Difference between revisions of "MRP: November 1667, Letter from Henry Oxinden to Sir GO"

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November 1667, Letter from Henry Oxinden to Sir GO

BL, MS. XX,XXXX, ff. 47-51

Editorial history

13/12/11, CSG: Created page

Abstract & context

Suggested links

See biographical profile of Sir Henry Oxenden

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(1) Check the original manuscript at BL

Transcription

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[BL, MS. XX,XXXX, ff. 47-51]

Dear Brother

It revived our afflcitions to read yo:e sensible expressions of deepe sorrow w:xh we hope & pray may not seize upon yo:e spirits at ??xelape yo:e into som of yo:e infermities, for worldly sorrow ?causet ?death, & shee cannot nor would not come to ??esbect we shall goe to her she hath not only left a confounded, & degenerate worlde & ?Nation w:th hath lost allkind of morality & religion, & ?xeeps only y:e shall & ??paint of religion, but she hath also left all her affaires confuded & strangly perplexed in XXXX so y:t nothing but yo:e skill, wisdom, presentle (& deterity can put y:m into a tolarable intilligible order, for she left all to memory both as to yo:e business, Jn: Goodier [CSG, 12/09/08 - think this is correct], & her owne proper debts are about 1200:ll w:th her jewells & psonall estate can never satisfie unless wwee take in some of ye:e goods into her indenture, knowing not well how to distinguish in som pticulars, I resolve (God willing) to pay as farr as her estetts will arrise for w:t debts remaine w:n Godshall make as happy in yo:e ?presente we wil advise w:t to doe for her will, w:th yo:w take to plaine w:thout inxxxxx there hath been great exception taken to it & many defects found in it, by my nephew Dallison, his sister [CSG, 12/09/08 – could be "sisters"], & his associates, in somme, y:t though I have put him in possession of y:e lease (w:th he is to xxxx) reserving by law yo:e title to 1400:ll in it, if my sister had power so to charge it, yet he hath put in a bill in Chancery ags:t me, where in he denieth my sister to have any power at all to dispose of or charge his lease, & so goes about to avoid y:t charge & condition in Indentures between him & I (in yo:e behalfe) y:t y:r lease at halling shall stand charged w:th yo:e 1400:ll he Xxged [budged?] me hard to put in an answer last terme w:ch I delayed till y:e next terme in hopes his knave farther stand by (who is his great witness) in xxxx before y:t time, I had y:e advise of y:e best lawyers in w:t [?] I did but if it prove she had no power yo:w are gone as to her will w:ch to prevent wee will struggle hard yet if we faile here, we have good hops, y:t we shall be relieved in Chancery, upon yo:e Chatham mortgage, though he did gett away ?y:r originall writing from his mother, by w:ch act we hope he hath not destroyed y:e write & equity to y:e mortgage, wee proving y:t yo:w had a reall title, & by wt means yo:w came to loose yo:e evidence, never was so good another so revilde & abus’d in words & deads. I doe follow yo:e advice in imploring those lawyers formerly ingag’d in yo sutes, w:ch is most proper, & where yo:w say, if yo:e law affaires be for them troublesome, I say they were nevr more difficult & ??pplext, nor so well follow’d by y:e Adversaries who have gotten one maes [??], & crafty, ?broken ??merch:t for their Sollisitors, who constantly liveth in towne, who hath speciall order (as he saith) to torm:t us, w:ch he doth to y:e utmost, inputing [?] us to delayes & xxxx of xxxx charges, & ppetuall quarrellings at Law & Chancery debats & meetings about yo:e bills of Exchange to Britton & Pearce o:r Nephew Masters will fully acquaint yo:w w:th a;; circumstances pticular, y:e L:d Chanceller made a referrance to five East India Merch:ts for their opinions in y:e case, w:th order y:e ?made endeavour to overthrow, & will apply himselfe to y:e new keeper S:r Orlando Bridgman (of whoe coming in mor anon) to EXXarate y:t referance, & prove a new hearing upon y:e whole matter, w:ch we hope to prevent, if possible and get our reference to stand, though he endeavours to get y:m together. Their names are S:r And: Ricarrd , S:r Rich: fford, S:r Will:m Tompson, Maurice Tompson, & M:r Joliffe, who I hope will make a good report for us, y:e referance being to five & no less number

