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To excuse y^e trouble of perusing few lines which come to Psent my
most humble duty to your Lordship as my Diocesan, & to give your
Lordship an account of my safe arrivall (thro y^e blessing of God)
after seventeen weeks passage, in this her Majestys Province of Virg^a,
as also to acquaint yo^r: Lordship with y^r: very kind & generous recp-
tion I have mett w^th: from his Excellency Coll: Nicholson Esq^r y^e:
worthy Governour of y^e: country, whose obliging carriage & his
Extraiordinary and repeated kindesses to me, I shall always en-
deavour to retain a just sence of, & be ever ready to demonstrate
my duty & gratitude to him

My Lord I shall always make it my endeavour (thro Gods assis-
tance) to discharge y^e duty of my ministeriall function w^th:
the utmost care & diligence & to do all y^e. good I can to y^e souls
of those who shall be committed to my care to further me in
which I most humbly crave y:^r fatherly blessing upon me.
That God would bless y^r: Lordship & long Pserve & continue—
you for y^e good of his Church & particularly that part of it w^ch:
you so worthily fill and adorn is & ever shall be hearty and
unfeigned prayer of him to y^e throne of Grace who is & always
desires to approve himself as

MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers
Richard Ingoldesby letter to Bishop of London, 11 February 1704

Thô I am not yet arrived to my journeys end yet in duty and
respect to y^r: Lordship, I would not omitt any opportunity that—
offerd it self, of expressing so much as a letter can carry along
w^th it, we have had a happy arrivall to this Country, yet I cannot boast of y^e expedition or easyness of our passage we met with—
very rough weather and contrary winds, very frequently, in all w^ch: God has
gratiously protected us; most of y^e fleet are safely come in, except a few
with y^e Commodore who are still wanting. I am mightily concern'd—
for that ship, because his Excellency y^e. Gover:^r of Marry-Land and his
family are in it; y^e reports of such as saw it last are various, but
what can be gathered from all that they say gives us no reason to
feare y^e worst, but to hope they bore away for y^e West Indies. for it
is now a month since we came in: and by reason of y^e coold wea-
ther, I have stay'd thus long with his Excellency Coll Nicholson,
whose civilities I have always known, he is God be thanked in a
good state of Health; I wish I could assure y^r: Lds^p: y^t he has in as
much tranquility of mind. for his crosses and afflictions have—
made a deep impression upon him. My Lord his greatest concerne
is this, y^t: possibly y^e false insinuations of some of y^e Clergy of this Pro-
vince; to Oblige whom he always made it his greatest care, nay—
pleasure to, till after all y^e honour and wealth w^ch: they have attained
to partly through his meanes made them grow insolent and ambi-
tious, should have some influence over y:^r Lordship, so as to think
him changed from what he hath always approved himself to be a
pious servant of God a profound respecter of y^r: Lordship, and a faith-
full son, and generous benefactor to the Church of England. but my
Lord when you shall have well weighed all y^e addresses y^t were maid.
To his Excellency and to y:^r Lords^p: in testimony of his prudent gover^t
of y^e state, and singular piety and generosity towards y^e Church, from
your Lordships Clergy y^e Assembly & grandjury and other societys—
both in this Province and also from all y^e Plantations of north America,
I am perswaded that y^r: Lordship will have no further reguard to y^e—
false nay goundless complaints of such, who I have just reason—
to feare would be no longer friends to y:^r Lords^p:, nor the Church of—
England, then whilst they hope to sattisfie their ambitious & invidio-
us nature. As it is mine, so it is y^e usually prayers of every society—
whether sacred or Civile, y^t God would preserve him a pillar to his
Church, and a faithfull administrator of justice. I cannot but—
condole y^e great trouble of my friend Co:^ll Nicholson that he—
he has been not only injuriously but dispicably treated and schooled by
Doctor Bray. making it his business to associate with his profest ene-
mies and rejoycing to charge their asserverations upon him, with—
more disrespect then realy was exspected frome so grave a Divine
to a man in y^e authority wherewith his Excellency is invested;
notwithstanding all that they suggest, is palpably contradicted by
y^e world, and more especially y^e. Clergy. I shall only add my Lord
that in case y^e false accusations of those uneasy men I should pre-
vail, neither y^r: Lordship nor any one else is able to conceive—
what disturbance it will create in these Country's for my Lord we
all looke upon Gov:^r Nicholson as our right Hand and the sup-
port of tender Governm:^t and an Infant Church. tis to apparent y^t
their whole desires and endeavours are to make y^r: Lordship and
instrument of putting him out of his Governm^t: but if y^r: Lordsp:
did hear as I do at this time what an odium these men have in-
tailed upon themselves from y^e people of this Province of every
Character both y^e laity but much more y^e Clergy. I do verily beli-
eve y^r: Lordship would no longer countenance y^e malitiousness—
representations of two or three Malcontents. men, and one es
especially concerning whom I may boldly dare to represent to
y^r: Lordship my own knowledge; that no man did ever more
pertake of his Excellency's favour then M^r: Commissary Blair.
even to y^t: degree y^t: others murmur'd to see his Excellency coun-
tenance him and other of his Country men, suspecting y^t: his—
Excellency was not realy so good a friend to y^e Church of England
when he thought none so truly or at least none so honerable to—
be adviced withall as these Scothmen. certainly my Lord it was
this fondness which made them turn upon his Excellency nei-
ther are treachery and ingratitude vices but newly discover'd,
in y^e people of y^t Country. it was the time when Gov^r: Nichol-
son could do nothing without y^e advice of y^r: Commissary, he
made all his intentions known to him, and communicat'd
to him every secret and none was thought so fitt for y^e Coun-
cill as M:^r Commissary but now it is retorted by M:^r Com-
missary y^t: his Excellency is obliged to him for all preferments for y^e good will of his people, and indeed that
ever he was made Gov:^r of this Colony. I will crave y:^r Lordsp:
pardon if ever I take y^e liberty of acquainting y^r: Lordsp, y^t
his Excellency protested to me, y^t: in case these men should
prevail in their designes, his Excellency is fully resolved to
make the whole case publick to y^e: world, and to bring y^e whole
matter to y^e Queens bench, to justifye his own honour and
reputation, and bring such men to condign punishment—
whatever it may cost him to do all this; pray my Lord par-
don my freedome & tediousness if y:^r Lordship think any
thing a miss in this testimony, I know y^r: Lordships extra-
rdinary goodness will impute it to nothing but y^e sincere
love and honour I bear to good Gov^r: Nicholson I beseech y^r:
Lordships blessing and favourable patronage, I shall ever—
pray y:^t God would be a long kind to his Church in y^e preser-
vation of y^r: Lordship an ornament and a pillar in it & beg—
leave to subscribe my self,

R^d Ingoldsby
to Go^r. Nichⁿ
Virginia
Feb. 11. 1704

Copy of a Letter from the Rev^d.
M^r: Owens Jones to the Bp of
London with one from y^e Honrble.
Rich:^d Ingoldesby Esq.
No. (1)