USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Salem > The history of Salem, Massachusetts, vol 1, 1924 > Part 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
Two months later (November Ist), at a meeting of the general court, Mr. Williams was again present, together with the minister in the Bay. He was charged with two letters ; one to the churches to complain of the magistrates for injustice and extreme oppression, and the other to his own church to persuade them to renounce communion with all the churches in the Bay, as being anti-christian and full of polution. He attempted to justify both letters, and to maintain all his opinions, and being offered further conference or disputation and a month's respite, he chose to discuss the matters at once. Mr. Hooker was appointed to argue with him, but could not change him from any of his errors.3 There- upon, the next morning, the court sentenced Mr. Williams to
1Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, volume I, page 156.
2Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, volume I, page 157.
3Winthrop's Journal, volume I, page 166.
267
BANISHMENT OF ROGER WILLIAMS
depart out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony within six weeks, and never to return, without license from the court, in the following words :-
Wheras M" Roger Williams, one of the elders of the church of Salem, hath broached & dyvulged dyvers newe & dangerous opinions, against the aucthoritie of magistrates, as also writt Ires of defamacon, both of the magistrates & churches here, & that before any conviccon, & yet mainetaineth the same without retraccon, it is therefore ordered, that the said M' Williams shall depte out of this jurisdiccon within sixe weekes nowe nexte ensueing, weh if hee neglect to pforme, it shalbe lawfull for the Goun", & two of the magistrates to send him to some place out of this jurisdiccon, not to returne any more without licence from the Court.
If Mr. Williams refused or neglected to leave, the governor and two of the magistrates were authorized to send him to some place without the colony. Later, he was allowed to remain until spring.
All the ministers, except one, approved of the sentence. On his return to Salem, he refused communion with his own church, who openly disclaimed his errors and wrote a humble submission to the magistrates, acknowledging their fault in joining with Mr. Williams in the letter to the churches.
Sir William Martin sent a letter to Governor Winthrop, dated March 29, 1636, in which he wrote :-
I am sorry to heare of Mr. Williams separation from you: His former good affections to you, and the plantations, were well known unto me and make me wonder now at his proceedinges. I have wrote to him effectually to submit to better judgments, especially to those whom formerly he reverenced and admired; at least to keepe the bond of peace inviolable. This hath been alwayes my advice; and nothing conduceth more to the good of plantations. I praye shew him what lawful favour you can, which may stand with the common good. He is passionate and precipitate, which may transport him into error, but I hope his integrity and good intentions will bring him at last into the waye of truth, and confirm him therein. In the meane time, I pray God to give him a right use of this affliction. Thus leaving him to your favourable censures, &c.1
This did not end the matter of the letter that had been sent by the Salem church to the other churches, in criticism of the magistrates. At the meeting of the general court (September 3), when Mr. Williams was sentenced to banishment, Samuel Sharp was ordered to appear at the next "particular" court and answer for the letter, and to give the names of those who would justify it, or else acknowledge his offence under his own hand for
1Winthrop's Journal, volume I, page 106 (119).
268
HISTORY OF SALEM
his part in the matter.1 It was further ordered that if a majority of the freemen of Salem disclaimed the letter from the church of Salem to the several churches, the town might send deputies to the general court.2 Though no record appears, the court became so far favorable to Salem that, at its session held March 3. 1635-6, "It was proved this court that Marble Necke belongs to Salem."
In January, 1635-6, the governor and assistants met at Boston to consider Mr. Williams' case, as it was known that, despite the injunction laid upon him not to go about making converts to his opinions, he entertained company in his house, and preached to them there, even on the very points for which he had been cen- sured. Moreover, there were about twenty persons who believed that he was right, and they intended to go with him to establish a plantation about Narragansett Bay. It was realized that if this plan were carried out, the infection would easily spread into the churches there. Whereupon, a warrant was sent to him to come to Boston at once to board a ship which then lay at Nantasket. He returned answer by divers Salem people that he could not come without hazard of his life. Whereupon Captain Underhill was commissioned to apprehend Williams and take him to the ship. Underhill, with his soldiers, sailed to Salem in a pinnace, and went to Williams' house. They found that he had been gone three days ; but the captain's inquiries elicited no enlightening answer as to whither Mr. Williams had gone.
