CHAPTER XVII

Consignments of Fur to England—The plague in London—Disorganization of the accounts—Dispute between the London partners—The Pequot Indians get unruly—Oldham killed—John Rayner minister: 1636.

Mr. Edward Winslow was elected Governor this year.

The previous year, seeing from Mr. Winslow’s later letters that no accounts would be sent, they had resolved to keep the beaver and send no more till they had them, or some further agreement had been come to. At least they decided to wait till Mr. Winslow came back, and they could arrive at what was best. When he came, though he brought no accounts, he persuaded them to send the beaver, and was confident that upon receipt of it and his letters they would have the accounts next year; and though they thought his ground for hope was weak, they yielded to his importunity, and sent it by a ship at the latter end of the year, which took 1150 lbs. of beaver and 200 otter skins, besides many small furs, such as 55 mink, two black fox skins, etc.

This year, in the Spring, came a Dutchman, who had intended to trade at the Dutch fort, but they would not permit him. So, having a large stock of trading goods, he came here and offered them for sale. They bought a good quantity that were very suitable, such as Dutch roll, kettles, etc., amounting to the value of £500, for payment of which they gave bills on Mr. Sherley in England, having already sent the parcel of beaver mentioned above. By another ship this year they again sent a further considerable quantity, which would reach him and be sold before any of these bills came due. The quantity of beaver then sent was 1809 lbs., and 10 otter skins; and shortly after, the same year, then sent by another ship, of which one Langrume was captain, 719 lbs. of beaver, and 199 otter skins, concerning which Mr. Sherley writes as follows.

James Sherley in London to the New Plymouth Colony:

I have received your letters with eight hogshead of beaver, by Edward Wilkinson, captain of the Falcon. Blessed be God for its safe arrival. I have also seen and accepted three bills of exchange.... But I must acquaint you that the Lord’s hand is heavy upon this kingdom in many parts, but chiefly in this city, with His judgment of the plague. Last week’s bill was 1200 deaths, and I fear this will be more, and it is much feared that it will be a winter sickness. It is incredible the number of people who have gone into the country in consequence—many more than went out during the last plague. So there is no trading here; carriers from most places are forbidden to enter; and money, though long due, cannot be obtained. Mr. Hall owes us more than would pay these bills, but he, his wife, and all, are in the country, 60 miles from London. I wrote to him, he came up, but could not pay us. I am sure that if I were to offer to sell the beaver at eight shillings per lb. I could not get the money. But when the Lord shall please to cease His hand, I hope we shall have better and quicker markets; so it shall lie by in the meantime. Before I accepted the bills, I acquainted Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Andrews about them, that no money could be got, and that it would be a great discredit to you to refuse the bills,—none having ever been dishonoured,—and a shame to us, with 1800 lbs. of beaver lying by, and more already owing than the bills came to, etc. But it was useless; neither of them would lift a finger to help. I offered to put up my third part, but they said they neither could nor would, etc. However, your bills shall be met; but I did not think they would have deserted either you or me at this time.... You will expect me to write more fully and answer your letters, but I am not a day each week at home in town. I take my books and all to Clapham; for here it is the most miserable time that I think has been known in many ages. I have known three great plagues, but none like this. And that which should be a means to pacify the Lord, and help us, is denied us, for preaching is put down in many places,—not a sermon in Westminster on the Sabbath, nor in many towns about us; the Lord in mercy look upon us. Early in the year there was a great drought, and no rain for many weeks, so that everything was burnt up,—hay at £5 a load; and now there is nothing but rain, so that much summer corn and late hay is spoilt. Thus the Lord sends judgment after judgment, and yet we cannot see, or humble ourselves, and therefore may justly fear heavier judgments, unless we speedily repent and turn unto Him, which the Lord give us grace to do if it be His blessed will. Thus desiring you to remember us in your prayers, I ever rest

Your loving friend,
JAMES SHERLEY.

Sept. 14th, 1636.

