Edmund Andros: Report of His Administration
To the Right Hon’ble the Lords of the Committee for Trade and Plantations.
The state of New England under the goverment of Sr Edmond Andros.
That in the yeare 1686 Sir Edmond Andros was by comission under the Create Seale of England appoynted to succeed the President Dudley and Councill in the goverment of the Massachusetts Collony, the Provinces of Hampshire and Maine and the Narragansett Country, to w’ch was annexed the Collonyes of Rhoad Island New Plymouth and the County of Cornwall.
In the yeare 1687 the Collony of Connecticott was also annexed and in the yeare 1688 he received a new Commission for all New England includeing the Province of New Yorke and East and West Jersey, with particuler order and directions to assert and protect the Five warlike Nations or Cantons of Indians, lying West from Albany above the heads of our rivers as far or beyond Maryland vizt Maquaes, Oneydes, Onondages, Caeujes, and Sennekes, as the Kings subjects upon whom the French had made severall incursions, and to demand the setting at liberty severall of them surprized and deteyned by the French, and reparation for sundry goods taken from severall Christians His Majesties subjects in the lawfull prosecution of their trade.
Sir Edmond Andros upon receipt of his Commission went to New Yorke and Albany of which the Indians having no tice, altho’ they were then mett in Councill about goeing to Canada came thither, and were setled, and confirmed under his goverment.
He forthwith signifyed to the Gov’r of Canada His Ma’ties pleasure relateing to the Indians, and made demand from him, pursuant to the above orders, and alsoe to quitt a considerable fort which by incroachment he had built at Oniagra in the Senneka’s Country southward of the Lake within His Ma’ties dominion, about one thousand miles distant from Quebeck in Canada (notwithstanding all the endeavours and opposition made by the Governor of New Yorke, before the annexation) upon an advantageous pass, neare the Indians hunting places, capable greatly to annoy and awe the Indians and obstruct and hinder the trade with them; That thereupon the Governor of Canada did accordingly withdraw the garrison and forces from the sayd Oniagra and those parts, and did further signifie that the Indians by him taken were sent to France, but would write to the King his master about theire releasement.
The severall Provinces and Collonys in New England being soe united, the revenue continued and setled in those parts, for the support of the government, amounted to about twelve thousand pounds per annum and all places were well and quietly setled and in good posture.
The Church of England being unprovided of a place for theyr publique woship, he did, by advice of the Council, borrow the new meeting house in Boston, at such times as the same was unused, untill they could provide otherwise; and accordingly on Sundays went in between eleven and twelve in the morning, and in the afternoone about fower; but understanding it gave offence, hastned the building of a Church, w’ch was effected at the charge of those of the Church of England, where the Chaplaine of the Souldiers performed divine service and preaching.
He was alwayes ready to give grants of vacant lands and confirme defective titles as authorized (the late Corporation not haveing passed or conveyed any pursuant to the directions in their Charter) but not above twenty have passed the seal in the time of his government.
Courts of Judicature were setled in the severall parts, soe as might be most convenient for the ease and benefitt of the subject, and Judges appoynted to hold the Terms and goe the Circuite throughout the Dominion, to administer justice in the best manner and forme, and according to the lawes Customes and statutes of the realme of England, and some peculiar locall prudentiall laws of the Country, not repugnant therto; and fees regulated for all officers.
That particuler care was taken for the due observance of the severall Acts made for the encouragement of navigation and regulateing the plantation trade, whereby the lawfull trade and His Majestys revenue of Customs was considerably increased.
The Indians throughout the goverm’t continued in good order and subjection untill, towards the latter end of the yeare 1688, by some unadvised proceedings of the Inhabitants in the Eastern parts of New England, the late rupture with the Indians there commenced, severall being taken and some killed, when Sir Edmond Andros was at New Yorke more than three hundred miles distant from that place; and upon his speedy returne to Boston (haveing viewed and setled all parts to the Westward) great part of the garrison soldiers with stores and other necessarys were imediately sent Eastward to reinforce those parts, and vessells to secure the coast and fishery, and further forces raysed and appoynted to be under the command of Majr Gen’ll Winthrop, who falling sick and declineing the service, by advice of the Councill he went with them in person and by the settlement of severall garrisons, frequent partyes, marches and pursuits after the enemy, sometimes above one hundred miles into the desart further than any Christian settlement, in w’ch the officers and souldiers of the standing forces always imployed, takeing and destroying their forts and settlem’ts, corne, provision, ammunicion and canooes, dispersed and reduced them to the uttermost wants and necessitys, and soe secured the Countrey, that from the said forces goeing out untill the time of the late revolucion there, and disorderly calling the forces from those parts, not the least loss, damage or spoyle hapned to the inhabitants or fishery, and the Indians were ready to submitt at mercy.