With the few light things that could be carried by hand, he, and, it is said, his friend John Throgmorton,3 who had crossed the Atlantic with him in 1631, had started at midnight, in the deep snow of an intensely cold period, with nothing but a pocket com- pass to guide them in their course southward. This compass is now preserved in the historical rooms in Providence. The health of Mr. Williams was unequal to such exertion and exposure, and when they reached the wigwam of Massasoit, the Indian chieftain and friend of the Pilgrims. he was unable to go forward. He remained there, nursed by the red men, for about three months. He then went to Seekonk (now Rehoboth), where he remained until about the middle of June (1636), when he removed to the site of the present city of Providence, R. I., having had the territory given him by Canonicus and Miantinomo, the chief sachems of Narragansett,4 although a deed of release was not
1Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, volume I, page 161.
2Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, volume I, page 158.
3John Throgmorton had a daughter Patience, who married John Cogge- shall Dec. - , 1655; and died Sept. 7, 1676. Mr. Throgmorton removed from Providence to Monmouth, N. J., after 1666; and died there before 1687. 4Backus, volume I, page 89.
269
BANISHMENT OF ROGER WILLIAMS
given to him until Oct. 8, 1636. Mrs. Williams followed her husband to Rhode Island with their two infants.1
A number of the Salem church members who adhered to the principles of Mr. Williams sooner or later removed to Providence. Those who first settled with him in Providence, in addition to John Throgmorton, were Thomas Angell, William Harris, John Smith, Joshua Verrin and Francis Wickes. Two of these five at least belonged in Salem, namely, William Harris and Joshua Verrin. William Harris was living in Salem in 1635, and removed to Providence the next year.2 Joshua Verrin lived in Salem, hav- ing come from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, in the ship James in the spring of 1635. He was a roper by trade. He went to Providence as a follower of Williams, in 1637 ; but lived in Salem part of the time until 1644.
Several others joined the colony at various times prior to October 8, 1638, when Mr. Williams conveyed the territory to his "loving friends Stukely Westcott, William Arnold, Thomas James, Robert Cole, John Greene, John Throgmorton, William Harris, William Carpenter, Thomas Olney, Francis Weston, Richard Waterman, Ezekiel Holliman and such others as the major part of us shall admit into the same fellowship of vote with us." Of these twelve men, at least nine were from Salem, namely, William Harris, Robert Cole, Ezekiel Holliman, Thomas James, Thomas Olney, John Throgmorton, Richard Waterman, Stukely Westcott and Francis Weston. Robert Cole came with the Win- throp fleet in 1630, and lived in Roxbury until his removal to Salem, from whence he went to Providence. He was living in Salem, however, in 1648. His wife was named Mary.5 Ezekiel
1Their children were: I. Mary, born at Plymouth the first week in August, 1633; 2. Freeborn, born in Salem the end of October, 1635; 3. Providence, born at Providence the end of September, 1638; died, un- married, in March, 1685-6; 4. Mercy, born July 15, 1640; 5. Daniel, born Feb. 15, 1641-2; 6. Joseph, born the beginning of December, 1643; married Lydia Olney.
2William Harris went to England for the Rhode Island Colony to confer with the government officials upon some land question, and was taken by an Algerine corsair, January 24, 1679, and sold in Barbary. After a year in slavery, he was redeemed and reached London on his journey toward home in 1680. He died three days later. His widow was named Susanna ; and his children were as follows: I. Andrew, born about 1634; married Mary Tew of Newport Dec. 8 (30?), 1670; died in 1685; 2. Mary; married Thomas Burden in 1663; 3. Howlong; married Arthur Fenner in December, 1684; 4. Toleration, born in 1645.
3Joshua Verrin married Jane - She was before the Salem quarterly court December 25, 1638, for absenting herself from religious services. Bachus, volume I, page 92.
5Robert Cole died in or before 1654; his widow married, secondly, Matthias Hawes, and removed to Oyster Bay, L. I., with her children :
270
HISTORY OF SALEM
Holliman1 was born at Tring, Hertfordshire, England, and had lived at Dedham before he came to Salem, in 1636 or before. He was apparently the leader of the followers of Roger Williams, and was summoned to appear before the general court, March 12, 1637-8, "because hee did not frequent the publike assemblyes, & for seduceing many." He was referred "to the ministers for con- viction." Nothing further was heard of the complaint. Thomas James2 was a planter, and after living in Providence awhile, re- turned to Salem where he was living in 1651 and as late as 1662. Romas James He subsequently removed to Carolina. Thomas Olney3 was a shoemaker from Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, and came in the ship Planter to Bos- ton in 1635, sailing from London. He was born about 1600. He lived in Salem until he joined the colony at Providence in 1638. Richard Waterman was born in 1590 ; married Bethiah -; and settled in Providence in the summer of 1638; and Stukely West-
I. John; 2. Daniel ; lived at Oyster Bay; 3. Nathaniel; lived at Oyster Bay ; 4. Robert; 5. Sarah; 6. Ann; married Henry Townsend; lived at Oyster Bay; 7. Elizabeth; married John Townsend; lived at Oyster Bay.