I find it extreame difficult to get y:m togeather som of y:m having bine always out of twone y:s sumer James Masters is now in Kent & hath been there good pt of y:e vacation & my son James is at Dane about his sports, for his healths sake, o:r Adversaries threaten us w:th ten sutes more w:ch I think are y:e greatest torm:ts on this side Hell, considering all y:e trickes, delaies & charges of law, Cap:t Rob Browne (whom I take to be no friend of yo:s) told me lately y:t yo:e old adversaryes are very confident of fetching y:e 4000: againe, w:ch I feare not for I hope that S:r Orlando will not reverse y:e late Chancellors debvise [CSG, 12/09/08 – check a legal dictionary; I think I have transcribed this correctly] unless he finds evident unjustice or corruption in y:m, w:ch I am confident he cannot find in yt case For yo:e Merch:t afaires, I shall by y:e spring shipps give yo:w a punttuall Acco:tt, & answer y:e pticulars of yo:e XXX ???exparthy, w:ch now I cannot so well doe, because y:t having y:t gout in my hands I am forded to make use of another pen. I will follow yo:e orders in returning yo:e proceeds of ye muske & amberg & sending yo:w y:r whole state of my sister Dallonsons afaires. Yo:e hearty Serv:t S:r George Smith is dead. His friends reporte him worth 20000:ll but ye more moderate say it was but 11000:ll his daughter hath married Al:d Fen The Comitee I find take all yo:e service w:th much satisfaction, & doo yo:w all hono:r in their expressions of yo:w, & have purged ymselves in open court of having any ill will or reall exceptions ags:t yow, The Governer S:r And: Ricard & S:r Will:m Rider y:e Dep:t are allwaise ready to serve yow, so is my cozen Boone S:r Sam: Barnardiston & divers others, S:r Sammuell is bound w:th me for yo:w in y:e Comon please about y:e bill sof exchange in recognisance of 4000:ll w:ch was a great courtesy, I have given him Country servty [counter soverignty?] of 2000 [CSG, 12/09/08 – I think this is a “2”], pray acknowledge yo:e obligation to him, for truly yow are very highly ingaged to him for his great ?forwardness to serve yo:w ags:t Love & Britton [CSG, 12/09/08 – This will be Thomas Bretton] & all yo:e adversaries, he was a speciall witness for yo:w in Guildhall M:r Papilion labureth in all yo:e causes, as if they were his owne & soe take notice to him from me, & remember him w:th some considerable tokens, for wee shall need his help in many other causes, & pray forgett not S:r Samuell, yo:e muske is but new come on shore, my Cozen Boone & I have not yet view’d it by reason of my illness of y:e gout, w:ch made me keep my chamber, I have ask’d him 3:ll an ounce for it, but he saith he will give me no surprise, though more y:n any man I hope to gett about five & fifty, for it is at present very deare.

I must now acquaint yo:w y:t I have had severall meetings w:th M:r Burkredge, Cap:t Browne, & M:r Goodier about delivering up her husbands papers & acco:ts, of w:ch I have written pticulerly in my over land letters,

D:r Parker clames 100:ll by way of promise & bargaine from my sister & would have me as executor pay him, and with out of injustice because I refuse it, his pretended bargaine was, y:t my sister was to give him 100: for his interest in o:r brother Kitts estate, upon w:ch he saith he delivered her his writings, now y:e witness he calls in to prove this bargaine is Sarah, & she proveth it not full for his ???twine, for she affermes it was conditionall, in case she recovered his wages & estate, besides, his writing was not formally assign’d to her by law, w:ch M:r Raworth saith it ought to have beene, or else it can give her noe title, but he stormeth fearfully, I offer him his writing againe, had y:e bargaine prov’d good it would have beeb very heard for y:e executors to have paid it, seXXX my Nephew Masters now clames an equall share in Kitts wages & estate, w:n [?] reXXXXXX XXX y:e right of his mother, for he saith it y:t be not grant’d, he will put in a caveat & hinder my taking of y:e administration only in yo:e behalfe & acco:t to reimburse yo:e w:ch my Brother owes yo:w, but they argue y:t she tooke y administration w:th consent & to be divided , w:ch do not beleeve, for I never heard her say so, pray certifie this matter, & tell me if it were not upon yo:e Acco:tt & by uo:e appointmt, Sarah saith it was, & so saith my Cozen Oxinden

