For all coasting vessels, trading to and from the neighboring Colonies

For a bond for coasting vessels carrying any of the enumerated commodities out of this Government

£0.2.06

1.00

ED. RANDOLPH, Collector.

Account of the Revolution in Boston, and the overthrow of Sir Edmund Andros's Government of New England.*

[Col. Rec. of R. I., vol. iii. pp. 254-55.]

"About nine o'clock of the morning of the 18th of April, just as George, the commander of the 'Rose' frigate, stepped on shore, Green and the Boston ship-carpenters gathered about him and made him a prisoner. The town took the alarm. The royalist sheriff hastened to quiet the multitude, and the multitude secured him as their prisoner. From him they hastened to the major of the regiment, and demanded colors and drums. He resisted; they threatened. The crowd increased; companies formed under Nelson, Foster, Waterhouse, their old officers; and already, at ten, they seize Bullivant, Foxcroft, and Ravenscraft. Boys ran along the streets with clubs; the drums beat; the Governor, with his creatures, resisted in council, withdrew to the Fort to desire a conference with the ministers and two or three more. The conference was declined. All the companies soon rallied at the townhouse. Just then, the last Governor of the Colony, in office when the Charter was abrogated, Simon Bradstreet,-glorious with the dignity of fourscore years and seven, one of the early immigrants, a magistrate in 1630, whose experience connected the oldest generation with the new,- drew near the town-house, and was received by a great shout from the freemen. The old magistrates were re-instated, as a Council of Safety; the whole town rose in arms, 'with the most unanimous resolution that ever inspired a people,' and a Declaration, read from the balcony, defended the insurrection as a duty to God and the country. We commit our enterprise,' it was added, ' to Him who hears the cry of the oppressed, and advise all our neighbors, for whom we have thus ventured ourselves, to joyn with us in prayers and all just actions for the defence of the land.'

"On Charlestown side, a thousand soldiers crowded together; and the multitude would have been larger, if needed. The Gover

Bancroft's Hist. of U. S.

nor, vainly attempting to escape to the frigate, was, with his creatures, compelled to seek protection by submission: through the streets where he had first displayed his scarlet coat and arbitrary commission, he and his fellows were marched to the town-house, and thence to prison.

"On the next day, the country came swarming across the Charlestown and Chelsea ferries, headed by Shepherd, a schoolmaster of Lynn. All the cry was against Andros and Randolph. The cattle were taken; the frigate was mastered; the fortifications occupied.

"How should a new government be instituted? Town-meetings, before news had arrived of the proclamation of William and Mary, were held throughout the Colony. Of fifty-four towns, forty certainly, probably more, voted to re-assume the old Charter. Representatives were chosen; and once more Massachusetts assembled in General Court."

[Col. Rec. R. I., vol. iii. pp. 256-57.]

Summons to Sir Edmund Andros to surrender the Government. At the Town-House in Boston, April 18, 1689. SIR: -Ourselves as well as many others, the inhabitants of this town and places adjacent, being surprised with the people's sudden taking to arms, in the first motion whereof we were wholly ignorant, are driven by the present exigence and necessity, to acquaint your Excellency, that for the quieting and security of the people inhabiting this country, from the imminent dangers they many ways lie open and exposed unto, and for your own safety, we judge it necessary that you forthwith surrender up and deliver the government and fortifications to be preserved, to be disposed according to order and direction for the Crown of England, which is suddenly expected may arrive, promising all security, from violence to yourself, or any three of your gentlemen and soldiers in person or estate; or else we are assured they will endeavor the taking of the fortifications by storm, if any opposition be made. To Sir Edmund Andros, Knight.

Names of those imprisoned with Sir Edmund Andros. Jos. Dudley,* Judge Palmer, Mr. Randolph, Lt. Col. Lydgett, Lt. Col. Mac'gregry, Capt. George, Maj. Brockholes, Mr. Graham, Mr. West, Capt. Treffrey, Mr. Justice Bullivant, Mr. Justice Foxcroft, Capt. White, Capt. Ravencroft, Ensign Pipin, Dr. Roberts, Mr. Farwell, Mr. Jameson, Mr. Kane, Mr. Broadbent, Mr. James Sherlock, sheriff, Mr. Lakin, Capt. Manning, Lt. Jordaine, Mr. Cuttler.

MR.

Edward Randolph's Account.

RANDOLPH TO THE

LORDS OF TRADE.

(N. Y. Col. MSS., vol. iii. p. 578.) [Extract.]

"To the Right Honble the Lords of the Committee for Trade and Foreign Plantations.

"A short narrative of the present unsettled state of His Majesty's territory and dominion of New England and of the imminent danger of its being overrun by the French Forces in Cannada, if not timely prevented, humbly presented by Edward Randolph.

"May it please your Lordships.-About the yeare One Thousand Six Hundred Seventy Eight, it was made apparent to the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee for Trade, by the opinion of Sr Willm Jones and Sir Francis Winington then Atturney and Solicitor Gen' that the severall articles of high misdemeanour objected against the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England for their maleadministration, were a sufficient ground (if proved) for his Ma'ty to proceed against their Charter by law; some of which are as follows viz: Coining money without His Maty permission; Tradeing contrary to the Acts of Navigation, whereby His Matys revenue was greatly

* Joseph Dudley, Esq., was the predecessor of Andros in the government, and, at a subsequent period, Governor of Massachusetts and New-Hampshire.

