CHAPTER XXVI
Captain Thomas Cromwell settles in Massachusetts—His death—Edward Winslow’s long stay in England: 1646.
About the middle of May this year, three men of war entered the harbour. The Captain’s name was Thomas Cromwell, and he had captured several prizes from the Spaniards in the West Indies. He had a commission from the Earl of Warwick. Aboard his vessel were about 80 strong young fellows, but very unruly, who, when they came ashore, so distempered themselves with drink that they became like madmen; and though some of them were punished and imprisoned, they could hardly be restrained; but in the end they became more moderate and orderly. They remained here about a month or six weeks, then going on to Massachusetts; in the meantime scattering a great deal of money among the people,—and even more sin than money, I fear, notwithstanding all the care taken to prevent it.
While they were here a sad accident occurred. One desperate fellow amongst them started wrangling with some of his comrades. Captain Cromwell commanded him to be quiet and cease his quarreling; but he would not, and reviled him with bad language, and in the end half drew his rapier intending to run at him; but the captain closed with him and snatched the rapier from him and gave him a box on the ear; even then he would not give over, but continued to assault him. Whereupon the Captain gave him a blow with the hilt of the rapier, just as it was in the scabbard. It chanced to hit his head, and the small end of the bar of the rapier-hilt piercing his skull, he died a few days after. But the captain was exonerated by court martial, for it appeared that the fellow was so quarrelsome that he had several times been chained under hatches to prevent him from hurting his comrades, to which they testified.
This Captain Cromwell made another voyage to the West Indies from the Bay of Massachusetts, well manned and provisioned. He was out three years and took many prizes, and returned rich to Massachusetts. The same summer he had a fall from his horse; he fell on his rapier hilt, and bruised himself so badly that he died shortly after. It was remarked by some that this might show the hand of God, and that as one of his men had died of the blow he gave him with the rapier hilt, so his own death was caused by similar means.
This year Mr. Edward Winslow went to England. Some discontented persons in Massachusetts had endeavoured to disturb the peace, and to undermine if not upset their government, by uttering many slanders about them, and even intended to prosecute them in England by petitioning and complaining to Parliament. Samuel Gorton and his people also made complaints against them. So they chose Mr. Winslow, as their agent, to defend them, and gave him commission and instructions to that end. He managed things so well for them that he cleared them of all blame and dishonour, and disgraced their opponents. But owing to the great upheavals in the government there, he was detained longer than was expected, and later he met with other employments there, so that he has now been absent for four years, which has been much to the loss of this government.
The names of those who came over first in the Mayflower, in the year 1620 and were by the blessing of God the first beginners and founders of the Settlements and Colonies of New England, with their families: written down A. D. 1650.
JOHN CARVER; Katherine, his wife; DESIRE MINTER; two men-servants, JOHN HOWLAND and ROGER WILDER; a boy, WILLIAM LATHAM; a maid-servant; a child who was put under his charge, called JASPER MORE.
Mr. and Mrs. Carver, Wilder, and Jasper More all died here during the first general sickness. Desire Minter returned to England; Latham stayed twenty years and then returned; the maid-servant married here, and died a year or two after. Howland married Elizabeth Tillie. Both are living. They had ten children.
WILLIAM BREWSTER; Mary, his wife; two sons, Love and Wrestling; a boy in his charge called Richard More, and another of his brothers.
The rest of his children were left behind, and came over afterwards. Mr. Brewster lived here 23 or 24 years, being about 80 when he died. His wife died some time before. Wrestling died unmarried. Love had four children, and died in 1650. The eldest son, who came after, had nine children, and is still living; and the daughters, who came with him, married, and are dead. The brother of Richard More died the first winter. Richard married and has four or five children.
EDWARD WINSLOW; Elizabeth, his wife; two men-servants, GEORGE SOWLE and ELIAS STORY; a little girl in his charge, ELLEN, sister of Richard More.
Mr. Winslow’s wife died the first winter. He married later the widow of Mr. White, and has two children living. Story and Ellen More died soon after the ship’s arrival. George Sowle is living and has eight children.
WILLIAM BRADFORD; Dorothy, his wife.
Their only child, a son, was left behind, and came over after. Mrs. Bradford died soon after their arrival. Mr. Bradford married again, and had four children.
ISAAC ALLERTON; Mary, his wife; three children, Bartholomew, Remember, and Mary; a servant boy, JOHN HOOK.
Mrs. Allerton, and the boy, Hook, died in the first general sickness. Bartholomew married in England. His daughter, Remember, married at Salem and has three or four children living. Mary married here and has four children. Mr. Allerton married, secondly, a daughter of William Brewster, and had one son; he married a third time, and left this place long ago.
SAMUEL FULLER; a servant, WILLIAM BUTTON.
