Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2
1629-04-09
my hope was to haue spoken with you at Chensy house,2 which failing of I now intreat your helpe to Mr. Colethirst for the putting of the aduenture.3 i had written to him to put of my part though you were not resolued to putt of yours, but comming to my Cosin Tindales he tould me you were purposed to take the same course I did therein, and my necessities are such that the sooner the better for i am to pay mony i stand bound for within these 3 weekes to Mris. Vere, being x li and at Midsommer I am to pay 28 l for 2 tenements that joyne to my orchard which mony i haue giuen bond to pay part of and thother part by promise in court when I had the surrender, and although I had rather haue imployed my mony som other way, yet the exceeding trouble I haue and charge of fenceing against such ill neighboures compells me to it. I perceiue the longer the mony is in the Companies hands the shorter it will grow euery yeare for wee must be sencibble of all losses, but of no benefitte. they haue such intricate accounts that they will be sure nothing shall come out of their owne fingers, and if they would but lett the owners haue out theire stock it were somwhat, but that they cut of by the middle. i am perswaded that vnchris paganes would not deale so badly, this messenger gaue me such short warning that I cannot write so fully as otherwise i would, i am threatned againe by Chute, now he hath heard my witnesses and atorney be dead which makes me keep out of sight because I would escape the Bayly. I hope the lord in his good tyme will free me from all these troubles, my desire is to make the right vse of them to which end I humbly intreat the help of your holy prayers: and so rest your very louing vnworthy kinswoman
I wrote to Mr. Colethirst a fortnight since that you would be in towne this tearme but I could not direct him where you lay I beseech giue him notice of your being in towne that so he may know your mind
W. 4. 29; 5
Collections
, I. 79–80. For the writer, a niece of Lady Anne Tyndal, see Vol. I. 252, 314, 349; Muskett, 150.
Chelmeshoo House, Great Maplestead, co. Essex, the seat of the Tyndals.
The natural inference from this letter is that the writer had invested in the stock of some company, perhaps that of the Massachusetts Bay, money which she now wished to withdraw. If the Massachusetts company is referred to, the letter is valuable as evidence of early participation by Winthrop in its affairs.
Heveningham, co. Suffolk. Heveningham Hall, the eighteenth century successor to Mrs. Gibson's residence, is the seat of the Barons Huntingfield; the present Lady Huntingfield is a descendant of Governor Winthrop.