Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1
1595
pecial matters and observations noted in the yere of our Lorde God 1595: by me Adam Winthrop
.
This yere Corne was very scarce vntil haruest, notwithstanding that there was muche wheate and rye brought into Inglande from by yonde the Seas, whereby the price of corne was abated.
Also al other kinde of vitaile was in the begynnynge of this yere sould at great prices.
On Whitsonday1 I had a great swarme of bees, and on Munday in Witsonweeke ther did comme a swarme of bees flyeng ouer Castleynes heathe into Carters grounde.2
The same day and tyme Mr. Cratcheroode,3 Mr. Walton, Mr. Th. Waldgraue,4 Mr.
On Thursday the 3. of July, Mr. Brampton Gurdon5 had a soonne borne to him: who was baptized on Sunday the 13 of July and named John. Sir W
This yeare at the Sommer assises, viz: 22 Julij 1595, diuers Justices of the Peace were put out of the Commission by the Q
This yere the viijth Day of July my brother Roger Alibaster, and my sister his wife with their iij sonnes, George, John and Thomas,9 and Sara their daughter, tooke their iourny from Hadleigh to goe into Irelande.
The same day it Thundred, hailed and Rayned very sore.
Will
This yere harvest begann not with vs vntill the xijth of August and contynued vntill the
The 27 of August Mr. Hanam fell sicke and recouered the iiijth of Sept. The same day my brother killed a brocke
The xxx of August I received a lettre from my brother Cotty11 of Couentry.
The vth day of Sept. my cosen Marian Rolfe12 came to my house.
The xth of Sept. my cosen Hawkyns came to me.
The xxijth of Sept. my brother
The 3, 4 and 5 daies of October Sir W
The 8 day of October my wyfe rydde to her father at Pritlewell14 in Essex and returned the xxth.
The xth day of October Adam Seely15 retourned home, and the same day I Received a lettre from my L
The xxth of octobre Facons wife departed out of my house with all her house-hold.17
In the moneth of Octobre, Anno 1595, Sir Thomas Heneage died,18 Vir bonus et pius, and on the same day and monethe Philip, late Erle of Arundell died in the Tower of London.19
The xxxth day of Octobre Richard Bronde of Boxford sherman,20 Departed out of this life anno etatis 59.
The seventh Sunday after Easter; in 1595, June 8.
“There were many superstitions about bees in Suffolk County; and, among others, that bad luck was portended by a stray swarm of bees settling on one’s premises, unclaimed by their owner. The Book of Days, p. 752.”
L. and L.
, I. 405.
William Cracherode, bailiff to the dean of the College of St. John the Baptist, Stoke by Clare, in 1546, gives another spelling of the name. Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, Proceedings, XII. 41. Crochrode of Cavendish, co. Suffolk, is in the Visitations of Suffolk, ed. Metcalfe, 130.
Thomas Waldegrave of Bures (Buers) married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Rose (Sexton) Gurdon of Assington. Muskett, 286.
Brampton Gurdon of Assington, co. Suffolk, was son of John Gurdon and Amy Brampton. He married (1) Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Barrett of Bell House in Aveley (or Alvethly), co. Essex, and Elizabeth Lytton, daughter of Sir Thomas Lytton, knight; and (2) Muriel, daughter of Martin and Abigail (Knevett) Sedley, of Morley, co. Norfolk. John (1595–1679), of the text, married Anne, daughter of Sir Calthorpe and Mercy (Soame) Parker, of Erwarton, co. Suffolk. He was a member of the Long Parliament, and was nominated one of the commissioners of the high court of justice for the trial of the king, but refused to attend.
D. N. B.
, XXIII. 353. See Muskett, 287–288, for Gurdon’s children by his two wives. The Visitacion of Norffolk (H. S., Pub.
, XXXII), 49, names a fourth son, Edward, apparently omitted by Muskett through oversight.
John Gurdon, died 1623, father of Brampton Gurdon, was High Sheriff for Suffolk County in 1584. He married Amy, only daughter of William and Elizabeth (Browne) Brampton, of Letton, co. Norfolk. She was probably the “Mris.” mentioned in the text. She died in 1608. Muskett, 285, 286; and p. 98, infra
William Forth of Hadleigh, died September 14, 1599, son of William and Elizabeth (Powell) Forth of Hadleigh. He was uncle of Mary Forth, first wife of Governor John Winthrop. Muskett, 119.
Perhaps of Pond Hall, co. Suffolk. Visitacion of Norffolk, 113. In Visitation of Suffolk, 1664–1668 (H. S., Pub.
