Sealed and delivered in y^e presence of
THOMAS WELD,
HUGH PETERS,
WILLIAM HIBBINS.
ARTHUR TIRREY, Scr.
THO: STURGS, his servante.
M^r. Andrews his discharg was to y^e same effecte; he was by
agreem[=e]te to have 500^li. of y^e money, the which he gave to them in
y^e Bay, who brought his discharge and demanded y^e money. And they
tooke in his release and paid y^e money according to agreem[=e]te, viz.
one third of the 500^li. they paid downe in hand, and y^e rest in 4.
equall payments, to be paid yearly, for which they gave their bonds. And
wheras 44^li. was more demanded, they conceived they could take it of
with M^r. Andrews, and therfore it was not in the bonde. [252] But M^r.
Beachamp would not parte with any of his, but demanded 400^li. of y^e
partners here, & sent a release to a friend, to deliver it to them upon
y^e receite of y^e money. But his relese was not perfecte, for he had
left out some of y^e partners names, with some other defects; and
besids, the other gave them to understand he had not near so much due.
So no end was made with him till 4. years after; of which in it plase.
And in y^t regard, that them selves did not agree, I shall inserte some
part of M^r. Andrews letter, by which he conceives y^e partners here
were wronged, as followeth. This leter of his was write to M^r. Edmond
Freeman, brother in law to M^r. Beachamp.
M^r. Freeman,
My love remembred unto you, &c. I then certified y^e partners how I
found M^r. Beachamp & M^r. Sherley, in their perticuler demands, which
was according to mens principles, of getting what they could;
allthough y^e one will not shew any accounte, and y^e other a very
unfaire and unjust one; and both of them discouraged me from sending
y^e partners my accounte, M^r. Beachamp espetially. Their reason, I
have cause to conceive, was, y^t allthough I doe not, nor ever
intended to, wrong y^e partners or y^e bussines, yet, if I gave no
accounte, I might be esteemed as guiltie as they, in some degree at
least; and they might seeme to be y^e more free from taxation in not
delivering their accounts, who have both of them charged y^e accounte
with much intrest they have payed forth, and one of them would likwise
for much intrest he hath not paid forth, as appeareth by his accounte,
&c. And seeing y^e partners have now made it appear y^t ther is
1200^li. remaining due between us all, and that it may appear by my
accounte I have not charged y^e bussines with any intrest, but doe
forgive it unto y^e partners, above 200^li. if M^r. Sherley & M^r.
Beachamp, who have betweene them wronged y^e bussines so many 100^li.
both in principall & intrest likwise, and have therin wronged me as
well and as much as any of y^e partners; yet if they will not make &
deliver faire & true accounts of y^e same, nor be contente to take
what by computation is more then can be justly due to either, that is,
to M^r. Beachamp 150^li. as by M^r. Allertons accounte, and M^r.
Sherleys accounte, on oath in chancerie; and though ther might be
nothing due to M^r. Sherley, yet he requirs 100^li. &c. I conceive,
seing y^e partners have delivered on their oaths y^e su[=m]e remaining
in their hands, that they may justly detaine y^e 650^li. which may
remaine in their hands, after I am satisfied, untill M^r. Sherley &
M^r. Beachamp will be more fair & just in their ending, &c. And as I
intend, if y^e partners fayrly end with me, in satisfing in parte and
ingaging them selves for y^e rest of my said 544^li. to returne back
for y^e poore my parte of y^e land at Sityate, so likwise I intend to
relinquish my right & intrest in their dear patente, on which much of
our money was laid forth, and also my right & intrest in their cheap
purchass, the which may have cost me first & last 350^li.[EO] But I
doubte whether other men have not charged or taken on accounte what
they have disbursed in y^e like case, which I have not charged,
neither did I conceive any other durst so doe, untill I saw y^e
accounte of the one and heard y^e words of y^e other; the which gives
me just cause to suspecte both their accounts to be unfaire; for it
seemeth they consulted one with another aboute some perticulers
therin. Therfore I conceive y^e partners ought y^e rather to require
just accounts from each of them before they parte with any money to
either of them. For marchants understand how to give an acounte; if
they mean fairley, they will not deney to give an accounte, for they
keep memorialls to helpe them to give exacte acounts in all
perticulers, and memoriall cannot forget his charge, if y^e man will
remember. I desire not to wrong M^r. Beachamp or M^r. Sherley, nor may
be silente in such apparente probabilities of their wronging y^e
partners, and me likwise, either in deneying to deliver or shew any
accounte, or in delivering one very unjuste in some perticulers, and
very suspitious in many more; either of which, being from
understanding marchants, cannot be from weaknes or simplisitie, and
therfore y^e more unfaire. So comending you & yours, and all y^e
Lord's people, unto y^e gratious protection and blessing of y^e Lord,
and rest your loving friend,