MS46.02: William Blathwayt Papers
Usher Letter to Blathwayt dated July 15, 1694

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New Castle 15 July 1694


Honrd Sr

The 17th Instant I returnd to province Hampshire wch
upon my return had accott of ye peoples refuseing
to obey ye presidents warrantt by virtue of
an ordr of Councill, ytt men should be impressed to repaire there
Majtys fourtt. I am issueing outt warrants for you
to answer for ye[illegible] contemptt.

Jno Pickerin whoe headed ye Mob in ye revolution time
& copied all ye Records in ye province I sent my
warrants to him to deliver ye records to ye Secretary
he [did] some & Embezled others I haveing [mostt] wch a copy
of a will writt by him vizt ye above is a true copy of ye
originall will on File in ye Records of portsmoth Dover
July 23 1692 Jno Pickerin recorder

haveing by warrantt sent for him to apear before me
I produced ye will & did show itt him & demanded if ye
will was his writeing; & ytt he had signed itt as record &
ytt itt was a true copy, he owned he did write itt &c
I then issued outt a mittimus vizt province N: Hampshire
Jno Usher Esqr Lt Governr & comandr in cheife

To Richd Jose Sheriff keper of there Majtys Goale at Portsmoth
in province N: Hampshire for as much itt hath ben duely
proved before me ytt Capt Jno pickerin of portsmoth late
recorder of ye sd province hath & doth outlandishly & illegally
Imbezell conceal severll records wch were in his possession belong
ing to ye sd province aforesd those are therefore in yor Majtys
Name to will & require you to receive him into ye sd Goale
& him there safely kepe untill ye next Superior Courtt
of Judicature to be held att portsmoth for ye sd province
on ye first Tuesday in 8ber nextt there to be dealt wth according
to ye meritt of his offence &c: soe ytt he is now ye Kings
prissionr ; Nota he was Speaker of ye Assembly, & did
draw up the answer to my Speach 14 Luk 28:29:30:

I have one thing to beg att yor hand, ytt ye suspending
of Mr Hincks & my pceeding wth ye Treasurer may be allowed
of in England & ytt of may spedily have signifacation
of ye same if ye Treasurer be nott compelled to make up
his accott in England farewell to yor Auditors place, for
News att Boston send you ye enclosed: A new ship (when ye
Kings flag was hoisted att (ye fourtt) did hoiste ye Union
flag wth outt any Comission, soe I ordered itt to be taken
down. every person doeing wtt they can to trample on
ye Governmtt ye ship waiting for those lines cant enlarge.
hoping badness of paper & [writeing] will be Excused to

Jno Usher

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N Hampsher
16 July 1694
From M Usher
Recd 7 Sept 94

Comittmt of [Trechury]
for embezlling records
Prays his proceedings as
[illegible] may be allowed

for their Majtys Service
To the Rightt Honble
William Blathwayt
Esqr
Secretary of there Majtys
plantations att his office
att Whitehall
[illegible]