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Winthrop Family Papers

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Margaret Winthrop to John Winthrop1
Winthrop, Margaret Winthrop, John

1625
To hir very Louinge husband John Winthrope Esquire theese. DD.
My deare Husband

I am sory it faleth out so that I coulde not send for thee at the time appoynted, by reson of my mans beinge from home, and the vnfitnesse of your horsses for trauill, that I must be constrained to for beare sendinge for thee till I can get meanes, though it be with a great deale of greefe to me, I hope you will not impute or take it ill at my hands, for theare wants no will in me, but that I wanted abilyty to parforme it, my sonne came safe home on fryday, and brought me thy kinde letter, with the nuse of all your welfayres which I desyre the lord longe to continu to his glory and for the good of many others, I shall thinke the tyme very longe before I see thee, I pray make hast for thou shalt be very welcome, I am much indetted to my sister Downing for hir kindenesse to my daughter Mary I pray tel hir I giue hir many thankes for that, and al other fruits of hir loue, and thus with my best respect remembred to thy selfe and all the rest of our frends I desyre the lord to send vs a comfortable meetinge and commit thee to the lord. Your louing and obedient wife

Margaret Winthrope

I have now receiued thy louinge letter by goodman Nutton and reioyce that the time is so near whearin I shall see thee. I am wel per­317swaded of thy loue and can see it in a fewe lines as in a hole volem—my daughter Mary and hir welwiler shalbe very welcom to me if you please to bringe them—my sonne Forth and John2 came home on saterday late from theare roueinge, haueinge bin from home to dayes and I haue well chid them for theare paynes, I hope John wil make the more hast. Your good seruant remembers hir seruice and thankes you for hir letter she desyreth to be excused for rightinge haueinge many other letters to right—my sister Fones will tell John whare to haue a pillyon for Mary I thinke she ware best ryde dubble3

1.

W. Au. 20; L. and L. , I. 198–199; Twichell, 57–59.

 2.

“The John here mentioned was evidently a servant, not her son; as also was ‘Robt,’ who is named in one or two of the following letters.” L. and L. , I. 198, note.

 3.

“I have had some misgivings about inserting Margaret’s first letter here; yet several passages of it seem to be in direct answer to the letter of her husband which immediately precedes it. Her daughter Mary, however, must have been rather young at that time to be the subject of a match, or even of a ‘well-willer.’ She married Rev. Samuel Dudley, seven or eight years afterwards. No record is found of the precise date of her birth; but it could hardly have been before 1610.” Ibid., p. 199, note.
Brampton Gurdon to John Winthrop1
Gurdon, Brampton Winthrop, John

1626-02-19
To the worshipful and my verry louing freind Mr. Jhon Wenthrop thes
Sir

I thancke yow for your letter and for your expressyon of so many good purposes in the howes of Commons, I met the mayer of Sudberry on fryday at the lyon in grotton, he tole me that Sir Ro. Crane tocke it verry vnkindly at his hand that he laburred not to chos yow a Burges thear and yet he say Sir Ro. neuer mad his myend so knouen to him, Sir Go. Waldegue2 and I met thear to byend buchers and others we supprest cos man from keeping an alhous and Mr. Warren spacke ernestly to leaue the towne to the dyreccon of the doctor. it auayled not. it wear good if the parlament would reforme the exaccyon of pore buchers. Sir Ro. Crane I heare is apoyented to lye to morrow night at burntwod.3 I pray see Sir Jhon Corbet4 before yow come awaye and commend me to him I will writ to him at more laysuer. We met my sister Baker on thursday 318at Wenham and thear had a verry chearfule metteing. I prayes God for all his mersyes. Jhon Gurdon5 goo to morrow to grases and intend to stay theare for your commpany tile thursday or fryday. if yow haue any operteunyte I pray tacke order for the payment of the mony into the K. benche and the marshalse. it was sayed on fryday morning by a seruant of Sir Jhon Deans that his master could not then liue one hower6 but I haue hard nothing scins. and thus with my best loue to yow and to Mr. Downing I pray god geue vs a comfortabule metteng and so I rest Your verry louing frend

Brampton Gurdon. Assington this 19 Februr 1625–26 1.

W. 3. 185; 4 Collections , VII. 632–633.

 2.

He represented Sudbury Borough in the Parliament of 1597. Parliamentary Papers, 1878, LXII, pt. 1. 435.

 3.

A form of writing Brentwood.

 4.

Sir John Corbett (c. 1591–1628) represented Great Yarmouth, co. Norfolk, in the Parliaments of 1625 and 1626. He was of Sprowston, son of Sir Thomas and Anne (Barret) Corbett, and married Anne, daughter of Sir Arthur and Margaret (Grey) Capell, of Hadham, co. Herts. Parliamentary Papers, 1878, LXII, pt. I, 464, 470; Cokayne, Complete Baronetage. I. 219.

 5.

Son of Brampton Gurdon, by his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Barrett of Aveley, co. Essex. Muskett, 279. He died in 1679, and his will is in H. F. Waters, Genealogical Gleanings, II. 959–960.

 6.

Sir John Deane died in 1626. Muskett, 154.