ford, Mr. Winslow, and the rest of the partners ther, considering how honestly and justly I am perswaded they have brought in an accounte of the remaining stock, for my owne parte I am well satisfied, and so I thinke is Mr. Andrewes, and I supose will be Mr. Beachampe, if most of it might acrew to him, to whom the least is due, etc. And now for peace sake, and to conclude as we began, lovingly and freindly, and to pass by all failings of all, the conclude is accepted of; I say this agreemente that you have made is condesended unto, and Mr. Andrews hath sent his release to Mr. Winthrop, with shuch directions as he conceives fitt; and I have made bould to trouble you with mine, and we have both sealed in the presence of Mr. Weld, and Mr. Peeters, and some others, and I have also sente you an other, for Sw. yr farsam the partners ther, to seale to me;1 for you must not to Come Tho: wild deliver mine to them, excepte they seale and deliver one to me; this is fitt and equall, etc. Yours to command in what I may or can, June 14. 1642. LOVING FREINDS, His to the partners as followeth. JAMES SHERLEY. Mr. Bradford, Mr. Winslow, Mr. Prence, Captaine Standish, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Alden, and Mr. Howland, give me leave to joyne you 1 In 1641 the changes in political England, and notably the executions of Laud and Strafford, and the unseating of the bishops, rendered it possible for those persecuted for nonconformity to return, living in safety. Invitations to return had been received by some of the Massachusetts divines; but a compliance would, under the circumstances, have involved a complete submission to Parliament; for if the authority and protection of Parliament were thus recognized, it would be difficult to question them in other respects. Yet the opportunity to carry into disorganized England the principles and practices of the New England way of church government, led to the appointment of three commissioners from the Bay. They were to go to England, explain the situation of the plantations, obtain some commercial advantage, and collect funds for the college. The three thus selected were Hugh Peter, Thomas Weld and William Hibbins. Leaving in August, 1641, their presence in England was utilized for making this final agreement between the English and the Plymouth partners. all in one letter, concerning the finall end and conclude of that tedious and troublesome bussines, and I thinke I may truly say uncomfurtable and unprofitable to all, etc. It hath pleased God now to put us upon a way to sease all suits, and disquieting of our spirites, and to conclude with peace and love, as we began. I am contented to yeeld and make good what Mr. Attwood and you have agreed upon; and for that end have sente to my loving freind, Mr. Attwood, an absolute and generall release unto you all, and if ther wante any thing to make it more full, write it your selves, and it shall be done, provided that all you, either joyntly or severally, seale the like discharge to me. And for that end I have drawne one joyntly, and sent it to Mr. Attwood, with that I have sealed to you. Mr. Andrews hath sealed an aquitance also, and sent it to Mr. Winthrop, whith shuch directions as he conceived fitt, and, as I hear, hath given his debte, which he makes 544li. unto the gentlemen of the Bay. Indeed, Mr. Welld, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Hibbens have taken a great deale of paines with Mr. Andrews, Mr. Beachamp, and my selfe, to bring us to agree, and to that end we have had many meetings and spent much time aboute it. But as they are very religious and honest gentle-men, yet they had an end that they drove at and laboured to accomplish (I meane not any private end, but for the generall good of their patente). It had been very well you had sent one over. Mr. Andrew wished you might have one .3. parte of the 1200li. and the Bay. 2. thirds; but then we 3. must have agreed togeather, which were a hard mater now.1 But Mr. Weld, Mr. 1 Andrewes, in 1639 (p. 289, supra), had made over to Massachusetts Bay a part of the debt owed them by Plymouth. There was at that time little prospect of recovering any considerable portion of this amount; there was now, however, a reasonable hope of so doing; but it appears from Bradford's statements that the London partners of Andrewes had already received from Plymouth several fold of what was properly their due. In the settlement imposed on the Plymouth people they had dealt most unfairly, making good at the cost of the plantation their losses on all unfortunate ventures and speculations. They had in fact exacted from Plymouth all they could. Though nothing was really due the English partners, yet in the final negotiations the Plymouth people seem to have been willing to pay £1200 for an acquittance in full. Under such circumstances a direct representative might have exerted himself effectively to obtain a reduction of this sum, and Sherley, perhaps sincerely, expressed regret that no such representative of Plymouth was Peters, and Mr. Hibbens, and I, have agreed, they giving you bond (so to compose with Mr. Beachamp, as) to procure his generall release, and free you from all trouble and charge that he may put you too; which indeed is nothing, for I am perswaded Mr. Weld will in time gaine him to give them all that is dew to [251] him, which in some sorte