, LXI), 160, is a family of D’Oyley, of Overbury Hall in Leyham, co. Suffolk.
Roger Alabaster, of Hadleigh, co. Suffolk, married April 26, 1567, Bridget (1543–1614), daughter of Adam and Agnes (Sharpe) Winthrop. Of their children, George died 1596, Thomas lived 1585 to 1620, and Sarah died 1602. Another daughter, Priscilla, is known. Muskett, 55.
William Alabaster (1567–1640) took his degree of M.A. at Trinity College, Cambridge, and, July 11, 1592, was “incorporated of the university of Oxford.” He had already received notice for his Latin poems and had written a Latin tragedy, Roxana, which was performed in the hall of Trinity College, but remained unprinted until 1632. The cause of his ’malcontentment’ is not known. In 1596 he was chaplain to the Earl of Essex in the expedition to Cadiz, where he became a convert to Romanism. By his study of cabalistic divinity he incurred the penalties of the Inquisition at Rome, but escaping returned to England and to Protestantism.
D. N. B.
, I. 211–212.
John Cotta, Cottie, or Cottey, who married Susanna Winthrop (1552–1604), has been confused with John Cotta (1575–1650), a physician and author of writings on medicine and witchcraft; the latter must have been a younger man, possibly a nephew.
D. N. B.
, XII. 288; Venn, A. C.
, I. 401.
Anne Forth, daughter of Robert Forth of Butley, co. Suffolk, married William Rolfe of Hadleigh, and was cousin of the first wife of Governor John Winthrop. Muskett, 120. We do not find a Marian Rolfe.
Cf. p. 68, infra.
Prittlewell, a parish in the hundred of Rochford, co. Essex.
Adam Cely or Selye, son of William Cely of London and Mary Winthrop, sister of the diarist. Muskett, 25.
John Still, bishop of Bath and Wells.
It is supposed that they returned to Hadleigh. Cf. Chancery Proceedings, series ii, bundle clxi. 60; clxii. 26; clxviii. 30.
He died October 17.
D. N. B.
, XXV. 407–409.
Philip Howard (1557–95), first Earl of Arundel of the Howard family. He had been confined in the Tower since April, 1585, for being a Romanist, fleeing from England without the queen’s leave, and suspected intrigues against the queen. He died two days after Sir Thomas Heneage—October 19.
D. N. B.
, XXVIII. 52–54.
Shearman or sherman, one who shears woollen cloth.
N. E. D.
The London guilds of shearmen and fullers were united in 1528 to form the Clothworkers’ Company. W. C. Hazlitt, The Livery Companies of the City of London (London, 1892), 332–333.
The 7 of November the Erle of Hertford was committed to the Tower.1
The xiiijth of Decembre I receyved a lettre from my brother Alibaster written from Tenby in Wales2 concernynge his ill success in his Irisshe iourny.
The last of December Fr
The
The ixth of January Mr.
The xxth of January my brother
The same daie Richard
The third day of Feb. Carue Mildmay4 was borne.
The vth of Feb. mother5
The vijth of Feb. I Received a lettre from my L
The xth of Feb. I was at my Fathers
The xvi. of Feb. Sara Winthrop was maried to John Froste.6
The xixth of Feb. Robert Brand the Phisition died, etatis 61.7
The
The xxth of Feb. my brother killed ij Badgers in Semer.8
The xxjth of Feb. I had a lambe killed with a dogge.
The last of Feb. my brother
The seconde of Marche Sir W
The viij day of Marche my wife egrotavit de profluuio sanguinis.
The xth day of March John Clarke the woade setter died beinge of th’age of lxxvj yeres.11
The xvijth day of Marche Mr.
The xixth day Mr. Knewstub12 preached at Boxforde.
The
The xth of Aprill John Wade died and was buried at Prittlewell.
The xj of Aprill, being Ester day, the Bell did Ringe at Groton for Mr. Clopton,15 Anno 1596, but he recouered.
The xvth of Aprill Rich
The xviijth day of Aprill I bargayned with goodman Gosling for Larkes to pay at Micheltyde next xxxv li.
The xxijth of Aprill E
The xxiijth of Aprill my northen brended cowe died of the gargett17 being great with Calfe.
The last of Aprill Sir J
The xth of May
The xvijth of May Adam Seely went privilie from my house and caried awaye xv s. which he did steale from Richard Edwardes, pro quo facto dignus est capistro.
The xviijth of May John Spencer the elder died.
The xxviijth of May Mr. Pie of Colchester died suddenly.
