Pemberton Correspondence
Year
1684
Sender Place
Warrington, Lancashire, England
Receiver
James Harrison
Receiver Place
Pennsylvania
Repository holding original letter
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Full Date
1684-06-24
Document Type
Correspondence
Country, State, Location 1
53.401859, -2.568022
Keywords
William Gibson, Warrington, James Harrison, Pennsylvania, William Penn, Quaker, Society of Friends, Social network
Abstract
Letter dated June 24, 1684 (June 14, 1684 Old Style) from William Gibson to James Harrison.
HSP DAMS ID
15949
Language
english
Format
application/pdf
Collection
PRINT Migration Network: Pemberton Correspondence
Transcription
Warrington 14 4/mo 84 [14th day 4th month 1684]
Dear J. H [James Harrison]
Whom I Love in ye [the] truth wch [which] is pure & [and] unchangible [unchangeable] Therein do
I tenderly salute ^thee [you] & [and] [illegible—strikethrough]^ [strikethrough: wife] thy [your] Dear wife [Ann Harrison] & [and] sonn [son] [Phineas Pemberton?] & [and] Daughter [Phebe Harrison] whose
prosperity therein I heartylie [heartily] desire with all ye [the] Rest of my
ffaith full ffriends [Faithful Friends] in those parts as though perticulerly [particularly] named
My Endeared Brotherly Love flowes [flows] towards you all, In Christ
Jesus our prince of unfaigned [unfeigned] Love Life & [and] sweet peace Truly
you are often in my Remembrance & [and] my tender Breathings
are unto our heavenly father on your [abbreviation—'ur' assumed] Behalfe [behalf] yt [that] you all may
fflourish [Flourish] in Rightiousness [Righteousness] in xt [Christ] ye [the] hevenly [heavenly] [armie? [army]] & [and] in him bring
fourth [forth] much ffiruite [Fruit] to ye [the] praise of our heavenly father & [and]
Remaine stedfast [remain steadfast] with him as his Inclosed [enclosed] Garden In that
Willdenrness [wilderness] Land Even so bee itt [be it] Amen
Dear James [James Harrison] Thyne I Recd [your letter I received] about 6 weekes [six weeks] since I have itt [it] not
now by mee [me] the Date I Remember not I was glad of itt [it] & [and] to hear
of your [abbreviation—'ur' assumed] welfare [welfare] in ye [the] Lord for which prayses bee givein [praises be given] to him
who is ye [the] god of all our Mercy & [and] in whom are all our fresh
springs who keepes [keeps] us alive to him selfe [himself] & [and] in ye [the] Living & [and]
truly Loveing [loving] Remembrance one of another I did Comuncate [communicate]
the Remembrance of thy [your] Brotherly Love to ye [the] Anceit Bre [Ancient Brethren]
at our Late yearly Meeting & [and] they wear [were] glad to hear of your [abbreviation—'ur' assumed]
wellbeing whose true Love I know is not wanting to thee & ye [you and the]
Rest of the faithfull [faithful]
Concerning ye [the] affairs of truth in this Land of our nativeaty [nativity?] J H [James Harrison?]
