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Winthrop Family Papers

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Cicely Chaderton1 to Isaac Johnson2
Chaderton, Cicely Johnson, Isaac

1625-08-24
To my verie loving Nephew Mr. Isack Johnson at Northluffenham3 give these
Beloved Isaake,

My true and vnfayned loue I commend to you, and to the Lady your wife,4 for whom I cordially desire, that her vertue and piety may exceed her honour, and then she is truly honourable every way. Good Isaak I haue received (partly by your letters, partly by your speech to my selfe, to Doctour Preston, and others) many smooth and good words: now is the time you are to manifest deeds aequivalent, and then I shall well pereceiue, that it was not a bare pleasing perfume that vanisheth. I cannot expresse to you how much I was greived at the hearing of your Grandfathers Will,5 yet (as god knoweth) not soe much for the littlenesse of legasies to your Father, and your Brothers, as for the blemmish of his reputation, who was soe eminent for wisdome and wealth. Sweet Isacke as you loue god, and the creditt of his gospell which you professe, and mee your true loving Grandmother, who doe desire your good every way, agree with your Father without suite in law, which will be both scandalous to others, and wastefull to yourselues. If I be put to it, I must, and will sweare truly to the articles of contract, and the note of inducement, by which I was drawne to accept of the match, which I had formerly denyed.6 But verbum sapienti satis.

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I haue sent you one doozen of gloves, and haue payd the glover, who hath abated of the price specified in his note viz: for two doozen of gloves with facing and fringe 50 s.: for two doozen of plaine gloves 20 s.: soe you owe mee 20 s., which you may give to Sam: for mee. My good will was to haue come to you with my husband, on purpose to be acquainted with my Lady your wife but some impediments haue put it of, but not taken it away: I waite for the next opportunity. And even soe, comending my selfe to your first and second selfe, I commend vs all to the gratious blessing of god in Christ Jesus, remayning while I am, or haue a beeing on earth Your loving Grandmother

Cicely Chaderton. Aug. 24 1625

Indorsed: “Gr: mother Chad: 24 Aug: 1625. Touchinge a pacification, with many and earnest pressings, etc.”

 1.

Cicely (Culverwell) Chaderton was the wife of Laurence Chaderton (1536?–1640), Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, one of the Puritan divines nominated by King James to attend the Hampton Court Conference in 1603, and one of the translators of the Bible. Abraham Johnson married, for his first wife, Anne Meadows (mother of Isaac), daughter of Robert Meadows of Stamford: his second wife was the sole child of Laurence Chaderton, and Cicely his wife; who, therefore, was indirectly ‘grandmother’ of Isaac Johnson, but directly of his half brothers and sister, children of Elizabeth (Chaderton) Johnson. 4 Collections , VI. 28, note. Cf. B. Brook, Lives of the Puritans (London, 1813), II. 445–448; F. Peck, Desiderata Curiosa (London, 1735), bk. viii, p. 47, note; New England Historical and Genealogical Register, VIII. 359–362; D. N. B. , IX. 430–432; E. S. Shuckburgh, Emmanuel College (London, 1904), 24–56. Cicely Chaderton died in 1631.

 2.

W. 2. 12; 4 Collections , VI. 28–29.

 3.

North Luffenham is a parish in the hundred of Wrangdike, co. Rutland.

 4.

Arbella, daughter of Thomas Fiennes or Clinton, third Earl of Lincoln, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Knevitt of Charlton, co. Wilts. Arthur Collins, Peerage of England, ed. Sir Egerton Brydges, II. 209.

 5.

Robert Johnson (1540–1625), archdeacon of Leicester and founder of the Oakham and Uppingham Schools, who had died in July. This passage is explained in a statement prepared by Abraham Johnson in 1638, printed in N. E. Hist. and Geneal. Register, VIII. 361.

 6.

The grandfather, Robert, had favored the match between Isaac and the Lady Arbella, but the father opposed it. The latter asserted that the marriage was clandestine and the parties had never dared tell him who had performed it. Ibid., VIII. 360–361.
John Winthrop to Sir Robert Crane1
Winthrop, John Crane, Robert

1626-01-14
To the right worshipfull Sir Robert Crane knight at Burye St. Edmunds dd.
from London January 14. 1625–26. Right worthy Sir,

Since I parted from you, I heard of a motion made by a gentleman of our Countye for Electing Sir Robert Nanton the master of the wardes to be one of the knightes for our Countye, so as havinge Conference with my broth: Down: about it, we have thought fitt to moue your selfe and some others in it, I suppose there wilbe no exception against him, except for that he is a privie Counseller, which may easyly be removed by consideration of what he hathe formerly suffered for the Common-wealthe: and you well knowe of what vse the favour and helpe of suche an honorable person may be, in the Causes of our Countye especially for our Clothiers; as for his greatnesse that need not discourage them, for besides, that I knowe, he beares a speciall affection to our Countrye, (and would take it as the greatest honor that could befall him in this kinde, to have this testimonye of their love to him againe) I dare vndertake, for their readye accesse to him at tymes convenient;

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If you approve of this motion, I desire you would please to propounde it to the other gentlemen at Sessions, and if you thinke good to write to Ipswich or any other place about it, the master shalbe certified of your care and paines about it, who (I knowe) will take it verye kindly from you, and will be thankfull to you; for a meet person to be ioyned with him, I could wishe your selfe would take it vpon you,2 but if you like to refuse, some eminent and discreet person would be thought of; if it were one of the deputy Leiutenantes it were the better, and it might be of good vse if some of the gentlemen of the leiutenantie were moved for their assistance: If you please you may thinke of Sir Nath: Barnardiston tho he be out of the Countye.

Having diverse lettres to dispatche I cannot write to you as I desire, for news there is none certaine but of the putting of the coronation till maye and then to be performed privately: and of order taken with the Bishops to proceed with the Papists by Ecclesiasticall Censures: and so with remembrance of my humble service to you, I take leave and rest allwayes yours to be commanded

John Winthrop. 1.

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Tanner 72, fo. 69 v; W. S. Appleton, Memorials of the Cranes of Chilton (Cambridge, Mass., 1868), 75–76.

 2.

Naunton and Crane were elected to represent Suffolk in the Parliament of 1625–26. Parliamentary Papers, 1878, LXII, pt. 1, 471.