About the latter end of March 1688 Sir Edmond Andros returned for Boston, leaveing the garrisons and souldiers in the Easterne parts in good condition, and sufficiently furnished with provisions and all stores and implyments of warr and vessells for defence of the coast and fishery.
On the 18th of Aprill 1689 severall of His Ma’ties Councill in New England haveing combined and conspired togeather with those who were Magistrates and officers in the late Charter Goverment annually chosen by the people, and severall other persons, to subvert and overthrow the goverment, and in stead thereof to introduce their former Comonwealth; and haveing by their false reports and aspersions gott to their assistance the greatest part of the people, whereof appeared in arms at Boston under the comand of those who were Officers in the sayd former popular goverment, to the number of about two thousand horse and foote; which strange and sudden appearance being wholly a surprize to Sir Edmond Andros, as knowing noe cause or occasion for the same, but understanding that severall of the Councill were at the Councill Chamber where (it being the Ordinary Councill day) they were to meet, and some particularly by hun sent for from distant parts also there, he and those with him went thither. And tho’ (as he passed) the streets were full of armed men, yett none offered him or those that were with him the least rudeness or incivillity, but on the contrary usuall respect; but when he came to the Councill Chamber he found severall of the sayd former popular Majestrates and other cheife persons then present, with those of the Councill, who had noe suitable regard to him, nor the peace and quiet of the Countrey, but instead of giveing any assistance to support the Goverment, made him a prisoner and also imprisoned some members of the Councill and other officers, who in pursuance of their respective dutyes and stations attended on him, and kept them for the space of ten months under severe and close confinement untill by His Ma’ties comand they were sent for England to answer what might be objected them, Where, after summons given to the pretended Agents of New England and their twice appearance at the Councill Board, nothing being objected by them or others, they were discharged. In the time of his confinement being denyed the liberty of discourse or conversation with any person, his own servants to attend him, or any communication or correspondence with any by letters, he hath noe particular knowledge of their further proceedings, but hath heard and understands:—
That soone after the confinem’t of his person, the Confederates [took the] fort and Castle from the Officers that had the comand of them, whom they also imprisoned and dispersed the few souldiers belonging to the two standing Companyes then there, as they did the rest, when they recalled the forces imployed against the Indians Eastward (which two Companys are upon His Ma’ties establishment in England,) in w’ch service halfe a company of the standing forces at New Yorke being also imployed, the officers were surprised and brought prisoners to Boston, and the souldiers dispersed, as the remaining part of them at New Yorke were afterwards upon the revolucion there. The other company was, and remained, at Fort Albany and are both upon establishment to be payd out of His Ma’ties revenue there. And the Confederates at Boston possessed themselves of all His Ma’ties stores, armes ammunicion and other implements of warr, and disabled His Ma’ties man of war the Rose frigatt by secureing the Comander and bringing her sayles on shoare; and at the same time haveing imprisoned the secretary and some other officers, they broke open the Sec’rys Office and seized and conveyed away all records papers and wrightings.
Those Members of His Ma’ties Councill that were in confederacy with the before mencioned popular Majestrates and other cheife actors in this revolucion, tooke upon them the goverment, by the name of a Councill, who not content with the inconveniency they had brought on themselves in the Massachusetts Colony, but to the mine of the poore neighbours, on the twentieth of Aprill gave orders for the drawing off the forces from Pemyquid and other garrisons and places in the Easterne parts, far without the lymitts of their Collony and where the seate of warr with the Indians was, and to seize severall of the officers, and for calling home the vessells appoynted to gard the sea coast and fishery; w’ch was done accordingly, and the forces disbanded, when most of the souldiers belonging to the standing Companys there were dispersed; of which, and their actings at Boston, the Indians haveing notice, (and being supplyed with Amunicion and provision out of a vessell sent from Boston by some of the cheife conspirators before the insurrection to trade with them) they were encouraged and enabled to renew and pursue the warr; and by the assistance of some French who have been seen amongst them and engageing of severall other Indians before unconcerned, increased their numbers, that in a very short tyme severall hundreds of Their Ma’ties subjects were killed and carryed away captive; The Fort at Pemyquid taken; the whole Cuntry of Cornwall, the greatest part of the Province of Maine, and part of the Province of New Hampshire destroyed and deserted; and the principall trade of that countrey, w’ch consisted in a considerable fishery, the getting of masts, yards etc. for the supply of His Ma’tyes navy Roy all, and boards and other lumber for the supply of the other West India plantacions, is almost wholy ruined.