1Ezekiel Holliman married, first, Susanna, daughter of John Oxston alias Fox of Stanmore, in Middlesex County, England, and, secondly, Mary, widow of Isaac Sweet at Providence, about 1638. He removed to Warwick before 1653. His only (?) child, Priscilla, married John Warner of War- wick.
2Thomas James died in Carolina in or before 1675. His children were as follows : I. John, deceased in or before 1675; 2. James, died in or before 1675; 3. Sarah; married Alexander Lillington of Albemarle County, Carolina, a planter, in or before 1675, being at that time the only surviving child and heir of Thomas James.
3Thomas Olney was treasurer of the colony in 1638, and an assistant in 1649; died in 1682; children: I. Thomas, born at Hertford, England, about 1632; lived in Providence; married Elizabeth Marsh of Newport July 31, 1660; and died June II, 1722; 2. Epenetus, born about 1634; 3. Nabadiah, baptized at Salem 27:6:1637; died young; 4. Stephen; 5. Mary; married John Whipple Dec. 4, 1663; 6. James; 7. Lydia; married Joseph Williams Dec. 17, 1669.
4Richard Waterman became a supporter of Samuel Gorton and, with him, incurred the displeasure of the ministers and magistrates. In October, 1643, he was in court with Mr. Gorton, and the case against him was con- tinued until the next general court, May 29, 1644, when he was found guilty of being "erronious, hereticall, & obstinate," and it was agreed that he should be detained a prisoner until the next quarterly court (the next September), unless five of the magistrates find cause to send him away; "wch if they do, it is ordered, that he shall not return wthin this jurisdiction, upon paine of death." Mr. Waterman died Oct. 26, 1673, and his widow, Bethiah, Dec. 3, 1680. Children: I. Mehitable, married Arthur Fenner; died in 1684; 2. Wait, married Henry Brown; died Feb. 20, 1703; 3. Nathaniel, baptized in Salem Aug. 20, 1637; married Susanna Carder March 14, 1663; lived in Providence ; died March 23, 1712.
-
3.3 Salam 1.5.39.
Renseand and deraty befound in the Road. Buss & Fought it own foundon duty to acquaget you with the name of Porch prafine as formen had
them in this one chance withable salons thexof. Beperking you in the Lord not only to krads this in publicar to yours, but also to give as the file motion. of any dealt with in like
may walkrow towards Efem for lume of
with full of Fame bir cash out of office.
2. This: 7.14. was cando: poted as difebrig It & # when.
Regia : Chiama co finsriti
take Thoushansen hurt
Thomas
Effort for obstivary
Good quity of
Williamson For
.2 dinsus obline Emills, 4
Token Tolly $ somachen poids, and unnaturalmed the
his wife
walcon for afujing to bring his childte & family a destroyed to. That wishing the continand spicymars of Both ER istauss ( Branky any Bonds? are that flowsafin gat frasered gardens, algr.
y" in this fond fagus
LETTER OF HUGHI PETER.
27I
BANISHMENT OF ROGER WILLIAMS
cott1 had gone there the preceding year. Francis Weston2 lived in Salem until the spring of 1638, when he removed to Providence.
Four of these, Francis Weston, Richard Waterman, Thomas Olney and Stukely Westcott, obtained license from the general court, March 12, 1637-8, to remove themselves and their families out of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, "& for that information hath bene given to the Court that yor intent is onely to w'"drawe yo"selues for a season, that you may avoyde the censure of the Court in some things weh may bee obiected against yo"."
The following is a copy of a letter sent by the church in Salem to the church in Dorchester :-
d. m. y. Salem. I. 5. 39.
Reuerend and deerly beloued in the lord. wee thought it our bounden duty to acquaynt you with the names of fuch perfons as have had the great cenfure past vpon them in this our church, with the reafons therof. Befeeching you in the lord not only to reade their names in publike to yours, but alfo to giue vs the like notice of any dealt with in like manner by yours that fo wee may walk towards them accordingly; for fome of vs here haue had communion ignorantly with fuch as haue bin cast out of other churches.
2 Thef. 3. 14. wee can doe no lefs then haue fuch noted as difobey the truth.
Roger williams & his wife.
John Throckmorton & his wife.
