Trouble about the accounts of the Partnership—Roger
Williams—Establishment of a trading-house on the Connecticut
River—Trouble with the Dutch there—Fever at New Plymouth—Scourge of
Flies: 1633.
This year Mr. Edward Winslow was chosen governor. By the first return
of ships they received letters from Mr. Sherley about Mr. Allerton’s
further ill-success, and the loss by Mr. Pierce, with many sad
comments. But there was little hope of getting anything out of Mr.
Allerton or of their accounts being either eased or rectified by
them over there. They saw plainly that the burden of it all would be
thrown upon their backs. The special passages of his letters I will
insert here, for though I am weary of this tedious and uncomfortable
subject, yet for the truth’s sake I am compelled to fully ventilate
matters which have resulted in so much trouble and so many hard
censures on both sides. I do not wish to be partial to either side,
but to disclose the truth as nearly as I can, in their own words, and
so leave it to the unbiased judgment of any who shall come to read
them.
_James Sherley in London to the Colony at New Plymouth_:
Loving Friends,
My last was sent in the Mary and John by Mr. William Collier. I
then certified you of the great and unseasonable loss you and we
had, in the wreck of Mr. Pierce and his ship the Lyon; but the
Lord’s holy name be blessed, Who gives and takes as it pleases
Him; His will be done, Amen. I then related to you that fearful
accident, or rather judgment, the Lord pleased to lay on London
bridge by fire, and therein gave you an idea of my great loss; the
Lord I hope will give me patience to bear it, and faith to trust in
Him and not in the slippery and uncertain things of this world.
I hope Mr. Allerton is nearly with you by this time; but he had
many disasters here before he got away. The last was a heavy one;
his ship, while getting out of the harbour at Bristol in stormy
weather, was driven so far ashore that it cost him over £100 to get
her afloat again. His condition was so lamentable that I could not
but afford him some help, as did some who were strangers to him;
besides, your goods were in her, and if he had not been assisted he
must have given up his voyage, and loss could not have been avoided
on all sides. When he first bought her I think he would have made
a saving match if he had then sunk her and never set sail in her!
I hope he sees the Lord’s hand against him, and will leave off
these voyages. I think we did well in parting with her; she would
have been but a clog to the account, time and again, and though we
shall not get much by way of satisfaction, we shall lose no more.
And now, as I have written before, pray wind up all the accounts
with him there; here he has nothing but many debts which he owes
in various quarters. Besides, not a man here will spend a day, nay
scarcely an hour, on the accounts but myself, and that business
will require more time and help than I can afford. I need not say
any more; I hope you will do what will be best and will be just
with him, to which add mercy and consider his intentions, though he
failed in many particulars, which now cannot be helped....
To-morrow or next day at furthest we are to pay £300, and Mr.
Beauchamp is out of the town, so I must do it. O! the grief and
trouble that mad Mr. Allerton has brought upon you and us! I cannot
forget it, and to think of it draws many a sigh from my heart and
tears from my eyes. And now the Lord has visited me with another
great loss, but I can bear it with more patience than those which I
have foolishly pulled upon myself....
And in another letter there is this passage:
By Mr. Allerton’s fair propositions and large promises I have
overrun myself; indeed grief hinders me from writing, and tears
will not suffer me to see; therefore as you love those who ever
loved you, and the colony, think of us. Oh, what shall I say of
that man who has abused your trust and wronged our loves! But to
lament now is too late, nor can I complain of your backwardness,
for I know it lies as heavy on your hearts as it does on our
purses. Had the Lord sent Mr. Pierce safely home, it had eased both
you and us of some of those debts. The Lord I hope will give us
patience to bear these crosses and that great God Whose care and
providence is everywhere, and especially over those who desire
truly to fear and serve Him, direct, guide, prosper, and bless you
so that you may have the power, as you have the will, to take off
this heavy burden which now lies upon me for your sakes,—and, as I
hope, for your ultimate good and that of many thousands more. For
had not you and we joined together, New England might have been
scarcely known, and would not, I feel sure, be inhabited by such
honest English people as it now is. The Lord increase and bless
them.... So with my continual prayers for you all, I rest
Your assured loving friend,
JAMES SHERLEY.
_June 24th, 1633._
Though Mr. Sherley became more alive to his own condition by these
losses, and complained the more sadly and unreservedly of Mr.
Allerton, no steps were taken to help them here—not so much as to
examine and rectify the accounts, by which probably some hundred
of pounds might have been deducted. But probably they saw that the
more there was taken off the account the less would come to them in
England.
But to come to other things. Mr. Roger Williams, a godly and zealous
man, with many rare qualities but a very unstable judgment, who
settled first in Massachusetts, but owing to some discontent left
there, came here about this time, where he was made welcome according
to their poor ability. He exercised his gifts among them, and after
some time was admitted as a member of the church; and his teaching
was highly approved, and for its benefit I still bless God, and am
thankful to him even for his sharpest admonitions and reproofs,
so far as they agreed with the truth. This year he began to hold
some strange opinions, and from opinion proceeded to practise. This
caused some controversy between the church and him, and in the end
some discontent on his part, so that he left them somewhat abruptly.
Afterwards he applied for his dismissal, to transfer himself to the
church at Salem, which was granted, with some caution to them about
him. But he soon fell into more trouble there, to the disturbance of
church and government: I need not give particulars, for they are too
well known to all; though for a time the church here received some
hard censure through him, and at the hands of those who afterwards
smarted themselves. But he is rather to be pitied and prayed for; so
I shall leave the matter, and desire the Lord to show him his errors
and return him to the way of truth, and give him a settled judgment
and constancy therein; for I hope he belongs to the Lord and that He
will show him mercy.
