USA > Massachusetts > The Quaker invasion of Massachusetts > Part 10
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came to see her friends ; since which I have sev- eral times seen her in England in a good con- dition.
ORDER FOR SENDING QUAKERS OUT OF THE JURISDICTION.1
Jtt is Ordered that all the Quake's now in prison. except the persons Condemned to be whipt be acquainted wth the new lawe made against them and forthwith released from prison and sent from Constable to Constable out of this Jurisdiction and Jf they or any of them be found after twelve howres wthin the same he or they shall be proceeded wth according to the lawe made this present Court. The magists haue past this wth Reference to the Consent of theire brethren the dep's hereto
EDW RAWSON Secret
7 June, 1661.
The Deputyes Consent hereto, withall Desire- ing that Browne & Peirson may ptake of the same liberty with the rest, Desireing of Honord Magists Consent hereto
The magis's Consent not Edw Rawson Secret, but Agree yt ye 2 psons shall only be whipt at ye Carts tayle in Boston not exceeding twenty stripes & so dischardged wth ye Rest if theire brethren the Depu's consent hereto
EDW RAWSON Secret
Consented to by the Deputyes
WM TORREY Cleric
1 Massachusetts Archives, vol. x. p. 273.
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This order was issued under the fear of inter- ference by the Crown.1 Samuel Shattuck, who had been banished upon pain of death if he re- burned, was now in England, and with others had petitioned the King to " restrain the vio- lence of these Rulers of New-England." The petition may be found in vol. i. of Besse's " Col- lection of Sufferings," where it is given as fol- lows : -
A Declaration of some Part of the Sufferings of the People of God in Scorn called Quakers, from the Professors in New-England, only for the Exercise of their Consciences to the Lord, and obeying and confessing to the Truth, as in his Light he had discovered it to them.
1. Two honest and innocent Women stripped stark naked, and searched after such an inhuman manner, as modesty will not permit particularly o mention.
2. Twelve strangers in that Country, but free- orn of this Nation, received Twenty-three Whip- ings, the most of them being with a Whip of hree Cords with Knots at the Ends, and laid on ith as much Strength as could be by the Arm f their Executioner, the Stripes amounting to Three Hundred and Seventy.
3. Eighteen Inhabitants of the Country, being 'ee-born English, received Twenty three Whip- ings, the Stripes amounting to Two Hundred id Fifty.
4. Sixty Four Imprisonments of the Lord's
1 Sewel, Besse, and others, confirm this statement.
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People, for their Obedience to his Will, amount- ing to Five Hundred and Nineteen Weeks, much of it being very cold Weather, and the Inhabit - ants kept in Prison in Harvest-time, which was very much to their Loss ; besides many more imprisoned, of which Time we cannot give a just-Account.
5. Two beaten with Pitched Ropes, the blows amounting to an Hundred and Thirty nine, by) which one of them was brought near unto Death, much of his Body being beaten like unto a Jelly, and one of their Doctors, a Member of their Church, who saw him, said, It would be a Mira- cle if ever he recovered, he expecting the Flesh should rot off the Bones, who afterwards was banished upon pain of Death. There are many Witnesses of this there.
6. Also an Innocent Man, an Inhabitant of Boston, they banished from his Wife and Chi' dren, and put to seek an Habitation in th Winter, and in Case he returned again, he w to be kept Prisoner during his Life, and for 1 turning again he was put in Prison, and ha been now a Prisoner above a year.
7. Twenty Five Banishments upon the Pena ties of being whipt, or having their Ears cut, ( branded in the Hand, if they returned.
8. Fines laid upon the Inhabitants for mee ing together, and edifying one another, as t Saints ever did; and for refusing to Swear, being contrary to Christ's Command, amountil to about a Thousand Pounds, beside what th
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have done since that we have not heard of, many Families. in which there are many Children, are almost ruined by their unmerciful Proceedings.
9. Five kept Fifteen Days in all, without Food, and Fifty Eight Days shut up close by the Gaoler, and had none that he knew of ; and from some of them he stopt up the Windows, hindring them from convenient Air.
10. One laid Neck and Heels in Irons for Six- teen Hours.
11. One very deeply burnt in the Right-Hand with the Letter (H) after he had been whipt with above Thirty Stripes.
12. One chained to a Log of Wood the most Part of Twenty Days, in an open Prison, in the Winter-time.
13. Fire Appeals to England denied at Bos- ton.
14. Three had their Right Ears cut by the Hangman in the Prison, the Door being barred, and not a Friend suffered to be present while it was doing, though some much desired it.