His wife and a child were left behind, and came over afterwards. Two more children were born here, and are living. Button died at sea. Mr. Fuller died 15 years ago.
JOHN CRACKSTON, his son, John.
John Crackston died in the first sickness. His son died 5 or 6 years after; he lost himself in the woods in winter, and his feet were frozen, which brought on fever.
MYLES STANDISH; Rose his wife.
Mrs. Standish died in the first sickness. Captain Standish married again, and has four sons living.
CHRISTOPHER MARTIN; his wife, two servants, SOLOMON PROWER and JOHN LANGMORE.
All these died in the first sickness, soon after their arrival.
WILLIAM MULLINS; his wife; two children, Joseph and Priscilla; a servant, ROBERT CARTER.
All but Priscilla died in the first sickness. She married John Alden; both are living. They have eleven children.
WILLIAM WHITE; Susanna, his wife; one son, Resolved; and one born aboard ship called Peregrine; two servants, WILLIAM HOLBECK and EDWARD THOMSON.
Mr. White and his two servants died soon after their landing. His widow married Mr. Winslow. His two sons are living.
STEPHEN HOPKINS; Elizabeth, his wife; two children by a former wife, Giles and Constanta; and two by this wife, Damaris and Oceanus—the latter born on the voyage; two servants, EDWARD DOTY and EDWARD LISTER.
Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins lived here over twenty years, and had one son and four daughters born here. Doty is living, and has seven children by a second wife. Lister went to Virginia and died there.
RICHARD WARREN.
His wife and four daughters were left behind and came afterwards, and two more were born here. Mr. Warren lived some four or five years here.
JOHN BILLINGTON; Ellen, his wife; two sons, John and Francis. Billington was executed after he had been here ten years. His eldest son died before him; his second is married.
EDWARD TILLIE; Anne, his wife; two children (their cousins), HENRY SAMSON and HUMILITY COOPER.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tillie died soon after their arrival. Humility Cooper returned to England and died there. Henry Samson is living and has seven children.
JOHN TILLIE; his wife; their daughter, Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. John Tillie died soon after their arrival. Elizabeth married John Howland (see above).
FRANCIS COOK; his son, John.
Mrs. Cook and other children came over afterwards. Three more children were born here. His son, John, is married. Mr. Cook is a very old man, and has seen his children’s children have children.
THOMAS ROGERS; Joseph, his son.
Mr. Rogers died in the first sickness. His son, Joseph, is living and has six children. The rest of his children came over afterwards, and are married, and have many children.
THOMAS TINKER; his wife; their son.
All died in the first sickness.
JOHN RIGDALE; Alice, his wife.
Both died in the first sickness.
JAMES CHILTON; his wife; their daughter, Mary.
Another daughter, who was married, came after. Mr. and Mrs. Chilton died in the first sickness. Mary Chilton married, and has nine children.
EDWARD FULLER; his wife; their son, Samuel.
Mr. and Mrs. Fuller died soon after they came ashore. Samuel Fuller is living, and has four children, or more.
JOHN TURNER; two sons.
All died in the first sickness. His daughter came some years after to Salem, and is married.
FRANCIS EATON; Sarah, his wife; their baby, Samuel.
Mrs. Eaton died in the general sickness. Mr. Eaton married a second and third time, having three children by his third wife. Samuel is married and has a child.
MOSES FLETCHER; JOHN GOODMAN; THOMAS WILLIAMS; DIGERIE PRIEST; EDMUND MARGESON; RICHARD BRITTERIDGE; RICHARD CLARK; RICHARD GARDNER; PETER BROWN; GILBERT WINSLOW.
The first seven died in the general sickness. Digerie Priest’s wife and children came afterwards, she being Mrs. Allerton’s sister. Gardner became a sailor, and died in England, or at sea. Peter Brown married twice, leaving four children; he died about sixteen years since. Gilbert Winslow, after several years here returned to England and died there.
JOHN ALDEN.
Mr. Alden was hired at Southampton as a cooper. Being a likely young man, he was desirable as a settler; but it was left to his own choice to stay here or return to England; he stayed, and married Priscilla Mullins ([see above]).
JOHN ALLERTON; THOMAS ENGLISH; WILLIAM TREVOR; and one, ELY. The first two were hired as sailors, the one to stay here with the shallop, the other to go back and help over those left behind; but both died here before the Mayflower returned. The last two were hired to stay here a year; both returned when their time was out.
Of these 100 or so of persons who came over first, more than half died in the first general sickness. Of those that remained, some were too old to have children. Nevertheless in those thirty years there have sprung up from that stock over 160 persons now living in this year 1650; and of the old stock itself nearly thirty persons still survive. Let the Lord have the praise, Who is the High Preserver of men.