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Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

Margaret Winthrop to John Winthrop1
Winthrop, Margaret Winthrop, John

1629-05-25

To my very loueinge Husband John Winthrope theese dd.
My Sweet Husband,

I reiouce sic in the expectations of our happy mettinge for yhy sic abcence hath bin very longe in my conceyte and thy presence much desyred, thy welcom is allwayes ready make hast to entertayne it.

I was yester at a metinge at good man Coles vpon the goeing of the yonge folke to dedam whar many thankes ware giuen to god, for the reformation of the yonge man and amendment of his life, wee had also a part in there prayers, my dere husban I will now leaue riteing to thee, hopinge to see thee shortly the good lorde send vs a comfortable metinge and thus with my due respect to thy selfe, brother and sister D: sister Foony2 sonne John and the rest, my daughter3 remembers hir duty to you all thinkes longe for hir Husban, i receiued the thinges you sent and thanke you hartyly for them. I will take order with my man to by some triminge for my goune, and so I bid my good husband farwell and commit him to the lord. Your louinge and obedient wife

Margaret Winthrop. Ca. May 25, 1629.

I pray by a salter4 for Deane I can get none heare

1.

W. 7 A. 28; Savage (1825), I. 359; (1853), I. 431; L. and L. , I. 295.

2.

It is not surprising that this word puzzled James Savage and Robert Charles Winthrop, L. and L. , I. 295, note. The second and third letters are almost obliterated, but they can be made “oo” as well as anything else. The end of the word certainly looks like the letter y. We may have here a case of sheer heterography, or a confused attempt to make a long s; in either event there can hardly be a doubt that Priscilla Fones is the person meant. Slips of the pen, such as any writer may make, are sooner recognized in Margaret Winthrop's neat hand than in a more careless orthography.

3.

Elizabeth (Fones) Winthrop.

4.

Psalter.