USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 23
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goods. But what these things came too will appere in ye next years passages.
I had like to have omited an other passage that fell out ye begining of this year. Ther was one Mr. Ralfe Smith, & his wife & familie, yt came over into ye Bay of ye Massachusets, and sojourned at presente with some stragling people that lived at Natascoe; here being a boat of this place putting in ther on some occasion, he ernestly desired that they would give him & his, passage for Plimoth, and some such things as they could well carrie; having before heard yt ther was liklyhood he might procure house-roome for some time, till he should resolve to setle ther, if he might, or els-wher as God should disposs; for he was werie of being in yt uncoth place, & in a poore house yt would neither keep him nor his goods drie. So, seeing him to be a grave man, & understood he had been a minister, though they had no order for any such thing, yet they presumed and brought him. He was here accordingly kindly entertained & housed, & had ye rest of his goods & servants sente for, and exercised his gifts amongst them, and afterwards was chosen into ye ministrie, and so remained for sundrie years.
It was before noted that sundry of those that came from Leyden, came over in the ships yt came to Salem, wher Mr. Endecott had cheefe comand; and by infection that grue amonge ye passengers at sea, it spread also among them a shore, of which many dyed, some of ye
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scurvie, other of an infectious feaoure, which continued some time amongst them (though our people, through Gods goodnes, escaped it). Upon which occasion he write hither for some help, understanding here was one that had some skill yt way, & had cured diverse of ye scurvie, and others of other diseases, by letting blood, & other means. Upon which his request ye Govr hear sent him unto them, and also write to him, from whom he received an answere; the which, because it is breefe, and shows ye begining of their aquaintance, and closing in ye truth & ways of God, I thought it not unmeete, nor without use, hear to inserte it; and an other show- ing ye begining of their fellowship & church estate ther. Being as followeth.
Right worthy ST:
It is a thing not usuall, that servants to one mr. and of ye same houshold should be strangers ; I assure you I desire it not, nay, to speake more plainly, I cannot be so to you. Gods people are all marked with one and ye same marke, and sealed with one and ye same seale, and have for ye maine, one & ye same harte, guided by one & same spirite of truth; and wher this is, ther can be no discorde, nay, here must needs be sweete harmonie. And ye same request (with you) I make unto ye Lord, that we may, as Christian breethren, be united by a heavenly & unfained love; bend- ing all our harts and forces in furthering a worke be- yond our strength, with reverence & fear, fastening our eyse allways on him that only is able to directe and prosper all our ways. I acknowledge my selfe much bound to you for your kind love and care in sending Mr. Fuller among us,
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and rejoyce much yt I am by him satisfied touching your judgments of ye outward forme of Gods worshipe. It is, as farr as [173] I can yet gather, no other then is warrented by ye evidence of truth, and ye same which I have proffessed and maintained ever since ye Lord in mercie revealed him selfe unto me; being farr from ye commone reporte that hath been spread of you touching that perticuler. But Gods children must not looke for less here below, and it is ye great mercie of God, that he strengthens them to goe through with it. I shall not neede at this time to be tedious unto you, for, God willing, I purpose to see your face shortly. In ye mean time, I humbly take my leave of you, comiting you to ye Lords blessed protection, & rest,
Your assured loving friend,
Jo : ENDECOTT.
Naumkeak, May 11. Anº. 1629.
This second leter sheweth ther proceedings in their church affaires at Salem, which was ye 2. church erected in these parts ; and afterwards ye Lord established many more in sundrie places.
