Edward Randolph letter to Nicholas Butler, 1688 March 29

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I take leaue to continue my Adresse & humbly represent to your Honor that on
the 18th: of ffebruary: last vpon notice of a vessell from the Spannish wreck which
had taken vp money & plate, his Excellence Our Governor called a Councill at 6
a Clock that night, & communicated his Majesties Letter of the 22 of October last. requiring
one Moiety of all money etc: taken vp at the wreck. to be receiued for his Majesties
vse: t'was agreed that I should vndertake that Seruice, & accordingly I travelld
all night in extream frosty weather & came vndiscouered by bye bye wayes to a
Town call'd Bristoll (70 miles distant from Boston) I soon discouered the vessell
lay out of Command in an open Road and that shee had belonging to her
aboue 40 men well Armd. howeuer I procured a small boat, went aboard
& demanded his Majesties Moiety : They tryd out (one & All) {wee will loose
our liues rather then part with one penny, more then his Majesties, tenths, as
was agreed vpon with his Excellence before wee vndertooke the voyage} I
then seized vpon the vessell for his Majestie vnrig'd her & sent her sayles ashoare
& left a good Gard aboard to preven embezzlement: the Master & Company finding
themselues thus disappointed, deliuered to my possession Ten thousand Two
hundred Seaventy foure Ounces of Money & Plate, neuer out of my sight till
safe in Boston, my life was often in danger thro' the mutinous Saylers. But
far more by a suddaine fitt of Sicknes which seized vpon me in my Journey.
his Majesties Moiety is now ready when Commanded to be sent to England; I haue
humbly represented this to the Right Honorable the Lords of the Treasury. praying
their Lordshipps directions to bring it with me to England & receiue his Majesties
Royall Bounty for that difficult Seruice, or otherwise be ordred to make
returnes of it by bills of Exchange to London, vpon the vsuall rates with allowance
for my trouble, in which matter I pray for & humbly depend vpon your Honors
assistance & favour.

I haue long expected an end of the difference betwixt Captain Georg & myselfe
arising about the 3d. part of the condemned Scotch vessell (233lb: od money)
to which I haue an vndoubted Right: your Honor together with the Commissioners of the
customs vpon my humble petition were pleased to referr that matter to his
Excellence Our Governor (if Captain Georg would assent) but he being possessd of
the money by the illegall proceedings of the Judge of the Admiralty: I haue
no way (at this distance) then to renew my petition to their Honors which
with vouchers I humbly transmitt, praying them to assert That power they
haue been by their deputation [illegible] invested in me with for his Majesties Service
with the reward the Acts of trade haue made due to the Officers etc. my duty to
his Majestie putts a Barr vpon their doing me Justice: both in that & other cases:
If necessary I humbly pray I may haue liberty to go to England, to solicite in
this matter & make appeare to your Honor my Right & acquitt myselfe from
the Imputation of a Querulous person

I am

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I likewise humbly inform your Honor That about the yeare 1644: a Generall Collection
was made thro' England & Great Summes of money gathered for evangelizing
the Indians in New England. this Stock was managed at home by a Governor & Company
who yearely sent over 800lb or 1000lb: yearely to some persons here with
power to dispose of it to that end onely: I well know seuerall who haue
managed it & thrived well; but the Natiues are ^not provided for as the
Governor & Company did design : the money is distributed amongst themselues
& I beleiue not 30lb: yearely disposed to the Indians, I haue lately known
(such whom they call) ministers & school masters who can speake broken
Indians come to me & complaine they wanted cloathes & a booke. The
Natiues are mightily inclided to the Romish Religion this the ffrench
our neighbors well know, & take care they shall not want Preists. for
at Kebeck vpon the River of Canada they haue a Bishop & seuerall Covents
and their Preissts are very Laborious in converting the Indians: they are
with them at Port Royall & at Panopscott: & visite & associate themselues
with the Indians to the Eastward in this Governmnt by this meanes the ffrench dayle
gaine vpon them: & haue engrosd all the Beaver Trade, our cheife
cause of the delay of trade with vs: I heare his Majestie intends to send
ouer some preists to New York: I humbly propose it more necessary to
haue some recommended to that Seruice in this Government in regard the
greatest ^ ^part of Our Indians are bordring vpon the ffrench to the Eastward. &
by that meanes, they will be kept at home & proue seruiceable to the Crown
in peace by their trade in tyme of warr: by their assitance; the ffrench
in their warr vpon the Mo=hauk Indians, carry out great numbers
of Indian Converts who do more wrong then the french: I find these
managers here haue putt this publick money sent heither yearely
out to vse: as by a Duplicate of their account (which I haue by me
doth appeare) amoounting to 2230lb: this affaire is carried with great
privacy: & I feare much of this Stock has been imployed to oppose his
Late Majestie prosecuting their charter: I likewise inclose to your Honor a du=
plicate containing some clauses in the Patent for Evangelizing Indians
by which the Lord Chancellor etc: has power to examine their accounts
During the tyme my Lord North was Lord Keeper, I represented to his
Lordship the arbitrary proceedings of those Managers & solicited his Lordships
Commission to be issued out to audite & examine as well the seurerall accounts
of the Company at home . as also here: It was looked vpon very necessary to be
done: but his Lordship was of opinion not at that tyme proper but rather
to attend the vacating their Charter: which being long since done : & now
all the Colonyes & Provinces in New England att vnited vnder his Majesties immediate Governor
I most earnestly but in great humility propose that a matter of so great
import to the Crown & to the Security & well settlement of this vast
dominion & well ordring the willing Natiues be effectually vndertaken
to which end . I further offer: that a Commission be directed to Robert Mason

