PLAN

FOR SEIZING AND CARRYING TO NEW YORK

COLL. W M. GOFFE,

THE REGICIDE,

AS SET FORTH IN THE AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN LONDON, APRIL 20, 1678.

Published from the original in the office of the Secretary of State of New York,

BY FRANKLIN B. HOUGH, M. D.,

With other documents on the same subject among the State Papers of Connecticut.

"They did not regard them as Traitors, but as unfortunate sufferers in the noble cause of civil Liberty, prostrated by the Restoration, and again lost and overwhelmed in the return and irresistable inundation of Tyranny."-PRESIDENT STYLES.

THE DEPOSICON OF JOHN LONDON

OF WINDSOR IN CONNECTICUTT APR. 20, 1678.

[N. Y, Colonial MSS., Vol. xxix., Secretary's Office, Albany, N. Y.] John London of Winsor neare Hartford in the Colony of Connecticutt in New England, aged about fifty yeares, deposeth That Joseph Bull Sen'r (commonly called Capt Bull,) of Hartford, hath for several yeares past (& for ought hee knowes still doth) kept privately Coll: Goffe, at his owne house there, or his sons, hee goeing by the name of Mr. Cooke; And that Whaley lived & dyed at Hadley in those parts, & was buryed in the buryeing place there. That being certifyed of the above Goffes aboade, in the month of May last, hee the deponent, together with Robert Howard of Windsor aforesaid (who professeth phisick, went to the house of the said Bull, where they saw him & having formerly knowne him in England the deponent was well satisfyde that hee was the same man which sd Dr. Howard did also affirme to him, as hee had done afore, hee being the first discoverer of his being there unto him.

That the said Dr. Howard did also informe him the deponent, that the Trade driven by sd Bull or his Children, in Goods or Merchandize, was on the behalfe of sd Goffe, & that Mr. James Richards of Hartford, brought over a good cargoe for the use of sd Goffe about two yeares agoe.

That the deponent being so assured of ye said Goffes aboade as before, in the same month of May, thinking it his duty, hee did call about & contrive which way to apprehend him, reasonably supposing by Mr Richards acting for him, being a member of the Independent Church & a principall Magistrate there, that the authority would not countenance him, but the discovery to them would rather tend to his Ruine. The deponent therefore thought it convenient to advise with and haue assistance of some other persons to seize vpon & bring the said Goffe to this place & so disclosed the same to one Thomas Powell his neighbour, who promist to assist the deponent therein, but no sooner had the deponent discovered his knowledge & resolucon to the sd Powell, but he privily went downe to Hartford upon a Saturday & gave informacon agnst him, to Major Talcott & Capt Allen. That hee the deponent was goeing away to New Yorke having his horse ready, on Monday following, but intended to surprize Coll. Goffe & carry him away with him. That the night following the sd Powell returned to Winsor with the Marshall Graves who about breake of day came to the depts house & knock't & called to him to arise.

- The sd dept knowing the Marshallss voice askt' him what hee would have & what was the matter. The Marshall answere'd that the dept must gett up, for the Gent. at Hartford had sent to speake with him: Whereupon the deponent arose & went with them to Hartford, where when they arrived, they went first to Major Talcotts, & from thence together to Capt Allens.

At the deponents coming there Capt Allen ask't him when hee went to New York. The dept replyed, hee did not know but if hee had any buisnesse to comand him, & would pay him for it, hee was ready to goe presently Capt Allen Allen said not bee but demanded him, if hee the dept had not appointed to goe thither on Monday, upon the depts saying hee knew nothing of it, Powell was call'd in then a paper was taken off the Table which Capt Allen said hee woulde reade to him, if hee would hear it. The depont replyde that hee came to heare what then had to alleadge agst him having sent for him upon ye Sabbath day, fetching him out of his house, as a Traytor or Malefactor.

Then Capt Allen read the paper or charge given in agst the dept by Thom: Powell relating what the dept had sd unto him. Whereupon the dept put them upon the proofe of it Powells charge being alleadged. The dept replyde hee was but a single Testimony, & likewise was an idle drunken fellow, & no heed to be given to what hee sd, & the depont being in passion threatened the said Powell that if hee could not have his remedy at Law agst him bee would take his owne satisfaction.

Thereupon the depont being dismist' he returned home.

Not long after Majr Talcott & Capt Allen came to Windsor to seeke for other Informacon agst the dept but finding none lett the matter fall, yet charged the dept not to depart out of the County without a speciall Licence.

That at the same time when the sd Major Talcott & Capt Allen were then there the depont told the sd Major Talcott & Capt Allen & others prest publickely, that hee the depont knew that they kept & concealed Coll: Goffe amongst them,& that hee could when hee pleased lay his hand on his shoulder; To which they replyde the dept was mistaken, for Goffe was long since dead, & charged

the dept to bee a Traytor to their Colony & deserved to bee hanged for conspi. ring agst them.

