William Stoughton letter to William Blathwayt, 1696 September 30

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Your Honors letters of February: & April last, I have receaved, as also his Majesties commands
signified by their Lordships of his most Honorable Privy Councill, unto whome, in most humble
wise by this opportunity of the Mast Ships, I have made return; & therein layd before his Majestie
a true & full account of all procedings here, & of the present state of the Province, which together
with what Mr Secretary largely acquaints you with, makes it needless for me, to report the
Same things again in this.

It hath been my sincere indeavour, to answer the great trust reposed in me in the Government
here, though the difficulties & discouragements attending it, have proved both great & many,
arisnig cheifly from this long & distressing warre; but not a little also, of late from my
having to doe with some persons, discovering a temper, & opinion in too many things, not
so agreeable & well disposed as I could wish, for my assistance in his Majesties service
in which respect nothing could bee more welcome then your very kind lines, & more espe
=cially the intimation of any Satisfaction taken by his Majestie as to the management that
I have been able to attain to, for which I most humbly prostrate my self at his feet, professing
that should I fall short, unhappily, of his Majesties gracious pardon & acceptance, no earthly
thing could compensate all my labor & pains, which yet I acknowledge to bee farre beneath
what I ow to so great & good & soveraign a Master, & the father of his people.

The Asembly now sitting, we are all joyned in a most earnest & humble Addresse to his Majestie
for his graclous regard & succor in our present low condition; in the setting forth whereof
we have not overspoken any thing so that our utmost necessity gives us the greater boldness
therein, in the presenting & furtherance whereof, we are alike joynt petitioners to your Honor
for your favourable & helping hand; it being most certain that the prosperity of this Pro
vince, & the subduing of the French interest here, will have a signall influence on all
the rest of his Majesties Goverments & Plantations.

I hope that when the Governor comes (which I pray god may be yet before winter) his Majesties plea
sure will be further sent, as to Mr Ushers Accounts; for possibly under his management &
influence, that matter may have a better issue then hitherto, which I am the more con
cerned for, not only as it will be a peece of justice to Mr Usher, who hath truely made the
payments, & been long out of purse, but also from a deep sense, which my self & some others
have ever had, of the great disinigenuity exprest in making objection to that article
of the account wherein your self is so particularly concerned

As the Association directed to, hath been readily subscribed by the Assembly, so my purpose
I have but one thing more to give your Honor the trouble of which is that condemnation of
some prizes brought into this Goverment, which I have given an account of to their Lordships
of the Councill; I had the opinion & advice of his Majesties Councill here for it, as a matter
of necessity, that so the Private men of warre might not be discouraged, not being
able in any wise to subsist, & goe out again against his Majesties Enemies without a Sale
& distribution of what they had takenI shall bee very sorry to suffer, by having that

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that imputed to mee as an excesse & presumption which I have done meerly to
promote his Majesties Service, which shall ever command me. the necessity of setling a
court of Admiralty in this Province will I hope obtain the same, & that the
Governor hath sollicited & will being it over with him. I pray your favour
as to my apologie in this matter as need may bee; which will adde unto all the obligations
that are lying upon me to bee & to acknowledge my self ever

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30 September 1696
From Mr Stoughton