Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

The departure of the Governor gives me this opportunity, & the receit of your Fa
vourable letter of April last, the incouragement of addressing those lines to your
Honor, as the beginning of my duty in that station wherein their Maj^ties have been
pleased graciously to comand my service in this their Province during the absence
of a Gov^r , w^ch I hope will not bee long. we have reason to wish S^r
W^m Phips his conduct & management, had been more happy, both for himself
& in their Maj^ties subjects, & so the present interuption & trouble had been
avoyded. His fidelity to their Maj^ties & good intentions in the main, cannot
by any one bee questioned, but it hath been his misfortune to doe too ma
ny things upon his own single opinion, or with adherance to the advise of
others, more than to those of their Maj^ties Councill, often much dissatisfied there
by. his personall prejudices also, & compliances with prejudiced persons, have
run him upon putting too great disrespects upon some worthy men, that
might have been otherwise very serviceable. and herewith must be
added, his manner of exercising the power of a vice admirall, & practising the
judicature of the Admiralty, having neyther Judge nor Register nor Marshal
& indeed without any due process or forme of holding such courts, but of those
things & the consequences & complaints arising, his Maj^ty will bee a most e
quall Judge, whose decision, & disposall of us, we doe most humbly wayt for
eyther in the continuance of the present Gov^r , or the succession of another
as unto his wisdome & goodnesse shall bee most agreeable.

The return of the Information & proofs directed to be
taken upon oath before myself & the Councill, I have made unto the Right Hon^ble Mr
Secretary Trenchard. And as to the present state of the Province & our [praises]
to his Maj^ty: thereupon, they are so farre represented in our most humble
addresse now sent, & will bee so fully layd upon by our Agents, that I need
to ad nothing thereunto, untill new matters arising, shall bee needfull by
[after] opportunities. I wish our dangers from the common enemy were fewer
as also the difficulties in the management of the goverment that are
growing from among our Selves, it being hard many tymes, & uneasy to the
representatives, after they have annually (according ot the priviledge w^ch
above other plantations is granted to them) put forth their power in choosing
their Maj^ties Councill, then to allow them the full exercise of that
power w^ch of right belongs to them in assistance of their ^Majties Governor: there
is also another thing which may bee a great disadvantage to my self &
the councill at this tyme, w^ch is that the Gov^r hath made an Adjourn
ment of the Assembly that was lately sitting, unto a day four months
hence, so that whatever occasion, by commands receaved from his Maj^tie
or otherwise may happen in such a season of continuall dangers to this
& the neighboring Provinces we can not call a new Assembly or
have the holy of that w^ch is [in being], untill the day of the adjournment
come. this we represented to the Gov^r , & much intreated that he
would rather dissolve the Assembly, but being under some displicancy
he would not be persuaded. There is one thing more only, that
presuming upon your particular kindesse & respect to Colonel Dudley I
make bold to ad, that in case his Maj^ty should not continue S^r W^m Phips it is the hope of considerable persons, & not a few
that upon consideration of his singular abilities to serve their Maj^ties
through the assurance of your self & other his friends, he may be
the person by his Maj^ty [pitcht] upon to succeed

I have nothing to begge for my self but that my faithfull indeavours
in their Maj^ties service may bee graciously accepted & that I may in
joy your Honors favour & friendship in order thereunto, & (if the tyme
should happen to be lengthened out by the delayes of our settlement) your most kind
& needful directions to me from tyme to tyme, & so I
pray allmighty god to blesse their Majesties, & long to continue your self with successe & growing honor in their service, w^ch shall ever be the sincere desire

Nov: 14th 1694

14 Nov 1694

From W^m Stoughton
L Gov of New England

To the Hono^ble
William Blathwayt Esq^r
At the Plantation Office
Whitehall