The xjth of June Sir W
The 16 of June my brother
The 18 of June Purdeys v kyne spoiled my Corne.
The xvth day of June Dr. Fletcher22 B
The xxiiijth of June my Father
The xxvth my daughter Anne23 went to Howghton.24
The 26 day of June I went to London and returned the vth of July next followinge.
The vjth of July thassises were holden at Bury.
The same day was the Comencement at Cambrige, and Mr. Overall was made Dr. of Divinitie.25
The xvjth of July my wife fell sicke and the next day I rode to my Fathers and retorned the xxjth of July.
The 26 day of July my brother
The 2d of August George Alibaster died, Anno 1596.
The ixth of August my b
The xvth of Aug. fell a great Rayne which made a floud at Boxford.
Edward Seymour (1539?–1621), Earl of Hertford, was sent to the Tower for renewing the petition to have the declaration of the invalidity of his marriage with Lady Catherine Grey set aside, but was released on January 3, 1595–96.
D. N. B.
, LI. 311.
Tenby was settled by Flemings in the time of Henry I. It is in the county of Pembroke, South Wales.
“This paragraph has lines drawn over it by a later hand, perhaps to throw doubt or denial on the story.”
L. and L.
, I. 407.
Carew, son of William Mildmay and Margaret, daughter of Sir George Harvey of Marks in Romford, co. Essex, and grandson of Sir Thomas Mildmay of Barnes and Alice Winthrop, sister of the diarist. He was adopted by his cousin Sir Gawen Harvey and as his heir took the name Carew Harvey. He married Dorothy, daughter of William Gerrard of Harrow on the Hill, co. Middlesex. Muskett, 47.
“The terms ’father’ and ’mother’ will be frequently found in this Diary; applied evidently to aged persons who were probably so called in the neighborhood, but having no reference to any parental connection.”
L. and L.
, p. 407. Her death is mentioned, supra, p. 42.
Sara Winthrop (1571–1603), daughter of William Winthrop (1529–82) and Elizabeth Norwood (d. 1578), of Kent. This William was uncle to the diarist. Muskett, 25.
Of Boxford.
Semer, a parish in the hundred of Cosford, co. Suffolk.
A borough and market town in the hundred of Lexden, co. Essex.
Edwardstone, a parish in the hundred of Babergh, co. Suffolk.
Described in his will as a “woodsetter.” He was of Boxford.
John Knewstub (or Knewstubs) (1544–1624) held for forty-five years the living of the rectory of Cockfield, to which he had been presented by Sir William Spring.
D. N. B.
, XXXI. 244. Cockfield is a parish in the hundred of Babergh.
Son of Sir Anthony Wingfield, K. G., and lord of the manor of Letheringham, co. Suffolk. Letheringham is a parish in the hundred of Loes, co. Suffolk.
D. N. B.
, LXII. 182.
Sir Francis Hynd, of Madingley, in co. Cambridge, son of Sir John Hynd (d. 1550) and Ursula (Cursonn) Hynd. He married Jane, daughter of Edmund Verney of Penley, co. Bucks. Visitation of Cambridge (H. S., Pub.
, XLI), 113;
D. N. B.
, XXVIII. 406.
Thomas Clopton, who died in 1598. Muskett, 143.
Daughter of John Brand. Sudbury Archdeaconry, Acta Book V, fo. 218.
An inflammation of the throat or udder.
Sir John Puckering (1544–96) had been lord keeper of the great seal since April 28, 1592.
D. N. B.
, XLVI. 443.
Spelled also Grymwade. Cf. p. 140, infra.
Nedging is a parish in the hundred of Cosford, co. Suffolk.
Babergh heath, the meeting place of the hundred of Babergh. The name means, according to Professor Skeat, Bada’s hill or barrow.
Richard Fletcher, whose second marriage, soon after his translation from the see of Worcester to that of London, cost him the queen’s favor.
D. N. B.
, XIX. 317–319.
Anne Winthrop (1586–1619), who married Thomas Fones of London, February 25, 1604–05. Infra, p. 88.
Probably Houghton Hall in Cavendish, co. Suffolk.
John Overall (1560–1619), son of George, of Hadleigh. He entered St. John’s College, Cambridge, when Dr. Still of Hadleigh was master, and in 1596 was appointed Regius Professor of Theology, in succession to William Whitaker.
D. N. B.
, XLII. 375.
He was vicar of Wormingford, co. Essex, and married Margerie, sister of the diarist’s wife. He died December 2, 1608. Muskett, 82; infra, p. 100.