Year
1670
Sender Place
Manchester, England
Receiver
Ralph Pemberton
Receiver Place
Aspull, Lancashire, England
Repository holding original letter
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Full Date
1670-06-23
Document Type
Transcription
Country, State, Location 1
53.480759, -2.242631
Country, State, Location 2
53.565216, -2.585102
Keywords
Phineas Pemberton, Ralph Pemberton, Manchester, Aspull, Justice Haworth, Quakers, Society of Friends, Persecution – imprisonment
Abstract
A handwritten copy, dated May 4, 1924, of a letter dated July 23, 1670 (July 13, 1670 Old Style) from Phineas Pemberton to his father, Ralph Pemberton. The letter is an account of an attempt to imprison Phineas Pemberton for his religious beliefs. At the time, Phineas was just recently released from imprisonment in Lancaster Castle to appear at assizes. Apprehended by constables while taking his master's coat to a meeting in Manchester, Phineas is taken to a justice of the peace. After having his hat forcibly removed several times, he is questioned about his activities on the Sabbath Day. He is then asked to take an oath of allegiance on the King's behalf, which his religious beliefs prevent him for doing. Not taking the oath leads the justice to send Phineas to the house of corrections. After his release a half hour later, he is told by the constable he must come out for two or three days and is threatened with banishment for his second offense. Phineas concludes by requesting his father go to the sheriff and ask that Phineas be summoned to appear at assizes in Lancashire to avoid being jailed in Manchester.
Transcription
The original of the following letter was so torn and defaced that it
would scarcely hang together. I have faithfully copied it excepting
alterations in orthography.
James P. Parke
5 mo. [month] 4. 1824.
Loving father
My duty to thee [you] remembered, I thought it might
be convenient to let thee [you] understand of what followeth [follows];
the last First day the meeting was at Ed. Dawson’s [Edward Dawson’s] in Blakely,
and my master was to go into Yorkshire, but he went to the
meeting first; from thence [there] he was to go forward in his jour-
ney; [journey] he went from home (idem) to the meeting about half an
hour before me, and he left his coat with me, and ordered
me to bring it after him; so as I was going in the street with
the coat to the meeting after my master, I met the constables
and overseers and such like, and they demanded of me
whither [whether] I was going: I denied to tell them, but I said, thith-
er [toward] as I was going I did not intend to go; the constables said I
should go no further, nor I should not go home without
I would promise them I would keep me at home all that
day. I said I would make no such promise : then they
said I should go along with them, and at after service
was done, I must go before the justice of peace ; so they
took me and kept me prisoner, and set the beagle to look
to me until they came to me again. So after they had done
at the mass house, the constables came in again and told
me, if I would give three shillings I should not go before
the justices. I said I had none to give them upon that account;
then said they, if you will borrow one shilling of your mistress,
we will get you off with that if we can. I answered I had
none to give, nor none I would borrow, nor they were not
likely to have any of me: so there was one by proffered
me to lay down one shilling for me; I told him I should
not take him as my friend, nor restore him any thing [anything]
again if he laid down any for me; and many flattering
words they had, to have had me to have complied to their wills,
but the Lord and His Truth was more to me than all the snares
they could cast before me. So when they saw they could not get
me yield either (to pay any) thing, nor to suffer others to pay
it for me, they bade me go home, for they would not trouble
[page 2]
the justices with me then, but they would call on me either in
the afternoon or the next day. So then I went on towards the
meeting: before I came back from the meeting, the constable came
again for me, to our house; so some made answer I was not
in town : so he went away, and came not again that night.