S": I make bould to trouble you with a few lines, for to certifie you how it hath pleased God to deale with us, since you heard from us. How, notwithstanding all opposition that hath been hear, & els wher, it hath pleased God to lay a foundation, the which I hope is agreeable to his word in every thing. The 20. of July, it pleased ye Lord to move ye hart of our Gov" to set it aparte for a solemne day of humilliation for ye choyce of a pastor & teacher. The former parte of ye day being spente in praier & teaching, the later parte aboute ye election, which was after this maner. The persons thought on (who had been ministers in England)
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were demanded concerning their callings; they acknowledged ther was a towfould calling, the one an inward calling, when ye Lord moved ye harte of a man to take yt calling upon him, and fitted him with guiftes for ye same; the second was an outward calling, which was from ye people, when a company of beleevers are joyned togither in cove- nante, to walke togither in all ye ways of God, and every member (being men) are to have a free voyce in ye choyce of their officers, &c. Now, we being perswaded that these 2. men were so quallified, as ye apostle speaks to Timothy, wher he saith, A bishop must be blamles, sober, apte to teach, &c., I thinke I may say, as ye eunuch said unto Philip, What should let from being baptised, seeing ther was water? and he beleeved. So these 2. servants of God, clearing all things by their answers, (and being thus fitted,) we saw noe reason but we might freely give our voyces for their election, after this triall. So Mr. Skelton was chosen pastor, and Mr. Higgison to be teacher; and they accepting ye choyce, Mr. Higgison, with 3. or 4. of ye gravest mem- bers of ye church, laid their hands on Mr. Skelton, using prayer therwith. This being done, ther was imposission of hands on Mr. Higgison also. And since that time, Thursday (being, as I take it, ye 6. of August) is appoynted for another day of humilliation, for ye choyce of elders & deacons, & ordaining of them.
And now, good S', I hope yt you & ye rest of Gods people (who are aquainted with the ways of God) with you, will say that hear was a right foundation layed, and that these 2. blessed servants of ye Lord came in at ye dore, and not at ye window. Thus I have made bould to trouble you with these few lines, desiring you to remember us, &c. And so rest, At your service in what I may,
CHARLES GOTT.
Salem, July 30. 1629.
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[174] Anno Dom: 1630.
ASHLEY, being well supplyed, had quickly gathered a good parcell of beaver, and like a crafty pate he sent it all home, and would not pay for ye goods he had had of ye plantation hear, but lett them stand still on ye score, and tooke up still more. Now though they well enough knew his aime, yet they let him goe on, and write of it into England. But partly ye beaver they received, & sould, (of which they weer sencible, ) and partly by Mr. Allertons extolling of him, they cast more how to supplie him then ye plantation, and some- thing to upbraid them with it. They were forct to buy him a barke allso, and to furnish her wth a m". & men, to transporte his corne & provissions (of which he put of much) ; for ye Indeans of those parts have no corne growing, and at harvest, after corne is ready, ye weather grows foule, and ye seas dangerous, so as he could doe litle good with his shallope for yt pur- poss.
They looked ernestly for a timely supply this spring, by the fishing ship which they expected, and had been at charg to keepe a stage for her; but none came, nor any supply heard of for them. At length they heard sume supply was sent to Ashley by a fishing ship, at which they something marvelled, and the more yt they had no letters either from Mr. Allerton or Mr. Sherley ; so they went on in their bussines as well as ye could.
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At last they heard of Mr. Peirce his arivall in ye Bay of ye Massachusetts, who brought passengers & goods thither. They presently sent a shallop, conceiving they should have some thing by him. But he tould them he had none; and a ship was sett out on fishing, but after 11. weeks beating at sea, she mett with shuch foull weather as she was forcte back againe for Eng- land, and, ye season being over, gave off ye vioage. Neither did he hear of much goods in her for ye plan- tation, or yt she did belong to them, for he had heard some thing from Mr. Allerton tending that way. But Mr. Allerton had bought another ship, and was to come in her, and was to fish for bass to ye east- ward, and to bring goods, &c. These things did much trouble them, and half astonish them. Mr. Winslow haveing been to ye eastward, brought nuese of the like things, wth some more perticulers, and yt it was like Mr. Allerton would be late before he came. At length they, having an oppertunitie, resolved to send Mr. Winslow, with what beaver they had ready, into Eng- land, to see how ye squars wente, being very jeolouse of these things, & Mr. Allertons courses; and writ shuch leters, and gave him shuch instructions, as they thought meet; and if he found things not well, to dis- charge Mr. Allerton for being any longer agent for them, or to deal any more in ye bussines, and to see how ye accounts stood, &c.
