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Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

John Winthrop to Margaret Winthrop1
Winthrop, John Winthrop, Margaret

1630-11-29

To Mar: Win: the Elder at groton. ddd.
My sweet wife,

The blessinge of the Allmighty be vpon thee and thine for euer.

There is a shipp arrived at Plimmouth,2 some 30: miles from vs, which came from London the 10th of August, and was twelve weekes at sea in such tempests, as she spent all her mastes yet of 60: passingers she lost but one: all the rest (through the Lordes great mercy) are safe and in health: Edy3 of Boxted, who came in her, tould me a fortnight since that he had many lettres in the shippe for me, but I heer not yet of them: which makes me now (hauinge opportunity to send to Plimmouth) to write these fewe lines to thee, least the shippe should be gone before I haue receiued my 320lettres, and can returne answeare to them. thou shalt vnderstand by this, how it is with vs since I wrote last (for this is the 3: or 4th lettre I haue written to thee since I came hether) that thou maiest see the goodnesse of the Lord towardes me, that when so many haue dyed, and many yet languishe, my selfe and my children are yet liuinge and in health, yet I haue lost 12: of my family, viz. Walters and his wife and 2: of his children: mr. Gager and his man: Smith of Buxall and his wife and 2: children: the wife of Taylor of Hauerill and their childe: my sonne H: makes the 12. and besides many other of lesse note as Jeff: Ruggles of Sudbury and diuers others of that towne (about 20:)4 the Lord hath stripped vs of some principall persons: mr. Johnson and his Lady, mr. Rossiter, mrs. Philips and others vnknowne to thee. we conceiue that this disease grewe from ill diet at sea and proued infectious.5 I write not this to discourage thee, but to warne thee and others to prouide well for the sea and by Godes helpe the passage wilbe safe and easy how longe soeuer. be carefull (I intreate thee) to obserue the directions in my former lettres, and I trust that, that God, who hath so gratiously preserued and blessed vs hetherto, will bringe vs to see the faces of each other with abundance of ioye. my deare wife, we are heer in a Paradice, though we have not beife and mutton etc: yet (God be praysed) we want them not; our Indian Corne answeares for all, yet heere is foule and fish in great plenty. I will heer breake off, because I hope to receiue lettres from thee soone, and to haue opportunity of writinge more largely. I will say nothinge of my loue to thee, and of my longinge desires towardes thee, thou knowest my heart. neither can I mention salutations to my good freindes, other then in general, in my next I hope to supply all. Now the Lord our good God, be with thee and all my children, and company with thee, Grace and peace be with you all, so I kisse my sweet wife, and all my deare children, and blesse you in the Lord, farewell. Thy faithfull husband

Jo: Winthrop. Boston in Mattachusets Nou: 29. 1630.

Thou must excuse my not writing to my sonne John and other of my freindes at this tyme, for I deferre it till I receiue my lettres.

1.

W. 7 A. 49; Savage (1825), I. 378–379; (1853), I. 455–456; L. and L. , II. 53–55; Twichell, Puritan Love-Letters , 173–176.

2.

The Handmaid, on October 29. See Journal, supra, page 269.

3.

John Eddy by 1633, had removed to Watertown, where he died October 12, 1684, at the age of ninety years. Savage, Genealogical Dictionary, II. 98–99.

4.

In the margin is added: “and one of L. Kedby his sonnes.”

5.

Thomas Dudley, in his “Letter to the Countess of Lincoln,” discusses the causes of the sickness and mortality among the colonists on their first arrival: “the natural causes seem to be” (he says), “the want of warm lodging, and good dyet, to which English men are habituated at home; and in the sudden increase of heat, which they endure that are landed here in summer; the salt meats at sea having prepared their bodies thereto; for those only these two last years dyed of fevers, who landed in June and July; as those of Plymouth, who landed in winter, dyed of the scurvy; as did our poorer sort, whose housing and beding, kept them not sufficiently warm, nor their dyet sufficiently in heart.” 1 Collections , VIII. 43–44.

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