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THE

LATE REVOLUTION

N E W-EN GLAND.

Katun's i&eprtnt£,

QUARTO SERIES.

No. I

AN

ACCOUNT

Cf)e Eate Belioiutton

N E W-EN GLAND

Mr. NATHANAEL BYFIELD.

NEW YORK:
REPRINTED FOR JOSEPH SABTN.
1865.

AN

ACCOUNT

OF THE

ate lUwltttiriti

IN

NE W-E NGLAND.
Together with the
DEC L ARATION OF THE
Gentlemen, Merchants, and Inhabitants of BOSTON,
and the Country Adjacent. April 18. 1689.
Written by Mr. NATHANAEL BTFTELD,
a Merchant of Bfiftol in New-England, to his Friends
in London.

LICENSED, June 27. 1689. J. Frajer.
LONDON:
Printed for JfttC. ffifjfftBdJ, at the Rqfe and Crown in
St. Pams Church-Yard. MDCLXXXIX.

AN

ACCOUNT

LATE REVOLUTION

NEW-ENGLAND.
Written by Mr. Nathanael Byfield, to his Friends, &c.
GENTLEMEN, ERE being an opportunity
of fending for London, by
a Veflel that loaded at
Long-Ifland, and for want
of a Wind put in here ; and
not knowing that there will
be the like from this Country fuddenly, I
am willing to give you fome brief Account
of the moft remarkable Things that have

[6 ]
hapned here within this Fortnight laft
paft ; concluding that till about that time,
you will have received per Carter, a full
Account of the management of Affairs
here. Upon the Eighteenth Inftant, about
Eight of the Clock in the Morning, in
Bofton, it was reported at the South end
of the Town, That at the North end they
were all in Arms ; and the like Report
was at the North end, refpecting the South
end : Whereupon Captain John George
was immediately feized, and about Nine
of the Clock the Drums beat thorough the
Town j and an Enftgn was fet up upon
the Beacon. Then Mr. Bradjlreet, Mr.
Dantforth, Major Richards, Dr. Cooke, and
Mr. Addington, &c. were brought to the
Council-houfe by a Company of Soldiers
under the Command of Captain Hill.
The mean while the People in Arms, did
take up and put into Goal, Juftice Bulli-
vant, Juftice Foxcroft, Mr. Randolf, Sheriff
Sherlock, Captain Ravenfcrojt, Captain
JVhite, Farewel, Broadbent, Cr afford, Lar-
kin, Smith, and many more, as alfo Mercey the

[7 ]
the then Goal-keeper, and put Scates the
Bricklayer in his place. About Noon, in
the Gallery at the Council-houfe, was
read the Declaration here inclofed. Then
a Meffage was fent to the Fort to Sir
Edmund Androfs, by Mr. Oliver and Mr.
Eyres, ftgned by the Gentlemen then in
the Council-Chamber, [which is here alfo
inclofed] ; to inform him how unfafe he
was like to be if he did not deliver up
himfelf, and Fort and Government forth
with, which he was loath to do. By this
time, being about two of the Clock [the
Lecture being put by] the Town was
generally in Arms, and fo many of the
Countrey came in, that there was twenty
Companies in Bofton, beftdes a great many
that appeared at Charles Town that could
not get over [fome fay fifteen hundred].
There then came Information to the Sol
diers, That a Boat was come from the
Frigat that made towards the Fort, which
made them hafte thither, and come to the
Sconce foon after the Boat got thither ;
and 'tis faid that Governor Androfs, and
about

[ 8 ]
about half a fcore Gentlemen, were com
ing down out of the Fort • but the Boat
being feized, wherein were fmall Arms,
Hand-Granadoes, and a quantity of Match,
the Governour and the reft went in again ;
whereupon Mr. John N elf on, who was at
the head of the Soldiers, did demand the
Fort and the Governor, who was loath to
fubmit to them ; but at length did come
down, and was with the Gentlemen that
were with him, conveyed to the Council-
houfe, where Mr. Bradftreet and the reft
of the Gentlemen waited to receive him j
to whom Mr. Stoughton firft fpake, telling
him, He might thank himfelf for the
prefent Difafter that had befallen him, £&f c.
He was then confined for that Night to
Mr. John Ujhers Houfe under ftrong
Guards, and the next Day conveyed to
the Fort, [where he yet remains, and with
him Lieutenant Collonel Ledgetl which
is under the Command of Mr. John Nelfon ;
and at the Caftle, which is under the
Command of Mr. John Fairweather, is
Mr. Weft, Mr. Graham, Mr. Palmer, and
Captain