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Captain ffrancis Nicholson Esquire men of known Loyalty to his Majestie & to John
Hinks & Richard Smith & myselfe all members of the Councill with power to
examine the accounts to send for persons bookes & administer Oathes to
all concernd in this fund, & to proceed against such who (legally summond)
refuse to obey: & to take care to secure the ready money bills bonds Mortgages
etc: & to report to his Excellence the Governor from whom his Majestie will haue a
speedy & perfect account of the whole proceeding:

I lastly craue your Honors patience & leaue to add. That one Harvard
at the begining of the Settlement of this Country gaue about 300lb: towards
erecting a Colledge that some tyme after the Generall Court raised money
vpon all the Inhabitants & built a Colledge at Cambridge (7 miles distant
from Boston pleasantly seated vpon a River & a ^ ^faire brick Building) & by Guifts
from seuerall persons well endowed with money & lands : & Governd by a President
& fellowes & so they had for many yeares continued: till about the yeare 1686:
(during my absence to serue a Quo Warranto against the Colony of Connecticott) Mr
Dudley President: Mr Stoughton Deputy president: with 5 of the Members of the
Councill, take vpon them the Regulation of the Colledge (but no Order or direc
tion from his Majestie for so doing) & instead of a President & ffellowes
makes a Rector & Tutors : as by the Inclosed pretended order of President
& Councill doth appeare: so that now Increase Mather: to that day President
of the Colledge was continued but by the name amp; office of Rector: and
they proceed further: Calling vpon such persons who had any of the Colledg
money in their hands to bring it in & take new Security: wherevpon
about 1200lb: which was putt out in Colledges name: is now altred & putt
out in the names of Dudley Stoughton & Mather: & made payable to
them & their heires: besides your Honor will please to obserue added
to that order of the President. & Councill: another order tack'd on
of the 1 of October; ffollowing: made by dudley & Mather onely : by which
they order yearely exhibitions to the young Schollers: as to Dudley
his son: & the others are his relations:

Now may it please your Honor Honor seing That those persons aboue named
with soe others added to them haue been for many yeares the sole
managers of the Stock for Evangelizing Indians & it now appearing
also how they haue vndertaken ^{possessd themselues of} the money of the Colledge converting
it to their private benefitt : I hope your Honor: will see a necessity that his
Majestie please to issue direct a Commission to examine & report as well
vpon the proceedings of the managers of the Indians Stock, as of the Colledge
and that some prudent Gentleman be sent to be president of that Colledge & some
preists also to vndertake the Converting of the Natiues for which there is
a present maintainance ready vpon the place: besides vpon ^my coming to England
I shall discourse to your Honor lands enough to maintain a small convent
without any charge to the Crown: Mr. Gibbon a Benidictine at St. James
covent is my brother & was willing to come

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Over & settle here: but I could not then giue him that encouragement
I haue now very lately discouraged: I haue no end in this, but to serue
his Majestie: & promote the peace & welfare of this dominion: whilst others haue
for their private interest invaded the publick Stock which well imployed
will greatly Conduce to effect it:

there is at present some private design carriing on by that party & by Mr
Mather: who is now shipping [illegible] himselfe for England: either to gett their
accounts shuffled vp & passd by the Governor & Company for Evangelizing Indians
or to pray his Majestie to confirm their proceedings at the Colledge: all is not
well Mr Mather & they haue with others of their party private Caballs: and
are (as wee Conjecture) returning some of their Stock to London, for now at
this tyme, besides two good ships which haue been 4 months plying for a loading
the Pink Ann of Boston ^ ^{70 Tonns} William Wheeler Master is newly sett vp but Loaden
vpon Mr Stoughtons account; & ready to sayle consignd to Major Thomsons order
in London One of the Company of the Evangelizing Indians : & a great Manager
at home, his son in law Mr. Ashhirst being now ^ (^or lately) Treasurer of that Company:
your Honors readines at all tymes to receiue my papers & your indefatigable
zeal to promote the Interest of the Crown obliges me to make your Honor this
long but most faithfull representation of the State of the Indian &
Colledge Stock: & earnestly pray it may be receiued with all privacy as from
myselfe : and that some speedy resolues may be made in order to discouer
and secure the same : before it be other diverted: all which is
humbly submitted to your Honors most serious consideration

29 March 1688
To the Right Honorable
Sr. Nicholas Butler

Ink on paper