15. One of the Inhabitants of Salem, who since is banished upon Pain of Death, had one Half of his House and Land seized on while he was in Prison, a Month before he knew of it.
16. At a General Court in Boston they made an Order, That those who had not where-withall 'o answer the Fines that were laid upon them for their Consciences, should be sold for Bond- men and Bondwomen to Barbadoes, Virginia, or any of the English Plantations.
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17. Eighteen of the People of God were at several Times banished upon pain of Death ; six of them were their own Inhabitants, two of which being very aged People, and well known among their Neighbours to be of honest Conver- sation, being banished from their Houses and Families, and put upon Travelling and other Hardships, soon ended their Days, whose Death we can do no less than charge upon the Rulers of Boston, they being the Occasion of it.
18. Also Three of the Servants of the Lord they put to Death, all of them for Obedience to the Truth, in the Testimony of it, against the Wicked Rulers and Laws at Boston.
19. And since they have banished Four more upon Pain of Death, and Twenty Four of the Inhabitants of Salem were presented, and more Fines called for, and their Goods seized on to the Value of Forty Pounds for meeting together in the Fear of God, and some for refusing to Swear.
These Things, O King! from Time to Time have we patiently suffered, and not for the Transgression of any just or righteous Law, either pertaining to the Worship of God, or the Civil Government of England, but simply and barely for our Consciences to God, of which we can more at large give thee, or whom thiou. mayst order, a full account (if thou will let us have Admission to thee, who are banished upon Pain of Death, and have had our Ears cut, who are some of us in England attending upon thee)
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both of the Causes of our Sufferings, and the Manner of their disorderly and illegal Proceedings against us ; they began with Immodesty, went on in Inhumanity and Cruelty, and were not satisfied until they had the Blood of Three of the Martyrs of Jesus : Revenge for all which we do not seek, but lay them before thee, considering thou hast been well acquainted with Sufferings, and so mayst the better consider them that suf- fer, and mayst for the future restrain the Vio- Ience of these Rulers of New-England, having Power in thy Hands, they being but the Chil- dren of the Family of which thou art Chief Ruler, who have in divers their Proceedings for- feited their Patent, as upon strict Enquiry in many Particulars will appear.
And this, O King ! we are assured of, that in Time to come it will not repent thee, if by a close Rebuke thon stoppest the Bloody Proceed- ings of these Bloody Persecutors, for in so doing thou wilt engage the Hearts of many honest People unto thee both there and here, and for such Works of Mercy the Blessing is obtained ; and showing it is the Way to prosper : We are Witnesses of these Things, who
Besides many long Imprisonments, and many cruel Whippings, had our Ears cut,
JOHN ROUSE JOHN COPELAND.
Besides many long Imprisonments, divers cruel Whippings, with the seizing on our Goods, are
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banished upon Pain of Death, and some of us do wait here in England, and desire that we may have an Order to return in Peace to our Fam- ilies,
SAMUEL SHATTOCK JOSIAH SOUTHICK
NICHOLAS PHELPS JOSEPH NICHOLSON
JANE NICHOLSON
Commenting upon the above petition, Besse says : -
" This representation of their case to the King, with the earnest and incessant solicitations of Ed- ward Burrough, and others, on their behalf, pro- cured a Mandamus from that Monarch by which an effectual stop was put to the proceedings in New-England of putting men to death for Relig- ion, by which their blind zeal and fury would otherwise probably have destroyed many inno- cent people. Nevertheless they yet continued by cruel whippings, and other barbarities to de- monstrate that they repented not of their former cruelty, but that they were restricted by force of the Kings authority, and not from any alteration in their own tempers or inclinations, as will plainly appear by the narrative of their proceed- ings."
It is probable that Besse is not entirely accu- rate in stating that the presentation of this peti- tion " procured a Mandamus," though it doubtless prepared the way for one. When it was presented the news of the execution of Leddra at Boston had not reached England. Sewel, who is an
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earlier authority than Besse, states that the king had seen a copy of George Bishop's account of the "cruel persecution," and was so much af- fected by it that he resolved to interfere. His resolve was soon after confirmed by the " news of William Leddra's death." Edward Burrough having obtained an audience, said to the king, "There was a vein of innocent blood opened in his dominions, which if it were not stopped, would overrun all." To which he replied, " But I will stop that vein." The Mandamus was granted forthwith, and Shattuck was empowered to carry it to Boston. Whittier's poem, "The King's Missive," makes it unnecessary to repeat here a detailed account of Shattuck's arrival, for this poem is, or should be, in every American household. The reception of the Missive by the Massachusetts authorities placed them in a dilemma. They dare not obey the command to send the prisoners to England for trial,1 nor could they proceed with the cases in their own court. There was but one course left by which they could avoid a conflict with the Crown. Hither- to, gaol deliveries implied scourging and banish- ment of Quaker prisoners. For once, it was necessary to forego these pious festivities. Pros- ecution and persecution must be suspended tem- porarily ; such Quakers as were in gaol must be set at liberty. An order for their unconditional release and discharge was issued. Sewel gives