is granted allready; for though his demands be great, yet Mr. Andrewes hath taken some paines in it, and makes it appear to be less then I thinke he will consente to give them for so good an use; so you neede not fear, that for taking bond ther to save you harmles, you be safe and well. Now our accord is, that you must pay to the gentle-men of the Bay 900li.; they are to bear all charges that may any way arise concerning the free and absolute clearing of you from us three. And you to have the other 300li. etc.1 Upon the receiving of my release from you, I will send you your bonds for the purchass money. I would have sent them now, but I would have Mr. Beachamp release as well as I, because you are bound to him in them. Now I know if a man be bound to 10 men, if one release, it is as if all released, and my discharge doth cutt them of; present. The three men from the Bay made no effort to reduce the amount, or to secure the greater benefit for the Plymouth plantation. They obtained three fourths for the Bay and only one fourth for Plymouth. And in the event an additional £44 were charged against the latter. From the first agreement to pay £1800 to the final closing of the transaction, the record shows the Plymouth people passively submitting to a manifest fraud perpetrated on them. 1 Winthrop correctly attributes this gift, or transfer to the Bay of a part of the Plymouth debt, to the efforts of the three Bay commissioners. To him Andrewes, a haberdasher in Cheapside, London, was a "godly man, and who had been a former benefactor to this country." The money was to be laid out in cattle, and other course of trade, for the poor. The earlier benefit consisted in a gift in 1634 of sixteen heifers, one for each minister and the rest to the poor. History, 1. *136; 11. *75. In October, 1642, the General Court appointed Richard Bellingham, Captain Cooke and Lieutenant Duncan to go to Plymouth to make arrangements for the payment of the debt, and the terms exacted are given by Bradford. Mass. Col. Rec., 11. 32. The manner of payment was also noticeable. The "specialties" received were a note "of Mr. Bradford and company for 333. 6. 8d, Mr. Atwoods byll for 361, Mr. Hills byll for 20.13.4d, and the present Governor's [Winthrop] byll for 100l; also a note for 441. 9shs. more (if it bee not cleared to the satisfaction of Mr. Andros [Andrewes]) was delivered in." Ib. 39. wherfore doubte you not but you shall have them, and your commission, or any thing els that is fitt. Now you know ther is two years of the purchass money, that I would not owne, for I have formerley certified you that I would but pay 7. years; but now you are discharged of all, etc. Your loving and kind friend in what I may or can, June 14. 1642. The coppy of his release is as followeth. JAMES SHERLEY. Wheras diverce questions, differences, and demands have arisen and depended betweene William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, Mylest Standish, William Brewster, John Allden, and John Howland, gent: now or latly inhabitants or resident at New-Plimoth, in New-England, on the one party, and James Sherley of London, marchante, and others, in th' other parte, for and concerning a stocke and partable trade of beaver and other comodities, and fraighting of ships, as the White Angell, Frindship, or others, and the goods of Isaack Allerton which were seazed upon by vertue of a leter of atturney made by the said James Sherley and John Beachamp and Richard Andrews, or any other maters concerning the said trade, either hear in Old-England or ther in New-England or else wher, all which differences are since by mediation of freinds composed, compremissed, and all the said parties agreed. Now know all men by these presents, that I, the said James Sherley, in performance of the said compremise and agreemente, have remised, released, and quite claimed, and doe by these presents remise, release, and for me, myne heires, executors, and Administrators, and for every of us, for ever quite claime unto the said William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, Myles Standish, William Brewster, John Alden, and John Howland, and every of them, their and every of their heires, executors, and administrators, all and all maner of actions, suits, debts, accounts, rekonings, comissions, bonds, bills, specialties, judgments, executions, claimes, challinges, differences, and demands what soever, with or against the said William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, Myles Standish, William Brewster, John Alden, and John Howland, or any of them, ever I had, now have, or in time to come can, shall, or may have, for any mater, cause, or thing whatsoever from the begining of the world untill the day of the date of these presents. In witnes wherof I have hereunto put my hand and seale, given the second day of June, 1642, and in the eighteenth year of the raigne of our soveraigne lord, king Charles, etc. Sealed and delivered in the presence of THOMAS WELd, HUGH PETERS, WILLIAM HIBBINS. ARTHUR TIRREY, Scr. THO: STURGES, his servante. JAMES SHERLEY. Mr. Andrews his discharge was to the same effecte; he was by agreemente to have 500li. of the money, the which he gave to them in the Bay, who brought his discharge and demanded the money. A akon opon oak up 108 al 90 119 m2 1652 And they tooke in his release and paid the money according to |