Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3

Adam Winthrop to John Winthrop, Jr.1

Winthrop, Adam (1620-1652, son of John Winthrop) Winthrop, John, Jr.

1636-06

To his dere and louinge brother Mr. John Winthrop liuinge at conekticot giue thes with spede

Louinge Brother,

The thoutes of youer loue and kindnes to me youre vnworthy brother does stir me up to writ vnto you, as I cold doe no les but it wold haue bene a sine of grat vnthankfullnes and disregard of so much kindnes wich I wold be very loth to doe: much blaming my self for my neklegens and slouthfullnes that I haue not writen to you allredy: desiring now by my dobell illegible for to amend my formar neklegens: louinge brother we haue hard ofen of your well fare wich did much rejoyses us and will doe I hope more and more: Thare haes com grate store of shipes this yeare all redy to the nombar of fourten and but litell neues only this that the viese admarall of the kinges flet as thay war riding in the temes amaking meri the ship sodenly sunke and a grat many of the men ware drouned:2 Allso the king gaue the sitsens too or thre brase peses of ordinans wich thay for to gratify 266the king again made a grat meting in the feldes and hauing grat store of poudare thar pouder was fired and did bloue oup 30 of them that war killed and diues more hurte.

louing brother I shuld be very glad to see you hear if it ples god if not I shuld be very glad if I myght hear from you if it be not to much trubell to you in the multeteud of your busnes: I shall be very willing and glad for to doe any busnes for you hear the wich does ly in my power: I desiar that you wold exept this as a small token of my loue and mindfullnes of you

and so I rest your loueing brother till deth

Adam Winthrop Ca. June, 1636

I pray you remember my lou to mister gardner and his wife and to all the rest of my frindes.

My brother Dean does remember his loue to you.

W. 1. 122; 5 Collections , VIII. 220–221. Adam Winthrop, son of John and Margaret Winthrop, was born April 7, 1620, and came to Massachusetts with Governor Winthrop in June, 1630.

The Anne Royal, which sank in the Thames on April 9, 1636, with “divers men drowned and some women, the master’s wife being one.” Calendar of State Papers, Domestic, 1635–1636, 364, et passim.

Elizabeth Winthrop to John Winthrop, Jr.1

Winthrop, Elizabeth Winthrop, John, Jr.

1636-06

To her very louing and much respected blot husbond Mr. John Winthrop Gouernor of Conitecot this deliuer

My dearest beloued,

I can not2 but I must bee trobboll some to the with these my poore lines, which are to sartifi the that I haue recaueed thy letter which doeth not a lettell reioces my harte to see that thee Lord hace bene so pleesed to geue the thy halte and life that soo thou mayest despach thy besnes to retorne home againe so soone as thee Lord shall se it fetting for truly I fare my time is neeare then thou thinkest it bes3 and thearfor let me intreate the that thou woldes not bee unminde of me in thy praieres to the Lord ouer greate God of Heauen before wohe wee must all appeare at the iugmente seeate of christ I thinke thou shoueds doo wall to write to my mother if thou caneast not come with the next but littell doest the thinke how much it wold refreach my haui and sad sparet to see thy deare face againe I pray come 267away so sone as thou canest and so I rest commetting the to God I rest thy eauer loueing and kinde wife to comande in whatsoeauer thou plesest so long as the Lord shall bee plesed to geue me life and strenge

Elizebeth Wintrep Ca. June, 1636

I thanke the for my basket but I haue gau it to my mother for she was in loue with it

W. Au. 67; 5 Collections , I. 85–86.

The word in the original manuscript is spelled “mot.”

Elizabeth, daughter of John Winthrop, Jr., and Elizabeth Winthrop, was, according to the records of the First Church of Boston, baptized on July 3, 1636. Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, IX (Boston, 1883), 4. A statement in the Boston records (ibid.) that she was born on July 24 is obviously incorrect, as can be seen from the letter of Adam Winthrop to John Winthrop, Jr., July 3, 1636 (page 283, below), and those of Robert Feke and Elizabeth Feke to John Winthrop, Jr., July 5, 1636 (pages 287–288, below), all of which make mention of the infant daughter.