One of Our principal Secretaries of State, and to the Lords of Our Privy Councill appointed a Committee for Trade and Forrein Plantations, with all convenient speed the names and characters of twelve persons Inhabitants of Our said Territory, whom you shall esteem the best qualified for that Trust and so from time to time when any of them shall dye, depart out of Our said Territory or become otherwise unfit, you are to supply the first number of twelve Persons by nominating others to Us in their stead.1 Accordingly, on March 25, 1687, the following "Names of persons best qualified to fill vacancies in Council" were transmitted: 2 Before the date of Andros's second Commission (April 7, 1688), at least seven persons had been nominated to the Council of whom four were among the twelve recommended above. On April 25, 1687, Andros was directed "forthwith upon receipt hereof" to cause "Captain Francis Nicholson to be sworne of Our Councill of that Our Colony of New England." On August 24 following, Pursuant to his Majestyes Command Captaine Francis Nicholson was this day sworne of his Majestyes Councill in this his Territory and Dominion of New England and tooke his place accordingly. 1 Ibid. 8 2 Calendar of State Papers, America and West Indies, 1685-1688, No. 1197 1, p. 351. * Printed "Francis Brenley" in the Calendar. 4 Printed "Eliakim Hutchison" in the Calendar. " Printed "Humphrey Lusamb" in the Calendar. • Printed "Peter(?) Sandforth” in the Calendar. Miss Lucy Drucker of London, who has examined the original at my request, informs me that the name is clearly "Peleg Sandforth," or Peleg Sanford, sometime Governor of Rhode Island. It is stated in the Rhode Island Historical Magazine that on "March 25, 1687, he was appointed one of Andros Council, but would not serve" (vii. 296-297). This is a mistake, the passage in the text showing that Peleg Sanford's name was merely transmitted as one of the persons "best qualified to fill vacancies in Council." Peleg Sanford was a brother of John Sanford, a member of Andros's Council in 1688: See p. 41 note 11, below. 7 From a transcript (Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 389, Vol. 9, p. 434) in the possession of the Editor. 8 Council Records, ii. 134. Sewall writes: "Tuesday, Augt. 23. Balston arrives On June 18, 1687, Robert Treat and John Allyn were nominated to the Council; 1 and on June 27 Andros was directed to "Cause Our Trusty and welbeloved Robert Treat Esqre the present Governor, and John Allen Esqre the present Secretary of Conecticutt to be Sworn of Our Councill in New England."2 On November 1 following the Council met at Hartford, when, after Connecticut had been "annexed to the Dominion of New England," Pursuant to his Majestyes Commands Robt Treat Esq' late Gov' of Connecticott and John Allen Esq' the late Secrty were sworne of his Majtyes Councill.3 On November 4, 1687, Samuel Shrimpton, William Browne, Jr., Simon Lynde, and Richard Smith were nominated to the Council; 4 and on November 10 Andros was directed to cause those four persons "to be sworn of Our Councill of that Our Colony of New England." 5 Lynde did not serve, as he died November 22.6 It is not known exactly when Browne, Shrimpton, and Smith were sworn, since, as already stated, no regular Council records after December 29, 1687, are extant; but it must have been at least as early as February 3, 1688, for on that day Browne and Shrimpton were present at a Council meeting.8 C ANDROS'S COUNCIL, 1688-1689 In Andros's second Commission (April 7, 1688) as Governor of the Territory and Dominion of New England, no persons were named for the Council; but in the Instructions issued to him on April 16, 1688, and brings Gazetts to June 13, and a Privy Seal whereby Capt. Nicholson is added to the Council, being sworn" (Diary, i. 186). 1 Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial, ii. 811. 2 From a transcript (Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 5, Vol. 904, pp. 353-354) in the possession of the Editor. 3 Council Records, ii. 150. 4 Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial, ii. 817. From a transcript (Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 5, Vol. 904, p. 365) in the possession of the Editor. See p. 40, below. 7 See p. 8 note 1, above. See p. 15 note, above. he was directed "with all convenient speed" to "call togeather" the following forty-two "Members of the Councill:"1 FIRST COUNCIL UNDER THE PROVINCE CHARTER, 1691 In the Province Charter (October 7, 1691) the following twentyeight persons were named for the Council: 2 Pike, Robert Russell, James Hinckley, Thomas 1 From a transcript (Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 5, Vol. 855, No. 95) in the possession of the Editor. 