By the encouragem’t and perswasion of those of the Massachusetts the severall other provinces and collonys in New England as far as New Yorke have disunited themselves, and set up their former seperate Charter, or popular goverments without Charter, and by that meanes the whole revenue of the Crowne continued and setled in the severall parts for the support of the Goverment is lost and destroyed.
The usuall time for election of new Majestrates at Boston comeing on in the begining of May 1689, great controversie arose about the setling of Civill Goverment; some being for a new election, and others that the Majestrates chosen and sworn in 1686, before the alteration, should reassume; the latter of which was concluded on by them, and the pretended representatives of the severall towns of the Massachusetts, and assumed by the sd Magistrates accordingly; and thereupon, the old Charter Government, though vacated in Westminster Hall, was reassumed without any regard to the Crowne of England, and they revived and confirmed their former laws contrary and repugnant to the laws and statutes of England; setled their Courts of Judicature, and appointed new officers, and have presumed to try and judge all cases, civill and criminall, and to pass sentence of death on severall of Their Ma’ties’ subjects, some of whom they have caused to be executed.
Alltho in the revenue continued on the Crown for the support of the government, duering his time, the country pay’d but the old establisht rate of a penny in the pound per annum, as given and practised for about fifty years past; the present administrators have, of their own authority, for not above six months, raysed and exacted from the people of the Massachusetts Collony seven rates and a half.
Since this insurrection and alteracion in New England, they doe tollerate an unlimited irregular trade, contrary to the severall Acts of Plantations, Trade and Navigation, now as little regarded as in the time of their former Charter Government; they esteeming noe laws to be binding on them but what are made by themselves, nor admitt English laws to be pleaded there or appeales to his Ma’ty, and many shipps and vessels have since arrived from Scotland, Holland, Newfoundland and other places prohibitted; they having imprisoned his Ma’ty’s Collector, Surveyor and Searcher, and displaced other Custom House officers.
That they sent to Albany to treat with the Indians in those parts, particularly with the Five Nations, Maquaes, &c., and invited them to Boston; which is of ill and dangerouse consequence, by makeing the sayd Indians particularly acquainted with the disunion and seperate governments, and shewing them the countrey and disorders thereof, as far as Boston, giveing thereby the greatest advantage to the French of gaining or subdueing the said Indians, and attempting Fort Albany (the most advanced frontier into the country and great mart of the Beaver and Peltry trade), and of infesting other parts.
The forces raysed and sent out by them the last summer, notwithstanding the great encouragem’t they promised of eight pounds per head, for every Indian that should be killed, besides their pay, proved neither effectuall to suppresse the enemy, or secure the country from further damage and murthers; and upon the winters approaching, the forces were recalled, and the country left exposed to the enemy, who have already over runn and destroyed soe great a part thereof; and now by the assistance of the French of Canada, may probably proceed further into the heart of the country; being soe devided and out of order, unless it shall please His Ma’tie by his owne authority to redress the same, and put a stop to the French and Indians, and thereby prevent the ruine or loss of that whole dominion of New England, and consequently of Their Maj’ties’ other American Plantacions, endangered not only by the want of provisions, but by the many ships, vessells, seamen and other necessarys in New England, capable to supply and transport any force which may annoy or attempt those plantacions; but may be by His Ma’ties authority and comands effectually setled and preserved, and of service against the French or any other Their Ma’ties’ enemys in those parts, with no greater land force than is necessary to be continued there; and a sufficient revenue raysed to defray the charge thereof by dutyes and rates as heretofore hath been practised amongst them, and is usuall in other their Ma’ties; Plantations.
Humbly submitted by E. ANDROS
Source: Narratives of the Insurrections, 1675–1690. vol. 17: Original Narratives of Early American History. Edited by Charles McLean Andrews. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1915.