This was all the answer they had from Mr. Sherley, which made Mr. Winslow’s hopes fail him. So they decided to send no more beaver till they came to some settlement. But now there came letters from Mr. Andrews and Mr. Beauchamp, full of complaints, surprised that nothing had been sent over to meet the amounts due them, and that it appeared by the account sent in 1631 that they were each of them out about £1100 apiece, and all this time they had not received one penny towards it; and now Mr. Sherley was trying to get more money from them, and was offended because they refused him. They blamed them here very much that all was sent to Mr. Sherley and nothing to them. The partners here wondered at this, for they supposed that much of their money had been paid in, and that each of them had received a proportionate quantity yearly, out of the large returns sent home. They had sent home since the account was received in 1631,—which included all and more than all their debts, with that year’s supplies,—goods to the following amount:

Nov. 18th, 1631.By Mr. Pierce400lbs. of beaver;otter20skins
July 13th, 1632. “ “ Griffin1348“““147“
1633. “ “ Graves3366“““346“
1634. “ “ Andrews3738“““234“
1635. “ “ Babb1150“““200“
June 24th, 1636. “ “ Wilkinson1809“““10“
1636. “ “ Langrume719“““199“
12530“““1156“

All these quantities were safely received and well sold, as appeared by letters. The coat beaver usually sold at twenty shillings per lb., and sometimes at twenty-four shillings; otter skins at fifteen shillings, and sometimes sixteen shillings each,—I do not remember any under fourteen shillings. It may be that the last year’s shipment fetched less; but there were some small furs not reckoned in this account, and some black beaver at high rates, to make up any such deficit. It was calculated that the above parcels of beaver came to little less than £10,000 sterling, and the otter skins would pay all the expenses, and, with other furs, make up besides whatever might be short of the former sum. When the former account was passed, all their debts, those of the White Angel and Friendship included, came to but £4770. They estimated that all the supplies sent them since, and bills paid for them, could not exceed £2000; so that their debts should have been paid with interest.

It may be objected; how came it that they did not know the exact amount of their receipts, as they did of their returns, but had to estimate them? Two things were the cause of it; the first and principal was, that the new accountant, who was pressed upon them from England, wholly failed them, and could never render them any accounts. He trusted to his memory and loose papers, and let things run into such confusion, that neither he nor anyone else could bring things to rights. Whenever he was called upon to perfect his accounts, he desired to have so long, or such a time of leisure, and he would finish them. In the interim he fell very ill, and in conclusion he could make no account at all. His books, after a brief good beginning, were left altogether imperfect, and of his papers, some were lost and others so confused that he knew not what to make of them himself when they came to be examined. This was not unknown to Mr. Sherley; and the colony came to smart for it to some purpose, both in England and here, though it was not their fault. They reckon they have lost in consequence some hundred of pounds for goods sold on credit, which were ultimately a dead loss for want of clear accounts to call for payment. Another reason of the mischief was, that after Mr. Winslow was sent into England to demand accounts and to take exception to the White Angel, no prices were sent with their goods, and no proper invoice of them; everything was confused, and they were obliged to guess at the prices.

They wrote back to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Beauchamp, and told them they wondered they could say that they had sent nothing home since the last accounts; they had sent a great deal, and it might rather be wondered how they could send so much, beside all the expenses here and what the French had captured, and what had been lost at sea when Mr. Pierce’s ship was wrecked off the coast of Virginia. What they had sent was sent to them all, to them as well as Mr. Sherley, and if they had not looked after it, it was their own faults; they must refer them to Mr. Sherley who had received it from whom they should demand it. They also wrote to Mr. Sherley to the same purpose, and what the others’ complaints were.