Thomas Olney and his wife. Stukely Westcot and his wife. mary Halliman.
-----
Widdow Reeues.
Thefe wholy refufed to heare the church denying it, and all the churches in the Bay to be true churches and (except two) are all rebaptized.
John elford for obstinacy after diuers fyns hee stood guilty of, and proued by witnes.
1Stukely Wescott removed from Providence to Warwick in 1648; and died there Jan. 12, 1677-8; children: I. Damaris, married Gov. Benedict Arnold Dec. 17, 1640; died in 1678; 2. Amos; 3. Jeremiah; 4. Robert, lived in Warwick and Kingston, R. I .; married Catharine -; died in 1676; she married, secondly, James Hazleton April 10, 1678; 5. Mary (or Sarah) ; married Samuel Stafford.
2Francis Weston was a representative to the first general court at Provi- dence, and removed from there to Warwick. His wife was sentenced by the court of assistants of the Massachusetts Bay Colony June 5, 1638, to be set two hours in the bilboes at Cambridge and two hours at Salem, upon a lecture day. Mr. Weston was a supporter of Samuel Gorton, and suffered with him, also for conscience sake. November 3, 1643, he was convicted, with others, of heresy, and was ordered to be imprisoned during the pleasure of the court at Dorchester, to be free to go about, however, and to work, wearing such bolts or irons as might hinder his escape. If he should speak or write his heresies and that fact be found by a jury it was ordered that he should be condemned to death and executed. He died before June, 1645, leaving no issue.
272
HISTORY OF SALEM
William James for pride, and diuers other euills, in which hee re- mayned obstinate.
John Talby for much pride, and vnnaturalnes to his wife, who was lately executed for murdring her child.
william walcot for refufing to bring his child to the ordinance, neglect- ing willingly family dutyes ec.
Thus wishing the Continued enioyment of both the ftaues (Beauty and Bonds) and that your foules may flowrifh as waterd gardens, rest
Yrs in the lord Jefus
Hue peter by the churches order and in her name.
For the church in Dorchester.
Joshua Verrin refused to permit his wife to attend meeting as often as she wished, or, as some asserted, as frequently as Mr. Williams wished, because, as he said, he thought it inexpedient and unwise to do so. It was held by Mr. Verrin and others that liberty of conscience applied to the husband as well as to the wife in this instance, and that his conscience as well as hers should be considered. Nevertheless, Mr. Verrin was disfranchised for his refusal in this matter." He returned to Salem, and his absence was considered a ground for the forfeiture of his legal interest in the land at Providence, according to the following letter in which he claimed title to his part of the territory :-
Gentlemen and countrymen of the town of Providence :
This is to certify you, that I look upon my purchase of the town of Providence to be my lawful right. In my travel, I have inquired, and do find it is recoverable according to law; for my coming away could not disinherit me. Some of you cannot but recollect, that we six which came first should have the first convenience, as it was put in practice by our house lots, and 2d by the meadow in Wanasquatucket river, and then those that were admitted by us unto the purchase to have the next which were about ; but it is contrary to law, reason and equity, for to dispose of my part without my consent. Therefore deal not worse with me than we dealt with the Indians, for we made conscience of purchasing of it of them, and hazarded our lives. Therefore we need not, nor any one of us ought to be denied of our purchase. So hoping you will take it into seriuos consideration, and to give me reasonable satisfaction, I rest,
Yours in the way of right and equity, JOSHUA VERIN.3
The church at Providence, which was founded, of course, upon the Baptist principles of Mr. Williams, was organized in March, 1638-9. Ezekiel Holliman baptized Mr. Williams, who
1History of Massachusetts, by Thomas Hutchinson, page 371.
2Winthrop's Journal, volume I, pages 282 and 283.
3Sce Backus, volume I, page 95.
273
BANISHMENT OF ROGER WILLIAMS
then performed a similar ceremony for Mr. Holliman, William Arnold, William Carpenter, Robert Cole, John Green, William Harris , Thomas James, Thomas Olney, Richard Waterman, Stukely Westcott and Francis Weston, the twelve forming the church.
Mr. Holliman was probably unlettered, but nevertheless be- came a preacher and an assistant to Mr. Williams in the work of the ministry there.1 The clergymen of the Massachusetts Bay Colony scarcely noticed him,2 although he was a Christian man and an able preacher.1
The church at Providence had hardly been established when discordant elements became manifest and led to serious conten- tions. The cause of it was Samuel Gorton, who was a native of the parish of Gorton, in England, a man who, although he had received little schooling, became a broad-minded Puritan. He engaged in business in London as a clothier, but because of mixing his religion with his business too prominently he was unsuccessful. He decided to emigrate to America, and arrived in Boston in March, 1636-7. He naturally turned his steps towards Plymouth, rather than to the strict Puritans, and for four years lived in a part of the house of Rev. Ralph Smith. He became acquainted with Roger Williams and finally became involved in disputes with the magistrates in regard to what he thought the law ought to be.
