and Alice (Smyth) Harris of Creeksea, co. Essex. Muskett, 45, 47; Visitations of Essex, I (H. S., Pub. , XIII), 250, 453; Morant, Essex, I. 363.

5.

Perhaps Robert Brabant, citizen and “imbrotherer” of London. Will, 1615, P. C. C., 35 Rudd.

6.

Leavenheath or Levenhey was a manor held by the Waldegrave family. It is now a parish, formed out of Stoke by Nayland, Assington, Nayland, Polstead, and Wissington parishes. Barker, West Suffolk, 240.

7.

His daughter, Joan, married Philip Forth, a cousin of Mary Forth, wife of John Winthrop. Muskett, 117, 119.

8.

John King (1559?–1621), bishop of London and rector of St. Andrew, Holborn, 1597–1611. D. N. B. , XXXI. 136–138.

9.

Son of Abraham and Mary (Winthrop | Cely) Vesey. Muskett, 25, 63.

10.

Forth Winthrop. Ibid., 26.

11.

George Meriton (d. 1624), of St. John’s College, Cambridge, dean of York. He was rector of Hadleigh and dean of Bocking, 1599–1618. D. N. B. , XXXVII. 277–278.

12.

Probably Richard Brooke or Brookes, who died in 1640. Venn, A. C. , 1. 227.