USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > History of the town of Plymouth, from its first settlement in 1620, to the present time : with a concise history of the aborigines of New England, and their wars with the English, &c. > Part 11
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Edward, the eldest son of Joshua, and great-great-grand-son of John and Mary Chilton, was an Episcopal clergyman, settled at Braintree ; he was a loyalist, and died in New York about 1780 .- From him are descended those of the name in North Carolina. Joshua, a younger brother, was a merchant, married a daughter of Commodore Loring, and died in Boston inį 1775. His descendants are all in England. John was also a loyalist, and died in New York in 1781, leaving no children living.
The daughters of Joshua Winslow first named, were mostly mar- ried, and, excepting the eldest, Margaret, died without leaving chil- dren living.
Margaret married Colonel Benjamin Pollard, Sheriff of Suffolk, and many of their descendants are now living in Boston. Isaac, the youngest, born in 1743, was educated for a profession, but aban- doned this and became a merchant. His first wife was a Sparhawk, daughter of the clergyman, of Salem; his second wife was Mary Davis, daughter of Benjamin Davis of Boston, by whom he had six sons and two daughters. He died in Boston in 1793. His descend- ants are now in Boston, New York, and South Carolina.
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Pilgrim Society in 1831, by Mr. Pelham Winslow, late of Bos- ton, a lineal descendant of Governor Winslow. This curious document is peculiarly interesting to the antiquarians, and par- ticularly valuable as relating to governor Winslow. It is written in a beautiful hand on parchment, which is pasted on a wooden back, and the whole enclosed in a frame 3 feet by 2 feet 2 inches. There are some defects in this copy which re- quire explanation. The brackets of this form [ ] enclose those words which are not perfectly distinct in the original, but about which there is little doubt. The blanks denote that words formerly written are illegible. It will be observed, that the parts so obscured are small in amount, and that the sense is not much affected by their loss. The words "Oliver Lord Protector," with which the Instrument commences, are written in large German Text letters, the first letter " O" being much larger than the others, and enclosing a bust of Cromwell. A border runs along the top of the Instrument, in which are re- presented two crosses and a harp, each encircled by a wreath of flowers, and intended, apparently, as emblems of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Great Seal of England, originally affixed to this instrument is wanting. The signature cannot be discerned by looking directly upon the surface of the parch- ment, but by turning it to the light, and looking obliquely, the forms of the letters " Oliver P." may be easily traced, although not any of the ink remains. The word Protector was probably not written in full, but expressed by the simple initial P. in the same manner as the royal R. is used. The bracket at the end of the last line marks the place of a word, in the original, which cannot be made out.
Although this instrument was written on parchment, the let- ters are so obscured by the lapse of one hundred and eighty- one years, that no one could be found willing to decypher it, till recently the Rev. W. P. Lunt has effected the difficult task in a very satisfactory manner, and it is now, for the first time, presented to the public.
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COMMISSION
FROM OLIVER CROMWELL TO
GOVERNOR EDWARD WINSLOW.
OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR
Of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions thereto belonging, and the Lords, the States Generall of the United Provinces respectively, To all and Sin- gular, to whome these presents shell come, or whome they shall any way touch or concerne, Greeting. Whereas in the twen- tie-eight article of the Treatie of Peace lately made and con- cluded betwixt us the said Lord Protector of the Common- wealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, on the one parte, and us the said Lords the States Generall of the United Prov- inces, on the other, It is mutually accorded and agreed upon, as follows, viz :
That Restitution shall be made of all and singular the Eng- lish Shipps and Goods seized and detained within the Domin- ions of the King of Denmarke, since the eighteenth day of May in the year one Thousand Six Hundred fifty and Two, and remaining yet in specie, together with the true and just price of such as are sold, imbezilled or otherwise disposed of within · ffourteene dayes after the Arrival of the Merchants and Masters interested therein, or their assignes for the receiving of them -and also that Dammages be given for the losses sustained by the English by reason of the said detention, according to what shall be arbitrated and awarded by Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex, William Vander Cruyssen, Arbitrators indifferently chosen as well on the parte of his Highnesse, as the said States Generall (the forme or Instrument of which ar- bitration is already agreed upon) to examine and determine the demands of the Merchants, Masters, and owners to whom the said Shipps, Goods and Dammages appertaine, which Arbitra-