This year, two shallops going to Connecticut with goods from Massachusetts, belonging to those who had gone there to settle, were wrecked in an easterly storm, coming into the harbour at night. The boatmen were drowned, and the goods were driven all along the shore, and strewn up and down at high-water mark. But the Governor had them collected and an inventory made of them, and they were washed and dried. So most of the goods were saved and restored to the owners. Afterwards another boat from the same place, and bound for the same destination, was wrecked at Manoanscusett, and the goods that came ashore were preserved for them. Such misfortunes the Connecticut settlers from Massachusetts met with in their beginnings, and some thought them a correction from God for their intrusion there, to the injury of others. But I dare not be so bold with God’s judgments as to say that it was so.

In the year 1634, the Pequots, a warlike tribe that had conquered many of its neighbours and was puffed up with numerous victories, were at variance with the Narragansetts, a great neighboring tribe. These Narragansetts held correspondence and were on terms of friendship with the English of Massachusetts. The Pequots, being conscious of the guilt of the death of Captain Stone, whom they knew to be an Englishman, and of those who were with him, and having fallen out with the Dutch, lest they should have too many enemies at once, wished to make friends with the English of Massachusetts, and sent messengers and gifts to them, as is shown by some letters from the Governor there, as follows.

Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts to the New Plymouth Colony:

Dear and worthy Sir,

To let you know something about our affairs. The Pequots have sent to us desiring our friendship, and offering much wampum and beaver, etc. The first messengers were dismissed without answer; with the next we had several days’ conference, and taking the advice of some of our ministers, and seeking the Lord in it, we concluded a peace and friendship with them, on these conditions: that they should deliver to us the men who were guilty of Stone’s death.... If we desired to settle in Connecticut they should give up their right to us, and we should trade with them as friends,—the chief thing aimed at. To this they readily agreed; and begged that we should mediate a peace between them and the Narragansetts, for which purpose they were willing that we should give the Narragansetts part of the present they would bestow on us,—for they stood so much on their honour that they would not be seen to give anything of themselves. As for Captain Stone, they told us there were but two left who had a hand in his death and that they killed him in a just quarrel, for he surprised two of their men, and bound them, and forced them to show him the way up the river. He went ashore with two others, nine Indians secretly watching him; and when they were asleep that night they killed him and the others, to free their own men; and some of them going afterwards to the pinnace, it was suddenly blown up. We are now preparing to send a pinnace to them.

In another of his he writes thus:

Our pinnace has lately returned from the Pequots; they did little trade, and found them a very false tribe, so they mean to have no more to do with them. I have many other things to write you.

Yours ever assured.
JOHN WINTHROP.

Boston, 12th of the first month, 1634.

After these occurrences, and as I take it, this year, John Oldham, so often mentioned before, now an inhabitant of Massachusetts, went trading with a small vessel, weakly manned, into the south parts, and upon a quarrel between him and the Indians was killed by them, as was before noted, at an Island called by the Indians, Munisses, but since by the English, Block Island. This, with the death of Stone, and the trifling of the Pequots with the English of Massachusetts, incited the latter to send out a party to take revenge and require satisfaction for these wrongs; but it was done so superficially, and without acquainting those of Connecticut and their other neighbours with the project, that little good came of it. Indeed, to their neighbours it did more harm than good, for some of the murderers of Oldham fled to the Pequots, and though the English went to the Pequots and had some parley with them, they only deluded them, and the English returned without doing anything effective. After the English had returned, the Pequots watched their opportunity to kill some of the English as they passed in boats, or went out fowling; and next spring even attacked them in their homes, as will appear. I only touch upon these things, because I have no doubt they will be more fully covered by those who have more exact knowledge of them, and whom they more properly concern.

This year Mr. Smith resigned his ministry, partly by his own wish, thinking it too heavy a burden, and partly at the persuasion of others. So the church looked out for some one else, having often been disappointed in their hopes before. But it pleased the Lord to send them an able and godly man, Mr. John Rayner, meek and humble in spirit, sound in the truth, and every way unreprovable in his life and conversation. After some time of trial they chose him as their minister, the fruits of whose labours they enjoyed many years with much comfort, in peace and good agreement.