is well with ^the^ sincere & [and] upright in heart & [and] so J H [James Harrison?] will Ever bee [be]
sufferings doth abound [do abound] in many parts of this Land for Rightious^nes^ [Righteousness]
sake, But Consolations doth much [do much] more abound in xt [Christ] Jesus to
the Rightious sufferers; upon such yt faithfull [that faithful] saying
is fullfilled [fulfilled] (viz) [that is] If yee [thee] [you] suffer for Rightiousness [Righteousness] sake
Happie [happy] are thee [you] ye [you] [spk [speak]?] of grace & [and] of glory Resteth [rests] upon
your ffriends [Friends] are Chearfull [cheerful] & [and] honnourable [honorable] in their —
sufferings [strikethrough: itt?] our sufferings beaing [being] onely [only] ffor [For] our obedye^ce^ [obedience] [partially illegible—page tear]
to the Liveing [Living] holy pure god who has brought ye [the] faithfull [faithful]
to peace with himselfe [himself] & [and] one with another, And into true
Love to our Ennymies [enemies] yea into good will towards all men The Lord
is pleading ye [the] [Innocent?] Cause of his people in this Land with ye [the]
Rulers thereof, our peaceablenes [peacefulness] & [and] harmlessnes [harmlessness] towards
them doth [does] [...] more ^appear to them^ & [and] the Chiefist [chiefest] [strikethrough: hath] have Confesed [confessed]
to itt [it] & [and] this Run through ye [the] Land as from ye mouthes [the mouths] of the
Chiefest that ye [the] Quakers are clear of ye Evell Consperi
=cyes & Evell Designes [the evil conspiracies and evil designs] that other people are Charged
with & [and] a Love & [and] pitty [pity] Springs in ye [the] hearts of Rulers and
others in many places towards ffaithfull [Faithful] friends in their sufferings
the sence [sense] of wch [which] is a Comforte [comfort] to ffriends [Friends], The Divers [diverse] sorts
of other Decenters [dissenters] in this trying Day [strikethrough: to] do fall under their
procicuters [prosecutors] Either by going to the worship as ye [the] Rulers
Require, or by Absconding, soe [so] that ffriends [Friends] as with Respect
to publicke [public] [strikethrough: o... p...] [illegible—strikethrough] Meetings are as ye [yours/the?] onely butt [only but] Left
to [shuttar [shutter]? / shutt at [shut up/close]?] Especually [especially] where perscution [persecution] appears sharp
as in London & [and] in any other place, so that through these
Exersieses [exercises] the Glory & [and] beuity [beauty] of ye [the] truth Ariseth [arises] & [and]
is seene [seen] more & [and] more praysed [praised] bee [be] ye [the] Lord god for the same
& [and] maney [many] tender people in & [and] about London Enquire [inquire] after truth
to Com [come] to meeting Espessually [especially] about Ratlife [Radcliffe] & [and] Southwark
[Written in left margin]
Dear James [James Harrison] Lett thy sonn [let your son] P. P [Phineas Pemberton know that I have often spoken
to Geo: Greene [George Green] Getting the Money wch [which] is oweing [owing] to thy sonn [your son] [Phineas Pemberton] & [and] [^he?^] saith [says] [from?] [tyme [time]?]
[to try to?] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape] that hee [he] can [get?] [done/one?] of him
[page 2]
Southwark & [and] other parts whear [where] meetings ^are^ [els [else] / oft [more often?] oft distur
=beed [disturbed] then [than] in other parts & [and] Meetings are sweet & [and]
precious praysed bee ye Lord [praised be the Lord]
That wch [which] seemes [seems] to bee [be] Insinuated as ye [the] greatest —
matter agt [against] som [some] friends, by such who [...] on suferings [sufferings]
agt [against] us, is that they wear [were] [illegible—strikethrough of author's misspelt attempt] Concernened [concerned] in Elle
=ctions [elections] of members of [Parliament?] [fancy P—abbreviation?] & [and] others wch [which] did not please
if this bee [be] a trespase [trespass] agt [against] them in their account —
they ought to forgive itt [it] according to their owne prin
=cipall [own principle] & [and] profesed [professed] & [and] often Repeated prayers There is som [some] Cause to hope that they at Least som [some] of
them will better Considder [consider] of this then [than] they
have yett [yet] Dun [done] houever [however] tis [it is] Certaine [certain] truth is strong
=er [stronger] & [and] will prevaile [prevail] & [and] outlive & [and] wear out Decait [deceit] false —
=hood [falsehood] & [and] Cruallty [cruelty], Dear James [James Harrison] to write to thee [you] of the
affairs & [and] prosperity of ye [the] precious truth is ye [the] most
pleaseat [pleasant/pleased?] subject to mee [me], And I am asured [assured] to hear of
Its prosperity will bee [be] pleasant to thee [you] & [and] all ye [the] best
of the faithfull [faithful] there & [and] there a wayes [thereaways], And this good
newes [news] thou [you] may Communicate to faithfull [faithful] ffriends [Friends]
there as publickly [publicly] as thou pleaseth [you please], perticulerly [particularly]
to Dear W. Penn [William Penn] & [and] ye [the] Rest of my fellow Laburers [laborers]
In ye [the] work & [and] fellowshipe [fellowship] of ye [the] Gloryous [glorious] gospell [gospel] of
peace, Lett [let] W: Penn [William Penn] know that aboute [about] 6 weekes [six weeks]
since I was a att [at] a Large and precious Monthly meeting
att [at] his house his wife [Gulielma Maria Springett Penn] children & [and] famaly [family] wear [were] then
very well & [and] shee [she] & ye [the] children &c [et cetera] Chearfully [cheerfully] ta^l^king [talking]
of Com ing [coming] to him this sumer [summer], The god of all [our?]
