MS46.02: William Blathwayt Papers
John Usher Letter dated December 18, 1697 with Enclosure dated December 12, 1697

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Boston 18th Decebr 1697


Rightt Honbl

Hope yor honor hath recd mine wherein gave Accott of
receiptt of yor 30th Janu 1696/7 wth the bill of Exo for one
hundered & Ten pounds which was accepted & paid

have now onely to acquaintt you thatt receiving ordrs from
White Hall in Obedience thereto did forthwith goe to his Majtys
province New Hampshire & putt them in Execution as you
more att large may Se by the Accott of my proceedings Sentt
to theire Lordships.

humbly offer to yor consideration my thoughts as to late disordrs
partridge could nott enter Legally on the Govermtt withoutt
takeing the Oath as the Actt directs soe as to be quallifyed, wch
if not he mustt pay one thousand pounds

Againe judge itt a high misdemeanor thatt when there Lordships
Letter was published Att Hampton & New Castle thatt in the
Intervall till Mr partridge doth quallify himselfe or &c All
persons should yeild obedience to me persuantt to my Commisio
thatt sd partridge should disobey sd ordr & enter upon & seize
the Govermtt before he quallifyed himselfe

Again for sd partridge knowing & wilfully in Combination wth
severll others to have Bonds given him by Hincks Vaughn
Walderen Elliott & Coffin to pay the One Thousand pounds penal
ty & boldly break the Actt judge same a high crime of Contempt

Again had partridge ben qualifyed for him to take Hincks
Vaughn & Walderen whoe were suspended persons to be of
his Councill without being restored by the King under the
Signett or Sign Manuall judge the Same to be a greatt crime
& breach of my Comission & an enchroachemtt on ye Kings
prerogative

Nota judge the reason why partridge would nott Seek to quallify
himselfe & aboutt one year would nott enter on ye Govermtt be
cause sd partridge had vessells this lastt sumr one from Bilboa
wth gran &c: & another from N Foundland wch prohibited Comoditys
& a reason why he soe Sudenly entered on ye Govermtt because the
vessells & goods were in the province & feared they would be
ceized, the wch I should certainly have endeavored I mustt
crave leave to refer yor honor to the enclosed hopeing may
spedily receive further ordrs from White Hall till wch remain

Yor Honors humble Servtt

John Usher

verte
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Accott of the prize whatt in vallew vizt
Wm Partridge£4000
Robertt Elliott£5000
Peter Coffin£4000
Rich Walderen£3000
Wm Vaughn£2000
Jno Hincks£1500
Jno Green£ 500
Rich Jose£ 500
John pickerin£ 500
£20000

Charges agtt partridge vizt

contrary to ordrs from White Hall dated 3d Augt entered on the Govermtt
vi ett armis ceized the Kings fourtts Admitts of thre persons to be
of his Councill wch were Suspended & nott
restored by the King. nott being quallifyed to enter on the Govermtt getts bonds from Hincks
Vaughn Walderen Elliott & Coffin to pay the one Thousand pounds
penalty for breach of the Actt parlimtt : the Mony partridge doth
exspectt mustt pay; judge the contemptt putt upon the ordrs from
White Hall, a greatt crime for wch in particular he ought to Answer

Eilliott
Nott onely joined wth Hincks Vaughn &c in there rebellion butt a pro
moton of the same & when my warrantt was read for his apearance
in Councill did take ye same & tare itt, saying whatt do you talk
of White Hall we fear nott to se itt in a derideing maner.

Coffin
joined wth Hincks att ye firstt rebellion on the 13th Decebr 1697 was in
obedience to warrantt att Hampton & New Castle att publishing
the ordrs from White Hall satt in Councill thatt day & att Night
wth Hincks (before partridge entered on the Govermtt ) sign a
warrantt for the Malicia of New Castle to be in Armes judge to
ceize my person

Walderen
the greatt Stickler agtt the Kings prerogative, a Man of parts carys
all before him, the projecter & Scrivenr for all there Actions & pro
cedings very furious agtt all Loyall persons, the Mouth at all times
of the Councill, When Captt Walton Apeared before Mr partridge & his
Councill to answer for takeing possession of the Kings fourtt, Walderen
did tell him they were Sencible he was fitt for the place of being
Captt of the Kings fourtt, butt they did nott judge him fitt for any
other; thatt is to be one of the Councill or justice of peace; Walton did
tell him he did take possession of the Fourtt by virtue of a Comission
from John Usher Esqr Lt Governor whome he owned to be the pre
sentt Lt Gover nor Legally & ytt Mr Hincks &c ceizing of the Gover
mtt was att White Hall judged rebellion & he judged Mr partridges
Actt to be noe less Walderen did tell him whether there Actt was
rightt or wrong was nothing to him & if a miss they mustt
answer for itt; & seing they had begun they would goe on.

Vaughn
As Treasurer Taxed the Kings Subjects recd the Mony to the vallew
of Twelve hundered pounds wth outt Legall Authority & the people p3 complaine the Mony is divided betwene Hincks &c

Hincks vi ett armis ceized the Govermtt raised the Malicia to ceize
my person, called an Assembly raised Mony; on the 13th Decbr 1697
haveing read the ordrs from White Hall Dated 3d Augtt as to my
continueing in the Govermtt (referrance to sd ordrs being had) att
New Castle; I satt in Councill in the evening; in the Nightt Hincks
issued outt his ordrs for the Councill to mete & a warrantt signd
by him selfe & Mr Coffin for the Malicia to be in Armes judged to
ceize my person for obeying & putting in Execution the ordrs
from White Hall directed to myselfe, I by virtue of the ordrs
demanded the Comission Instructions & Seale of the province
butt he refused the Same to deliver

Green
have onely to say he joined wth the firstt &
lastt rebellion & still goes on wth them

Weare
refuses to actt in Councill untill further orders

Jose & Pickerin
persons wth outt warrantt from Authority ceized Mens persons
& Estates embezelling the Same the one Sheriff the other
Captt of the Mob whoe headed & carryed on the rebellion

I am enformed a vessell privately dispatched by partridge &c
for England wth a pacquett for the govermtt to be continued as itt
is if nott to gett the one Thousand pounds remitted & a
pardon for there mistakes upon misinformations Shall
onely say they have Acted wth a speritt of disloyalty to the
Kings Comission judgeing they may doe whatt they pleas & nott
be called to accountt if whatt they have done be rightt itts
well, if nott itt deserve the Severestt check as the crime
demeritts Am enformed one Knights is gon wth charges of
severll falcehoods agtt me, if he
apears Should be glad he may be ordered to attend att White Hall untell the charge
be sentt me & my Answer returned wch will be punish
mentt enough for him

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Boston N Engld
12 Dec: 97
From M Usher
Recd 25 May [98]

M Usher had recd the
bill for £110 :[illegible] is pd

Upon rect of orders relating
to Exe N Hampshire he put
them i execution

His thoughts upon Partridge
disobeying sd orders
Value of the [illegible]
Articles agtt Partridge
& his Councill