[9 ]
Captain Tryfroye. At that time Mr. Dud
ley was out upon the Circuit, and was
holding a Court at Southold on Long-
Ifland. And on the 21ft Inftant he ar
rived at Newport, where he heard the
News. The next Day Letters came to
him, advifing him not to come home ; he
thereupon went over privately to Major
Smith's at Naraganzett, and Advice is this
Day come hither, that yefterday about a
dozen young Men, moft of their own
Heads, went thither to demand him ; and
are gone with him down to Bofton. We
have alfo Advice, that on Fryday laft
towards Evening, Sir Edmond Androfs did
attempt to make an Efcape in Woman's
Apparel, and pafs'd two Guards, and was
ftopped at the third, being difcovered by
his Shoes, not having changed them. We
are here ready to blame you fometimes,
that we have not to this Day received ad
vice concerning the great Changes in
England, and in particular how it is like
to fair with us here ; who do hope and
believe that all thefe Things will work for
B our

our Good j and that you will not be want
ing to promote the Good of a Country
that ftands in fuch need as New England
does at this Day. The firft Day of May,
according to former Ufage, is the Election
Day at Road Ifland ; and many do fay
they intend their Choice there then. I
have not farther to trouble you with at
prefent, but recommending you, and all
our Affairs with you, to the Direction and
Blefling of our moft Gracious God : I re
main Gentlemen, Your moft Humble
Servant at Command,
NATHANAEL BTFIELD,
Briftol, April 29. 1689.
Through the Goodnefs of God, there
hath been no Blood fhed. Nath.
Clark is in Plymouth Gaol,
and John Smith in Gaol here,
all waiting for News from Eng
land.

THE

THE

DECLARATION

OF THE

Gentlemen, Merchants and Inhabitants of Bojlon,
and the Country Adjacent. April 18. 1689.

LW:

E have feen more than a decad
of Years rolled away fince the
Englifh World had the Difcovery of an
horrid Popijh Plot ; wherein the bloody
Devotoes of Rome had in their Defign
and Profped: no lefs than the Extinction
of the Proteftant Religion : which mighty
Work they called the utter fubduing of a
Peftilent Herejy ; wherein [they faid] there
never were fuch Hopes of Succefs fince
the Death of Queen Mary, as now in our
Days. And we were of all Men the moft
infenfible, if we fhould apprehend a Coun trey

[ " ]
trey fo remarkable for the true Profeftion
and pure Exercife of the Proteftant Reli
gion as New-England is, wholly uncon
cerned in the Infamous Plot. To crufh
and break a Countrey fo entirely and fig-
nally made up of Reformed Churches, and
at length to involve it in the miferies of
an utter Extirpation, muft needs carry
even a Supererogation of Merit with it
among fuch as were intoxicated with a
Bigotry infpired into them by the great
Scarlet Whore.
§11. To get us within the reach of the
Defolation defired for us, it was no im
proper thing that we fhould firft have our
Charter vacated, and the Hedge which
kept us from the wild Beafts of the Field,
effectually broken down. The Accom-
plifhment of this was haftned by the un
wearied Sollicitations, and flanderous Ac-
cufations of a Man, for his Malice and
Faljhood, well known unto us all. Our
Charter was with a moft injurious Pretence
[and fcarce that] of Law, condemned be
fore it was poflible for us to appear at
Weftminfter

[ '3 ]
Weftminfter in the legal Defence of it ;
and without a fair leave to anfwer for our
felves, concerning the Crimes falfly laid to
our Charge, we were put under a Prefident
and Council, without any liberty for an
Affembly, which the other American
Plantations have, by a Commiflion from
his Majefty.
§ III. The Commiflion was as Illegal for
the Form of it, as the Way of obtaining
it was Malicious and Unreajonable : yet
we made no Refiftance thereunto as we
could eafily have done ; but chofe to give
all Mankind a Demonftration of our being
a People fufficiently dutiful and loyal to
our King : and this with yet more Satis
faction, becaufe we took Pains to make our
felves believe as much as ever we could of
the Whedle then offer'd unto us ; That his
Magefty's Defire was no other than the
happy Encreafe and Advance of thefe
Provinces by their more immediate De
pendance on the Crown of England. And
we were convinced of it by the Courfes
immediately taken to damp and fpoyl our
Trade ;