1 The Quakers had repeatedly appealed to be sent to Eng- land for trial.
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the text of the Royal Mandamus, and the or- der for the release of the Friends, as follows : -
Charles R.
Trusty and Well-beloved, We Greet you well. Having been informed that several of Our sub jects amongst you, called Quakers, have been, and are Imprisoned by you, whereof some have been Executed, and others (as hath been repre- sented unto us) are in danger to undergo the like : we have thought fit to signify our pleasure in that behalf, for the future; and do hereby re- quire, that if there be any of those people called Quakers amongst you, now already condemned to suffer death, or other corporal punishment, or that are imprisoned, and obnoxious to the like condemnation, you are to forbear to proceed any further therein ; but that you forthwith send the said persons (whether condemned or imprisoned) over into this our kingdom of England, together with the respective crimes or offenses laid to their charge; to the end that such course may be taken with them here, as shall be agreeable to our laws, and their demerits. And for so doing, these our letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge. Giren at our court at Whitehall, the 9th day of September, 1661, in the 13th year of our reign.
By his majesty's command,
WILLIAM MORRIS.
The superscription was, "To our Trusty and
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Well-beloved, John Endicot, Esq. and to all and every other the governor, or governors, of our plantations of New-England, and of all the col- onies thereunto belonging, that now are, or here- after shall be ; and to all and every the ministers and officers of our said plantation and colonies whatsoever, within the continent of New-Eng- land."
Order for Release and Discharge of Quaker Prisoners.1
" To William Salter, keeper of the prison at Boston :
You are required by authority, and order of the general court, forthwith to release and dis- charge the Quakers, who at present are in your custody. See that you don't neglect this.
By order of the court,
EDWARD RAWSON, Secretary." BOSTON, the 9th of December, 1661.
A Quaker jubilation 2 followed this gaol deliv- ery, but the liberty they enjoyed was of short du- ration. Fear of further interference from Eng- land having been allayed,3 the law of May 22, 1661, with slight modification, was reenacted. This was done on the 8th of October, 1662. The fires of persecution were rekindled. John Endi- cott pursued the Friends with relentless cruelty until, in March, 1665, death ended his wicked and bloody career.
1 Sewel, p. 321. 2 Besse, vol. ii. p. 226.
$ See the king's letter, June 28, 1662, authorizing "sharpe lawes," etc., Mass. Records, vol. iv. part II. pp. 164-166.
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Bellingham succeeded Endicott, but was less persistent, and instances of cruelty, under his ad- ministration, are not numerous. His clemency was due in part to the interference of royal com- missioners, who, on the 24th of May, 1665, sub- mitted a series of demands to the General Court, one of which was, that the Quakers should be allowed to attend to their secular business with- out molestation.1 Bellingham died in December, 1672. In November, 1675, persecution was re- vived by the passage of a law prohibiting Qua- ker meetings,2 and in May, 1677, it was further provided, that the constables should " make dili- gent search" for such meetings, and should " break open any door where peaceable entrance is denied them." 3 For a brief period it seemed as if the scenes of 1661 and 1662 were to be re- enacted. Men and women were seized, dragged to gaol, imprisoned, fed on bread and water, fined, and publicly whipped. In the 6th month (August) fourteen Quakers were taken at one meeting, and in the following week a second ar- rest of fifteen was made. Most, if not all of them, in addition to other punishment, suffered flogging at the whipping post. These are the latest cases of corporal punishment noted by Besse. The Friends rallied in increasing num- bers and once more the authorities were forced to respect their rights. It was during this period of excitement that Margaret Brewster was ap-
1 Mass. Records, vol. iv. part II. p. 212.
2 Ibid. vol. v. p. 60.
3 Ibid. p. 134.
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prehended for the performance of an act which, however peculiar or fanatical it may be consid- ered, was refined and dignified as compared with the brutal indecency of the Court when she was on trial. The following report of the trial will well repay the- reading. It is worth remarking that while Margaret Brewster furnishes Puritan apologists with most productive capital, no one of them has yet acknowledged the obligation by naming the cause of her performance, the cir- cumstances attending it, the conduct of her judges, or the punishment meted out to her. .