The next day I had business to go in Cheshire upon my mas-
ter’s [master’s] account. When I was gone he came again and said he
had a precept from the justices for me. They told him I was
not at home. The next morning after, about half(an)hour [half an hour] after
J. Barrs had been here, he came again, and took me before
Justice Haworth, so called, but he is fitter to be called a
man of strife. When I came before him with my hat on, he
commanded the constable to take it off: I asked why I might
not keep on my hat as well as my shoes? with many other
words we had about it; the constable took it off, and laid
it upon the table before me: I took it up , and put it on a
gain [again], and he pulled it off again. And when we had done a-
bout [about] the hat, he asked me whither [whether] I was going upon the
sabbath day? I told him, my master was some miles out of
town, and was to go forward in his journey the next day
following, and I was ordered to bring his coat after him.
He asked where my master was, several times over, and I
refused to tell him: he said he would make me; I said “thou [you]
canst [can] not compel me to reveal my masters’ secrets.” “Were
you at any church?” said he. I demanded what his reason
was to ask? He said he must know. I answered, I was.
He asked me, what I did there? I said “to worship God.”
“It is enough,” said he, “he shall either pay his five shillings,
or go to the jail.” [pencil dash] “Hard sentence,” said I , “that I must go to
jail, for worshipping God.” He asked who was with me:
I refused to tell him. He bade the constable take me away.
I was taken, and put in a room at (the/ constables’ house,
and both constables went (to) Haworth again, and remained
with (him) near an hour, and then they came to me again,
and told me that Justice Haworth was coming himself, and
that he said he would find out where I had been. So he
came to Ed. Graves’ shop, and sent for me. The constables took
me to him. So he with many fair speeches, such as the devil
had stirred up in him, he told me if I would come to their
[page 3]
church, he would pass by that time. I answered I should do
as I had done aforetime. Then he called for the bible, and
said I should swear in the King’s behalf, and declare who
was at the conventicle. I said we were at no conventicle:
we were there truly and really to worship God, and not under
any colour [color] or pretence [pretense] I said I should not swear at all.
He bade the constable take notice. I refused to swear for
the King. Then he took the bible in his hand again, and
would have had me to have taken the oath of allegiance.
I refused to swear at all. He bade the constable take me
away to the house of correction. There I was locked up for
about half an hour. So then he sent (the) constable again.
(He) said I must come out for two or three days; as I said
afore, when he could do no good with his flattering speeches,
he began to threaten me, and said that this was the second
offence [offense], and if I offended again I should be banished; if I
came again into the land, I should be hanged. He said, he
would prosecute himself. I bade him go on, for I told him
he could do no more than he was permitted.
But blessed be the Lord God of endless and everlasting goodness,
that gave me power and dominion over and above them all;
for I can truly say, when he had uttered all his (railing) bitter-
ness [bitterness], and all the cruelty that was in him, it was no more to
me than if he had smiled at me. Many more words passed
amongst us , but I have here related the chief matters; for
to express all, it would have been very tedious.
So I have been considering since, I believe that my master
and thee [you] might promise the sheriff that I should be forth-
coming [forthcoming] when he sent for me; now if they send me to the house
of correction, I cannot appear at assises; so I think if thou [you] could
go to the sheriff (forth)with after this letter come to thy [your] hands
(and get the ?) sheriff to send for me before I go to prison
here, for they have made no mittimus for me as yet, it
might do well: so (if) thou [you] meet with the sheriff, and get
an order, I would have thee [you] to bring it thyself [yourself] hither [here]
without any delay, if it may be convenient; I have spoken
to my mistress, and she approves of it. So with my dear love
to all friends, I remain thy [your] dutiful son
5 month 13 day 1670.
Phinehas Pemberton [Phineas Pemberton]
[page 4]
Superscribed [endorsed] “For his loving father Ralph Pemberton in
Aspull [Aspull, England], deliver.”
[along right side]
Copy
Phineas Pemberton
Manchester
5 mo [month] 13. 1670
to
Ralph Pemberton
Aspull.
HSP DAMS ID
15749
Language
english
Citation
Pemberton, Phineas, "Phineas Pemberton, Ralph Pemberton, June 23, 1670" (1670). Pemberton Correspondence Transcriptions. 58.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/printmigrationnetwork-pemberton-transcriptions/58