University of Virginia Library

CCXCVIII. Richard Ffrethorne. Letter to his Father and Mother[41]
March 20, April 2 and 3, 1623

Loveing and kind father and mother my most humble duty remembred
to you hopeing in God of yor good health, as I my selfe am t at the makeing
hereof, this is to let you vnderstand that I yor Child am in a most heavie
Case by reason of the nature of the Country is such that it Causeth much
sickness, as the scurvie and the bloody flix, and divers other diseases, wch
maketh the bodie very poore, and Weake, and when wee are sicke there
is nothing to Comfort vs; for since I came out of the ship, I never at anie
thing but pease, and loblollie (that is water gruell) as for deare or vension
I never saw anie since I came into this land, ther is indeed some foule, but
Wee are not allowed to goe, and get yt, but must Worke hard both earelie,
and late for a messe of water gruell, and a mouthfull of bread, and beife,
a mouthfull of bread for a pennie loafe must serve for 4 men wch is most
pitifull if you did knowe as much as I, when people crie out day, and
night, Oh that they were in England without their lymbes and would
not care to loose anie lymbe to bee in England againe, yea though they
beg from doore to doore, for wee live in feare of the Enimy eu9ie hower,
yet wee haue had a Combate with them on the Sunday before Shrovetyde,
and wee tooke two alive, and make slaves of them, but it was by pollicie,
for wee are in great danger, for or Plantac̃on is very weake, by reason of
the dearth, and sicknes, of or Companie, for wee came but Twentie for the
marchauntℯ, and they are halfe dead Just; and wee looke everie hower
When two more should goe, yet there came some for other men yet to
lyve with vs, of which ther is but one alive, and our Leiftenant is dead,
and his ffather, and his brother, and there was some 5 or 6 of the last
yeares 20 of wch there is but 3 left, so that wee are faine to get other men
to plant with vs, and yet wee are but 32 to fight against 3000 if they
should Come, and the nighest helpe that Wee haue is ten miles of vs, and
when the rogues ou9came this place last, they slew 80 Persons how then
shall wee doe for wee lye even in their teeth, they may easilie take vs but

that God is mercifull, and can save with few as well as with many; as he
shewed to Gylead and like Gileadℯ Souldiers if they lapt water, wee
drinkee water wch is but Weake, and I haue nothing to Comfort me, nor
ther is nothing to be gotten here but sicknes, and death, except that one
had money to lay out in some thinges for profit; But I haue nothing at all,
no not a shirt to my backe, but two Ragges [2] nor no Clothes, but one
poore suite, nor but one paire of shooes, but one paire of stockins, but one
Capp, but two bandℯ, my Cloke is stollen by one of my owne fellowes, and
to his dying hower would not tell mee what he did with it but some of my
fellows saw him have butter and beife out of a ship, wch my Cloke I
doubt paid for, so that I have not a penny, nor a a penny Worth to helpe
me to either spice, or sugar, or strong Waters, without the wch one cannot
lyue here, for as strong beare in England doth fatten and strengthen them
so water here doth wash and weaken theis here, onelie keepe life and soule
togeather. but I am not halfe a quarter so strong as I was in England,
and all is for want of victualls, for I doe protest vnto you, that I haue eaten
more in day at home then I haue allowed me here for a Weeke. you haue
given more then my dayes allowance to a beggar at the doore; and if Mr
Jackson had not releived me, I should bee in a poore Case, but he like a
ffather and shee like a loveing mother doth still helpe me, for when wee
goe vp to James Towne that is 10 myles of vs, there lie all the ships that
Come to the land, and there they must deliver their goodℯ, and when wee
went vp to Towne as it may bee on Moonedaye, at noone, and come there
by night, then load the next day by night noone, and goe home in the
afternoone, and vnload, and then away againe in the night, and bee vp
about midnight, then if it rayned, or blowed never so hard wee must lye
in the boate on the water, and haue nothing but alitle bread, for whenee
wee go into the boate wee haue a loafe allowed to two men, and it is all if
we staid there 2 dayes, wch is hard, and must lye all that while in the
boate, but that Goodman Jackson pityed me & made me a Cabbin to lye
in alwayes when I come vp, and he would giue me some poore Jackℯ home
with me wch Comforted mee more then pease, or water gruell. Oh they
bee verie godlie folkes, and loue me verie well, and will doe anie thing for
me, and he much marvailed that you would send me a servaunt to the
Companie, he saith I had beene better knocked on the head, and Indeede
so I fynd it now to my greate greife and miserie, and saith, that if you love
me you will redeeme me suddenlie, for wch I doe Intreate and begg, and if
you cannot get the marchauntℯ to redeeme me for some litle money [3]
then for Godℯ sake geta a gathering or intreat some good folkℯ to lay out
some little Sum̄ of moneye, in meale, and Cheese and butter, and beife,
anie eating meate will yeald great profit, oile and vyniger is verie good,
but ffather ther is greate losse in leakinge, but for Godℯ sake send beife and
Cheese and butter or the more of one sort and none of another, but if you
send Cheese it must bee very old Cheese, and at the Chesmongers you
may buy good Cheese for twopence farthing or halfepenny that will be
liked verie well, but if you send Cheese you must haue a Care how you
packe it in barrells, and you must put Coopers Chips betweene eu9ie
Cheese, or els the heat of the hold will rott them, and looke whatsoeu9 you
send me be it neu9 so much looke what I make of yt I will deale trulie with
you I will send it ou9, and begg the profit to redeeme me, and if I die
before it Come I haue intreated Goodman Jackson to send you the worth
of it, who hath promised he will; If you send you must direct yor letters to
Goodman Jackson, at James Towne a Gunsmith. (you must set downe
his frayt) because there bee more of his name there; good ffather doe not
forget me, but haue m9cie and pittye my miserable Case. I know if you
did but see me you would weepe to see me, for I haue but one suite, but it
is a strange one, it is very well guarded, wherefore for Godℯ sake pittie me,
I pray you to remember my loue my love to all my ffreindℯ, and kindred,
I hope all my Brothers and Sisters are in good health, and as for my part
I have set downe my resoluc̃on that certainelie Wilbe, that is, that the
Answeare of this letter wilbee life or death to me, therefore good ffather
send as soone as you can, and if you send me anie thing let this bee the
marke.

