Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

John Winthrop to Margaret Winthrop1

Winthrop, John Winthrop, Margaret

1623-12-11

My most louinge and deare wife,

I receiued thy kinde and welcome Lettres, and doe heartyly blesse our mercifull God for his gratious prouidence ouer thee and all our familye: oh that we had heartes to loue him and trust in him as his kindnesse is towards vs: I am sory that I cannot returne to thee so soone as I made account, for comminge to Childerditch2 vpon saterday last, I found my Cosin Barfut very ill, and decayinge so fast as on mundaye morninge I could not leaue him, so stayinge with him about noone he comfortably and quietly gaue vp the Ghost: I sawe Gods proui292dence had brought me thither to be a stay and comfort to hir in that suddaine tryall when none of hir freinds were with hir; by this occasion it was Wensdaye night before I could gett to London: where (I prayse God) I found all well except my brother Fones, who is aguishe etc: as he useth to be. the dayes are heere so shorte and the weather so could as I can dispatch no businesse, so that it wilbe the ende of the next weeke before I can gett home. heer is no certaine newes, but much expected within fewe dayes. Till I come haue care of thy selfe and little ones (as I knowe thou doest); remember my duty to mother, and my loue to mr. Sandes and all the rest. So with my kindest loue to my sweet wife, and my blessinge to our children I comende thee and all the rest to the blessinge and protection of the lord and rest Thy faithful louinge husband

John Winthrop

my brother Fones and my sister and my brother Downinge salute the and my mother.

December 11 1623. 1.

W. 1.10; L. and L. , I. 194–195.

Childerditch is a parish in the hundred of Chafford, co. Essex.

Sir Robert Crane1 to John Winthrop2

Crane, Robert Winthrop, John

1623-12-15

To the Worshipfull his very Lovinge Friend Mr. John Wintheropp Esquire at Mr. Foones his howse An Apothecary in the old Bayley, these be ded.

Sir

I muste not omite to lete you knove that I have resaived your letter, and with all to giue you thancks that you wer so mindfull of me. I pray God of his mersy stile to put of all thinges that may be hinderanse to his triue worshipe; for the other bisinases, they wilbe acseptable (and no doute profitable) to the common welthe but I beleve it is not that which moveth but sum suplye of muny from thes thinges lete me intrete you to siee if 293you coulde plase my Cosin Choppinse sunne with sum ofiser that you knove, or in sum other plase he doth a litell vnderstand the latine tongue and was by his father imployed in keping the hundred cortes and bisinese of that natiure, he shall expeckt nothing for his servise but his dyete only I woulde have him in a way to doe him selfe good (which is not with living with me) Thus am I boulde with you as with a frind that shall at all times find me redy to performe anye thinge that lyeth in the pover of Your trive frend

R Crane Chilton this 15 of Des: 1623

I pray make haste home for we miss you

Sir Robert Crane, of Chilton, co. Suffolk (c. 1585–1643), was son of Robert Crane (d. 1591) and Bridget, daughter of Sir Thomas Jermyn of Rushbrooke in that county. He was knighted in 1605 and created a baronet May 11, 1627. He served in Parliament for Sudbury and Suffolk and was sheriff of Suffolk in 1631–32. In January, 1607, he married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Hobart, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, who died April, 1624. He married for a second wife Susan, daughter of Sir Giles Alington of Horseheath, co. Cambridge, and Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter. Sir Robert died in London, February 17, 1642–43, and his widow married Isaac Appleton, of Waldingfield Parva, co. Suffolk. She died in 1681. Cokayne, Complete Baronetage, II. 15; cf. p. 99, note 1 note 37 , supra.

W. Au. 8; 5 Collections , I. 176.