That afterwards the depont made a ship to goe off to Boston under pretence of taking a horse to sell there, from thence hee ship't himselfe for Maryland to his brother Major Ambrose London living at Annemessick, in Somersett County & there gave this Informacon upon oath to his sd brother, Collonell Stevenson. & Collonell Colburne, desiring it might bee sent into Engl'd, which they promis't, From thence tho depont came to the Whorekill, & so hither. And further saith not.

Sworne before mee by the aforesd John London, in New Yorke, the 20th day of Apr 1680:

MATTHIAS NICOLLS, Sec'y.

[Upon the receipt of the above intelligence Gov Andros addressed the following letter to the Governor of Connecticut, which with the accompanying documents are among the State papers of Connecticut Miscellaneous. Vol. i, Doc. 1, 2.]

Hon'ble Srs.-Being informed by Deposicons taken upon Oath that Coll Goth hath been and is still kept and Concealed by Capt. Joseph Bull and his sonns in the Towne of Hartford under the name of Mr Cooke The sd Goth and Coll Whaley (who is since dead in yor parts) hauing been persued as Traitors, that I may not be wanting in my duty, doe hereby giue you the above intimacon, noe wayes doubting of yor loyalty in euery respect and remaine Hon'ble Srs. Your affectionate neighbor and humble servant. E. ANDROSS.

New Yorke May 18th, 1680.

Superscription

For the Honoble John Leete Esqr Governor & the Assistants of His Maties Collony of Connecticutt, att Hartford. These. For his Maties speciall service. MATTHIAS NICOLLS, Sec'y.

On the face of the leller in the handwriting of Sec'y. Allyn. Presently upon receipt of this letter, June 10th, '80, the Gour. Major Talcott & the Secretary being (when they receiued the letter) together, ordered the Secretary to send forth a warrant to the constables of Hartford to make search for sd Col. Goff in the letter mentioned which was don accordingly before we parted. The copy of ye warrn.

To the Constables of Hartford. Whereas Sr. Edmond Andross Governor of N: Yorke by his letters to us just now receiued hathcer tifyed to us that Captn Jos. Bull & his sonns of this Town doe conceale Col: Goffe under the name of Mr. Cooke, these are therefore in his Maties. name to will & require you and strictly to charge and command you upon sight hereof to make diligent search in the houses barns out houses & all places therein for the sayd Col: Goffe, & if you find him or them or any stranger in their or either of their houses you are to aprehend & in safe custody to convay them to the Governor, that they may be examind & disposed of according to His Ma'ties pleasure formerly declared to us, & you are also to make search in all places wthin your limits where there may be any (or the least) susspition that they may be hid or concealed, & you are to make return of the seruing hereof to the Governor vnder

your hands, hereof you may not fayle as you will answer the contrary at your perill. Dated in Hartford June 10th, 1680, p order of ye Govr. &c.

signed p. JOHN ALLYN, Secret'ry.

REPLY TO ANDROSS'S LETTER.

Hartford, June 11th, 1680:

Hon'ble Sr:-1 -Athough we mst acknowledg o'r engagement vnto your Honor for giuing vs intimation of what had been offered to your selfe respecting his Maties seruice (we should haue taken it well had your Honor been pleased to haue giuen vs an acco't. of the names of the informers (which yet we desire you would be pleased to doe speedily) & we doubt not but to giue you sufficient sattisfaction, to clear it vp that we are much abused by those falls reports, concerning the good people of this place. For the prsent we know not how to acknowledg any thankes to the informers, who (by the effect) seem to haue acted under gross mistakes (possibly) to delude your Honor & cast reproach upon orselues of this place, for that we being upon a solemne occasion together when we received your letter, and information therein, we forthwith dispatcht a speciall warrant to or constables & marshall, to make a dilligent search after the person mentioned, whoe being upon oath, returned they had with all care & dilligence made the sayd search but could find no such person as was mentioned, nor any stranger that in the least could be suspected to be any such person: After the search o'r people were amused that any such thing could be suspected at Hartford: But the father of lyes is o'r enemie & doth instigate his instruments to maligne this poore Colony, but we hope the Father of lights will vindicate vs in his due time, & we pray your Honors neighhourly charatie in the meane space, with due witness bearing against all that endeavoure to abuse with falls news & stories, as is done by o'rselues in such case, otherwise enough of such matters had not been wanting against neighbours to rays bad blood by ill persons betwixt such as desire to mayntaine good correspondency with o'r professed freinds that are neerly scituate to vs in this wildernesse, we hane not to ad but o'r respects to your Honor & that we are Hono'ble Sr. Your affectionate freinds & humble servants, The Governor & Assists present, p their order signed

JOHN ALLYN Sec'ryThese for the Hon'ble Sr EDMUN ANDROSS Knt. & Gov'r of his royall highness territories in America, at forte James in N. Yorke.