Cap:t Barker holds his agreen:t w:th yo:w, & will send yo:w y:e comodity by ye next shups, M:r Frances Coventry w:th his lady, y:e lady Hoskins, have often been w:th XXX [mee?] earnestly intreat yo:w to be kinde & helpful to their son Thomas, & have prayed me to be solliciter to yo:w one yt behalfe, she is now I think content he should stay in India till yo:w come home, w:ch I find will not bee so soon as wee hop’d for divers of yo:e good friends in ye Comitee, whom I have spoke to y:t yo:w might have liberty to come home w:n yo:w please, alssure me they cannot possibly spare yo:w until yo:w have settled their affaires upon this yeare [? Peare?] w:th none can do they say but yo:e selfe so much to yehono of ye nation & good of ye Comp:1, Our countryman M:r Portman, ye Goldsmith & his wife have a thousand thanks to give yo:w for their son, & they begg ye continuance of yoe favoure to him, he had bought a hogshead f Canary to have sent yoe by ye London, whose designe being laid aside, he was faine to keep it by him, wee drank yo:e health affectionately w:th a bottle of y:e same wine at his house w:ch M:r Dunker, who psents yo:w his services pray shew kindness to M:r Portmans son, honest Cap:t Mohun w:th whom I am lately acquainted, is yo:e great admirer & xtolls [CSG, 12/09/08 - i.e.”extolls”, but stats with “x”] in all companies, much to yo:e honour, pray take notice of his love to yo:w, he hath represented yo:w to y:e Comite w:th much advantage, & is yo:e professed champion,

I wrote to yo:w by ye little Charles yt went to ye Coast, & lately overland, I suppose this will be w:th yo:w before ye overland bees I heare ye S:t George is now in ye Downes come from Limmerick, where she hath staid for feare of ye ?Duch till now,

I have not yet ??redd [could be received] yoe letters,

The great L: Chanceller is in disfavoure w:th ye King & he hath taken ye seale from him & given it to S:r Orlando Bridgman, his great ennemys were S:r W:m Coventry & my Lord Arlington secretary of state, Tis said he was a good Chancellor, but an ill statesman, The king grew weary of his pride & imposings upon him, he saith he is now more at liberty & a free psonne againe, the Dukes interest could keepe him in ???seate, we know not yett ye xxxiruler matters ags:t him, but may when yxxxxhim:t meets, w:ch will be ye 10th of this month, I am sure we have lost a good freind,

I have sent yo:w a quatter caske of Canary newly arrived in England to cherish yo:e heart, tis in bottles hampered up, & in ye custody of cap:t Barker, my Cozen Richard Oxinden dwelleth at Lambeth, he is much troubled at ye behaviour of my sisters children, he liveth very retired, & meddleth little w:th Business, he saith my sister Dallison told him, & so doth Sarah, yt mark hath had of her suite ye king came in, 1500:ll, I will send yo:w a pticular of her debts, & an Inventory of her goods by ye next shipps, my gout & James his absence have hindred me a this tim, My wife is yo:e humble servant & thanks yo:w for yo:e courtioustie, she will write to yo:w by ye next shipps, my paine w:th ye gout in my wrist & fingers, fourceth me to borow a friends pen, w:ch cuseth me to omite some things I should she have written, my Mother is w:th us at London, her healthe is as good as I have knowne it a long time, she is now about eighty years of age, my lady Willford [culd be Millford] is w:thin three doores of us , but she hath lost her understanding, The King & Court resolve to comply w:th ???ydptim indeed it is their best way, for they have lost ye good opinion of ye Kingdom sadly, by their Ill mannagem:tt of warr & peace, M:r Papillion & Major Tomson, were sent over w:th ye Embassadors, but ??provided nothing for XXX XXXXX interest, never did England suffer so great losses, s great dishonoure, & never were ye people more exhausted of mony, & more discontened, we all hope for good from this pliamt:, I send yo:e some books to divert uo:w, somare pleasant & some are Serious; I send yo:w here also my hearty thanks for yoe: love to me & mine & always remaining,

Yo most affectionate & obliged brother Henry Oxinden

Notes