Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3
1634-01-03
The good sperit of god posses your precious souls
my deare loue and servis Remembered to you, and your beloved on: with many thanks for many kindneses Reseved from you both. the good lord shew mercy to your souls againe: the great ioye that wee haue in the ordinance of Christ is mixt with sorow that our souls should faire so well, and you our dear bretherin and sisters should want the same. We may pity your state for the Present: but help you we Canot by Reson of the sharpnes of the time, but we trust our good father will suply your wants, and be as a litle sanctuary to you for the present and giue a duble suply in the end and so fill your souls with such a measure of that precyous grace of faith in beleeving, that our good father that brought you to that Place will send after you in his time, for those that serv him shall lack nothing that is good: this time of the want that your souls stands in for the present: will move you to mak a precious acount of it, when it Coms, which we do ernestly desire you may haue to the sweet Content of your souls: my wiffe Remembers here dear loue to you both: the good lord be with you both and gard your bodys by his angels, and gide your souls by his good sperit. yours truly to Comm
W. 1. 104. Thomas Oliver, a native of Bristol, came to Boston in 1632. He served as selectman, 1634–1638, and was a ruling elder of the First Church.
It would seem as if the correct date for this letter must be January 3, 1634 (N.S.). Oliver must either have used New Style dating or have made an error in the year. In March, 1634/35, John Winthrop, Jr., was in England, not in Ipswich. Furthermore, his first wife died in July, 1634, and there is evidence that his second marriage, which occurred in England, had not taken place by March, 1634/35.