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tors are to meet at Goldsmith's Hall here in London the Twen- tie Seventh of June next, Old Stile or sooner if it may be, and shall the same day, make solemne oath before the Judge of the High Court of Admiraltie of England That they will pro- ceede without respect or relation had to either State or any par- ticular interest whatsoever: and moreover the foresaid Arbi- trators shall from the ffirst day of August next unless they agree upon sentence sooner be shutt up in a Chamber by them- selves without fire, candle, meat, drink or any other refresh- ment till such time as they come to an Agreement concerning the matters referred to them. And the sentence which they shall award shall be Obligatorie to both parties: And the States Generall of the United Provinces doe firmly oblige themselves by these presents to execute or performe the same, as alsoe to pay such summe of moneyes here at London as the said Ar- bitrators shall adjudge to be paid for the use of the said Own- ers to such person or persons as his Highnesse shall nominate within Twentie ffive Dayes after Adjudication made. And the said States Generall shall within Two Dayes after the Instru- ments of Ratification of the said Articles of Peace are mutu- ally delivered, pay here at London the summe of ffive Thou- sand Pounds Sterling towards the charges of the Merchants, Masters or their Assignes for their journey to Denmarke, and the summe of Twentie Thousand Ryx Dollars to such persons as his Highnesse shall appoint within Six Dayes after the Ar- rivall of the said Persons there, for the use of the Merchants, Masters and Owners towards repairing their Shipps and fitting them for Sea, which said Summes shall be accounted in part of payment of such summe as shall be awarded by the said Arbi- trators-and that Caution and Securitie be given (the forme of which Caution is already agreed upon) by sufficient and re- sponsible men living here in London and binding themselves in an Obligation of One Hundred and ffourtie Thousand Pounds Sterling (which Obligation is to be delivered at the same time with the Instrument of Ratifications) that restitution shall be made according to the premisses, and that the submission and payment as well of the Twentie Thousand Ryx Dollars, as of such summe or other things as shall be adjudged and deter- mined as aforesaid shall on their parte be duely performed. And if all and singular the Conditions be not really and effec- tually performed on the parte of the Lords the States Generall in manner and time aforesaid, Then the said Obligation shall be forfeited, and the Said Summe of One Hundred and ffourtie Thousand Pounds Sterling shall be paid to such person or per- sons as his Highnesse shall nominate to the end the Losses of the Merchants, Masters and interessed may be satisfied.
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Now WE THE SAID LORD PROTECTOR of the Common- wealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and alsoe We the said Lords the States Generall of the United Provinces ratify- ing and confirming the said Article and all the matters and things therein Contained, and being respectively willing, cove- nanting and greeing that the same and every parte and clause thereof be duely and firmely held and observed bona fide, ac- cording to the nature and qualitie of contracts of [Princes] and Suvreaine States, without any manner of evasion or avoyd- ance for want of any Solemnities. And renouncing on both sides all subtilties and niceties of Law, to the end the prem- ises may have and take full effect according to the true mean- ing of the said article WE THE SAID LORD PROTECTOR for our parte, and We the said Lords the States Generall afore- said for our parte have by one unanimous Consent nominated and appointed, and doe by these presents nominate and appoint Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex, William Vander Cruyssen to be Arbitrators Commissioners full and absolute Judges to receive, heare, examine, and by all due wayes and meanes to determine and give judgment upon all and singular the complaints and demannds of all and every the Merchants, Masters, Owners, and interessed in all or any Shipps, Vessells, Tackle, Apparell, furniture, provisions, wares, goods and other things whatsoever at any time arrested or detained within any of the Territories or Dominions of the King of Denmarke since the Eighteenth Day of May One Thousand Six Hun- dred ffifty and Two, whereof mention is made in the Bills of the Merchants exhibited in March 1653 and pertaineing con- signed or belonging to any of the People of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, or any of the Dominions thereto belonging, and WE THE SAID LORD PROTECTOR and alsoe We the said Lords the States Generall of the United Provinces doe joyntly and unanimously commit and by these presents give unto the said Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex, and William Vander Cruyssen full power and au- thoritie to convene and assemble together upon the Twentie seaventh day of June next ensuing old stile in the cittie of London in or at the Hall or Place in the. said cittie called Goldsmith's Hall who being there assembled shall sweare and take a solemne oath before the Judges of the High Court of Admiraltie of England who are by the said Lord Protector au- thorised by these presents to administer the said oaths and re- quired and enjoyned duely to attend at the said Goldsmith's Hall upon the said Twentie Seaventh day of June for the min- istration of the said oaths accordingly. That they and everie 9 *
