Edward Randolph letter to John Povey, 1686 June 27

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Last night with the President I returnd from y^e Narragansett Country where
on wednesday Last his Ma:^ties Commission of [illegible] was published in Court
the Deputy G.ov^r of Road Island & one of their Magistrates were present
& quietly assented to it, and I expect no further Claim to be made by
them to that Country. M^r Wharton with others concernd Stay behind
& are directed to [treat] the [illegible]r tenants civilly.

I left with ye Gov:^r of R: Island a Superannuated Summons of
ye Quo. Warr.^ts & had assurance from them that they would Surrendr
their charter & he discoursd me about ye manner of Doing it
But at my return to them from y^e Narragans^tt they desired a—
fortnights tyme to consider of it & would answear me from their
Gen:^ll Court. perhaps they will try with Coll Dougon upon what
termes to be under ye Govn.^t of N. York for in my absence they
received a letter from him to that purpose: They are a Sad
Sort of Mortalls as you ever heard of, & who Knowes but
reveng upon ^our Colony. they may (if in their power) Subject them
selves to that Govn:^t which will perfectly ruine us all for wee
have most part of Our Flesh from thence. & should he gett Connec-
ticott Colony to whom he has also writt, we should be in danger
of starving for wee have great part of Our Corn from thence. This
is a matter worthy your Care & will be recommended to Mr Blathwayts
favour & directions therein for tis of Great import & wee are
concernd to obviate so great a mischeife;

I discoursd ye Gov:^r of R: Island about y^e 1000 acres of Land
granted to the Late E. of Clarendon by their Gen^ll Court: they putt
it off by very absurd doubts: & if they cannot avoid it will Lay
it out in Warwick: township: but I do not as yet presse this matter
further hoping by the next ship to send their Surrender: I Looke upon
R: Island to be the best Land & for that quantity the most profitatble

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part of New England. the Quit rents there will be of great value
towards Support of this Govn.^t I expected to meet Some of ye Magis-
trates of Connecticutt of the Narragansett but they were so weak
as to feare I would make an attachment of ye Quo. Warranto &
give them personall trouble at that distance from home. I intend to
be with them in 14 dayes tyme: then the letter from N. york may force
them to a Surrender also: otherwise you have tryed what a
[Scire farias] will do & must to that extream remedy. you may
please to remember I wrote from ye Downes to have two Quo wa.^tts
returnable in Next [Mnth] Term: fearing a long passage but have
not received any. & they may be so imprudent as to stand out
& take advantage upon the losse of tyme:

S.^r this day at noon. I joyfully received your welcome packett filld
up with newes my Lord Delamers tryall & your letter of ye
3 of Aprill. Which advises the progresse of a larg settlement of
N: york Govn.^t Our Govn.^t will be quite ruined should but y^e Southern
part of Connecticott Colony. which was (as by a Grant to that Colony)
many yeares setled under the name of [Quinnepirl] or New Haven
Colony Consisting of 4 townes: & by their joint consent in 1662
joined annexed in their Charter to Connecticott: The N. york Govn.^t
makes us pay after ye Rate of 6 percent for all Goods imported
from thence to Our Govn.^t besides those people will never agree
to be Subject to N. York: in regard they have been all along part
of us: S.^r I thought before this tyme to have procured a—
handsome present to M^r Blathwayt & to your Selfe for your
great Care & zeal in the Settlement of this ingratefull Country.
but in the first place Certainely they are very poore, having now
no Assembly to raise money upon y^e people more then what is
now paid by ye Excise upon Wine & Rum. & retailers of Beer
& Cyder: besides I have not yet demanded the money you were
sensible I was out of purse about Soliciting their busines which
thro: M^r Blathwayts & your extraordinary favour I obtained with
very great difficulty—

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Neither have they given me thanks for procuring them
their Librty in Matters of Regi religion. Had wee all y^e Colonyes
well settled under our Govn:^t as now it is Called N. England the
Quitt rents & other easy impositions will amount to nigh
4000.^{£p. ann} N. Eng.^d money: pray assist M^r Mason about our Mint
and be confident that you shall find your advantage in all my
Concernes: But at present I have little more than the troublesome
title of Secry & Sole register: for they have placed the Rigister
of Wills with the Clerkes of the County Courts. and the Records of
Lands Sales & Mortgages with them also: So that the Cheife
end & publick benefitt of a Gen:^ll Register is quite destroyed,
some tyme since Mr Wharton offred me 6 50:^£ a yeare to have
the Registring of Deeds etc: for 3 yeares & said he would
in that tyme make it worth to him 150:^£ a yeare. But since
my refusall I do not see where I can make 60:^£ a yeare
of both Offices of Secry & Register. At my arrivall I hired
a strong new Brick house & pay 60.^£ a yeare Rent. that no
objection might be made against my keeping the Records
in my own house, & I am to have the Country Records
brought to me: which are of publick Concern but of
more trouble & ^then profitt: but the beneficiall perquisites of
my Office are alienated: which I have just grounds to
represent being unwilling to be lesned in any part of my
places Which his Ma:^tie has been pleased to reward me with all
I have not pressd, that the full Sum paid in Jamaica.
should be allowed of here. I have said the Country is very
poore, but I see not why I should be incroached upon I&
^{the country is no way eased, for my profitts are disposed of to others I} leave this with you as a testimony of my dissent: & expect
to be have orders for exparation from Whitehall upon your
representing my humble Complaint to their Lords:^pps

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my humble Service to M^r Blathwayt. to whom I wrote
by this ship. of y^e 19:^th instant and