2 Publications of this Society, ii. 18. On September 18, 1691, Sir Henry Ashurst and Increase Mather submitted "names of persons . . . as Governor, Deputy-Governor and Assistants for Massachusetts. Governor, Sir William Phips. Deputy-Governor, William Stoughton. Assistants," then follow the names of twenty-seven persons only, that of Elisha Hutchinson not being included (Calendar of State Papers, America and West Indies, 1689-1692, No. 1, 772, p. 545). In the same work appears, under date of October 7, 1691: "Charter of Massachusetts. Herein the Council or Assistants are named as in No. 1,772, and Isaac Addington is named Secretary" (No. 1,806, p. 550). Hutchinson's name was inadvertently omitted in the printed Calendar, Miss Drucker informing me that it occurs in the original of No. 1,772. In the following list these names are brought together under a single alphabet, thus making it possible to tell at a glance to which Council each belonged. Variations in the spelling of names, where important, are noted in footnotes; 1 and to the name of each person is added the colony to which he belonged. The abbreviations here used are obvious, with the possible exception of the letters "N. C." and "N. P.," which indicate respectively the Narragansett Country and the New Plymouth Colony. B C LIST OF COUNCILLORS, 1685-1691 A = Named in Commission to Dudley, Oct. 8, 16852 ALBRO, JOHN. R. I. Died 1712.7 Died about 1716.9 C ALLYN, JOHN. Ct. Died 1696.10 D в с с с B C D APPLETON, SAMUEL. Mass. Died May 15, 1696." BAYARD, NICHOLAS.18 N. Y. BRADFORD, WILLIAM. N. P. Died Feb. 20, 1704.14 1 The form given in the text is more or less arbitrary. Trifling differences like "Brown" or "Browne," "Clark" or "Clarke" or "Clerk," "Gedney" or "Gidney," "Winthrop" or "Winthorp" are not noted. 2 See p. 30 note 1, above. 3 See p. 32 note 3, above. * See p. 35 note 1, above. See p. 35 note 2, above. "Alborough" (B, C). The date is variously given as November 1 (J. N. Arnold, Vital Record of Rhode Island, Newport, iv. 49), November 14 (Savage, Genealogical Dictionary, i. 20), and December 14 (J.O. Austin, One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families, p. 1). 8 "Alcott" (D). • His will, dated December 2, 1712, was proved in 1716 (New England Historical and Genealogical Register, xxxvi. 401-402). 10 Savage says he died November 6, 1696 (Genealogical Dictionary, i. 43). On February 24, 1697, Wait Winthrop wrote: "I forgot in the other letter to tell you that Coll. Allyn is dead this winter at Hartford" (5 Massachusetts Historical Collections, viii. 525). "Ipswich Vital Records, ii. 483. 12 Savage, i. 66. 13 His will, dated May 9, 1707, was proved April 19, 1711 (Collections New York Historical Society for 1893, pp. 68–69). 14 "Febr. 20 [1704]. Major William Bradford dies in the 80th of his Age: He was a Right New-England Christian" (Sewall, Diary, ii. 95). BRADSTREET, DUDLEY. Mass. Did not accept. Died Nov. 13, 1702.1 D BRADSTREET, SIMON. Mass. Did not accept. Died March 27, 1697.2 BROCKHOLES, ANTHONY. N. Y. BROWNE, WILLIAM, Jr. Mass. Died Feb. 23, 1716.4 BULKLEY, PETER. Mass. H. C. 1660; died May 25, 1688. CHAMPERNOON, FRANCIS. Me. Did not serve. Died before May 21, 1687.7 CLARKE, Nathaniel. N. P. Died Jan. 31, 1717.8 CLARKE, WALTER. R. I. Died May 23, 1714. 1 Andover Vital Records, ii. 397. He was a son of Gov. Simon Bradstreet. 2 "About 10. at night Gov Bradstreet dyes; which we are told of March, 29th at Cambridge" (Sewall, March 27, 1697, Diary, i. 450–451). In saying that "The list of councillors [under Andros] in Palfrey's New England, ed. of 1890, vol. 3, p. 604, includes Simon Bradstreet, Dudley Bradstreet, Nathaniel Saltonstall and Francis Champernowne" (Laws of New Hampshire, 1904, i. 144 note), Mr. A. S. Batchellor is in error. Palfrey gives a list of the Councillors under Dudley, and then says: "In Andros's first Commission all the above-named Counsellors were included, except the two Bradstreets, Saltonstall, and Champernoon, who had not accepted the trust; and the following were added." This statement is correct, except that the members of Andros's first Council were named not in his Commission but in his Instructions. 3 An extract from a letter written by Randolph on May 21, 1687, reads: "His Excell, has to do with a perverse people. Here is none of the council at hand, Except Mr Mason, & myself, & M1 B.[rockholt] & Mr Usher, who appear lively for his Majesty's Interest" (4 Massachusetts Historical Collections, viii. 531). Brockholes was not a member of the Council at that time, hence a mistake was made in expanding "B." into "B.[rockholt]." Randolph's letter is printed in full in Toppan's Randolph, where we read: "his Excellence has to do with a perverse people here is none of the Councill at hand except Mr Mason and my selfe who and Mr Bulkley and Mr Vsher appeare liuely for his Maties interest: Maj Bulkley and Mr Hinks are remote and come seldome" (vi. 221). ble ♦ “Febr. 23, 17%. The hon William Brown esqr. died in his house at Salem" (Sewall, Diary, iii. 74). "Bulkley" (A), "Buckly" (B), "Buckley" (C). 6 "May 25th 1688. Col. Peter Bulkley of Concord dies, having languished for a long time. Died this Friday about eleven aclock" (Sewall, Diary, i. 215). 7 On May 21, 1687, Randolph wrote: "Twill be for his Majestyes service to putt Mr. Shrimpton in the place of Capt. Champernoon and Mr. Luscombe in the place of Mr. Jo. Sandford of Rhoad Island, both dead" (Toppan's Randolph, iv. 163). Owing to indisposition, Champernoon did not serve in Dudley's Council (see p. 31, above), and was not a member of Andros's first Council; hence C. W. Tuttle was mistaken in saying that Champernoon "was continued in this office under Sir Edmund Andros, the successor of Dudley, and held it until his death in 1687" (Historical Papers, p. 120). 8 Savage, i. 399. • "Rhode-Island, May 28. Last Lord's Day Dyed here Walter Clarke Esq; |