Mass. Col. Rec., vol. vi. p. 64: "Upon the several motions of Joseph Dudley, and in consideration of his great indisposition of Body, Its ordered that he shall be forthwith removed from the Prison and confined to His own house at Roxbury, till further order, not to go out of the said House or precints of his yard, or backside adjoining, at any time, Except to the publique worship of God, on the Sabbath Day, and that under a sufficient guard to conduct him from his own house to the said meeting and back again, which is to be ordered and appointed by the Captain of the Fort Company in Roxbury; and he, the said Dudley to give Bond to the value of Ten Thousand Pounds with sufficient sureties to be, and remain a true prisoner, according to the Contents and true meaning of this order, until he shall be released by order of Law, or otherwise disposed of by Direction from the Government of the Massachusetts Colony."

impaired (as was made appeare by the petition of severall eminent Merchants of London presented to His Maty in Council), Not allowing those or any other Acts of Parliment to be in force with them unless soe declared in their Gen. Assembly; - Denying appeales from their Courts to England;-Laying Customes upon the goods of His Matys subjects (not foremen of the colony) tho' imported directly from England;- And for prosecuting by fines, imprisonment, whipping, banishment and putting to death, His Matys subjects in matters in religion. All which were confessed by their Agents in their petition to His Maty during their attendance at Court to answer the complaints of Mr. Mason and Mr. Gorge for invadeing their Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine in New England. Whereupon Sir Robert Sawyer then Atturney Genl. was ordered by the Laws of the Committee for Trade to bring a Writt of Quo Warranto against their Charter, which for these several offences and alsoe for refusing to submitt to such a regulation in the management of their government so as all His Matys subjects might finde equall justice amongst them; and upon their refusing alsoe to plead (tho' they had all favour and time allowed them to make their defence) was vacated, and a Commission granted to severall gentlemen, members of their late Council, to exercise government in that colony; of which number was Mr. Bradstreet (present pretended Governor), who refused, and the others with great difficulty accepted thereof, as appears by the printed paper No 6.

"About the yeare one thousand six hundred eighty five the French of Canada encroached upon the lands of the subjects of the Crowne of England, building forts upon the heads of their great Rivers, and extending their bounds, disturbed the inhabitants and layd a clayme to those lands which for many yeares had belonged to the English; and under pretence of a right to the sole fishery between the degrees of forty three and forty six North latitude, they seized eight New England ketches loaden with fish off the Coast of Nova Scotia, took away all their fish, treated the masters most barbarously and afterwards carryed them and most of the ketches to Rochell, where they were a long time imprisoned. The masters came afterwards from thence to New England.

"I then assisted them in their application to the Earle of Sunderland and to the Lord Preston, then Embassador in France; but his Lordship though he pressed the matter could obtaine noe redresse. Whereupon it was advised and ordered in Council that the three small Colonyes of Connecticott, New Plymouth and Rhode Island, not able to make any defence against the French, together with

the Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine, should be united and made one entire government, the better to defend themselves against invasion. And accordingly a commission was directed to Sir Edmund Andros with instructions to take them all under his care, which he accordingly accepted and they in a short time submitted thereunto.

"About August last, the time St Edmund Andros went to take possession of the government at New York, eleven French Indians, killed five of our Indians neere the town of Springfield, and soon after five English at the towne of Northfield upon Connecticut River; they fled to Canada, and tho' knowne by name and demanded by Sir Edmund Andros, yet Marque d'Nonville, the French Governor refused to surrender them. Soon after the Indians to the Eastward, fell upon the English townes in the Province of Maine, destroyed their corne and cattle, burnt their houses, killed some and took others of the inhabitants prisoners; having with them a French priest in their councills.

"The Governor left the forces to the Eastward on the sixteenth of March and arrived in Boston about a week after, and as soon as those soldiers had notice of the disturbance in Boston, some forsooke, others revolted, seized upon their officers, and sent them bound prisoners hither; so that all that country [Eastward] extending above fourty leagues upon the sea shore, that was secured in their fishing and saw-mills, is now deserted and left to the rayage of the barbarous heathens, who are already come down, have destroyed and burnt some forts and several dwelling houses, and kill'd some of the people, the miserable inhabitants in no way capable to preserve themselves and cattle by flight.

"The French have above four thousand good men about Canada, ready for any designe. I expect that upon the news of the Bostoners re-assuming their old government (no care being taken for the out townes and Provinces) they will joyne with the Indians, and in a short time swallow and be masters of that part of the Country (not long since granted to the French West India Company by patent from their King), and then being possessed of our best ports and harbours, be masters of all the great marts in New England and will infest the trade of other the English forraine plantations; the prevention whereof was one cheife ground of putting all those petty governments under one generall Governour.

"My Lords-Notwithstanding all the pretensions of grievances mentioned in these papers, and cryes of oppression in the Govern's proceedings, it's not the person of St Edmund Andros, but the government itself, they designe to have removed, that they may