Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation' Part 32

John Tillie and his wife both dyed a litle after they came ash.o.r.e; and their daughter Elizabeth maried with John Howland, and hath issue as is before noted.

[Sidenote: 8.]

[Sidenote: 4.]

Francis Cooke is still living, a very olde man, and hath seene his childrens children have children; after his wife came over, (with other of his children,) he hath 3. still living by her, all maried, and have 5. children; so their encrease is 8. And his sone John, which came over with him, is maried, and hath 4, chilldren living.

[Sidenote: 6.]

Thomas Rogers dyed in the first sicknes, but his sone Joseph is still living, and is maried, and hath 6. children. The rest of Thomas Rogers [children] came over, & are maried, & have many children.

Thomas Tinker and his wife and sone all dyed in the first sicknes.

And so did John Rigdale and his wife.

[Sidenote: 10.]

James Chilton and his wife also dyed in the first infection. But their daughter Mary is still living, and hath 9. children; and one daughter is maried, & hath a child; so their increase is 10.

[Sidenote: 4.]

Edward Fuller and his wife dyed soon after they came ash.o.r.e; but their sone Samuell is living, & maried, and hath 4. children or more.

John Turner and his 2. sones all dyed in the first siknes. But he hath a daugter still living at Salem, well maried, and approved of.

[Sidenote: 4.]

[Sidenote: 1.]

Francis Eaton his first wife dyed in the generall sicknes; and he maried againe, & his 2. wife dyed, & he maried the 3. and had by her 3.

children. One of them is maried, & hath a child; the other are living, but one of them is an ideote. He dyed about 16. years 1. agoe. His sone Samuell, who came over a sucking child, is allso maried, & hath a child.

Moyses Fletcher, Thomas Williams, Digerie Preist, John Goodman, Edmond Margeson, Richard Britteridge, Richard Clarke. All these dyed sone after their arivall, in the generall sicknes that befell. But Digerie Preist had his wife & children sent hither afterwards, she being M^r. Allertons sister. But the rest left no posteritie here.

Richard Gardinar became a seaman, and died in England, or at sea.

Gilbert Winslow, after diverse years aboad here, returned into England, and dyed ther.

[Sidenote: 6.]

Peter Browne maried twise. By his first wife he had 2. children, who are living, & both of them maried, and the one of them hath 2. children; by his second wife he had 2. more. He dyed about 16. years since.

Thomas English and John Allerton dyed in the generall siknes.

John Alden maried with Priscila, M^r. Mollines his doughter, and had issue by her as is before related.

Edward Doty & Edward Litster, the servants of M^r. Hopkins. Litster, after he was at liberty, went to Virginia, & ther dyed. But Edward Doty by a second wife hath 7. children, and both he and they are living.

Of these 100. persons which came first over in this first ship together, the greater halfe dyed in the generall mortality; and most of them in 2.

or three monthes time. And for those which survied, though some were ancient & past procreation, & others left y^e place and c.u.n.trie, yet of those few remaining are sprunge up above 160. persons, in this 30.

years, and are now living in this presente year, 1650. besids many of their children which are dead, and come not within this account.

And of the old stock (of one & other) ther are yet living this present year, 1650. nere 30. persons. Let the Lord have y^e praise, who is the High Preserver of men.

[EX]Twelfe persons liveing of the old stock this present yeare, 1679.

Two persons liveing that came over in the first shipe 1620, this present yeare, 1690. Resolved White and Mary Chusman,[EY] the daughter of M^r.

Allerton.

And John Cooke, the son of Frances Cooke, that came in the first ship, is still liveing this present yeare, 1694; & Mary Cushman is still living, this present year, 1698.

No. II.

[Commission for Regulating Plantations.]

