This half-inch blank in the original manuscript represents a gap of six weeks, during which time there is evidence that Winthrop was too busy with the affairs of the plantation and the sickness among the settlers to make any entries. For record of a fast day of which Winthrop makes no mention, see Bradford, History of Plymouth (Boston, 1912), II. 112–114, especially Winslow's letter to Bradford written from Salem, July 26: “...Mr. Johnson received a letter from the Gov[erno]r, Mr. John Winthrop, manifesting the hand of God to be upon them, and against them, at Charlestowne, in visiting them with sicknes, and taking diverse from amongst them, not sparing the righteous, but partaking with the wicked in these bodily judgments. It was therfore by his desire taken into the Godly consideration of the best hear, what was to be done to pacifie the Lords wrath, etc. Wher [when] it was concluded, that the Lord was to be sought in righteousnes; and to that end, the .6. day (being Friday) of this present weeke, Friday, July 30 is set aparte . . . solemnly to enter into covenante with the Lord to walke in his ways.” The church at Plymouth was asked to join in this covenant. Winthrop was living in the “great house” built in 1629 at Charlestown, where he and his associates formed the third Massachusetts church, July 30, 1630. ( L. and L. , II. 45.) See entry for Friday, August 27, for the election of John Wilson as teacher.

Elizabeth Gibson, a widow, probably daughter of Philobert Cogan of Chard, co. Somerset, the first Mrs. Endecott having died at Salem. See New England Historical and Genealogical Register, XLIII. 309–310.

Particulars about these and other vessels subsequently mentioned will be found in Banks, The Winthrop Fleet. For Dudley's statement that seventeen ships arrived safely in New England during 1630, in spite of unfavorable winds, fogs, and storms, see Young, Chronicles, 311, where Prince's list is printed in a note. See also letters of E. Howes, April 16, and William Peirse, November 18, 1630, in this volume; and a letter of Samuel Fuller to Governor Bradford, Charlestown, August 2, 1630, 1 Collections , III. 76. Writing of the arrival of a ship (the William and Thomas) “Saturday last,” Fuller continues: “I here but lose time and long to be at home, I can do them no good, for I want drugs, and things fitting to work with: I purpose to be at home this week . . . I requested the Governour to bear [me] company, who is desirous to come, but faith he cannot be absent two hours.” This ship, also called the Thomas and William, Captain William Bundick, was sent out by Thomas Hewson, who, like Cradock, maintained his own plantation in New England — probably at Marblehead.

The Records of Massachusetts, I. 73, show that this Court of Assistants was held Monday, August 23. Savage called attention to the fact that the dates of the two entries preceding this one were erroneous: “Thursday 18” and “August 20 Saterday” are not possible dates for August, 1630. That the dates below the blank space refer to August, and not July, is proved by Winthrop's letter to his wife under date of September 9, where he writes of the Gift as having arrived “about a fortnight since.” That Winthrop, who assisted at the wedding of Endecott, should not know the first name of the latter's second wife, would seem to show that this entry was made at a considerably later date. If so, an error in dating would be likely. During the rest of the year 1630, Thursday fell on the eighteenth only in November, for which month the first few entries seem to have been written with the same finely-pointed quill as the entry in question. The ink of the cancellation and the correction “by the Governor and mr. Wilson” is of the same decidedly brown color as that with which the entries for December, 1630, were made.