Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

John Winthrop, Jr., to John Winthrop1

Winthrop, John, Jr. Winthrop, John

1629-08-21

Sir,

My humble duty remembred to you and my mother, may you please to vnderstand that I receyved your letters that by William Ridley on Wednesday, and your other yesterday, reioicing much, to heare of your welfare, with the rest of our good freindes, which I desire much with my owne eyes to behould, therfore I purpose, god willing, to make all hast downe the next weeke, hopeing to accept of mr. Gurdons kind offer if I can. For the businesse of New England I can say noe other thing but that I beleeve confidently that the whole disposition therof is of the Lord who disposeth all alterations by his blessed will to his owne glory and the 151good of his, and therfore doe assure my selfe that all thinges shall worke together for the best therin, and for my selfe I have seene so much of the vanity of the world that I esteeme noe more of the diversities of Countries then as so many Innes, wherof the travailer, that hath lodged in the best, or in the worst findeth noe difference when he commeth to his Journies end, and I shall call that my Countrie where I may most glorifie God and enioy the presence of my dearest freindes, therfore heerin I submit my selfe to Godes wil, and yours, and with your leave doe dedicate my selfe (laying by all desire of other imploymentes whatsoever) to the service of God, and the Company herin, with the whole endeavours both of body and mind, the Conclusions which you sent downe I shewed my vncle and aunt, who like them well, I thinke they are vnanswerable, and it cannot but be a prosperous action, which is so well allowed by the Judgement of Gods prophets, vndertaken by so religious and wise worthies of Israeli, and Indented to Gods Glory in so speciall a service. My aunt Goulding2 remembreth her love to you she saith it is not yet discharged that she knoweth: heere is certaine newes that the Dutch have taken Wesell,3 so desiringe your praiers and blessing, I commend you to the Almighties protection and rest Your obedient sonne

John Winthrop. London Aug: 21: 1629.

I pray remember my love to my brothers and sisters and all our freindes, whom I hope shortly to see

W. 1. 53; Savage (1825), I. 359–360; (1853), I. 431–432; L. and L. , I. 306–307; 5 Collections , VIII. 20–21, with facsimile. Of this letter Robert Charles Winthrop remarks that “the beauty of its style and thought is only surpassed by the importance of its substance.”

Susan (Crymble|Forth) Golding, half-sister of Mary Forth, John Winthrop's first wife. Vol. I. 262, 342, 378.

Wesel, one of the key fortresses of Europe, was taken from the Spaniards at dawn on Sunday, August 19 (n.s.).

The Agreement at Cambridge1

Massachusetts Bay Company Saltonstall, Richard Dudley, Thomas Vassall, William West, Nicholas Johnson, Isaac Humfrey, John Sharp, Thomas Nowell, Increase Winthrop, John Pynchon, William Brown, Kellam Colbron, William

1629-08-26

The true coppie of the Agreement of Cambridge, August. 26. 1629.

Vpon due consideracion of the state of the plantacion now in hand for new England, wherein wee (whose names are hervnto subscribed) haue ingaged ourselves: and having weighed the greatnes of the worke in regard of the consequence, Gods glory and the churches good: As also in regard of the difficultyes and discouragements which in all probabilityes must be 152forcast vpon the prosecucion of this businesse: Considering withall that this whole adventure growes vpon the joynt confidence we haue in each others fidelity and resolucion herein, so as no man of vs would haue adventured it without assurance of the rest: Now for the better encourragement of ourselves and others that shall joyne with vs in this action, and to the end that euery man may without scruple dispose of his estate and afayres as may best fitt his preparacion for this voyage, It is fully and faithfully agreed amongst vs, and euery of vs doth hereby freely and sincerely promise and bynd himselfe in the word of a Christian and in the presence of God who is the searcher of all hearts, that we will so really endevour the prosecucion of this worke, as by Gods assistaunce we will be ready in our persons, and with such of our seuerall familyes as are to go with vs and such provisions as we are able conveniently to furnish ourselves withall, to embarke for the said plantacion by the first of march next, at such port or ports of this land as shall be agreed vpon by the Company, to the end to passe the Seas (vnder Gods protection) to inhabite and continue in new England. Provided alwayes that before the last of September next the whole gouernement together with the Patent for the said plantacion bee first by an order of Court legally transferred and established to remayne with vs and others which shall inhabite vpon the said plantacion. And provided also that if any shall be hindered by such just and inevitable Lett or other cause to be allowed by 3 parts of foure of these whose names are herevnto subscribed, then such persons for such tymes and during such letts to be dischardged of this bond. And we do further promise euery one for himselfe that shall fayle to be ready through his owne default by the day appointed, to pay for euery dayes default the summe of 3 li. to the vse of the rest of the Company who shall be ready by the same day and tyme.

This was done by order of Court the 29th of August. 1629.

Rich: Saltonstall.2 Tho: Dudley William Vassall3 Nicho: West.4 Isaack Johnson John Humfrey5 Tho: Sharp4 Increase Nowell4 John Winthrop Will: Pinchon4 Kellam Browne4 William Colbron.4 1.

Early copy, used by Hutchinson, now in the Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society; Thomas Hutchinson, Collection of Original Papers (Boston, 1769), 25–26; Alexander Young, Chronicles of Massachusetts (Boston, 1846), 281–282; L. and L. , I. 344–345; Proceedings , LXII. 275–280 (1930). See J. B. Mullinger, The University of Cambridge, III. 170–171. The last line of the text was probably interpolated later.

Sir Richard Saltonstall, an early member of the Company of the Massachusetts Bay, one of the assistants, and a large proprietor of the stock, was the son of Samuel Saltonstall of Halifax, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His uncle, Sir Richard Saltonstall, was lord mayor of London in 1597. He came to Massachusetts in 1630, and returned to England in the following year, leaving his two eldest sons in the colony. He continued to take an interest in the affairs of New England, and was one of the patentees of Connecticut, of which colony his great-grandson became governor. See Journal April 5, 1630, note.

William Vassall, son of John Vassall, an alderman of London, is named in the Charter of the Company as a patentee arid assistant. He came to Massachusetts for a short time in 1630, again in 1635, and dwelt at Scituate, where he took a leading part in the struggle for religious liberty connected with the Remonstrance of Robert Child. He returned to England in 1646 and died in Barbados in 1655. See Journal, July 7, 1630, note.

Haven says of West and Browne that “they never came over, and nothing is known concerning them.” It has since come to light that West was a major in the Parliamentary army during the Civil War and one of the grantees of the Bahamas in 1650. 2 Proceedings , XIII. 5, 55–56 (1899). Sharpe, Nowell, Pynchon, and Colbron all came to New England and will be mentioned later.

John Humfrey, or Humphrey, one of the patentees of the Company and before its organization treasurer of the joint adventurers engaged in the fishing trade at Cape Ann, was, like Isaac Johnson, son-in-law of Thomas, third Earl of Lincoln, having married his daughter Susan. He was elected deputy governor when Winthrop was chosen governor. He came to the colony in 1634 and returned to England in 1641, in order to become governor of Old Providence, the Puritan colony in the Caribbean. See Mrs. Frances Rose-Troup, “John Humfry,” in Essex Institute, Historical Collections, LXV. 293–308 (1929).