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chief.
These men's entertainment is very chargeable to us; and by agreement it is to be borne two-thirds at the charge of the general company, and the other one-third is to be borne by Mr. Cradock, our Governor, and his associates interested in a private stock.
We hope you will be careful to see them so employed as may countervail the charge, desiring you to agree with Mr. Sharp that their labor may be employed two-thirds for the general company, and one-third for Mr. Cradock and his associates; praying you to accommodate said Mr, Cradock's people in all fitting manner, as he doth well deserve.
Our Governor, Mr. Cradock, hath entertained (paid the expenses of) two gardeners, one of which he is content the company shall have use of, if need be.
In a second letter, from the same source, directed to the same persons, under date of May 28, 1629, we find the following statements:--
The cattle now and formerly sent have been all provided by the Governor, Mr. Cradock, except the three mares that came out of Leicestershire.
The provisions for building of ships, as pitch, tar, rosin, oakum, old ropes for oakum, cordage, and sail-cloth, in all these ships, with nine firkins and five half-barrels of nails in the “Two sisters,” are two-thirds for the company in general, and one-third for the Governor, Mr. Cradock, and his partners; as is also the charge of one George Farr, now sent over to the six shipwrights formerly sent.
These extracts show the deep enthusiasm of
Mr. Cradock in the
New England enterprise.
He went into it heart and purse.
He adopted
Medford as his Headquarters; and here he made his first settlement, here opened his business of ship-building and fishing, and here placed an agent to execute his plans.
The most sagacious and wealthy merchant of the company could not have made a wiser choice.
To
Medford he directed his thoughts, in
Medford he expended his money, and for the prosperity of
Medford he devoutly prayed.
Our infant town could not have had a better father.
He may have first stopped opposite
Winthrop's farm, at
Ten Hills, and there done something in the fishing business; but we very soon find him, by his agent, engaged in building a bridge across Mistick River, at the place where “the great bridge” now stands.
There could have been no motive for his building such a bridge, at such a time, and at his own expense, unless his men and business were in that neighborhood.
That his operations were not confined to one spot