[ 1+ ]
Trade; whereof Decayes and Complaints
prefently filled all the Country ; while in
the mean time neither the Honour nor the
Treafure of the King was at all advanced
by this new Model of our Affairs, but
a considerable Charge added unto the
Crown. §IV. In little more than half a Year
we faw this Commiflion fuperfeded by
another yet more abfolute and Arbitrary,
with which Sir Edmond Androfs arrived
as our Governour : who befides his Power,
with the Advice and Confent of his Coun
cil, to make Laws and raife Taxes as he
pleafed ; had alio Authority by himfelf
to Mufter and Imploy all Perfons refiding
in the Territory as occafion fhall ferve ;
and to transfer fuch Forces to any Englifh
Plantation in America, as occafion fhall
require. And feveral Companies of Soul
diers were now brought from Europe, to
fupport what was to be impofed upon us,
not without repeated Menaces that fome
hundreds more were intended for us.
§ V. The Government was no fooner in
thefe

[ '5 ]
thefe Hands, but Care was taken to load
Preferments principally upon fuch Men as
were Strangers to and Haters ofthe People:
and every ones Obfervation hath noted,
what Qualifications recommended a Man
to publick Offices and Employments, only
here and there a good Man was ufed, where
others could not eafily be had \ the Gov
ernour himfelf, with Affertions now and
then falling from him, made us jealous that
it would be thought for his Majefties In
tereft, if this People were removed and
another fucceeded in their room : And
his far-fetch'd Inftruments that were grow
ing rich among us, would gravely inform
us, that it was not for his Majefties Intereft
that we fhould thrive. But of all our
Oppreffors we were chiefly fqueez'd by a
Crew of abject Perfons fetched from New
York, to be the Tools of the Adverfary,
ftanding at our right Hand ; by thefe were
extraordinary and intollerable Fees extorted
from every one upon all Occafions, with
out any Rules but thofe of their own in-
fatiable Avarice and Beggary ; and even the

[ '6 ]
the probate of a Will muft now coft as
many Pounds perhaps as it did Shillings
heretofore ; nor could a fmall Volume
contain the other Illegalities done by thefe
Horfe- leeches in the two or three Years
that they have been fucking of us ; and
what Laws they made it was as impoflible
for us to know, as dangerous for us to
break; but we fhall leave the Men of
M^^ltlpfwich or Plimotuh [among others] to
Ir %Jy '"put te\\ the Story of the Kindnefs which has
been fhown them upon this Account.
Doubtlefs a Land fo ruled as once New-
England was, has not without many Fears
and Sighs beheld the wicked walking on
every Side, and the vileft Men exalted.
§ VI. It was now plainly affirmed, both
by fome in open Council, and by the fame in
private Converfe, that the People in New-
England were all Slaves, and the only dif
ference between them and Slaves is their
not being bought and fold ; and it was a
Maxim delivered in open Court unto us
by one of the Council, that we muft not
think the Priviledges of Englijh men would
follow

[ '7 ]
follow us to the End of the World : Accord
ingly we have been treated with multi
plied Contradictions to Magna Charta, the
Rights of which we laid claim unto. Per
fons who did but peaceably object againft
the railing of Taxes, without an Aflembly,
have been for it fined, fome twenty, fome
thirty, and others fifty Pounds. Packt and
pickt Juries have been very common things
among us, when, under a pretended Form
of Law, the Trouble of fome honeft and
worthy Men has been aimed at : but when
fome of this Gang have been brought
upon the Stage, for the moft deteftable
Enormities that ever the Sun beheld, all
Men have with Admiration feen what
Methods have been taken that they might
not be treated according to their Crimes.
Without a Verdict, yea, without a Jury
fometimes have People been fined moft
unrighteoufly ; and fome not of the mean-
eft Quality have been kept in long and clofe
Imprifonment without any the leaft In
formation appearing againft them, or an
Habeas Corpus allowed unto them. In
C fliort,

