A new database on AmericanAncestors that you might not think to look at is Gov. John Winthrop Papers, Vol. 1–5, 1557 to 1649. These five volumes were originally published by the Massachusetts Historical Society between 1929 and 1947. (The sixth volume, published in 1992, is still under copyright restrictions.) This collection is different from that known as the “Winthrop Journal,” published in 1853, although that also includes some correspondence.[1] Winthrop Papers contains correspondence of members of the extended Winthrop family, including the governor’s father, Adam Winthrop, and his son John Winthrop, the Younger. The two John Winthrops, as colonial governors, exchanged letters with all of the important founders of New England – Roger Williams, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, William Bradford, John Endicott, Samuel Maverick, and many more – and their collected correspondence serves as a sort of “executive summary” of the history of New England during that time.
The first volume of Winthrop Papers covers the years 1498–1628 and the second volume deals with 1623–1630, culminating with the settlement at Boston by the passengers in the Winthrop Fleet. These first two volumes also include chronologically matched transcriptions from the Journal, which were not continued in succeeding volumes. Volume Three covers the years 1631–1637, Volume Four 1638–1644, and Volume Five brings the series to Gov. Winthrop’s death in 1649.
The database is, of course, searchable, but you may not find mention of many of your own ancestors in it. Nevertheless, the opportunity to browse through and read volumes we might not otherwise come across gives us a great opportunity to add to our understanding of the times in which our ancestors lived, whether or not they moved in the company of those who had power and influence. Yes, reading the elaborate seventeenth-century language and keeping track of all the people and events is challenging, but challenges are good.
The Winthrop family by itself is worthy of Masterpiece Theatre treatment.[2] Gov. John Winthrop had sixteen children by four wives – eight of whom probably died as infants. His second son, Henry Winthrop, was an underachiever who at the age of 22 managed to accidentally drown on his first day in the New World. Eldest son John Winthrop, the Younger, was an overachiever, who studied alchemy, practiced medicine, and became a governor, himself (of the Connecticut Colony). His daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Fones) (Winthrop) (Feake) Hallett, wife of son Henry and sister of son John’s first wife, Martha Fones, became the infamous “Winthrop Woman” for divorcing her deranged second husband for the man who, eventually, became her third husband.
Third son Forth Winthrop (named for his mother’s family) refused to go back to college to study religion, then died at the age of 20. Daughter Mary married Samuel Dudley (son of Governor Thomas Dudley), who had sixteen children by three wives! And those are just the Winthrop children who have been treated in the Early New England Families Study Project thus far. There are still three more Winthrop brothers to be done – Stephen, Adam, and Deane.
A caution: if you have a curious mind, you will inevitably find yourself deep into researching all of the people, places, and events mentioned in Winthrop Papers. Enjoy.
Notes
[1] John Winthrop, The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, ed. by James Savage, 2 vols. (Boston, 1853).
[2] Suggested reading: Richard Dunn, Puritans and Yankees: the Winthrop Dynasty of New England, 1630–1717 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1962).
Love this! Today’s project will be searching these papers for letters to/from Roger Williams and a couple of my other ancestors who might be mentioned there. It will be a fun day, after I get my housekeeping chores done!
Janice, I hope you had a fun day — whether or not the chores got done!
That’s a wonderful resource! I’m looking forward to reading the letters– I am a direct descendant of Elizabeth F.W.F. Hallett and William Hallett, as well as one of John Winthrop’s biggest pains in the neck: Anne Hutchinson.
Carolyn, you will find some interesting letters to and from Elizabeth by John Winthrop, Jr.
This sounds interesting. I have enjoyed the back stories that letters tell. At this point, I am looking for correspondence that might have been saved from Samuel Huntington, the brother of my ancestor. As a signer of the Declaration of Independence and later Gov. of Connecticut, it would seem likely some of his papers would be saved somewhere. Looking, for family references in them.
Catherine, if you haven’t already, start with the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. Good luck.
I, too, will be looking into those papers for more background…I’m a maternal line descendant of the infamous Elizabeth Fones and recall my mother years ago reading the book “The/That Winthrop Woman” ???…Unfortunately, she never knew that she was reading about one of her ancestors..I’m sure she would have enjoyed it even more…
The book is titled “The Winthrop Woman” by Anya Seton. I loved it. Very well researched. I could even find the land records she referenced. She is not in my line although I have other Winthrop ancestors. Even with powerful relatives, Elizabeth really struggled. I did a portrayal of her for my Colonial Dames groups based on the book.
Marge,
That sounds like a lot of fun to do. Did you have all the husbands there too?
Geraldine, Elizabeth must have been an interesting lady.
Is there a way to order the Gov. John Winthrop Papers, 1557 to 1649 five volume set in hard copy directly from NEGHS or elsewhere? I’ve not been able to find a new set of all five volumes for purchase anywhere.
Roland, no. The books are out of print. They were published by the Massachusetts Historical Society. This is why the digital database is so valuable.
The third son was named Forth Winslow… I think I want to stop right there!
Bruce, one of those wonderful idiosyncrasies of genealogy!
Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake Hallett is my direct ancestress through her daughter, Hannah, who married John Bowne. I’m anxious to read your post today!
Thanks for the heads up that it is such fascinating reading! Do I dare… I know that I will be unable to resist, and that could mean everything else in my life will suffer. This could be a challenge that I am unable to resist taking on!
I will thank you now, but that could change….! Haha.