Trial, or Examination, of Margaret Brewster, and others, at the Court in Boston, on the 4th of the Sixth Month, 1677.1
Clerk. Margaret Brewster M. B. Here.
Clerk. Are you the Woman ?
M. B. Yes, I am the Woman.
Governour.2 Read the Mittimus.
The Mittimus was read.
Governour, to the People. What have you to lay to her Charge ?
Constable. If this be the Woman, I don't know ; for she was then in the Shape of a Devil : I thought her hair had been a Perriwigg, but it was her own Hair.
The Constable said more, but so faintly and low as not to be understood.
1 Besse, vol. ii. pp. 261-265.
2 John Leverett. 13
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Gov. You hear your Accusation.
M. B. I do not hear it.
Gor. Are you the Woman that came into Mr. Thatcher's Meeting-house with your Hair fru- zled, and dressed in the Shape of a Devil ?
M. B. I am the Woman that came into Pries. Thatcher's House of Worship with my Hair about my Shoulders, Ashes upon my Head, my Face coloured black, and Sackcloth upon my upper Garments.
Gov. You own yourself to be the Woman.
M. B. Yea, I do.
Gov. What made you come so ?
M. B. I came in Obedience to the Lord.
Gov. The Lord! The Lord never sent you, for you came like a Devil, and in the Shape of a Devil incarnate.
M. B. Noble Governour ! Thy Name is spread in other Parts of the World for a mod- erate Man, now I desire thee and thy Assistants to hear me with Patience, that I may give an Ac- count of my so coming among you.
Gor. Too moderate for such as you : But go on.
M. B. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth, the Maker and Creator of all Man kind, laid this Service upon me more than three Years ago to visit this bloody Town of Boston.
Here some spake to the Governour to stop her from speaking any more ; but the Governour said, Let her go on.
M. B. And when the appointed Time drew
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near, the Lord pleased to visit me with Sickness, before I could clearly give up to this Service, and as I may say, I was raised as one from the Dead, and came from my sick Bed to visit the bloody Town of Boston, and to bear a living Tes- timony for the God of my Life, and go as a Sign among you ; and as I gave up to this Service, my Sickness went away. It is said the Prophet Jonah was three Days in the Whale's Belly, but I could compare my Condition to nothing, but as if I had been in the Belly of Hell for many Weeks, and I think I may so say for some Months, until I gave up to this Service; and now if you be suffered to take away my Life, I am very well contented.
Gov. You shall escape with your Life.
Simon Broadstreet. You are a Blasphemer.
M. B. I have not blasphemed.
S. Broadstreet. I cannot believe what you say to be true.
M. B. Canst thou not believe? Well, I am sorry thou canst not believe.
Gov. Are you a married Woman ?
M. B. I am.
Gov. Did your Husband give Consent to your Coming ?
M. B. Yea, he did.
Go». Have you any Thing to shew under his Hand?
M. B. He gave his Consent before many Wit- nesses in Barbadoes, and said, He did believe this Service was of God, and he durst not withstand
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it, but was willing to give me up to this Ser- vice, as many in Barbadoes can witness ; and now, if you be suffered to take away my Life, I can now lay down my Head in Peace, for I have thus far done what the Lord required at my Hands, and am clear of the Blood of all People in this Place, so far as I know ; and the Desire of my Soul is, that it may be with this Town as it was with Nineveh of old, for when the Lord sent his Prophet Jonah to cry against Nineveh, it is said, They put on Sackcloth, and covered their Heads with Ashes, and repented, and the Lord withdrew his Judgments for forty Years : And my Soul cries to the Lord that this People may repent, that the Lord may spare them yet forty Years : For it was in true Obedience to the Lord, and in Love to your Souls, that I was made to come as a Sign amongst you, for I feel that in my Heart at this Moment, that I could even give up my Life, to be sacrificed for the Good of your Souls. I have nothing but Love in my Heart to the worst of my Enemies here in this Town.
Gov. Hold, hold Woman, you run too fast. Silence in the Court.
