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Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3

James Luxford to John Winthrop1
Luxford, James Wintrhop, John

1637-12

Right worshipful,

I haue sent downe this morninge soome butter and other things such as wee haue. time will not giue me leaue to coome to your worship since I came from Concod, but I haue not yet drawd to a full conclusion with them because of soome of the cheefe of them beinge absent, and I could not stay all night as soome desired mee, because of my imployments at home which did require my speedy returne, but I perceiue that the towne will grant a reasonable lott in the towne;2 Furthermore, my purpose is the lord assistinge of mee to goe on with all conuenyent speed in buildinge a house for your worship at Bostone, accordinge as I propounded to your worship desiringe this on thinge of your worship that you will be pleased to leaue the ordering of it in soome kind to mee, to the end that I may doe it for your best aduantage either to sell or keepe. I know that your worship doth delite in playnnesse, and I shall not willingly digresse from that rule, contriuinge it soe as that, if occasion be offered it may giue content to those that delite in commodious neatnesse, not exceedinge in cost, but if for a matter of ten pound charge a man may make it happely 50li better it weare cost Ill saued, beside men doe now build, as lokinge on a setled Commonwelth, and therefore, wee looke at posteryty and what may be vsefull or profitable for them, neither haue I any purpose to be sumtuous, or at any superfluous charge, but as may be I hope for your worship’s best content; beinge the best imployment soe far as I conceiue, that for the present I can settle on wherby to furnish your worship with mony, for if the lord be pleased to blesse my Indeuors, I hope to haue it a house habitable either for your worship or 517your frend in the springe, neither I trust shall it at all hinder my other proceedings, nor be a matter of any great charge to your worship in the conclusion for as it hath been to this day, soe I trust it shall be my care to reckon the cost of what I vndertake, and to cast how to accomplish it, and in an honest way to rayse the charge neither doe I much question but that I shall rayse neare inought from the wood this yeare to accomplish it, and because when I coome to digg the sellers, a draught will be of soome vse for mee I had thought to haue a draught ther this winter, which I doe conceiue may be much for my furtherance, saue that Mr. Jeffery hath sould his house and is cominge to bostone, and purposes to keepe a draught there, and is now in hand with me for 500 load of wood which if he by, then it may detayne mee from cominge Else not, for as these times are it is good to vse all lawfull meanes in a way of god for the accomplishment of those things that are necessary. But I will now trouble your worship noe farther: but bend my selfe the Lord asistinge me to proceed in such a way as may giue your worship content.

James Luxford Ca. December, 1637

Endorsed by Governor Winthrop: Jeames Luxford.

1.

W. 4. 49; 5 Collections , I. 127–128. For James Luxford, see 5 Collections , I. 127n.; 2 Proceedings , VII. 127–140.

2.

The land that Winthrop subsequently acquired on the Concord River came to him not through a grant from the town but through a grant from the General Court, May 2, 1638. Records of Massachusetts, I. 229.