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of them shall in their examining hearing and determining of the said premisses and matters by these presents to them com- mitted renounced and sett aside all partialitie favor and affec- tion in relation to either or any of the said States, or any par- ticular interests, and proceede impartially to the searching out of the truth and summary determining and assessing of the rights interests and just dammages in all and everie the de- mannds aforesaid, and being sworne the said Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex, and William Vander Cruyssen shall forthwith enter upon and take cognisance of all such Com- plaints and Demannds as shall be on the behalf of any of the People of the said Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland &c. produced or offered touching any Shipps or Ves- sells whatsoever and all manner of Merchandize Consigne- ments Goods or any other things seised, [imbarged] or de- tained as aforesaid. And also all and singular shall be produced on the other parte by way of defence, diminution or payment of the said demands. And shall either by Oath, or without Oath or by Instruments documents or any other Evi- dence whatsoever such as they shall find requisite and condu- cible to this purpose examine the truth of all and everie the said Complaints and Demannds, and the true and just value of all and singular such Shipps and Vessells, Tackle furniture freight Provisions Merchandize goods or other things and all and everie the Dammages sustained by the said seisures and Detentions by losse of the said Shipps Vessells and freight thereof, and alsoe by the losse and damages of the said goods, Wares, Merchandize or otherwise respectively-And the said Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex and William Vander Cruyssen are hereby impowered enabled and authorized to ascertaine the said Premisses and everie of them and to liquidate assesse and tax the dammages for all and sin- gular the said premisses, and to arbitrate and adjudge the same according as they shall hold just and meete and to pronounce and publish in writing under their Hands and Seales their finall judgment which said judgment pronounced and published shall be binding and obligatory to both parties without any further review appeale or reclamation of any partie whatsoever-And THE SAID LORDS THE STATES GENERALL by these presents binde and oblige themselves effectually and [really] to per- forme the same, and to pay such summe of moneyes as shall be soe adjudged and arbitrated to be paid for the said damma- ges and premisses within Twentie ffive days next immediately following after the publishing, of the said final judgment and arbitration and the said Edward Winslow, James Russell, John
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Beex and William Vander Cruyssen are hereby authorised and required to convene and assemble at the said Goldsmith's Hall and procede upon the said [premisses de die] in diem without intermitting any day after their first meeting upon the Twentie Seaventh day of June (the Lord's dayes commonly called Sun- dayes only excepted) and to the end the said Edward Wins- low, James Russell, John Beex and William Vander Cruys- sen may not long procrastinate the said matters to them com- mitted or breake off abruptly without coming to any certaine and final Judgment upon the said premisses IT IS ACCORDED AND CONCLUDED as well on the parte of the Lord Protector as the Lords the States Generall of the United Provinces, That if the said Edward Winslow, James Russell, John Beex and William Vander Cruyssen shall not agree and publish their finall judgment upon the premisses before the ffirst day of Au- gust they shall be shutt upp in the said Goldsmith's Hall in a roome by themselves without fire, candle, meat drinke or other refreshment, untill they shall agree and publish in writing un- der their Hands and Seales their finall judgment and determi- nation of and upon the premisses which said finall Judgment and determination soe to be made after their such shutting upp shall neverthelesse be as firm [valide] and binding as if it had been made before their such shutting upp as aforesaid to all intents [constructions] and purposes- IN WITNESS of all and singular which are for the surer per- formance of the premisses, without any manner of
and cavillation the said Lord Protector and the said Lords the States Generall have agreed that Two partes of this In- strument word for word shall be made after the manner of an Indenture And that the said Lord Protector for the thereof for his parte shall cause the Greate Seale of England to be affixed unto the one parte thereof and the said Lords the States Generall of the United Provinces shall cause their Greate Seale to be affixed to the other; And accordingly Wee the said Lord Protector have signed the said one parte of this In- strument with our owne Hand, and have caused the Greate Seale of England to be affixed thereto, at Westminster, the nineteenth day of April in the yeare of our Lord one Thousand six Hundred ffifty and ffoure.
[ OLIVER P. ]
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1656 .- This year, it was ordered that card playing should be punished by a fine of fifty shillings. Servants or children, play- ing at cards, dice, or other unlawful games, for the first offence to be corrected, by their parents or master, and for the second, to be publicly whipped. A law was passed by which a magis- trate, at his discretion, was authorized to inflict corporal punish- ment on all who denied the scriptures to be a rule of life. Vil- ifying any church or ordinance, was punished by a fine of ten shillings; profaning the Lord's day, by a fine of ten shillings, or a public whipping; and neglecting to attend public worship on each Lord's day, by a fine of ten shillings.