[ .8 ]
fhort, when our Oppreflbrs have been a
little out of Mony, 'twas but pretending
fome Offence to be enquired into, and the
moft innocent of Men were continually
put into no fmall Expence to anfwer
the Demands of the Oflicers, who muft
have Mony of them, or a Prifon for them,
tho none could accufe them of any Mifde-
meanour. § VII. To plunge the poor People every
where into deeper Incapacities, there was
one very comprehenfive Abufe given to
us ; Multitudes of pious and fober Men
through the Land, fcrupled the Mode of
Swearing on the Book, defiring that they
might Swear with an uplifted Hand,
agreeable to the ancient Cuftom of the
Colony; and though we think we can
prove that the Common Law amongft us
(as well as in fome other places under the
Englifh Crown) not only indulges, but
even commands and enjoins the Rite of
lifting the Hand in Swearing ; yet they
that had this Doubt, were ftill put by from
ferving upon any Juries ; and many of
them

[ '9 ]
them were moft unaccountably Fined and
Imprifoned. Thus one Grievance is a
Trojan Horfe, in the Belly of which it
is not eafy to recount how many infuffer-
able Vexations have been contained.
§ VIII. Becaufe thefe Things could not
make us miferable faft enough, there was
a notable Difcovery made of we know not
what flaw in all our Titles to our Lands ;
and tho, beftdes our purchafe of them from
the Natives ; and, beftdes our actual peace
able unqueftioned Pofleflion of them for
near threefcore Years, and befides the Pro-
mife of K. Charles II. in his Proclamation
fent over to us in the Year 1683, That
no Man here fhall receive any Prejudice in
his Free-hold or Eft ate : We had the Grant
of our Lands, under the Seal of the Coun
cil of Plimouth : which Grant was Re
newed and Confirmed unto us by King
Charles I. under the Great Seal of England ;
and the General Court which confifted of
the Patentees and their Affociates, had
made particular Grants hereof to the fev
eral Towns (though 'twas now deny'd by
the

[ 20 ]
the Governour, that there was any fuch
Thing as a Town) among us ; to all which
Grants the General Court annexed for the
further fecuring of them, A General Acl,
publifhed under the Seal of the Colony,
in the Year 1684. Yet we were every
day told, That no Man was owner of a Foot
of Land in all the Colony. Accordingly,
Writs of Intrufton began every where to
be ferved on People, that after all their
Sweat and their Coft upon their formerly
purchafed Lands, thought themfelves Free
holders of what they had. And the Gov
ernor caufed the Lands pertaining to thefe
and thofe particular Men, to be meafured
out for his Creatures to take poffeflion of;
and the Right Owners, for pulling up the
Stakes, have paffed through Moleftations
enough to tire all the Patience in the
World. They are more than a few, that
were by Terrors driven to take Patents
for their Lands at exceflive rates, to fave
them from the next that might petition
for them : and we fear that the forcing of
the People at the Eaftward hereunto, gave too

[ » ]
too much Rife to the late unhappy Inva-
fion made by the Indians on them. Blanck
Patents were got ready for the reft of us,
to be fold at a Price, that all the Mony and
Moveables in the Territory could fcarce
have paid. And feveral Towns in the
Country had their Commons begg'd by
Perfons (even by fome of the Council
themfelves) who have been privately en
couraged thereunto, by thofe that fought
for Occafions to impoverifh a Land already
Peeled, Meeted out and Trodden down.
§ IX. All the Council were not ingaged
in thefe ill ACtions, but thofe of them
which were true Lovers of their Country,
were feldom admitted to, and feldomer
confulted at the Debates which produced
thefe unrighteous Things : Care was taken
to keep them under Difadvantages ; and
the Governor, with five or fix more, did
what they would. We bore all thefe, and
many more fuch Things, without making
any attempt for any Relief; only Mr.
Mather, purely out of refpeCt unto the
Good of his Afflicted Country, undertook

[ « ]
a Voyage into England ; which when
thefe Men fufpected him to be preparing
for, they ufed all manner of Craft and
Rage, not only to interrupt his Voyage,
but to ruin his Perfon too. God having
through many Difficulties given him to
arrive at White-hall, the King, more than
once or twice, promifed him a certain
Magna Charta for a fpeedy Redrefs of
many Things which we were groaning
under : and in the mean time faid, That
our Governor Jhould be written unto, to
forbear the Meafures that he was upon.
However, after this, we were injured in
thofe very Things which were complained
of; and befides what Wrong hath been
done in our Civil Concerns, we fuppofe
the Minifters and the Churches every where
have feen our Sacred Concerns apace go
ing after them : How they have been
Difcountenanced, has had a room in the
Reflection of every Man, that is not a
Stranger in our Ifrael.
§X. And yet that our Calamity might
not be terminated here, we are again
Briar'd

