William Phips letter to William Blathwayt, 1692/1693 February 20

[Recto]

I have writt Severall Letters to the Governor of New,,
York, since his arrivall, because I did hope a good correspon
dence might have been maintained between us, in things
that concerne their Majesties Government, & Interest, & that
there might arise no difference, between that Government,
& this, about Martha's Vinyard, & Nantuckett, I have sent a
Copy of the Charter unto the Governor of New York, that he may be
assured, of their Majesties Joyning them to this Province Government
I have alsoe sent a Letter to him, to know what assistance we
may expect, if there Majesties are pleased to order a Squadron of
Frigatts to come here, for an attaque upon Canada in the
Springe; and I did hope for an agreeable answer, & his concur
rance with a proposall soe much for their Majesties honour
& the good of the english nation; which might reasonably be
expected from a person in his station, but I find him averse,
to such a correspondence, hee hath sent a messenger, (lately
the Jaylor at Yorke,) to tell me hee designed to be Early in
the Spring att Martha's Vinyard, to take upon him the Governorship
thereof, & expects me to meet him there, which messenger, I
may Justly terme a herauld, for he delivered his message as
a challenge, I sent him, word, that if there be a difference,
that cannot be adjusted by the Charter, their Majesties must
be sought unto to determine the matter, & that I thought
myselfe oblidged in the Interim, to assert the Power, their
Majesties have invested me with, in case he should make such
an attempt; hee also ordered the messenger, to demand one
Mr Abraham Gouverneur, to be sent a Prisoner to New York,
& termed him a fugitive from the hands of Justice; whereas
at his first coming from New York, I examined him & hee
produced a certificate from the Clarke of the Councill at New,,
York giuen by the Governors order, that by virtue of the Queens
Command, he was let out of Prison; the true reason of his
being sent for was, upon Account of a certain, letter
written by him to his father at New Yorck, which was
intercepted, & carryed to the Governor of New Yorck, where in where
some reflecions against ^upon him, Mr Gouverneur Informes
me; that being kept in Prison from the time that Mr Leisler
was put to death, & having met with hard usage, & threatned
with death by the Governor of New Yorck att his arrivall, notwith
standing the Queens order to sett att Liberty ^ ^all that were in
prison upon that account, hee was moved to express, what he
writ in the aforesaid Letter, a Copy of which was sent to me from,
New York, I do not aprove the Letter, And have given a Check
for it; but I did not see sufficient reason from thence
to deliver him, And I understand, the Governor of
New Yorck hath been moved to make these demands
By some