We have now to notice the lamented death of that hero of the Pilgrims, Capt. Miles Standish. He died at his residence in Duxbury, this year, at a very advanced age. Captain Standish was one of the companions of Carver, Bradford and Winslow, in the Mayflower, and shared in all the perils and privations to which they were subjected. He was one of the first settlers of Duxbury, but resided occasionally at Plymouth, especially in the winter months, and was the principal officer of the garrison at that place. In 1645, when war-like movements were com- menced against the Narragansets, Standish commanded the Plymouth troops. In 1653, when hostilities with the Dutch at Manhattan were apprehended, a council of war was appointed in Plymouth colony, of which Standish was one. Warrants were issued for the impressment of 60 men, and Standish was appointed to command them. . It thus appears that he continued active in military employments, on every necessary occasion, until within three years of his death. He was frequently one of the board of assistants. After the loss of his wife in 1620-1, he soon married again. In the assignment of lands in 1623, the name of Mrs. Standish is on the list; we know not the pre- vious name of the lady, but it appears she came in the ship Ann. In 1627, when the cattle were divided, he stands at the head of the third lot, with his wife 'Barbara.' Charles, Alexander, and John, his children, are associated with him in that assign- ment. Alexander married Sarah Alden, daughter of John Al- den. Dr. Belknap informs us that Dr. Wheelock, President of Dartmouth College, and the father of Dr. Kirkland, President of Harvard College, are descended from him. In the cabinet of the Pilgrim Society is the identical sword blade * used by Capt. Standish, the hilt being of more modern date, and also his iron pot, and pewter dish.
* This relic is substantiated by unquestionable authority.
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The Rev. T. Alden, Jr. in his collection of Epitaphs, gives an amusing traditionary anecdote relative to the connubial pur- suits of Capt. Standish, and his friend John Alden. This anec- dote will be found entire under the name of John Alden, further on. In 1625, Captain Standish was sent an agent for the com- pany to England. The plague was then raging in London, and he met with difficulty in accomplishing his business ; but, the next year, he returned with goods for the colony, and brought the melancholy news, that Rev. Mr. John Robinson and Mr. Cushman were numbered with the dead. Capt. Standish was constantly elected one of the principal officers of the growing Commonwealth, and was one of the magistrates of the colony. When, in 1652, a council of war was appointed, vested with full power ' to issue warrants to press men and give commis- sions to chief officers,' the venerable Standish was one of the number. In 1654, Cromwell called on New-England for troops to subdue the Dutch of New-York, and Capt. Standish receiv- ed the command of those raised in Plymouth colony. A part of his commission was in these words. ' We having raised some forces, over which we do constitute our well beloved friend, Capt. Miles Standish, their leader and commander in chief ; whose fidelity and ability we have long experienced.' He was a brave and enterprising man, whose perseverance was equal to the performance of the boldest resolutions, which the mind can frame. It will appear, by the preceding pages, that on several occasions he was, through his great intrepidity, the deliverer of the people from the death, which the Indians threatened and were ready to execute. To the best interest of the colony he continued firm and steadfast to the last, and always managed his trust with great integrity and faithfulness. It is supposed, that he was buried at Duxbury, but the place of his grave is un- known. His house was consumed by fire sometime after his death, the exact time of which is uncertain. There are, in Plympton numerous descendants of Miles Standish. In his will, dated March 7th, 1655, he calls his son Alexander his eldest son, and names his sons in the following order, Alexander, Miles, Josiah, Charles. He mentions his wife Barbara, and his daugh- ter Lora. He gives his son Alexander his right to lands in England. It is possible that his sons Charles and John, men- tioned in Judge Davis's edition of the memorial, might have died young, as they are not mentioned in the will.
Dr. Belknap gives us many respectable names of the honor- able house from which Miles Standish descended, beginning with Henry Standish, D. D., Bishop of St. Asaph, in the reign of Henry VIII. In the account of Duxbury, (Historical Col-
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lections, vol. ii.) the name of the town is supposed to have been assumed by its first settlers, in allusion to their captain or leader. This appears questionable. The compliment would have been merited, but it is doubtful whether, among such a people, it would have been proposed or admitted. In ' Ancient Vestiges,', the manuscript in the note, p. 226 (Memorial) there is this re- mark; 'So late as 1707, I find that Sir Thomas Standish lived at Duxbury, the name of the family seat in Lancashire.'