[*3 ]
Briar'd in the Perplexities of another In
dian War ; how, or why, is a myftery too
deep for us to unfold. And tho' 'tis
judged that our Indian Enemies are not
above ioo. in Number, yet an Army of
One thoufand Englifh hath been raifed for
the Conquering of them ; which Army of
our poor Friends and Brethren now under
Popifh Commanders (for in the Army as
well as in the Council, Papifts are in
Commiflion) has been under fuch a Con
duct, that not one Indian hath been kill'd,
but more Englifh are fuppofed to have
died through ficknefs and hardfhip, than
we have Adverfaries there alive ; and the
whole War hath been fo managed, that
we cannot but fufpect in it, a Branch of
the Plot to bring us low ; which we leave
to be further enquir'd into in due time.
§XI. We did nothing againft thefe
Proceedings, but only cry to our God ;
they have caufed the cry of the Poor to come
unto him, and he hears the cry of the AfjliSl-
ed. We have been quiet hitherto, and fo
ftill we fhould have been, had not the
Great

[ 2+ ]
Great God at this time laid us under a
double engagement to do fomething for
our Security : befides, what we have in
the ftrangely unanimous Inclination which
our Countrymen by extreameft neceflities
are driven unto. For firft, we are inform
ed that the reft of the Englifh America is
alarmed with juft and great Fears, that
they may be attaqu'd by the French, who
have lately ('tis faid) already treated many
of the Englifh with worfe then Turkijh
Cruelties ; and while we are in equal
Danger of being furprifed by them, it is
high time we fhould be better guarded,
than we are like to be while the Govern
ment remains in the hands by which it
hath been held' of late. Moreover, we have
underftood, (though the Governour has
taken all imaginable care to keep us all
ignorant thereof) that the Almighty God
hath been pleafed to profper the noble
Undertaking of the Prince of Orange, to
preferve the three Kingdoms from the
horrible brinks of Popery and Slavery, and
to bring to a condign Punifhment thofe
worft

[ ^5 ]
worft of Men, by whom Englifh Liberties
have been deftroy'd; in compliance with
which glorious Action we ought furely to
follow the Patterns which the Nobility,
Gentry and Commonalty in feveral parts
of thofe Kingdoms have fet before us,
though they therein chiefly propofed to
prevent what we already endure.
§XII. We do therefore feize upon the
Perfons of thofe few ill Men which have
been (next to our Sins) the grand Authors
of our Miferies ; refolving to fecure them,
for what Juftice, Orders from his High-
nefs, with the Englifh Parliament fhall
direct, left, ere we are aware, we find
(what we may fear, being on all fides in
Danger) our felves to be by them given
away to a Forreign Power, before fuch
Orders can reach unto us ; for which
Orders we now humbly wait. In the
mean time firmly believing, that we have
endeavoured nothing but what meer Duty
to God and our Country calls for at our
Hands : We commit our Enterprife unto
D the

[ 26 ]
the Blefling of Him, who hears the cry of
the Oppreffed, and advife all our Neigh
bours, for whom we have thus ventured
our felves, to joyn with us in Prayers and
all juft ACtions, for the Defence of the
Land.

At the Town- Houfe in Bojion, April 18. 1689.
SIR,
OVR Selves and many others the Inhabitants of
this Town, and the Places adjacent, being fur -
prized with the Peoples Judden taking of Arms ;
in the firft motion whereof we were wholly ignorant,
being driven by the prefent Accident, are neceffitated
to acquaint y our Excellency , that for the quieting
and fecuring of the People inhabiting in this Country
from the hnminent Dangers they many ways lie open
and expofed to, and tendring y our own Safety , We
judge it neceffary y ou forthwith furrender and de
liver up the Government and Fortification to be
preferved and difpofed according to Order and Di
rection fro?n the Crown of England, which fuddenly
is expected ?nay arrive; promffing all fecurity from
violence to y our Self or any of y our Gentletnen or
Souldiers in Perfon and Efiate : . Otherwife we are
affured they will endeavour the taking of the Fortifi
cation by Storm, if any Oppojition be made.
To Sir Edmond Androfs Kt.
Waite Winthrop. Elifha Cook.
Simon Bradftreet. Ifaac Addington.
William Stoughton. John Nelfon.
Samuel Shrimpton. Adam Winthrop.
Bartholomew Gidney. Peter Sergeant.
William Brown. John Fofter.
Thomas Danforth. David Waterhoufe.
John Richards. FINIS.

00477 9717