Aboute ye midle of somer arrives Mr. Hatherley in
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ye Bay of ye Massachusetts, (being one of ye part- ners,) and came over in ye same ship that was set out on fhishing (called ye Frendship). They presently sent to him, making no question but now they had goods come, and should know how all things stood. But they found [175] the former news true, how this ship had been so long at sea, and spente and spoyled her provissions, and overthrowne ye viage. And he being sent over by ye rest of ye partners, to see how things wente hear, being at Bristoll with Mr. Allerton, in ye shipe bought (called ye White-Angell), ready to set sayle, over night came a messenger from Bastable to Mr. Allerton, and tould him of ye returne of ye ship, and what had befallen. And he not knowing what to doe, having a great chareg under hand, ye ship lying at his rates, and now ready to set sayle, got him to goe and discharg ye ship, and take order for ye goods. To be short, they found Mr. Hatherley some thing reserved, and troubled in him selfe, (Mr. Allerton not being ther,) not knowing how to dispose of ye goods till he came; but he heard he was arived with ye other ship to ye eastward, and expected his coming. But he tould them ther was not much for them in this ship, only 2. packs of Bastable ruggs, and 2. hoggsheads of meatheglin, drawne out in wooden flackets (but when these flackets came to be received, ther was left but 6. gallons of ye 2. hogsheads, it be- ing drunke up under ye name leackage, and so lost).
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But the ship was filled with goods for sundrie gentle- men, & others, that were come to plant in ye Mas- sachusets, for which they payed fraight by ye tun. And this was all the satisfaction they could have at presente, so they brought this small parcell of goods & returned with this nues, and a letter as obscure ; which made them much to marvell therat. The letter was as followeth.
Gentle-men, partners, and loving friends, &c.
Breefly thus : wee have this year set forth a fishing ship, and a trading ship, which later we have bought; and so have disbursed a great deale of money, as may and will appeare by ye accounts. And because this ship (called ye White Angell) is to acte 2. parts, (as I may say,) fishing for bass, and trading ; and that while Mr. Allerton was im- ployed aboute ye trading, the fishing might suffer by car- lesnes or neglecte of ye sailors, we have entreated your and our loving friend, Mr. Hatherley, to goe over with him, knowing he will be a comforte to Mr. Allerton, a joye to you, to see a carfull and loving friend, and a great stay to ye bussines ; and so great contente to us, that if it should please God ye one should faile, (as God forbid,) yet ye other would keepe both recconings, and things uprighte. For we are now out great sumes of money, as they will acquainte you withall, &c. When we were out but 4. or 5. hundred pounds a peece, we looked not much after it, but left it to you, & your agente, (who, without flaterie, deserveth infinite thanks & comendations, both of you & us, for his pains, &c.) ; but now we are out double, nay, trible a peece, some of us, &c .; which maks us both write, and send over our friend, Mr. Hatherley, whom we pray you to entertaine kindly, of which we doubte not of. The main end of sending him
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is to see ye state and accounte of all ye bussines, of all which we pray you informe him fully, though ye ship & bussines wayte for it and him. For we should take it very unkindly that we should intreat him to take such a journey, and that, when it pleaseth God he returnes, he could not give us con- tente & satisfaction in this perticuler, through defaulte of any of you. [176] But we hope you will so order bussines, as neither he nor we shall have cause to complaine, but to doe as we ever have done, thinke well of you all, &c. I will not promise, but shall indeaour & hope to effecte ye full desire and grant of your patente, & that ere it be longe. I would not have you take any thing unkindly. I have not write out of jeolocie of any unjuste dealing. Be you all kindly saluted in ye Lord, so I rest,
Yours in what I may, JAMES SHERLEY.
March 25. 1630.
It needs not be thought strange, that these things should amase and trouble them; first, that this fishing ship should be set out, and fraight with other mens goods, & scarce any of theirs; seeing their maine end was (as is before remembred) to bring them a full supply, and their speatiall order not to sett out any excepte this was done. And now a ship to come on their accounte, clean contrary to their both end & order, was a misterie they could not understand; and so much ye worse, seeing she had shuch ill success as to lose both her vioage & provissions. The 2. thing, that another ship should be bought and sente out on new designes, a thing not so much as once thought on by
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any here, much less, not a word intimated or spoaken of by any here, either by word or letter, neither could they imagine why this should be. Bass fishing was never lookt at by them, but as soone as ever they heard on it, they looked at it as a vaine thing, that would certainly turne to loss. And for Mr. Allerton to follow any trade for them, it was never in their thoughts. And 3ly, that their frieds should complaine of disbursements, and yet rune into such great things, and charge of shiping & new projects of their owne heads, not only without, but against, all order & advice, was to them very strang. And 41y, that all these mat- ters of so great charg & imployments should be thus wrapped up in a breefe and obscure letter, they knew not what to make of it. But amids all their doubts they must have patience till Mr. Allerton & Mr. Hatherley should come. In ye mean time Mr. Winslow was gone for England; and others of them were forst to folow their imployments with ye best means they had, till they could hear of better.