[Mercy?] & [and] presenece [presense] & [and] bring them safe unto him
I writt [wrote] fully to him not Longe [long] since & [and] am now
[straytned [strained]?] for tyme [time] if I write not I Expect another
oppertunity [opportunity] [Eare [ere/before]] Long Lett him know yt [that] I Reqest [request]
a few Lynes [lines] from him in Answer to ^somthing [something]^ [in lyne [in lines/a letter]?] Lately sent
by ye [the] [Gulyemus?] [Gulielma?, ship name] or another shipp [ship] wch [which] went about yt [that]
tyme [time] I Remember not her name I Gave ye [the] Letter
to P: fford [Philip Ford] for Conveance [conveyance]
Dear James [James Harrison] as to what thou writt [you wrote] of Dislike to somthing [something]
Concerning [strikethrough: ye [the]] the affairs of East Jersey I shall say
Little to at presant [present] haveing [having] not thy [your] Letter here
But this I Cann [can] with much Clearnes [clearness] say that I am
noe [no] way Conscious to my selfe [myself] of Either doeing [doing] or
designing [wring [wrong]?] to W: P [William Penn] or any person [fancy P—abbreviation] Else in that pro
=vince [province] or Else wheire [elsewhere], I am willing to hope that G:
Lowry [Gawen Lawrie] & [and] W: P [William Penn] will Com [come] to a good understanding of Each
other as with Respect to the affairs of East Jersey &c [et cetera]
& [and] that a p^r^udent [prudent] Care will bee [be] taken amongst you in all ye [the]
three provinces that Right bee dun [be done] to all Conserned [concerned]
without partiallty [partiality], Indeed there is much need of Great
Care & [and] wisdume [wisdom] ^in^ the [strikethrough: & [and]] the settling & [and] Managing ye [the] publicke [public]
affairs of these provinces your [abbreviation—ur] [Exercyses [exercises ]?] will no doubt bee [be]
[page 3]
Bee [be] great manny wayes [many ways], & [and] many Eyes are upon you
both here & [and] there & [and] much talke [talk] [here/hence] is among
people here about your [abbreviation—ur] Governments & [and] you are
not I [Conclud [conclude]?] unsencible [insensible] that you have Ennyes [enemies] as
well as friends both there & [and] here The [senser desire?]
of your [abbreviation—ur] frends [friends] are that The Lords [Lord's] peace [peacable [peaceable]?]
wisdom may sway Rule & [and] Govern amongst you
& [and] ^that^ In itt [it] you May [Cutt [cut]? / Call?] of occation [occasion] from those who
do or may seeke occation agt [seek occasion against] you, And herein you
will give true occation [occasion] to your [abbreviation—ur] friends who watch for
good to Rejoyce [rejoice] in ye [the] good [wch [which] / with] ye [the] Lord god by you as —
Instruments shall worke [work] to ye ye [the the] Renowne [renown] & [and] pray^e^ [pray]
of his owne [own] holy name to whome [whom] bee [be] glory for
=ever [forever] more amen
Dear James [James Harrison] as to what thou writt [you wrote] Concerning my Intentio
=ntious [intentions] to Com [come] to give you a visitt [visit] my Intentious [intentions] wear [were]
Really with submition [submission] to ye [the] providence of god to
give you & [and] other friends in that part of ye [the] world a
visitt [visit] but providence hath hetherto [has hitherto [has so far]] Interposed
to wch [which] [strikethrough: wch [which]] I willingly submitt [submit] whether provide^nce^ [providence]
will yett [yet] order mee [me] to see you or not tyme [time] will manny
=fest [manifest] I cannot Detirmin itt [determine it], but if god should soe [so] order
I am through ye [the] Mercy of god Much Recovered of me
Bodily weakness yett [yet] am much weaker then [than] I was —
before ye [the] Late Great weakness fell on mee [me] being
much disabled by a settled paine [pain] in my Right side
wch [which] I Conclude proceed from winde [wind], But ye [the] Lord is
good to mee [me] in & [and] through the Mannyfold [manifold] great Exer
