A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3

Robert Ryece to John Winthrop1
Ryece, Robert Root, Thomas Wintrhop, John

1637-01-17

To the very woorshipfull hys mooche honored good Friende Mr. Wynthop at his howse at Boston in Newe Englande geve these
Moste deere and Christian Friende,

your moste kynde lettres of the 29 of June 1636, came safely to my handes the 3 of November laste, by which I doe perceyve, you had not then received any lettres from me for this yeere. Sir your contynewall love to Gods church and his servantes, doothe euer make mee so longe as I lyve to be myndefull of you, even with my beste endeavours, and for writinge to you, I wrotte vnto you the 17 of Maye laste accompaned with a Boxe of Boocks, which I sente by my brother Samuell Appleton to be convayed to hym for you. nowe yf thay bee not yett come to your handes as I feare thay are not, for abowte the 8 of this moneth I received lettres from my brother Samuell dated the 19 of October laste by which I perceyve he had not then received my lettres nor sondry other thinges accompanied therewith, From whence I do feare, as many others else doe heere that the Schippe with the passengers mooche Stuffe and goods are all perished by the waye. I wrotte also vnto you the 9 of September laste, which I hope maye be safely come to 347your hands, and I hope agayne by the nexte opportunitie God wyllinge, to wryte vnto you. I am muche beholdinge vnto you for your lettres and advertisements, beinge very sory I can not now make any requitall agayne I am styll a bolde petitioner to you, to helpe vs to a mappe of your contry as it is now Inhabited and is ioyned with new plantation of Conetticote and yf wee lyve, wee hope to be very thankefull for the same.

There is a matter wherein I am entreated to wryte vnto you in the behalfe of one Mres. Sarah the wyfe of Mr. Henry surnamed the blacke Henry Coppinger of Lavenham, that whereas now allmoste 4 yeeres synce the sayd Mres. Sarah had owte of the frugallitie of hir owne laborious Industrye, withowte the privitie of hir husbande gathered the Summe of xjli, which desyringe to putt it owte for benefyte of hir poore children, yonge Hamonde heere of Lannam then beinge heere, and vnderstandinge of hir purpose, moved Hamonde sic for the mony promisinge restitution after a yeere with as moche more for the gayne, heereupon, heere more xxs was delivered with the mony in good penny woothes of goods, and Wylliam Payne, late of Lanham nowe of N: E: gave then his woorde for the repaymente of the sayd 12li, with the profitt thereof arisynge within a yeere, synce which tyme shee never harde of Hamonde, one whitt, but that he is deade,2 and shee withowte all meanes for hir mony: From whence shee hearinge that you have in Newe Englande all good lawes to recover debttes, entreated mee to wryte vnto you in her behalfe, beinge vnknowne to you, to desyer you to common with olde Hamonde and with Wylliam Payne, abowte this debtte, and howe it maye be recovered. Sir I praye you beare with my bowldenes, you can not doe a more meritorious deede, wee wyll all be thankefull vnto you for it. Newes wee have none heere that good is, all your friends heere are well bothe at Lanham and otherwheare So remembringe my beste affection vnto you I ende beseechinge the allmyghtye to keepe you in all your wayes and do remayne Yours ever moste bownde in all Christian observance

Robert Ryece Preston this 17 of January 1636/37

I Thomas Roote now of Lavenham doe wytnes that I harde the sayd Wylliam Payne then heere at Lavenham to geve his woorde in my presence to Mres. Sarah Coppinger, that yf yonge Hamonde dyd not paye the mony agayne to the sayd Mres. Sarah Coppinger, that he woolde then make good and paye the principall which is Aleven powndes. And this can the wydowe 348Onge, no we of Waterton in N: E: but then of Lavenham, in whose prescence and in hir Shoppe wytnes

Thomas Roote

I haue seene a lettre of the sayd Wylliam Hamonde dated at Watertowne in N: E: the 4 of July 1635 to Mres. Coppinger, wherein he promised hir by the helpe of God, to be heere in Englande betweene that and Christetyde nexte followenge, and so to pay hir hir monye.

I have seene also another lettre dated at Watertowne the 15 of July laste from William Hamonde the elder to the sayd Thomas Roote to desyer hym to goe to his moother the wydowe Stewarde of Cockefielde, to whom he had signified in a lettre that shee shoolde paye the mony in question to the sayd Thomas Roote for to paye it over to Mres. Coppinger accordingly but the sayd wydowe Stewarde denyed the sayd Roote to paye one pennye of it.

Nowe for that it may be demanded whie the husbande of Mres. Coppinger (who is of sufficiente abyllytie to deale in this buysynes) is not prevye to this matter, that is awnswered, that it is vnseemelye for the wyfe to reveale the husbands defects, who if he knewe of it or coolde fynger it woolde soone spende it as formerly myserable experience hathe tawghte from whence shee is enforced withowte his privitie to seeke to recoover it only for the Supplie of hir owne and hir childrens necessitie. And if it shoolde so falle owte that any wayes paymente heereof be made, then it is humbly desyred you woolde be pleased to sende it to mee for hir. Yours ever and vnfaynedlye

Robte. Ryece
1.

W. 2. 153; 4 Collections , VI. 394–396.

2.

William Hammond, Jr., had been killed by the Indians on Long Island. See page 276, above.