Charles by y^e grace of G.o.d king of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of y^e Faith, &c.[EZ]

To the most Reve^d father in Christ, our wellbeloved & faithfull counsellour, William, by devine providence Archbishop of Counterbery, of all England Primate & Metropolitan; Thomas Lord Coventry, Keeper of our Great Seale of England; the most Reverente father in Christ our wellbeloved and most faithful Counselour, Richard, by devine providence Archbishop of Yorke, Primate & Metropolitan; our wellbeloved and most faithfull coussens & Counselours, Richard, Earle of Portland, our High Treasurer of England; Henery, Earle of Manchester, Keeper of our Privie Seale; Thomas, Earle of Arundalle & Surry, Earle Marshall of England; Edward, Earle of Dorsett, Chamberline of our most dear consorte, the Queene; and our beloved & faithfull Counselours, Francis Lord Cottington, Counseler, and Undertreasurour of our Eschequour; S^r: Thomas Edmonds, knight, Treasourer of our houshould; S^r: Henery Vane, Knight, controuler of y^e same houshould; S^r: John Cooke, Knight, one of our Privie Secretaries; and Francis Windebanck, Knight, another of our Privie Secretaries,

Wheras very many of our subjects, & of our late fathers of beloved memory, our sovereigne lord James, late king of England, by means of licence royall, not only with desire of inlarging y^e teritories of our empire, but cheefly out of a pious & religious affection, & desire of propagating y^e gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ, with great industrie & expences have caused to be planted large Collonies of y^e English nation, in diverse parts of y^e world altogether unmannred, and voyd of inhabitants, or occupied of the barbarous people that have no knowledg of divine worship. We being willing to provid a remedy for y^e tranquillity & quietnes of those people, and being very confidente of your faith & wisdom, justice & providente circomspection, have const.i.tuted you y^e aforesaid Archbishop of Counterburie, Lord Keeper of y^e Great Seale of England, y^e Archbishop of Yorke, &c. and any 5. or more, of you, our Comissioners; and to you, and any 5. or more of you, we doe give and co[=m]ite power for y^e govermente & saftie of y^e said collonies, drawen, or which, out of y^e English nation into those parts hereafter, shall be drawne, to make lawes, const.i.tutions, & ordinances, pertaining ether to y^e publick state of these collonies, or y^e private profite of them; and concerning y^e lands, goods, debts, & succession in those parts, and how they shall demaine them selves, towards foraigne princes, and their people, or how they shall bear them selves towards us, and our subjects, as well in any foraine parts whatsoever, or on y^e seas in those parts, or in their returne sayling home; or which may pertaine to y^e clergie govermente, or to y^e cure of soules, among y^e people ther living, and exercising trad in those parts; by designing out congruente porcions arising in t.i.thes, oblations, & other things ther, according to your sound discretions, in politicall & civill causes; and by haveing y^e advise of 2. or 3. bishops, for y^e setling, making, & ordering of y^e bussines, for y^e designeing of necessary ecclesiasticall, and clargie porcions, which you shall cause to be called, and taken to you. And to make provission against y^e violation of those laws, const.i.tutions, and ordinances, by imposing penealties & mulets, imprisonmente if ther be cause, and y^t y^e quality of y^e offence doe require it, by deprivation of member, or life, to be inflicted. With power allso (our a.s.sente being had) to remove, & displace y^e governours or rulers of those collonies, for causes which to you shall seeme lawfull, and others in their stead to const.i.tute; and require an accounte of their rule & govermente, and whom you shall finde culpable, either by deprivation from their place, or by imposition of a mulete upon y^e goods of them in those parts to be levied, or banishmente from those provinces in w^ch they have been gove^r or otherwise to cashier according to y^e quant.i.ty of y^e offence. And to const.i.tute judges, & magistrats politicall & civill, for civill causes and under y^e power and forme, which to you 5. or more of you shall seeme expediente. And judges & magistrats & dignities, to causes Ecclesiasticall, and under y^e power & forme which to you 5. or more of you, with the bishops vicegerents (provided by y^e Archbishop of Counterbure for y^e time being), shall seeme expediente; and to ordaine courts, pretoriane and tribunall, as well ecclesiasticall, as civill, of judgmentes; to detirmine of y^e formes and maner of procceedings in y^e same; and of appealing from them in matters & causes as well criminall, as civill, personall, reale, and mixte, and to their seats of justice, what may be equall & well ordered, and what crimes, faults, or exessess, of contracts or injuries ought to belonge to y^e Ecclesiasticall courte, and what to y^e civill courte, and seate of justice.

