Boston 23d Octobr 1696
Honrd Sr
Whatt I have writt to ye
Lords, will come to yor
hands, to wch
refer yor
Honor
must say never things soe illmanaged as in Boston Govermtt
all ye
Kings prerogative parted with, ytt
will be difficult for any to recover
itt
Church who wentt out wth
400 Men as by ye
eventt wentt outt to gett
plunder & not subdueing of the enemy, never endeavoring to meet
with them, but falling upon the poor French, who had submitted
to the Crown of England, & plundered or may say robed them
to the vallew of four or five thousand pounds.
Boston Govermtt
Angry wth
me, because I have run the boundline
& comanded the Inhabitants to submitt to Hampshire Govermtt
- which all my predesessors could never obtain to, Hampshire Govermtt
Angry because I will not part with the Kings prerogative all
wch which Capt
Walton can give Accott
Sr
Henery Ashurstt declared att Councill Board I was guilty of many
irregularitys & ill conductt, the Councill & assembly in July declared
they did know of none as see the minuitt July Lastt
Am Satisfyed to be true & Loyall, & maintaining the Kings prerogative
in these parts is irregular
Hope the King will annex Boston Govermtt
to Hampshire, & not
Hampshire to Boston, my meaning is the King will setle the
Govermtt
to be more firmly depending upon the Crown of England
& send 500 Men for effecting the same
Shall be glad if the King Exspedit an ordr
for Capt
Jesson, Postt
to be att Piscatagna, if not or some other help the King will
certainly loose the place & farewell all mastt design
I begg if any charge be agtt
me ytt
I may have itt sent over that
I may give an Answer, knowing in all things have given a
true impartiall Accott
of matters. if Partridge & Penhalow apear
att Councill Table, desire they may be continued untill I have
answerd all that shall by them be offered
Boston Representatives have sent a petition for their old Charter
hateing a Governor
to be apointed by the King. severall of
the Councill makes matters uneasy of wch
you will have accott
from good hands, a necesity for ordr
to the Governor
to Lay
some persons aside, whoe are of Opinion the King & Parliament
can make noe Lawes binding, without itt be consented to and
allowed of here. this comes by way of Port a Port wich may
come to your hands
Begg a Dispatch andto my concern & the Kings ordering Mony
for my service in ye
Kings Govermtt
which will be a favor to
Yor Honrs Humble Servantt
John Usher
Pray acquaintt Mr Robert Chaplin ytt Pools vessell is retaken from ye French, Hope to gett the vessell paying 300 £ or else to gett 200 £ the vessell being turned from a Brigantine to a Ship
Persons agtt
Kingly
Govermtt
vizt
Tho Danforth
[Walt] Winthorp
Elisha Cooke
Elisha Hutchison
Jno
foster
Johnathan Corwin
Eliakim Hutchison
Samull
Shrimpton
Boston New Engld
23 Oct: 96
From M Usher
Red
21 June 97
via [illegible]
For His Majties
Service
To the Rt
Honble
Wm
Blathwayt
Secretary of His Majties
Plantations
Att his Office
Near Whitehall
Church with 400: gott 4 or 5000£
from the french by plunder
He has run the bound line [illegible]
Boston & Hampshire Govermtt
which
displeases ye
Bostoners
If Capt
Jesson be not ordd to be at
Piscatagna of [certny] will be [illegible]
Some persons i govermtt
say the K.
and Parliament cant the [bind] the Bostoners
[without] their own consent
prays to be heard if any thing
agt
him
[seal]