The names of them that bee dead of the Companie came ou9 with us to
serue vnder our Leifetenants.

         

John Flower	John Sanderford	Geor: Goulding	a litle Dutchmā
John Thomas	Rich: Smith	Jo: Johnson	one woman
Tho: Howes	John Oliue	Or Leiftennant his father and brother	one maid
John Butcher	Tho: Peirsman	Tho: Giblin	one child
	Willm: Cerrell	Geo: Banum

[4] All theis died out of my mrs house, since I came, and wee came in but at
Christmas, and this is the 20th day of March and the Saylers say that ther is
two thirdℯ of the 150 dead already and thus I end prayeing to God to send
me good successe that I may be redeemed out of Egipt. So vale in Christo.

Loueing ffather I pray you to vse this man verie exceeding kindly for he
hath done much for me, both on my Journy and since, I intreate you not
to forget me, but by anie meanes redeeme me, for this day wee heare that
there is 26 of English men slayne by the Indians, and they haue taken a
Pinnace of Mr Pountis, and haue gotten peeces, Armour, swordℯ, all
thinges fitt for Warre, so that they may now steale vpon vs and wee
Cannot know them from English, till it is too late, that they bee
vpon vs, [and wee Cannot knowe them from English, till it is too late, that
they bee vpon vs,] [sic] and then ther is no mercie, therefore if you loue or
respect me, as yor Child release me from this bondage, and saue my life,
now you may saue me, or let me bee slayne, with Infidelle, aske this man,
he knoweth that all is true and Just that I say here; if you do redeeme me
the Companie must send for me to my Mr Harrod for so is this Mrs name.

Apr: the 2 day

Moreou9 on the third day of Aprill wee heard that after theis Rogues had
gotten the Pynnace, and had taken all furnitures as peeces, swordℯ, armour,
Coatℯ of male, Powder, shot and all the thinges that they had to trade
withall, they killed the Captaine, and Cut of his head, and rowing with
the taile of the boat formost they set vp a pole and put the Captaines head
vpon it, and so rowed home, then the Deuill set them on againe, so that they
furnished about 200 Canoes with aboue 1000 Indians, and came and
thought to [5] haue taken the shipp, but shee was too quicke for them wch
thing was very much talked of, for they alwayes feared a ship, but now the
Rogues growe verie bold, and can vse peeces, some of them, as well or better
then an Englishman, ffor an Indian did shoote with Mr Charles my Mrs
Kindsman at a marke of white paper, and hee hit it at the first, but Mr
Charles Could not hit it, But see the Enuie of theis slaues, for when they
Could not take the ship then or men saw them threaten Accomack that is
the next Plantac̃on and nowe ther is no Way but starueing ffor the Gou9nour

told vs and Sr George, that except the Seaflower come in or that wee can
fall foule of theis Rogues and get some Corne from them, aboue halfe the
land will surelie be starved, for they had no Crop last yeare by reason of
theis Rogues, so that wee haue no Corne but as ships do releiue vs, nor wee
shall hardlie haue anie Crop this yeare, and Wee are as like to perish first
as anie Plantac̃on, for wee haue but two Hogsheadℯ of meale left to serue
vs this two Monethes, if the Seaflower doe stay so long before shee come in,
and that meale is but 3 Weekℯ bread for vs, at a loafe for 4 about the bignes
of a pennie loafe in England, that is but a halfepenny loafe a day for a man:
is it not straunge to me thinke you? but What will it bee when wee shall goe
a mo§n §eth or two and never see a bit of bread. as my Mr doth say Wee
must doe, and he said hee is not able to keepe vs all, then wee shalbe turned
vp to the land and eate barkℯ of trees, or mouldℯ of the Ground therefore
with weeping teares I beg of you to helpe me. O that you did see may
daylie and hourelie sighes, grones, and teares, and thumpes that I afford
mine owne brest, and rue and Curse the time of my birth with holy Job.
I thought no head had beene able to hold so much water as hath and
doth dailie flow from mine eyes.

[6] But this is Certaine I neu9 felt the want of ffather and mother till now,
but now deare ffrendℯ full well I knowe and rue it although it were too late
before before I knew it.

I pray you talke with this honest man he will tell you more then now in
my hast I can set downe.