At length Mr. Hatherley & Mr. Allerton came unto them, (after they had delivered their goods,) and find- ing them strucken with some sadnes aboute these things, Mr. Allerton tould them that ye ship Whit- Angele did not belong to them, nor their accounte, neither neede they have any thing to doe with her, excepte they would. And Mr. Hatherley confirmed ye same, and said that they would have had him to have
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had a parte, but he refused; but he made question whether they would not turne her upon ye generall accounte, if ther came loss (as he now saw was like), seeing Mr. Allerton laid downe this course, and put them on this projecte. But for ye fishing ship, he tould them they need not be so much troubled, for he had her accounts here, and showed them that her first set- ing out came not much to exceed 600". as they might see by ye accounte, which he showed them; and for this later viage, it would arrise to profite by ye fraight of ye goods, and ye salle of some katle which he shiped and had allready sould, & was to be paid for partly here & partly by bills into England, so as they should not have this put on their acounte at all, except they [178] * would. And for ye former, he had sould so much goods out of her in England, and imployed ye money in this 2. viage, as it, togeither with such goods & implements as Mr. Allerton must need aboute his fishing, would rise to a good parte of ye money ; for he must have ye sallt and nets, allso spiks, nails, &c .; all which would rise to nere 400". ; so, with ye bearing of their parts of ye rest of ye loses (which would not be much above 200".), they would clear them of this whole accounte. Of which motion they were glad, not being willing to have any accounts lye upon them; but aboute their trade, which made them willing to harken therunto, and demand of Mr. Hatherley how he could
* 177 is omitted in MS.
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make this good, if they should agree their unto, he tould them he was sent over as their agente, and had this order from them, that whatsoever he and M". Allerton did togeather, they would stand to it; but they would not alow of what Mr. Allerton did alone, except they liked it; but if he did it alone, they would not gaine say it. Upon which they sould to him & Mr. Allerton all ye rest of ye goods, and gave them present possession of them; and a writing was made, and con- firmed under both Mr. Hatherleys and Mr. Allertons hands, to ye effecte afforesaide. And Mr. Allertone, being best aquainted wth ye people, sould away presenly all shuch goods as he had no need of for ye fishing, as 9. shallop sails, made of good new canvas, and ye roads for them being all new, with sundry such usefull goods, for ready beaver, by Mr. Hatherleys allowance. And thus they thought they had well provided for them selvs. Yet they rebuked Mr. Allerton very much for runing into these courses, fearing ye success of them. Mr. Allerton & Mr. Hatherley brought to ye towne with them (after he had sould what he could abroad) a great quantity of other goods besids trading comodities; as linen cloath, bedticks, stockings, tape, pins, ruggs, &c., and tould them they were to have them, if they would ; but they tould Mr. Allerton that they had forbid him before for bringing any such on their accounte; it would hinder their trade and returnes. But he & Mr. Hatherley said, if they would not have them, they
-
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would sell them, them selves, and take corne for what they could not otherwise sell. They tould them they might, if they had order for it. The goods of one sorte & other came to upward of 500ti.
After these things, Mr. Allerton wente to ye ship aboute his bass fishing ; and Mr. Hatherley, (according to his order,) after he tooke knowledg how things stood at ye plantation, (of all which they informed him fully,) he then desired a boate of them to goe and visite ye trading houeses, both Kenebeck, and Ashley at Penobscote; for so they in England had injoyned him. They accordingly furnished him with a boate & men for ye viage, and aquainted him plainly & thorowly with all things; by which he had good contente and satisfaction, and saw plainly yt Mr. Allerton plaid his owne game, and rane a course not only to ye great wrong & detrimente of ye plantation, who imployed & trusted him, but abused them in England also, in pos- sessing them with prejudice against ye plantation ; as yt they would never be able to repaye their moneys (in regard of their great charge), but if [179] they would follow his advice and projects, he & Ashley (being well supplyed) would quickly bring in their moneys with good advantage. Mr. Hatherley disclosed also a further projecte aboute ye setting out of this ship, ye White-angell; how, she being wel fitted with good ordnance, and known to have made a great fight at sea (when she belongd to Bristoll) and caried away
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ye victory, they had agreed (by Mr. Allerton's means) that, after she had brought a fraight of goods here into ye countrie, and fraight her selfe with fish, she should goe from hence to Port of porte,* and ther be sould, both ship, goods, and ordenance; and had, for this end, had speech with a factore of those parts, before- hand, to whom she should have been consigned. But this was prevented at this time, (after it was known,) partly by ye contrary advice given by their freinds hear to Mr. Allerton & Mr. Hatherley, showing how it might insnare their friends in England, (being men of estate,) if it should come to be knowne; and for ye plantation, they did and would disalow it, and pro- test against it; and partly by their bad viage, for they both came too late to doe any good for fishing, and allso had such a wicked and drunken company as neither Mr. Allerton nor any els could rule; as Mr. Hatherley, to his great greefe & shame, saw, & be- held, and all others that came nere them.