Having already had intercourse with the Dutch, as will be remembered,
they, seeing the New Plymouth people settled here in such a barren
quarter, told them of a river which they called Fresh River, now
known by the name of Connecticut River, which they had often
recommended to them as a fine place for both agriculture and trade,
and wished them to make use of it. But their hands then being full,
they let it pass. Afterwards, a tribe of Indians who came there were
driven out by the Pequots, who usurped their territory; and the
banished tribe often begged them to go there, and said they could do
plenty of trade, especially if they would keep a house there. So,
having a good stock of goods, and being obliged to look out how they
could better themselves and help to meet their heavy engagements,
they began to explore in that direction and to trade with the
natives. They found it a fine place, though at first they did little
trade; but the Indians put it down to the season of the year and the
fear they were in of their enemies. So they tried several times, not
unprofitably; but they saw that the surest way would be to keep a
house there to receive the trade when it came down from inland. The
Indians not seeing them very active in establishing themselves,
solicited the Massachusetts colony similarly—for their object was to
be restored to their country again. But those in the Bay who had but
lately arrived were not fitted for it. However, some of the chief of
them proposed to join with the partners here to trade jointly with
them up the Connecticut River, which they were willing to agree to,
with the idea that they should share equally in the building and the
stock. A time of meeting was appointed in Massachusetts, and some of
the principal men here were appointed to deal with them, and went
accordingly. But the Massachusetts people entertained many fears,
of danger, and loss, and the like, which were seen to be the main
causes of their disinclination, though they alleged that they were
not provided with trading goods, etc. So the New Plymouth people
offered at present to put in sufficient for both, provided they would
become responsible for the half, and meantime prepare for next year.
They confessed that more could not be expected, but thanked them
and told them they did not care to do it. So they said they hoped
it would be no offence to the Massachusetts colony if they went on
without them. They said there was no reason against it; and so this
partnership fell through. So the New Plymouth colonists in due time
made a beginning there, and were the first English to discover the
place and build it, though they were little better than forced out of
it afterwards, as will appear.
The Dutch now began to repent, and hearing of their preparations,
endeavoured to prevent them, and getting in a little before them
established a small fort with two pieces of ordnance, threatening
to stop their passage. But having prepared a small frame of a house
and having a big new bark, they stowed the frame in her hold,
together with boards to cover and finish it, and nails and all other
necessaries. This was intended as a defence against the Indians,
who were much offended that they had brought back and restored the
right Sachem of the place, called Natawanute; so they encountered a
double danger in this attempt, both from the Dutch and the Indians.
When they came up the river the Dutchmen demanded what they intended
and whither they would go; they answered up the river to trade,—their
orders being to go and settle above them. They bid them stop or they
would shoot, and stood by, their ordnance ready loaded. They replied
that they had orders from the Governor of New Plymouth to go up
the river to such a place, and, shoot or not, they must obey their
orders and proceed; and that they would not harm them, but they must
go on. So they passed on, and though the Dutch threatened them they
did not shoot. Coming to the place appointed, they clapped up their
house quickly, landed their provisions and left the men, sending
the bark home. Afterwards they palisaded their house and fortified
themselves better. The Dutch sent home word to Manhattan, asking what
they should do, and in process of time they sent a troop of about
seventy armed men, in warlike formation, with colours displayed, to
attack them; but seeing them strongly established, and that it would
cost blood, they came to parley, and returned in peace. They did the
Dutch no wrong, for they took not a foot of any of the land they had
bought, but went to a place above them, and bought the tract of land
which belonged to their friends the Indians whom they took with them,
and with whom the Dutch had nothing to do. So this was their entrance
there; and they deserved to continue to hold it, and not, later, to
have been thrust out by friends, as in a way they were, as will be
seen. But of these matters, more in another place.
It pleased the Lord this year to visit them with an infectious fever
of which many fell very ill, and upwards of twenty persons died, men,
women and children, and several of their oldest friends who had lived
in Holland. Amongst them were Thomas Blossom, Richard Masterson with
some others: and in the end, after he had helped others much, Samuel
Fuller, their physician, who had been a great help and comfort to
them, not only in his profession, but also as a deacon of the church,
a godly man, always ready to serve his fellows. He was much missed
after his death, and he and the rest of their brethren who died were
much lamented by them. This brought much sadness and mourning among
them, and caused them to humble themselves and seek the Lord; and
towards winter it pleased the Lord that the sickness ceased. This
disease also swept away many of the Indians from the adjoining parts.
The Spring before, especially the month of May, there had been a
quantity of a great sort of fly, as large as wasps or bumble bees,
which came out of holes in the ground, filling all the woods, and
eating the verdure. They made such a constant yelling noise that the
woods rang with them, till they were ready to deafen the hearers.
They have not been heard or seen before or since by the English.
The Indians told them the sickness would follow, and so it did, in
June, July, and August, during the greatest heat of the summer.
It pleased the Lord to enable them this year to send home a great
quantity of beaver, besides paying all their expenses and debts here
in the country, which was a great encouragement to their friends
in England. Of beaver they sent 3366 lbs., and much of it was coat
beaver, which yielded twenty shillings per lb., and some of it more;
and 346 otter skins which also sold at a good price—fourteen and
fifteen shillings per lb. Thus much of the affairs of this year.