John Urmston to John Chamberlayne (Secretary)

Dublin Core

Title

John Urmston to John Chamberlayne (Secretary)

Description

He is unwilling to sail on the Princess Anne with the Palatines, as he believes the voyage will be too rough for his family.

Date

28 September 1709

Identifier

Lambeth SPG 15 22

Letter Item Type Metadata

Sender

Origin

Letter Type

MS Letter

EMLO Catalogue

Diplomatic Transcription

Worshipful Sr

I hope my aversion to go for Carolina in the Princess Anne will not be imputed to want of zeal for the good of Souls, when you know th[a]t I did not without difficulty prevail w[i]th my wife, sometime before I was chosen Missionary, to go with me beyond sea: she is a tender and timorous poor creature, hath never been upon the salt water and has a strange notion of my undertaking. I have lived in many years in divers Foreign Countries and may, I p[re]sume, be allow’d to know w[ha]t is necessary to render life abroad comfortable to my self and family: I have experienced the uneasiness & great inconveniencies w[hi]ch attend men and their wives in living asunder, besides the vast and unnecessary \charge/ of keeping two families, as I must do, if I leave my wife in Eng[lan]d we might all live for less in America, than will maintain her & three children here and except she goes w[i]th me she declares she’ll nev[e]r undertake such a voyage. As for my own part I should as freely expose myself to all the hazards th[a]t may attend th’afores[ai]d Ship in her voyage as any man, but it would be a great affliction, to see my wife and little babes at the mercy of a cruel enemy, w[hi]ch is too much to be fear’d, did we go in her, for she might as well sail aling the coasts of France as go North about or round the Cape in Virginia; I know th[a]t at this time of the year there always are many Privateers lurking about Shotland, so th[a]t it is very improbable a single ship, of w[ha]t force-soev[e]r, should escape th[e]m. the Russia & Greenland Merch[an]ts will tell y[o]u as much, I hope the Hon[oura]ble Soc[ie]tie will have more regard for their Missionaries & their families than those forlorn poor wretches, the Palatines: I nev[e]r expected to be sent w[i]thout Convoy: the dangers of the sea are many in time of War, & there have been those th[a]t have been carried into France, notwithstan[din]g they had a strong safeguard, six or more Men of War, w[i]th th[e]m: should the like befall

me and family I should be very much condemn’d for venturing in a single Ship & ‘twould undoubtedly cause regret in all th[a]t press’t \me/ to it, but if I go w[i]th Convoy I must be content w[i]th the com[m]on fate of the whole Fleet, come w[ha]t will.

These, with submission, are I think cogent reasons enough, why I should desire to be excused from going now, w[i]th the Palatines and hope I shall not be worse treated than the rest of my Brethren who are appointed Missionaries in America; but if after application, made to his Grace my Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others, w[hi]ch favour I humbly beg of you, on my behalf, the Hon[oura]ble Soc[ie]tie will not be pleased to allow me salary from the time I was admitted, I freely submit my self to their Good will & Pleasure in this and all other matters th[a]t have relation to the Mission, as I think myself in duty bound and am

Sr
Your Worsh[i]ps most obed[ien]t
and humble serv[an]t.

Jo[h]n Urmston

East Ham
Sept[embe]r 28. 1709.

Transcription and MS

Worshipful Sr

I hope my aversion to go for Carolina in the Princess Anne will not be imputed to want of zeal for the good of Souls, when you know th[a]t I did not without difficulty prevail w[i]th my wife, sometime before I was chosen Missionary, to go with me beyond sea: she is a tender and timorous poor creature, hath never been upon the salt water and has a strange notion of my undertaking. I have lived in many years in divers Foreign Countries and may, I p[re]sume, be allow’d to know w[ha]t is necessary to render life abroad comfortable to my self and family: I have experienced the uneasiness & great inconveniencies w[hi]ch attend men and their wives in living asunder, besides the vast and unnecessary \charge/ of keeping two families, as I must do, if I leave my wife in Eng[lan]d we might all live for less in America, than will maintain her & three children here and except she goes w[i]th me she declares she’ll nev[e]r undertake such a voyage. As for my own part I should as freely expose myself to all the hazards th[a]t may attend th’afores[ai]d Ship in her voyage as any man, but it would be a great affliction, to see my wife and little babes at the mercy of a cruel enemy, w[hi]ch is too much to be fear’d, did we go in her, for she might as well sail aling the coasts of France as go North about or round the Cape in Virginia; I know th[a]t at this time of the year there always are many Privateers lurking about Shotland, so th[a]t it is very improbable a single ship, of w[ha]t force-soev[e]r, should escape th[e]m. the Russia & Greenland Merch[an]ts will tell y[o]u as much, I hope the Hon[oura]ble Soc[ie]tie will have more regard for their Missionaries & their families than those forlorn poor wretches, the Palatines: I nev[e]r expected to be sent w[i]thout Convoy: the dangers of the sea are many in time of War, & there have been those th[a]t have been carried into France, notwithstan[din]g they had a strong safeguard, six or more Men of War, w[i]th th[e]m: should the like befall

me and family I should be very much condemn’d for venturing in a single Ship & ‘twould undoubtedly cause regret in all th[a]t press’t \me/ to it, but if I go w[i]th Convoy I must be content w[i]th the com[m]on fate of the whole Fleet, come w[ha]t will.

These, with submission, are I think cogent reasons enough, why I should desire to be excused from going now, w[i]th the Palatines and hope I shall not be worse treated than the rest of my Brethren who are appointed Missionaries in America; but if after application, made to his Grace my Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others, w[hi]ch favour I humbly beg of you, on my behalf, the Hon[oura]ble Soc[ie]tie will not be pleased to allow me salary from the time I was admitted, I freely submit my self to their Good will & Pleasure in this and all other matters th[a]t have relation to the Mission, as I think myself in duty bound and am

Sr
Your Worsh[i]ps most obed[ien]t
and humble serv[an]t.

Jo[h]n Urmston

East Ham
Sept[embe]r 28. 1709.

Part of Collection

Citation

“John Urmston to John Chamberlayne (Secretary),” USPG Online Exhibition , accessed March 29, 2024, http://emlo-portal.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/exhibition/uspg/items/show/19.

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