=sises [exercises] wch hath [which has/have] fallen on mee [me] of Late tyme [time]
But tis [it is] well with inwardly & [and] outwardly praysed [praised]
bee [be] his holy name, Wee [We] had of Late our yeare [year]
meeting in sweet peace & [and] unnity [unity] since wch [which] I Came
through some parts of Stafordshire [Staffordshire] & [and] Chesshire [Cheshire]
Into this County in ye [the] said Countyes [counties] have been at
[times?] divers [diverse] good sweet & [and] peacable [peaceable] Meetings tho [though]: ye [the] Enny
=mies [enemies] of truth are at their Evill worke [evil work] in these parts [fancy P—ar]
Dear James [James Harrison] to Conclude this Longe [long] Letter I Must put thee [you]
In minde [mind] of my sonn [son] John [John Gibson] whome [whom] I have at his owne [own]
Earnest desire sent to East Jersey with Gavin Lowry [Gawen Lawrie]
I gott [got] him Efectually [effectually] instructed in ye [the] art of Survey
=ing [surveying] & [and] [bought?] him Choyse [choice] Instruments for his use
in ye [the] said art our Company of propryators [proprietors] Gave
him their Letter of [recomendation] [partially illegible—page torn, 're' assumed] [recommendation] to ye [the] Survayers
Generall [Surveyors General] of the said [province] [partially illegible—page torn] to Encouriag [encourage] him
[page 4]
him by imploying [employing] ^him^ in Survaying [surveying] ^our^ Land in yt [that] provence [province] wch [which]
understand that S: Groom [Samuel Groom] ^who^ was by us appainted [appointed] for ye [the] said place
is deceased wch [which] occations [occasions] my [Care?/Cause?] to bee [be] ye [the] greater Concerning
sonn [son] not knowing ^who^ may suceed [succeed] in that place, G: Lawry [Gawen Lawrie] [pro...] [illegible—obscured by binding tape]
=ed [promised?] mee [me] to take Care of him Concerning whom I am willing to
hope well, I purpose [intend] to send a few Lynes inclosed [lines enclosed] in this [...] [illegible—obscured by binding tape]
my sonn [son] wch [which] I Reqest [request] thee [you] Carefully to Convey to him I [shuld [should]?] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape]
take it kindly if thou [you] will write a few Lines to him & [and] Encouriage [encourage] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape]
him to Love & [and] wa^l^ke [walk] in ye [the] truth And to bee [be] Diligent & [and] Care
full [careful] in his busines [business], In my Last [last letter] to Dear W: Penn [William Penn] I writt [wrote] [some?] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape, 'me' assumed]
thing [something] aboute [about] him my Care is much Concerning him, I shall [take] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape, 'ke' assumed]
Itt [it] kindly of you or any other of my ancent Bre: [Ancient Brethren] that you
will take notice of him & [and] Encouriage [encourage] him in yt [that] wch [which] is good
The Lord god allmighty [almighty] preserve you & [and] us all in faithful
=nes [faithfulness] unto him selfe [unto himself] unto this End Amen This [unfaile [unfailing]?] [partially illegible—obscured by binding tape]
Love ffrom [From] thy [your] Endeared friends [and] Bro: [brothers] in god Couvnant [God's Convenant] of [illegible—obscured by binding tape]
Life & [and] peace
Wm Gibson [William Gibson]
To
James Harrison
these present
in
Pensillvaina [Pennsylvania]
[Written in a more modern hand, located in bottom left and oriented to left margin]
William Gibson
Warrington
4 mo 14. 1684 [4th month 14th day 1684]
to
James Harrison
Pennsylvania
Citation
William Gibson, Warrington, Lancashire, England, to James Harrison, Pennsylvania, 1684-06-24, vol. 2, pg. 54, Pemberton Family Papers, 1641-1880, 0484A, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PRINT, 15949, https://stars.library.ucf.edu/printmigrationnetwork-pemberton/177/.