Year
1663
Sender Place
Worcester Castle; Worcester, Worcestershire, England
Receiver
Judge Thomas Wild
Receiver Place
n.p.
Repository holding original letter
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Full Date
1663-04-01
Document Type
Transcription
Country, State, Location 1
52.1867, -2.2223
Keywords
James Harrison, Worcester Castle, Worcester, Thomas Wild, Quakers, Society of Friends, Civil forfeiture, Imprisonment, Persecution
Abstract
Letter dated 1664 (1663 Old Style) from James Harrison to Judge Thomas Wild, regarding the seizure of his horse and other possessions following his arrest and imprisonment. This letter details some of the persecution that Quakers faced, such as having goods and property seized. Another form of persecution mentioned is frequent imprisonment: for actively engaging in the practice of the faith, or randomly on suspicion of being a Quaker and being associated with the sect and its members. Money was sometimes demanded for the return of the items, if return was offered at all, and was also demanded as payment of bail to release imprisoned Friends.
Transcription
Thomas Wild
These are to lett [let] thee [you] understand that when I had made ready
to send for a sartificate [certificate] the innkeeper refused to lett [let] ye [the]
mesinger [messenger] have my horsse [horse] unlese [unless] he had an order from
thee [you], soe [so] thou [you] not being in towne [town] I could not & [and] since
I heare [hear] that one Tho: fford [Thomas Ford] hath [has] unloct [unlocked] the doore [door]
& [and] taken him away wch [which] he aught [ought] not to adone [have done] soe [so] I desire
to heare [hear] from thee [you] whether thou [you] gave any such order
& [and] though I my selfe [myself] be detained in prison, heare [here] for
atime [a time] deliverance will com [come] soe [so] I would, thou [you] would not
lett [let] me be robed [robbed] or my horse plundred [plundered] or rather stolen
from mee [me], for such doeings [doings] as I have mett [met] with heare [here]
in the Citie [city], if my horss [horse] & [and] sadle [saddle] & cloath [cloth] be taken
away & [and] I be [pt?] prisoner is such as I niver [never] mett [met] with before
nay it is unheard of crulety [cruelty] it makes moderat [moderate] people to
wonder that aman [a man] cannot com [come] to the Citie [city] of woschester [Worcester]
purposing to stay but one night, & [and] would not eat any
mans [man’s] bread for nought but be cast in prison, and
have his horse restored that I who have most right may
dispose of him soe [so] may thou [you] doe [do] well this from one
that loves marcy [mercy] [ink blot]
truth & [and] rightousness [righteousness]
& [and] the soales [souls] of all men
for yt [that] I am a prisoner
by thee [you] &c [et cetera]
J: H: [James Harrison]
[Page 2]
James Harrison
Worcester Jail
to
Judge Wild [Judge Thomas Wild]
1663?
HSP DAMS ID
15719
Language
english
Type
article
Format
application/pdf
Collection
PRINT Migration Network: Pemberton Correspondence Transcriptions
Citation
James Harrison, Worcester Castle; Worcester, Worcestershire, England, to Judge Thomas Wild, n.p., 1663-04, vol. 1, pg. 4, Pemberton Family Papers, 1641-1880, 0484A, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PRINT, 15719, https://stars.library.ucf.edu/printmigrationnetwork-pemberton/2/.