95 | To Israel Williams

    Boston March 16th 1762

    Sr.

    before you left Boston you knew that the ministers of Boston had been with me to desire that I would call a meeting of the overseers of Cambridge College to consider whether the charter proposed to you would not be determental to that College; & I accordingly appointed Monday fore noon for such meeting.

    On Saturday428 while I was at the Council board in the Chair in Council, Mr. Otis Junior came up to the board with a resolve that a joint Comittee should wait on the Govr. to desire “that If he had not delivered the Charter for Hampshire College it may not be delivered till next Session”: which I promised it should not.

    On Monday429 at the Meeting of the overseers of Cambridge College It was resolved “that notwithstanding his Excellency’s apprehension which he has pleased to express to the board of the force & effect of the charter for the Hampshire College, they were of opinion that the establishment of another College, tho’ only as a Collegiate School within this Province will be greatly prejudicial to Harvard College & Voted that the Governor be desired not to grant the said Charter”

    You will see that by these resolutions the issuing this Charter must be postponed; you will also consider, that as I have no intrest in this business but what arises from my duty & inclination to promote literature, It will not become me to make myself a party in this business, whatever my sentiments have been or are concerning it.

    I am Sr. &c

    The Honble Col. Williams430

    L, LbC BP, 2: 136.

    Williams was a leading proponent of the unsuccessful scheme to found Queens College in Hampshire County. Both his and Bernard’s role are discussed in detail in Henry Lefavour, “The Proposed College in Hampshire County in 1762,” Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 3d ser., 66 (1936-1941): 53-79; William L. Welch, “Israel Williams and the Hampshire College Project of 1761-1764,” Historical Journal of Massachusetts 13 (1985): 53-62.