John Winthrop (1980.6.2) |
Letter from John Winthrop to his son (MS0190, 04/14) |
Son John
I pray pay unto ye bearer Mr. Robert Parke or his assignee ye sum of forty one shillings which I owe unto him so I rest
Below the body of text, a column to the left includes a location and date of Charlestowne in N: England, Sept. 9 1630, and to the right is the closing and signature of yr [your] loving father Jo: Winthrop. A notation at the very bottom of the letter, written in different handwriting, indicates that the bill was paid on January 28. It is especially interesting to note that this letter is dated September 9, 1630 - only two days after John Winthrop announced the founding of the city of Boston on September 7, 1630. Learn more about the founding of Boston by checking out The Partnership of the Historic Bostons.
John Winthrop signature (MS0190, 02/54) |
According to the Proceedings of The Bostonian Society, Winthrop's letter to his son was donated in 1980 by Mr. and Mrs. William Osgood in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the founding of Boston. William Osgood was a long-time President of the Bostonian Society, and he and his wife were both life members of the Society. We continue to be grateful to the Osgood family for this generous donation to our collection. When this rare and nearly 400 year old document is not on display, it is kept in a special enclosure in dark storage to preserve it for years to come.
By Elizabeth Roscio, Library and Archives Manager
No comments:
Post a Comment