Year
1686
Sender Place
London, England; Crown Court, [Gratias] Street, London, England
Receiver
James Harrison
Receiver Place
Pennsylvania
Repository holding original letter
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Full Date
1686-12-19
Document Type
Transcription
Country, State, Location 1
51.507351, -0.127758
Keywords
Theodore Eccleston, London, James Harrison, Pennsylvania, Roger Whitefield, England, Barbados, Philadelphia, William Penn, Quakers, Society of Friends, Social network, Travel, Communication, Diplomatic Relations
Abstract
Letter dated December 19, 1686 (December 9, 1686 Old Style) from Theodore Eccleston to James Harrison. It is largely comprised of questions Eccleston has about life in Pennsylvania ranging from the court system and relationships with Native Americans to how to handle cattle and other matters.
Transcription
Crown Court in Gratias Street London 9 10 mo [month] 1686
James Harison [James Harrison]
& [and] very Loving Freind [friend]
I have first to acknowledge that soone [soon] after
thy [your] arrivall [arrival] in pensilvania [Pennsylvania] I had one letter
from thee [you] & [and] yt [that] I never sent thee [you] any reply
till [until] now (as I remember) allthough [although] I have oft [often]
set pen to paper in order thereunto - But now
at last am Resolved to break silence - & [and] With hearty
Love salute thee [you] & [and] thine [yours] & [and] though thee [you] knows
ye [the] sinerity [sincerity] of my love to be above such things yett [yet]
as a small token I have herewith Roger Whitfeild [Roger Whitefield]
in ye [the] ship Dragon sent thee [you] a small Chesh [chesire] Cheese
about 28 or 30 [pound symbol] weight wch [which] I hope will be
acceptable -
Before When I was about to write I was partly
designing to be inquisitive of thy [your] wellfare [welfare] inparti
-culer [in particular] & [and] allso [also] of the generall [general] - of
how many Townes [towns] have you - how many generally
in a Town - What sort of plantation yee [you] goe [go] most
upon - what Comodity [commodity] yee [you] raise for trade either
with England or Berbados [Barbados] - how does it in ye [the] Whale
fishing - how does your land yeeld [yield] - do you
make hay or how preserve your Cattle in Winter
whether do they hold flesh then - or whether
lean and unfit to kill - what number of Cattle
belong to Philadelphia - how do you preserve em [them]
from Wolves or bears - what like houses are your
ordnary [ordinary] comon [common] sort, for I doubt ^not^ you have som [some] very good
What entercouse [intercourse] do you hold with ^ye^ [the] Indians - Do they
learne [learn] your language - or observe your lawes [laws] or
live after your Customes [customs] - or begin to imitate your
industry or any of them receive Truth -
How fares it with freinds [friends] - How many meetings - What ^number^
at a meeting - how Do the midling [middling] sort Grow
[Continued on left margin]
in the truth - What decorum do you keep to hinder or punish offenders
what like for a government whilst WP [William Penn] is here - Wth [with] a hint how it is
with divers particuler [particular] thou [you] know to be my aquaintance [acquaintance] - turne [turn] over
[Back of Page: Page 2]
About these & [and] a Deal more P[per]ticulers I should
be like to query of thee [you] If here - & [and] therefore
should be glad of a good larg [large] letter from thee [you]
About what thou [you] Can thinke [think] acceptable to
me to hear of -
But haveing [having] allwad [allowed] yt [that] much Exceedes [exceeds] my
first intentions & [and] allmost [almost] my paper
I bid thee [you] farewell Wch [which] I heartily Desire
For thee & [and] for all that love the truth every
Where [everywhere] that We may all grow as one flock
to ye [the] good likely of ye [the] good sheppard [shepard] & [and]
Bishop of our souls Who it was at first
reaches to us togather [together] us & [and] by Whome [whom] We
have been here tofore [heretofore] Often & [and] are still to [smudged ink: illegible]
this day refreshes by his heart [smudged ink: illegible] breaking
power & [and] love to ye [the] Joy of his people & [and] to the
Glory of his own Great Name - By whome [whom]
alone our preserbation [preservation] hath [has] been through
many stormes [storms] & [and] Tryalls [trials] - & [and] by whome [whom] we enjoy
many Blesses [blessings] & [and] sweet opportunitys [opportunities] in quiet
mostly at this time - & [and] Meetings aboundantly [abundantly]
filled - the Lord Continue this & [and] other his
Martyes [martyrs] If It be his Will -
Wth [with] repeated Dear Love from Self & [and] wife
to thee [you] & [and] thine [yours] I rest
Thy [your] loving freind [friend]
Theodor Eccleston [Theodore Eccleston]
the Cheese Is sewed
Up in a Corse Cloth
Marked James
Harison [James Harrison]
Pensilvania [Pennsylvania]
HSP DAMS ID
15969
Language
english
Citation
Theodore Eccleston, London, England; Crown Court, [Gratias] Street, London, England, to James Harrison, Pennsylvania, 1686-12-19, vol. 2, pg. 73, Pemberton Family Papers, 1641-1880, 0484A, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PRINT, 15969, https://stars.library.ucf.edu/printmigrationnetwork-pemberton/194/.