Captain Standish, it is said, was of small stature, but of a fiery temper, and perhaps no man ever possessed a more daring and intrepid spirit. The hill so conspicuous in the southeast part of the town of Duxbury, is called Captain's Hill or Mount, as it makes a part of the farm which was Captain Standish's.
1657 .- On the 9th of March, William Bradford, governor of the colony, was called to join the congregation of the dead, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. This bereavement was pecu- liarly afflictive to the pilgrims, for he was one who shared large- ly in their perils, griefs, and toils, and was revered as the prop and glory of the colony. He was born in England, in 1588. Both his parents dying while he was in early youth, he was left to the protection of his grand-parents, and, after them, his uncles. His patrimony was large, but his station in life was amongst the yeo- manry, and he was bred to agriculture. The early loss of his pa- rents probably gave a serious cast to his mind, and he devoted all his leisure time to the reading of the scriptures; and, notwith- standing the opposition and angry remonstrances of all his rela- tions, this experienced youth embraced the doctrines, which were taught by the venerable Clifton, and afterwards by Robinson and became one of their most devoted followers. He was a zeal- ous advocate for the removal ofthe company to America, and was a passenger in the Mayflower. On their arrival at Cape Cod harbor, his wife unfortunately fell overboard, and was drowned in his absence. On the death of governor Carver, although only thirty-two years old, and confined at the time by sickness, he was unanimously elected his successor, as governor of the colony. He conducted the affairs of the colony, for the great part of the time, as chief, and two or three years as second magistrate, with consummate prudence and ability, for a period of more than thirty-one years. 'In the transactions with the Indians, he was strictly just; and after those unavoidable spark- lings, which the neighborhood of two races of men, like the col- lision of flint and steel, are sure to strike out at first, the ani- mosities, which vicinage engendered, were allayed, and he pre- served the relations of peace unbroken. His mingled system of mildness and energy conciliated their affections, and extorted
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their respect. When necessary, he alarmed their fears. When the emblematic defiance of the Sachem of the Narragansetts was conveyed in the shape of a bundle of arrows, bound to- gether by the skin of a serpent, he answered it promptly, by sending back the skin filled with powder and bullets.'-(See page 45 of this vol.) He soon understood all the peculiarities of their simple characters. His sagacity in detecting, and his energy in overcoming the designs of the factionists, were on every occasion most happily displayed. He was, at an early period, aware of the danger of supplying the Indians with fire- arms, and warned his countrymen against putting such formi- dable instruments into their hands. "The natives," he observed, " were all provided with muskets, powder and shot, and were so well skilled in their use as even to keep the English in awe, and give the law to them when they pleased. They have flints, screw plates and moulds for shot, and can mend and new stock their pieces almost as well as Englishmen. Thus like madmen, we put them in the way to kill us with our own weapons. They know their advantage so well, they scruple not to say that they can, when they please, drive the English away, or kill them." It is to be observed, that the natives were supplied with arms and ammunition chiefly by the people of Massachusetts colony. Although governor Bradford's early pursuits were un- favorable to the cultivation of learning, yet he applied himself with great diligence to the study of the ancient languages, both Greek and Latin. Of the Hebrew his knowledge was intimate, and the French and Dutch he spoke with ease. He read much on subjects of history and philosophy. In theology he was deeply versed, and few there were, who could contend with him successfully in a polemical dispute. He wrote considera- ably; the loss of his valuable manuscript history of the colony to 1646 can never be supplied. As chief magistrate, he was compelled to deal with many turbulent spirits, yet he seldom fail- ed to enforce respect both to the laws and the magistrates, rather by appealing to the sense of shame and fear of self-degradation, than by the exercise of the penal authority of the government. His faith endured to the last, and he died full of hope; conversing with his friends on the day of his death, he spoke with the cheer- fulness of a saint. "God," said he, " has given me a pledge of my happiness in another world, and the first fruits of eternal glory."" 'Governor Bradford,' says Dr. Cotton Mather, ' died lamented by all the colonists of New England, as a common fath- er of them.all.' On the 14th August, 1624, governor Bradford was married to Mrs. Alice Southworth, a lady of extraordinary capacity and worth. There was an early attachment, it is said,
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