Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Autograph letter signed : [Plymouth, Mass.], to his brother [Sir Edward Altham], [1623 Sept].

BIB_ID
300974
Accession number
MA 3200.1
Creator
Altham, Emmanuel, 1600-1635 or 1636.
Display Date
[1623 Sept].
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, 1978.
Description
1 item (8 p.) ; 30.8 cm
Notes
Dating from Parke-Bernet description.
Docketed twice "1622 / New England."
Part of a collection of nine letters from Emmanuel Altham to his brother Sir Edward Altham and two related documents; items in the collection have been described separately in eleven catalog records (MA 3200.1-11); see related records for more information.
Inscriptions/Markings
Watermark: On page 1, Pot with one handle and letters "SOO" inside.
Watermark: On page 2, Pot with one handle and letters "OO" inside, crescent at top.
Provenance
From the Oliver R. Barrett collection; his sale (New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 1 November 1950, lot 928); P.D. Sang; sale April 26, 1978, lot 241.
Summary
Relating his voyage from England and describing "the plantation at pautext" [i.e., Plymouth], referring to the settlers as a "Company of Adventurers." Giving information on the fishing, fur-bearing animals and plants (mentioning sassaparilla , sassafras and alcerme buries [cranberries]) to be found in New England. Also mentioning timber and salt and "many other things in this country to raise profit." Discussing the Native Americans, noting that "in former time hath lived about 2000 Indians" in the bay area, but that "here is not one living now, nor not one living which belonged to this plantation before we came, so that the ground on which we are planted belongs to nobody." Mentioning the attedance of Massoite (also known as Ousamequin, the sachem or leader of the Pokanoket, and "Massasoit" of the Wampanoag Confederacy) at Governor William Bradford's marriage.