that regard, that them selves did not agree, I shall inserte some part of Mr. Andrews leter, by which he conceives the partners here were wronged, as followeth. This letter of his was write to Mr. Edmond Freeman, brother in law to Mr. Beachamp.1

MR. FREEMAN,

My love remembred unto you, etc. I then certified the partners how I found Mr. Beachamp and Mr. Sherley, in their perticuler demands, which was according to mens principles, of getting what they could; allthough the one will not shew any accounte, and the other a very unfaire and unjust one; and both of them discouraged me from sending the partners my accounte, Mr. Beachamp espetially. Their reason, I have cause to conceive, was, that allthough I doe not, nor ever intended to, wrong the partners or the 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 the more free from taxation in not delivering their accounts, who have both of them charged the 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, etc. And seeing the partners have now made it appear that ther is 1200li. remaining due between us all, and that it may appear by my accounte I have not charged the bussines with any intrest, but doe forgive it unto the partners, above 200li. if Mr. Sherley and Mr. Beachamp, who have betweene them wronged the business so many 100li. both in principall and intrest likwise, and have therin wronged me as well and as much as any of the partners; yet if they will not make and deliver faire and true accounts of the same, nor be contente to take what by computation is more then can be justly due to either, that is, to Mr. Beachamp 150li. as by Mr. Allertons accounte, and Mr.

1 Edmund Freeman came in the Abigail, 1635, and settled at Lynn (Saugus). Two years later he became a freeman of New Plymouth, and with ten associates obtained "liberty to view a place to sitt downe and haue sufficient lands for three score famylies, vpon the condicons propounded to them by the Gouernor and Mr. Winslowe." Plymouth Col. Rec., I. 53, 57. This settlement, on territory known by the Indians as Shawme, was incorporated as the town of Sandwich, in 1639. In the same year, one of Freeman's daughters, Alice, married William Paddy. See p. 303, supra.

Sherleys accounte, on oath in chancerie; and though ther might be nothing due to Mr. Sherley, yet he requires 100li., etc. I conceive, seing the partners have delivered on their oaths the summe remaining in their hands, that they may justly detaine the 650li. which may remain in theire hands, after I am satisfied, untill Mr. Sherley and Mr. Beachamp will be more fair and just in their ending, etc. And as I intend, if the partners fayrly end with me, in satis[fy]ing in parte and ingaging them selves for the rest of my said 544li. to returne back for the poore my parte of the land at Sityate,1 so likwise I intend to relinquish my right and intrest in their dear patente, on which much of our money was laid forth, and also my right and intrest in the cheap purchass, the which may have cost me first and last 350li. But I doubte whether other men have not charged or taken on accounte what they have disbursed in the like case, which I have not charged, neither did I conceive any other durst so doe, untill I saw the accounte of the one and heard the words of the other; the which gives me just cause to suspecte both their accounts to be unfaire; for it seemeth they cunsulted one with another aboute some perticulers therin. Therfore I conceive the partners ought the 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 the man will remember.

I desire not to wrong Mr. Beachamp or Mr. Sherley, nor may be silente in shuch apparente probabilities of their wronging the partners, and me likwise, either in deneying to deliver or shew any accounte, 1 The land granted and reserved for the four London merchants by the General Court in 1633, and later known as the Conihasset grant, lay in the town of Scituate, and because of the ill-defined bounds thereof and the disputes therefrom arising, this land occasioned much subsequent trouble and litigation. Hatherley bought the rights of the other three before 1646, and, dividing it into thirty shares, he sold three-fourths of them for £180 to a company of which Charles Chauncy was a member. What settlement Hatherley made with his London partners is not on record. Deane, History of Scituate, 5.

2 This he means of the first adventures, all which were lost, as hath before been shown; and what he here writes is probable at least.- BRADFORD.

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 the more unfaire. So comending you and yours, and all the Lord's people, unto the gratious protection and blessing of the Lord, and rest your loving friend,

Aprill 7. 1643.1

RICHARD ANdrewes.

1 Referring in this letter only to the devious business practices of Beauchamp and Sherley, Andrewes felt he had also grounds of complaint against the Plymouth people. To this he gave expression in his letters to Winthrop. Writing from Rotterdam, in January, 1644-45, apparently in reply to some doubt expressed by Winthrop on the prospect of payment by Plymouth, he said:

"Whereas you seem to conceive little hope of receiving satisfaction from the partners of Plymouth for me, until Mr. Sherley and Mr. Bechamp and myself do agree, of which I conceive less if any hope, by reason of the partners and Mr. Sherley subtly plotted end, if not Mr. Bechamp's head or hand was there also, of which I formerly informed you, and several other the partners' unfair and unjust dealings with me by my late former letters, the which might the more plainly appear by the copies of two of Mr. Ed. Winslow's letters sent therewith, of which or any others I cannot now mention particulars, but their dealings with me for several years seem so apparently unjust and unfair unto me in several particulars, that if they have not given the better satisfaction for me before the next opportunity I may have of sending, I pray be pleased to certify them that they must not take it ill, if I call them publickly to account for several their dealings towards me, which are very much unbeseeming fair dealing men, who make not so much profession to walk according to the rule of the gospel as they, and yet answer not the same, in not dealing with others, as they would that others should deal with them. I hope twice seven years time is long enough to keep my money before they return the principal, and that if either law or conscience bear sway in New England, they shall not be suffered to keep my money remaining in their hands more years upon both false and frivolous pretences, and be accounted men answering their profession. I did once before entreat your worship to certify Mr. Ed. Winslow and the rest in private, of some evil dealings I conceived fit to call some of them to account for, the which I have yet forborne, of which I would wish them to consider, whether I have not now just cause to call them to account how far they can free themselves of my then charge to some other in regard of what remaineth due to me from them, and if there have not been the like endeavours therein, or for part thereof, and let not the partners by longer unjust delays aggravate their unjust and unfair dealings, lest it come heavily on them at the last. I did order Mr. Ed. Winslow, several years since, to deliver your worship my stock of four cows and two calves, with