Ashley likwise was taken in a trape, (before Mr. Hatherley returned,) for trading powder & shote with ye Indeans ; and was ceased upon by some in author- itie, who allso would have confiscated above a thousand weight of beaver; but ye goods were freed, for ye Gov' here made it appere, by a bond under Ashleys hand, wherin he was bound to them in 500t. not to trade any munition with ye Indeans, or other wise
* Oporto, called by the Dutch Port a port.
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to abuse him selfe; it was also manifest against him that he had comited uncleannes with Indean women, (things that they feared at his first imployment, which made them take this strict course with him in ye be- gining) ; so, to be shorte, they gott their goods freed, but he was sent home prisoner. And that I may make an end concerning him, after some time of imprison- mente in ye Fleet, by ye means of friends he was set at liberty, and intended to come over againe, but ye Lord prevented it; for he had a motion made to him, by some marchants, to goe into Russia, because he had such good skill in ye beaver trade, the which he ac- cepted of, and in his returne home was cast away at sea ; this was his end.
Mr. Hatherley, fully understanding ye state of all things, had good satisfaction, and could well informe them how all things stood betweene Mr. Allerton and ye plantation. Yea, he found yt Mr. Allerton had gott within him, and [180] got all ye goods into his owne hands, for which Mr. Hatherley stood joyntly ingaged to them hear, aboute ye ship-Freidship, as also most of ye fraigte money, besids some of his owne perticuler estate ; about wch more will appear here after. So he returned into England, and they sente a good quantity of beaver with him to ye rest of ye partners; so both he and it was very wellcome unto them.
Mr. Allerton followed his affaires, & returned with his White Angell, being no more imployed by ye plan-
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tation ; but these bussinesses were not ended till many years after, nor well understood of a longe time, but foulded up in obscuritie, & kepte in ye clouds, to ye great loss & vexation of ye plantation, who in ye end were (for peace sake) forced to bear ye unjust burthen of them, to their allmost undoing, as will appear, if God give life to finish this history.
They sent their letters also by Mr. Hatherley to ye partners ther, to show them how Mr. Hatherley & Mr. Allerton had discharged them of ye Friendships accounte, and that they boath affirmed yt the White- Angell did not at all belong to them; and therfore desired that their accounte might not be charged ther- with. Also they write to Mr. Winslow, their agente, that he in like maner should (in their names) protest against it, if any such thing should be intended, for they would never yeeld to ye same. As allso to sig- nifie to them that they renounsed Mr. Allerton wholy, for being their agente, or to have any thing to doe in any of their bussines.
This year John Billinton ye elder (one that came over with ye first) was arrained, and both by grand & petie jurie found guilty of willfull murder, by plaine & notorious evidence. And was for the same accord- ingly executed .* This, as it was ye first execution
* Hubbard, on page 101, notices the execution of Billington as taking place "about September" of this year. "The murtherer expected that, either for want of power to execute for capital offences, or for want of
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amongst them, so was it a mater of great sadnes unto them. They used all due means about his triall, and tooke ye advice of Mr. Winthrop and other ye ablest gentle-men in ye Bay of ye Massachusets, that were then new-ly come over, who concured with them yt he ought to dye, and ye land to be purged from blood. He and some of his had been often punished for mis- cariags before, being one of ye profanest families amongst. them. They came from London, and I know not by what freinds shufled into their company. His facte was, that he way-laid a yong-man, one John New-comin, (about a former quarell,) and shote him with a gune, wherof he dyed .*
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