Edward Cranfield letter to William Blathwayt, 1683 October 5

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According to his Majesties Commission I have with the rest of the Gentlemen therin
specified taken a view of the Narraganset Country, & made inquiry into the claims of his
Majesty & the pretensions of the Inhabitants & others, as well to the Government as the Soil, & find that Mr
Wharton Mr Hutchinson & several other Gentlemen at Boston are fair purchasers of
Ninnicraft the Indian Sachem, who doe all intend to complement you with a parcel of land
within their claime, the Government undoubtedly belongs to Connecticut, their Pattent being
antienter then the Road islanders, the humour of the Inhabitants & method of their
Government being the same with Boston as corrupt, but much more ignorant, there-
=fore if his Majesty please to reassume them into his hands as well as Boston, it may
make a through Reformation among them. The Bostoners seem to be very careless
in defending their Charter, their Ministers infusing into the people, that it is Gods cause
& that they may lawfully draw their Swords in the defence of their Charter & the Liber=
=ties therin granted unto them. The Road Islanders upon our Convention did
convene with their General court in the Narraganset Province within a mile of Mr.
Smiths wre we sat upon Holder & Green with a letter from the General Court to prohibit
our proceedings, wherupon myself with the Commissioners desired them that they would
hear his Majesties Commission read; & then they would know by what authority we met
there, which they refused to hear, or to take a Copy of his Majesty's Commission; they had no
sooner returned to the place where the General Court sat, but they sent their Marshall
to proclaime us unlawfully assembled, notwithstanding which we proceeded, but in short
they were in every respect so undutifull to his Majesties Commission, that if we had not carried
it with great moderation it might have occasioned a great deal of mischief, the
particulars are too tedious to relate, therfore must referre you to young Mr Whar=
=ton who was an Eye witness to all the passages. Only beg leave if they should complain
that we kept them from the sight of his Majesties Commission; tis groundless, for Mr Shrimpton
& I had been a fortnight upon the Island & severall times offered to show the Governor
& Magistrates the Original Commission & give them a Copy attested under the hands of Mr
Shrimpton & myself, but they refused to accept of both. Pray let my Lord of Parendor
know there is an order of their General Court for 1000. Acres of land to be laid out
to his ffather my Lord Chancellor, if he please to send me a power, I will gett
him a good sum of mony for it. Never any people trusted with authority were so
incapable of discharging the trust reposed in them, therfore I hope his Majesty will
bring a Quo Warranto against it, which if he does, I will furnish Mr Attorny with matters
sufficient to vacuate their Charter, I do not doubt but Mr Whartons son will
bring papers that will satisfie you therin, tis a great satisfaction to me to hear that
the King has overcome the Charter of London, & unless that he ties up the hands of the Magistrates
or those that shalbe intrusted with the Government in New England when the Boston Charter is
broke, it wilbe bootless the bringing the Quo Warranto. I do doubt but your devotions

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to the Service of the Crowne will not be wanting to doe your part in preventin all future
evils, at present Mr Mason & I have a very uncomfortable being here, & doe with im=
=patience wait for Joles to hear what is become of Gove, for should he not be executed
we shall all be knock'd on the head, I hope you will be so kind to promote my petition to
the Lords to get leave that I may withdraw to Barbados or some of the other southerne
plantations during the severity of the winter for four months, for my thin constitution
will not dispence with the sharpness of the weather. In which as in all other your former
favours you will highly oblige

Pray hasten my E Randolph or his
Brother away, for his Majesties service
suffers extreamly for want of them
for from Boston all the Colonies are supplied
with forreigne Commodities

Pray give my humble duty to my Lord of
Conway & service to Mr Luin & your Uncle Povey

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ffor William Blathwayt Esquire

New Hampshire/
5 October 1683
from Mr Cranfeild
Received February 1683/4
Per Mr Wharton

Inquire into the letter
Claimes to Narraganset

Defense of the Charter
of Boston

Generall Court of Road Island
forbidd the proceeding of the
Comissioners

1000 Acres set out to my
Lord Clarenden in Road Isladd Colony

Wharton bring papers satisfactory
for a Quo Warranto