TITLE: The Beginnings of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony
AUTHOR: Governor Thomas Dudley
DATE: 1627-1631
SOURCE: Great Epochs in American History.
Touching the plantacon which wee here haue begun, it fell out thus about
the yeare 1627 some friends beeing togeather in Lincolnesheire, fell into
some discourse about New England and the plantinge of the gospell there;
and after some deliberation, we imparted our reasons by l'res [letters] &
messages to some in London & the west country where it was likewise
deliberately thought vppon [upon], and at length with often negociation
soe ripened that in the year 1628. wee procured a patent from his Ma'tie
for our planting between the Matachusetts Bay, and Charles river on the
South; and the River of Merimack on the North and 3 miles on ether side
of those Rivers & Bay, as allso for the government of those who did or
should inhabit within that compass and the same year we sent Mr. John
Endecott & some with him to beginne a plantacon & to strengthen such as
he should bind there which wee sent thether from Dorchester & some places
adioyning [adjoining]; from whom the same year receivinge hopefull news.
The next year 1629 wee sent diverse shipps over w'th about 300 people,
and some Cowes, Goates & Horses many of which arrived safely. Theis
[these] by their too large comendacons [commendations] of the country,
and the comodities thereof, invited us soe strongly to goe on that Mr.
Wenthropp of Soffolke (who was well knowne in his own country & well
approved heere for his pyety, liberality, wisedome & gravity) comeinge in
to us, wee came to such resolution that in April 1630, wee sett saile
from Old England with 4 good shipps. And in May following 8 more
followed, 2 having gone before in February and March, and 2 more
following in June and August, besides another set out by a private
merchant. Theis 17 Shipps arrived all safe in New England, for the
increase of the plantacon here theis yeare 1630. . . .
Our 4 shipps which sett out in Aprill arrived here in June and July,
where wee found the colony in a sadd and unexpected condicon aboue 80 of
them being dead the winter before and many of those aliue weake and
sicke: all the corne & bread amongst them all hardly sufficient to feed
them a forthnight, insoemuch that the remainder of 180 servants wee had
the 2 years before sent over, comeinge to vs for victualls to sustaine
them wee found ourselves wholly unable to feed them by reason that the
p'visions [provisions] shipped for them were taken out of the shipp they
were put in, and they who were trusted to shipp them in another failed
us, and left them behind; whereupon necessity enforced us to our extreme
loss togiue them all libertie; who had cost us about: 16 or 20ūs
[sterling] a person furnishing and sending over.
But bearing theis things as wee might, wee beganne to consult of the
place of our sitting downe: ffor Salem where wee landed, pleased us not.
And to that purpose some were sent to the Bay to search vpp the rivers
for a convenient place; who vppon their returne reported to haue found a
good place vppon Mistick; but some other of us seconding theis to
approoue [approve] or dislike of their judgment; we found a place [that]
liked vs better 3 leagues vp Charles river-- And there vppon vnshipped
our goods into other vessels and with much cost and labour brought them
in July to Charles Towne; but there receiveing advertisements by some of
the late arived shipps from London and Amsterdam of some Ffrench
preparations against vs (many of our people brought with vs beeing sick
of ffeavers [fevers] & the scurvy and wee thereby vnable to car[r]y vp
our ordinance and baggage soe farr) wee were forced to change counsaile
and for our present shelter to plant dispersedly, some at Charles Towne
which standeth on the North Side of the mouth of Charles River; some on
the South Side thereof, which place we named Boston (as wee intended to
haue done the place wee first resolved on) some of vs vppon Mistick,
which wee named Meadford; some of vs westward on Charles river, 4 miles
from Charles Towne, which place wee named Watertoune; others of vs 2
miles from Boston in a place wee named Rocksbury, others vppon the river
of Sawgus betweene Salem and Charles Toune. And the westerne men 4 miles
South from Boston at a place wee named Dorchester.
This dispersion troubled some of vs, but helpe it wee could not, wanting
abillity to remove to any place fit to build Toune vppon, and the time
too short to deliberate any longer least [lest] the winter should
surprize vs before wee had builded our houses. . . . of the people who
came over with vs from the time of their setting saile from England in
Aprill 1630. vntill December followinge there dyed by estimacon about 200
at the least--Soe lowe hath the Lord brought vs! Well, yet they who
survived were not discouraged but bearing God's corrections with
humilitye and trusting in his mercies, and considering how after a
greater ebb hee had raised vpp our neighbours at Plymouth we beganne
againe in December to consult a fitt place to build a Toune [town] vppon,
leavinge all thoughts of a fort, because vppon any invasion wee were
necessarily to loose our howses when we should retire thereinto; soe
after diverse meetings at Boston, Rocksbury and Waterton on the 28th of
December wee grew to this resolution to bind all the Assistants Mr.
Endicott & Mr. Sharpe excepted, which last purposeth to returne by the
next ships into England) to build howses at a place, a mile east from
Waterton neere Charles river, the next Springe, and to winter there the
next yeare, that soe by our examples and by removeinge the ordinance and
munition thether, all who were able, might be drawne thether, and such as
shall come to vs hereafter to their advantage bee compelled soe to doe;
and so if God would, a fortifyed Toune might there grow vpp, the place
fitting reasonably well thereto. . . .
But now haueing some leasure to discourse of the motiues for other mens
comeinge to this place or their abstaining from it, after my brief manner
I say this--That if any come hether [hither] to plant for worldly ends
that canne live well at home hee co[m]mits an errour of which hee will
soon repent him. But if for spirittuall [ends] and that noe particular
obstacle hinder his removeall, he may finde here what may well content
him: vizt: materialls to build, fewell [fuel] to burn, ground to plant,
seas and rivers to ffish in, a pure ayer [air] to breath[e] in, good
water to drinke till wine or beare canne be made, which togeather with
the cowes, hoggs and goates brought hether allready may suffice for food,
for as for foule [fowl] and venison, they are dainties here a well as in
England. Ffor cloaths and beddinge they must bring them with them till
time and industry produce them here. In a word, wee yett enioy [enjoy]
little to bee envyed but endure much to be pittyed in the sicknes &
mortalitye of our people.
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