He then went to Pocasset, which the followers of Anne Hutchinson had settled on the island of Aquidneck, in Narragan- sett Bay, in December, 1638. While there, he became contentious with the authorities, using abusive language, and finally removed to Providence. There he again came to the front and contended that the local law and government must come from the English government. Roger Williams took the opposite view.
Mr. Gorton and several of his supporters procured from Miantunnomoh, the Indian sachem of Narragansett, a deed of the territory at a place called Shawomet, which, a few years later, be- came the town of Warwick. The grantees were Randall Holden, Francis Weston, Samuel Gorton, Richard Waterman and seven others. Some of Mr. Gorton's enemies, not excluding Roger Williams, caused the Indians to repudiate the deed of the territory they had given to these settlers, and four of the people of Provi- dence, including Robert Cole," placed themselves and their lands
1Benedict, I: 47.
2Winthrop's Journal, volume I, page 293; History of New England, by · William Hubbard, page 338.
3Winthrop's Journal, volume II, page 85.
274
HISTORY OF SALEM
under the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for the purpose of having it exercise jurisdiction over the territory, and so control Mr. Gorton and his followers. Complaints were speed- ily made that the settlers had no right to the land of Shawomet and should give it up, and the Massachusetts government was in- duced to proceed to expel the settlers from that place. Gorton and his companions were summoned to Boston to prove their claims and make their defence, but they refused to go, denying the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. Thereupon, a company of soldiers and Indians was sent to seize them and bring them to Boston for trial for blasphemy and other offences. They held their block- house against the attacks of the soldiers for a day or two, and finally surrendered.
Arriving at Boston, Mr. Gorton and his eight companion prisoners, four of whom were Randall Holden, Francis Weston, Richard Waterman and Stukely Westcott, were brought by the soldiers to the house of the governor in military order, the soldiers being in two files, and after every five or six soldiers a prisoner. The governor caused the captives to be brought before him in the hall, where a great number of people had assembled, and informed "them of their contemptuous carriage and their ob- stinacy against all the fair means and moderation" that had been used to "reform them and bring them to do right to those of ours whom they had wronged, and how the Lord had now justly de- livered them into" their captor's hands. In response, they pleaded that they were not of this jurisdiction, and that though they had now yielded themselves to come and answer, yet they did not yield as prisoners. They were then committed to the common prison. Subsequently, each of them was formally charged with being "a blasphemous enemy of the true religion of o' Lord Jesus Christ & his holy ordinances, & also of all civill authority among the people of God, & perticulerly in this iurisdiction." The accused were convicted of blasphemy alone, on the flimsiest theological grounds. All but three of the elders voted for the penalty of death ; but the representatives of the people refused to assent to such a verdict. It was finally agreed, Nov. 3, 1643, that the punishment be imprisonment, in as many towns as there were prisoners, that they perform labor and be encumbered with wear- ing "such boults or irons" as might hinder escape. The order of the court made upon the verdict was as follows :---
It is ordered that Samu: Gorton shalbee confined to Charlstowne, there to bee set on worke, & to weare such boults or irons as may
1Massachusetts Bay Colony Records, volume II, page 51.
275
BANISHMENT OF ROGER WILLIAMS
hind his escape, & to continue dureing the pleasure of the Co't; pvided that if hee shall breake his said confinemt, or shall in the meane time, either by speach or writing, publish, declare, or maintaine any of the blasphemos or abominable heresies wherewth hee hath bene charged by the Gen'all Co't, conteined in either of the two books sent unto us by him or Randle Holden, or shall repach or repve the churches of o' Lord Jesus Christ in these United Colonies, or the civill governmt, or the public ordinances of God therein, (unless it bee by answers to some question ppounded to him, or conference wth any elder, or wth any other licensed to speake wth him privately, under the hand of one of the Assistants,) that imediately upon accusation of any such writing or speach, hee shall by such Assistant, to whom such accusation shalbee brought, bee comitted to prison, till the next Coït of Assistants, then & there to bee tryed by a iury, whether hee hath so spoken or written, & upon his convixion thereof shalbee condeamed to death & executed.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.