Provided never y^e less, y^t the laws, ordinances, & const.i.tutions of this kinde, shall not be put in execution, before our a.s.sent be had therunto in writing under our signet, signed at least, and this a.s.sente being had, and y^e same publikly proclaimed in y^e provinces in which they are to be executed, we will & co[=m]and y^t those lawes, ordinances, and const.i.tutions more fully to obtaine strength and be observed[FA] shall be inviolably of all men whom they shall concerne.

Notwithstanding it shall be for you, or any 5. or more of you, (as is afforsaid,) allthough those lawes, const.i.tutions, and ordinances shalbe proclaimed with our royall a.s.sente, to chainge, revocke, & abrogate them, and other new ones, in forme afforsaid, from time to time frame and make as afforesaid; and to new evills arissing, or new dangers, to apply new remedyes as is fitting, so often as to you it shall seeme expediente. Furthermore you shall understand that we have const.i.tuted you, and every 5. or more of you, the afforesaid Archbishop of Counterburie, Thomas Lord Coventrie, Keeper of y^e Great Seale of England, Richard, Bishop of Yorke, Richard, Earle of Portland, Henery, Earle of Manchester, Thomas, Earle of Arundale & Surry, Edward, Earell of Dorsett, Francis Lord Cottinton, S^r Thomas Edmonds,[FB] knighte, S^r Henry Vane, knight, S^r Francis Windebanke, knight, our comissioners to hear, & determine, according to your sound discretions, all maner of complaints either against those collonies, or their rulers, or govenours, at y^e instance of y^e parties greeved, or at their accusation brought concerning injuries from hence, or from thence, betweene them, & their members to be moved, and to call y^e parties before you; and to the parties or to their procurators, from hence, or from thence being heard y^e full complemente of justice to be exhibted.

Giving unto you, or any 5. or more of you power, y^t if you shall find any of y^e collonies afforesaid, or any of y^e cheefe rulers upon y^e jurisdictions of others by unjust possession, or usurpation, or one against another making greevance, or in rebelion against us, or withdrawing from our alegance, or our comandments, not obeying, consultation first with us in y^t case had, to cause those colonies, or y^e rulers of them, for y^e causes afforesaid, or for other just causes, either to returne to England, or to comand them to other places designed, even as according to your sounde discretions it shall seeme to stand with equitie, & justice, or necessitie. Moreover, we doe give unto you, & any 5. or more of you, power & spetiall co[=m]and over all y^e charters, leters patents, and rescripts royall, of y^e regions, provinces, ilands, or lands in foraigne parts, granted for raising colonies, to cause them to be brought before you, & y^e same being received, if any thing surrepticiously or unduly have been obtained, or y^t by the same priviledges, liberties, & prerogatives hurtfull to us, or to our crowne, or to foraigne princes, have been prejudicially suffered, or granted; the same being better made knowne unto you 5. or more of you, to co[=m]and them according to y^e laws and customs of England to be revoked, and to doe such other things, which to y^e profite & safgard of y^e afforesaid collonies, and of our subjects residente in y^e same, shall be necessary. And therfore we doe co[=m]and you that aboute y^e premisses at days & times, which for these things you shall make provission, that you be diligente in attendance, as it becometh you; giving in precepte also, & firmly injoyning, we doe give co[=m]and to all and singuler cheefe rulers of provinces into which y^e colonies afforesaid have been drawne, or shall be drawne, & concerning y^e colonies themselves, & concerning others, y^t have been interest therein, y^t they give atendance upon you, and be observante and obediente unto your warrants in those affaires, as often as, and even as in our name they shall be required, at their perill. In testimoney wherof, we have caused these our letters to be made pattente. Wittnes our selfe at Westminster the 28. day of Aprill, in y^e tenth year of our Raigne.

By write from y^e privie seale, w.i.l.l.i.e.s.

Anno Dom: 1634.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] The Hon. Charles Francis Adams.

[B] Lib. 2 Chap. 22.

[C] In the text, parentheses are used frequently, apparently in place of commas. For this reason, many are omitted in the reprint.

[D] Acts & Mon: pag. 1587. editi: 2.

[E] Ens: lib: 6. Chap. 42.