William Brewster,
Stephen Hopkins,
Francis Eaton,
Jona. Brewster,
Manas. Kempton,
Thomas Prince,
Anthony Anable,
John Shaw,
William Bassett,
Cudbert Cudbers,
John Adams,
Phineas Pratt,
Stephen Trasie,
Edward Doty,
Joshua Pratt,
Stephen Dean,
Wm. Wright,
Francis Cook,
William Palmer,
Exper. Michell,
Edward Bangs,
Samuel Fuller,
Robert Hicks,
John Howland,
John Billington,
Peter Brown,
John Faunce.
The names of the undertakers, were these following, for the three before mentioned made choice of these other, and though they knew not their minds before (many of them being absent) yet they did presume they would join with them in the thing, as afterward they did.
William Bradford,
Captain Standish,
Isaac Allerton,
Edward Winslow,
William Brewster,
John Howland,
John Allden,
Thomas Prince,
And these of London
James Shirley,
John Beauchamp,
Richard Andrews,
Timothy Hatherly.
This year sundry that pretended themselves to be planters, seeing the gain the fishermen made by trading of pieces, and powder, and shot to the Indians, and how they went on uncontrouled in the same, they began to practice the same: A principal head of whom was one Morton, who had gathered a profane crew unto him, and was himself an example of all wickedness unto them, who kept a house (or school rather of Athesmy) in the Massachusetts bay. He not only had offended in trading off sundry pieces to the Indians, but when he was by his neighbours gently admonished of the same, and shewed the evil consequences that would follow thereupon, he took it in great scorn, and said he would do it in the dispite of all; and for that end sent for many new pieces out of England; besides, as he and his consorts got much hereby, so they spent it as lewdly in maintaining drunkenness, riot and other evils amongst them; yea and inveigling of men’s servants away from them, so as the mischief began to grow intolerable, and if it had been suffered a while longer would have become incurable; his neighbours about him grew afraid of him, and suffered many abuses at his hands, and knew not how to help it; but both they, and other of the weaker plantations, made suit to us, to help and assist them to take some order with him and that desperate company; we told them that we had no authority to do any thing, but seeing it tended to the utter ruin of all the whole country, we would join with them against so public a mischief; so we sent first again to admonish him, from ourselves and the rest, and signified unto him, that besides the hurt and peril he brought upon us all, his actions was flatly against a proclamation of the late King’s Majesty, published to all his subjects, both in England and here, against the trucking of any pieces or other arms, to any of the Savages; his answer (after oaths and other contumelies) was, that proclamations were no law, nor enjoined no penalty; he was answered yes, the breakers incurred his Majesty’s displeasure, which might prove a penalty too heavy for him to bear; he replied, that King was dead, and his displeasure died with him: Thus seeing no other remedy, at the earnest request of the other planters, and plantations in the land, we assisted and led in the apprehension of him (which was with danger enough, for he armed himself for resistance) and so, by the mutual consent of all the rest, he was sent prisoner into England,[8] to the council of New England, with letters and information against him; which letters follow:
To the Right Honourable, his Majesty’s council for New England, these, Right Honourable, and our very good Lords,