Journal of the Settlements of Massachusets and Other Colonies, Title page – Preface
A JOURNAL Of the TRANSACTIONS and OCCURRENCES in the settlement o… Massachusetts and the other New-England Colonies, from the year 1630 to 1644.
WRITTEN BY JOHN WINTHROP, Esq. First Governor of Massachusetts: And now first published from a correct copy of the original Manuscript.
Utcumque erit, juvabit tamen, rerum gestarum memoriae, ipsum consuluisse.
Tit. Liv. Pref.
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HARTFORD: PRINTED BY ELISHA BABCOCK. M, DCC, XC.
TO THE POSTERITY OF IOHN WINTHROP, Esq.
The founder of the Massachusetts Colony, and for many years, the father and the Governor of that infant Settlement, The following JOURNAL, written by their ILLUSTRIOUS ANCESTOR, is respectfully inscribed by their
Most obedient humble servant, THE EDITOR. Hartford, July 1790.
THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.
THE following Journal was written by JOHN WINTHROP, Esq. the first Governor of Massachusetts. This distinguished gentleman was born at Groton, in Suffolk, June 12, 1587. His Grandfather was an eminent lawyer, in the reign of Henry VIII, and attached to the reformation. His father was of the same profession, and the Governor himself was bred a lawyer, in which character he was eminent both for integrity and abilities. Indeed he must have had the fairest reputation; for he was appointed a Justice of Peace at eighteen years of age.
When the design of settling a colony in New-England was undertaken, Mr. Winthrop was chosen with general consent, to conduct the enterprize. His estate, amounting to the value of six or seven hundred pounds sterling a year, he converted into money, and embarked for America, in the forty third year of his age. He arrived at Salem, with the Massachusetts charter, June 12, 1630. He was many years Governor of that infant colony, and conducted himself with such address and unshaken rectitude as to render his character universally respectable among his cotemporaries, and his memory, dear to posterity. He died, March 26, 1649.
Mr. Winthrop kept a Journal of every important occurrence, from his first embarking for America, in 1630, to the year 1644. This Manuscript, as appears by some passages, was originally designed for publication; and it was formerly consulted by the first compilers of New-England history particularly by HUBBARD, MATHER and PRINCE. But it continued, unpublished and uncopied, in possession of the elder branch of the family, till the late revolution, when Governor TRUMBULL of Connecticut procured it, and, with the assistance of his Secretary, copied a considerable part of it. Soon after the Governor's death, a gentleman, who has a taste for examining curious original papers, which respect his own country, came, by accident, to a knowledge of this manuscript; and with consent of the Governor's heirs, contracted for a copy, merely for his own improvement and amusement. On reading the work, he found it to contain many curious and interesting facts, relating to the settlement of Massachusetts and the other New-England colonies, and highly descriptive of the character and views of the first inhabitants. This suggusted to him the design of publishing the Journal complete; as any abridgement of it would tend to weaken its historical evidence, and put in the power of captious critics to impeach its authenticity. By consent of the descendants of Gov. Winthrop, proposals were issued for publishing a small number of copies; and the design is at length accomplished.
The copy here presented to the public, was made by JOHN PORTER, Esq: the Secretary of the late Gov. Trumbull, whose declaration, respecting its accuracy, is here annexed. It is an extract from his letter to the Editor.
Lebanon, January 1st 1788. DEAR SIR,
AGREEABLE to your request, I send you a copy of Gov. Winthrop's history. The transcribing has required more labor than I at first expected. I carefully examined the original, and on comparing, found many errors in the first copy; which, upon further experience in reading the original, I have been able to correct; as also to fill up many blanks. This ha… …aused me much study, and retarded the completion of the business for some time. You will observe some blanks in the present copy—some of them are so in the original—but excepting the blanks, I believe this may be depended on as a genuin copy.
I am, dear Sir, with sentiments of esteem, your obedient humble servant, JOHN PORTER.
The original is in the hand-writing, common to that age; and is not read without difficulty. The first copy was made during Gov. Trumbull's life, and part of it by the Governor himself. The last copy, here given to the world▪ was taken from the first, and throughout the whole, compared with the original. The blanks are few▪ and, as the reader will observe, of no considerable consequence.
Many parts of the work are not interesting to modern readers; but even these are necessary to give future historians an accurate acount of the first transactions of the settlers, and furnish posterity with a precise knowlege of the characters and manners of their forefathers.
Important institutions, and the general complexion of national government often originate in the most trivial circumstances, or the minutest traits of character▪ and without a detail of the most trifling facts in the early history of New-England, it will be impossible to understand the nature of … present religious and political establishments.
But however unimporta… particular passages in the following Journal may appear to the body of …eaders, the substance of the work is highly valuable: and it is presumed the historian, the philosopher and the divine, will be gratified with a publication, which has long been a desidera…um among the Literati of the New World.
Hartford, July 1…0.