Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

John Winthrop to Margaret Winthrop1

Winthrop, John Winthrop, Margaret

1629-10-09

London, Octob. 9: 1629. My sweet wife,

We heare yet of no lettres from Groton, which makes vs to meruaile, and we shall longe to heare how you all doe. I prayse God we are all heere in health, but we are not like to gett out of towne before mundaye senight:2 I wish my sonne John were heere before but that it wilbe verye chargeable to keepe horses so longe in towne; but if he can light vpon any good company, he maye come on mundaye or teusday next, and John may bringe vp the other horses on saterdaye.

I sende thee heerwith some papers concerninge N: E: when thou lookest vpon them, thou wilt beare with the breuitye of my letters: I would haue Forth reade the booke to thee: for the loose papers let him write them out better, and then reade them. I would haue him copye out so much of that in the booke, as is from the hande in the leafe to the ende and shewe it to mr. Mott, my neighbour Childe3 and others that haue a minde to N: E: especially that gratious lettre in the ende: which I wish thee and the rest to reade seariously ouer.4

This morninge I receiued thy sweet lettre I heartyly blesse our good God for the welfare of thy selfe and all our familye, and doe much reioyce in thy loue: I shalbe as loth to leaue my kinde wife behinde me, as she wilbe to staye, but we must leaue all to the Lords good prouidence. I send downe by Jeruais5 two peeces of Lokerum,6 26: elles of one peece, and 18: of the other, cloth for a sute and Cloake for Forth: and for a night gowne for thy selfe, with bookes for the children, lett me knowe what trimminge I shall sende for thy gowne.

my sonne Hen: wilbe at Groton soone, he is like to putt of his business 158in Barbethe and staye to goe to N: E: the occasion comes from my sonne John: as by this lettre I send you may appeare. the good Lo: dispose all for the best in his rich mercye. The Lord blesse thee (my sweet wife) and all our children and famylye my brother and sisters salute thee, and all thy Companye farewell my good wife, thy faithfull husband

J: W: 1.

W. 1. 61; L. and L. , I. 336–337; Twichell, Puritan Love-Letters , 115–117.

October 19.

Ephraim Child married at Nayland, co. Suffolk, February 8, 1625, Elizabeth Palmer, a widow. He probably came over in the fleet with Winthrop. He lived at Watertown, and died February 13, 1663.

By “the loose papers” we may understand copies of “lettres . . . from Captain Endicott and others from New E[ngland],” brought in the Lyon's Whelp and the Talbot and read at the General Court of the Company of the Massachusetts Bay on September 19, 1629. Records of Massachusetts, I. 51. The “booke” must be Francis Higginson's “True Relacion of the last Voyage to New England, made the last summer, begun the 25th of April, being Saturday, Anno Domini, 1629,” “Written from New-England, July 24, 1629,” and also brought over in the Talbot or the Lyon's Whelp. It is printed in Hutchinson's Collection of Original Papers, 32–47; Young's Chronicles of Massachusetts, 213–238; Proceedings , LXII. 281–299 (1930).

The carrier, mentioned Vol. I. 338, 414.

“Lokerum” adds a fourteenth to the thirteen different ways given in the N.E.D. for spelling lockram, “a linen fabric of various qualities for wearing apparel and household use.”

Margaret Winthrop to John Winthrop1

Winthrop, Margaret Winthrop, John

1629-10-13

My deare Husband,

I receiued thy sweet and most welcome letter very late this munday night, and doe blesse god for thy helth and welfayre: I haue harde reade the Nuse from N: E. and much reioyce in it, the good lord still continu his mercy to that plantation, and blesse vs in our intended purpose that way. we see how the lord giueth vs his warent and daly incoragement that way, wee may I hope trust him for a blesinge vpon vs and ours, for my sonne Henry his stay from Barbatus if his pretence be good it had bin pittye he should haue gon to haue indangered the good of his soule, by beinge partaker of the sines of the rest of that wicked company, the lord I hope hath rowght some good worke in him, which I beseech him to confirme in his due tyme, I haue read my daughters good letter to him, and shall loue hir the better whilst I Hue. it is now late and bed time and i must bid thee good night before i am wilinge for I could finde in my hart to sit and talke with thee all night though I am a bad wacher I could wel spare a nights sleepe to doe any thinge for thee. I wish my sister Fones ware at home for Mary is sick and I feare it will proue the smale poxe or mesels or such like if she should doe otherwise then well in hir mothers abcence it would be a great grefe to me, but I leaue to your decrecion whether you will tell hir of it or no, and so I bid thee farwell the lord keepe thee. thy vnworthy wife

M. W. Groton, October 13, 1629.

I haue not yet receiued the things you sent when i see the cloth I will send word what triminge will serue.

I hope you shall not nede to tell my sister Fones of M. sicknesse it wil proue but the meseles at the most. Following words cancelled: you shall receiue by some of our naighbors a cupple of geese that our man should haue brought vp on munday I feare thay will not keep longe.

W. 1. 61; L. and L. , I. 337–338; Twichell, Puritan Love-Letters , 118–119.

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