M. B. Governour ! I desire thee to hear me a little, for I have something to say in Behalf of my Friends in this Place : I desire thee and thine Assistants to put an End to these cruel Laws that you have made to prosecute my Friends for meet- ing together to worship the True and Living God. Oh Governour ! I cannot but press thee
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again and again, to put an End to these cruel Laws that you have made to fetch my Friends from their peaceable Meetings, and keep them three Days in the House of Correction, and-then whip them for worshipping the True and Living God : Governour ! Let me entreat thee to put an End to these Laws, for the Desire of my Soul is, that you may act for God, and then would you prosper, but if you act against the Lord and his blessed Truth, you will assuredly come to noth- ing, the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, for if you will draw your Swords against the Lord and his People, the Lord will assuredly draw his Sword against you ; for there never was any Weapon formed against God and his blessed Truth that ever prospered : It's my Testimony for the Lord God of my Life.
Gov. Hold Woman. Call Lydia Wright. Clerk. Call Lydia Wright of Long-Island. L. Wright. Here.
Gor. Are you one of the Women that came in with this Woman into Mr. Thatcher's Meeting- house to disturb him at his Worship ?
L. W. I was; but I disturbed none, for I came in peaceably, and spake not a Word to Man, Woman, or Child.
Gov. What came you for then ?
L. W. Have you not made a Law that we should come to your Meeting? For we were peaceably met together at our own Meeting-house, and some of your Constables came in, and haled some of our Friends out, and said, This is not a
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Place for you to worship God in. Then we asked him, Where we should worship God? Then they said, We must come to your publick Worship. And upon the First-day following I had some- thing upon my Heart to come to your publick Worship, when we came in peaceably, and spake not a Word, yet we were haled to Prison, and there have been kept near a month.
S. Broadstreet. Did you come there to hear the Word ?
L. W. If the Word of God was there, I was ready to hear it.
Gov. Did your Parents give Consent you should come thither ?
L. W. Yes, my Mother did.
Gov. Shew it.
L. W. If you will stay till I can send Home, I will engage to get from under my Mother's Hand, that she gave her Consent.
Juggins, a Magistrate, said, You are led by the Spirit of the Devil, to ramble up and down the Country, like Whores and Rogues a Cater- wawling.
L. W. Such Words do not become those who call themselves Christians, for they that sit to Judge for God in Matters of Conscience, ought to be sober and serious, for Sobriety becomes the People of God, for these are a weighty and pon- derous People.
Gov. Did you own this Woman ?
L. W. I own her, and have Unity with her, and I do believe so have all the faithful Servants
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of the Lord, for I know the Power and Presence of the Lord was with us.
Juggins. You are mistaken : You do not know the Power of God ; you are led by the Spirit and Light within you, which is of the Devil : There is but one God, and you do not worship that God which we worship.
L. W. I believe thou speakest Truth, for if you worshipped that God which we worship, you would not persecute his People, for we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the same God that Daniel worshipped.
So they cried, Take her away.
Then Mary Miles was called.
Clerk. Mary Miles of Black-point.
M. M. I am here.
Gor. Do you live at Black-point ?
M. M. Nay : My former Living was there, but my outward Living is now at Salem, when I am at Home.
Gov. Are you a married Woman ?
M. M. Nay, I am not married.
Gov. Did you come into Mr. Thatcher's Meet- ing - house with this Woman that had a black Face ?
M. M. Yea, I did.
Gov. What was the Cause ?
M. M. My Freedom was in the Lord, and in Obedience to his Will, and the Unity of his Spir- it, I came.
Gov. So, so, then you had Unity with her, it seems, but you had not Communion with her, for you had not a black Face.
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M. M. I had good Unity with her, and do be- lieve, and witness, and bear my Testimony for the Lord, that it was his Work and Service that she went in ; therefore I had Unity and Fellow- ship with her, and the Lord in his due Time will reveal and manifest his own Work.
Gov. Hold your Tongue, you prating House- wife ; you are led by the Spirit of the Devil to run about the Country a wandring, like Whores and Rogues.
M. M. They that are led by the Spirit of God deny the Works of the Devil : The Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof ; and he can com- mand his Servants to go wheresoever he pleaseth to send them; and none can hinder his Power, for it is unlimited.
Cryer. Take them away, and carry them to Prison.
M. M. Yea, I am made willing to go to Prison, and to Death, if it were required of me to seal the Testimony of Jesus with my Blood, as some of my Friends and Brethren have done, whose Blood you have shed, which cries to the Lord for Vengeance, and the Cry will not cease till Ven- geance come upon you.
Then Barbara Bowers was called.
Margaret Brewster answered, Barbara Bowers was not concerned with us in this Service.
Gov. Let us hear what she says.
B. Bowers. I was in the Meeting-house, but did not go in with them.
Then they were all carried to Prison again,
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