Praise for Volume 2

    271. From Thomas Pownall, 9 September 1767

    272. From Richard Jackson, 11 September 1767

    273. From Richard Jackson, 19 September 1767

    On 9 June 1767 Thomas Hutchinson published the second volume of his History of Massachusetts Bay, covering the years 1692 through 1750. He had been working on the volume since completing Volume 1 in late 1764, but his work was delayed by the looting of his home in the Stamp Act riots of August 1765 and the subsequent scattering of original documents he had collected over the years, although many of these documents were returned to him in subsequent months. Hutchinson spent much of 1766 and early 1767 composing this second volume. An important subject of the second volume was conflict between various governors and the legislature, a pattern Hutchinson saw being repeated in 1767. Another subtext was dissatisfaction with and reluctance to pay provincial agents for their services on behalf of the General Court, which also had echoes in the dismissal of Richard Jackson. In mid-July, Hutchinson dispatched a number of copies as gifts to friends and patrons in England that they would have begun to receive by early September. In both England and America, Volume 2 of TH History was praised, even by Hutchinson’s political foes, who used it as an authoritative source on the province’s history.

    271. From Thomas Pownall

    London. Sepr 9. 1767

    Dear Sir, The Dissipation both of the business & what are called the Pleasures of London take up more time than real business so that I find myself more in arrears in the correspondent with my freinds than I used to do when I had much more business.

    I am now in Town in my way to Lincolnshire. Yesterday I mett your kind present of the 2d part of your History of the Massachusetts for which I am much obliged to ——.1 I have by me some old papers relative to the History of the Massachusetts which you gave me I beleive collected & stich’d together by Mr Cotton.2 If they shall be of any use to you I will send them by the First opportunity that I know they are so. I have as yet received no Letter from you—so fear that must have miscarried. Without your knowledge or application I took the Liberty upon the Establishment of the Board of Revenue in America, to apply to have you named as one, & as I wrote you in my last I thought It was decided that you was to be named & to be first. I did not indeed totally rely on it as you will have seen by my last & the Duke of Grafton’s letter decides that Point.3 However, I may venture to explain to you the first part of his Letter. It is meant that you shall have a handsome Salary fixed as Cheif Justice as soon as the American Revenue shall creat a Fund. I think on that occasion it would be right to sollicit a Patent from the Crown for that Place. If all on this last Ground succeeds as meant I think ‘twill be much better for you & what you will like better.

    If the People of the Province would be advised one might serve them & the Colonies in General. The Point of being exempt from being Taxed by Parlt they never will carry but will every time loose some thing by the struggle. The Point of Having Representatives if pursued prudently & in the Right Line I am sure they might & ought to carry, & whatever they may think of keeping the Power of Taxing themselves by their own Legislatures in general matters exclusive of Parlt—They will be disappointed & by aiming at the shadow loose the Substance. Now from Principle of Opinion, Thinking it best both for great Britain & the Colonies on the Plan of a General Union of the Parts I shall alway support the Doctrine of the Colonies sending Representatives to Parlt. I have done & shall do it as long as I am in Parlt—both in parlt & out of the House—from Principle of Affection & Gratitude I shall ever support & Defend the People of the Massachusetts bay as I did last sessions when some people were for extending the ^censure^ Laid on N York to the Massachusetts.4

    People come in & interrupt me so I must conclude with Assuring you how much I am Dear Sir your real friend & Servant,

    T Pownall.

    Will you be so good to show Cap Hollowell my Letter & the Duke’s Answer that He may see that I recommended him tho the Duke in His Answer has not mentioned his name.5

    RC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 242:449–450a); unaddressed; endorsed, “Gov. Pownall Sep. 9 1767.”

    272. From Richard Jackson

    Inner Temple 11 Sep 1767

    Dear Sir, Mr Temple has just left me, & having requested he might carry my advice that I had received your Books, which came by Cap Lyde while he was with me, I trouble him with this.1 I was agreably surprised when I first heard you had accomplished this part of your Design, having never heard before you had recovered the Work, & have employed all the Time since Mr Temple went, as I shall the rest of the Day in reading it; with a pleasure, that I will say no more about. I have ordered my servant to carry the Books to as many of the Gentlemen in your Intention as are in Town & to leave them at the Houses of those who live near. As it is impossible to know how soon a Book binder may return them I judge it best to send them unbound; some others are in Town & have been read, an Obvious Excuse will be ready for me, when I see the Noblemen & Gentlemen they go to, so I shall not apply to Mr Lane for the small Charges upon the Books, which is not worth mentioning.2 I recollect no Omissions unless it be Secry Pownall, Sr Harry Frankland & Ld Kinnoul, to Mr Pownall I shall give that intended for Mr Townshend Sr Harry has been long very ill, & Ld Kinnoul is in Scotland.3 I found it difficult to transmit their books to them before. I am Dear Sir your obliged humble Servant,

    R Jackson

    RC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 25:198); at foot of letter, “Hble Thos. Hutchinson Eq.”; endorsed, “Inner Temple Sep. 7 1767 Mr Jackson.”

    273. From Richard Jackson

    Wrannham 19 Sep 1767

    Dear Sir, I have read with great pleasure the 2d. Volume of your History, & though I am at a considerable Distance from Mr Paxton, who may chance to have left London before this reaches his hands, I cannot resist the Desire I have of expressing the Sense I have of the Utility of the Work you have now compleated, & of which the Outrageous Wickedness of a set of Miscreants had near deprived us.1

    Many a usefull Lesson may be learnt from both parts of your Book, by those who live on this [and those who live on the other sides]2 of the Atlantic. It is calculated to remove a multitude [of Prejudices] from the minds of men here, that have had but too much hold of them; it has a Credit with men of Rank, that other American Pieces have seldom had; & may convey information where it never reached before, would to God it may have the Effect it ought to have both among Americans & Europeans, & particularly that it may teach the former to know their real friends by distinguishing those whose Wisdom & Affection for their Country would lead it safely & free from these Embarrasments & Disputes that have always ended to its disadvantage, from the Profligate Heads of Party that mean only to gratify their Malevolence & Ambition, they care not at whose Expence.

    I hope Mr Paxton will arrive safe with you, your Esteem of him convinces me he is a man of worth, my own knowlege of him that he is a sensible & very agreeable Man. I am Dear Sir your much obliged & Humble Servant,

    R Jackson

    RC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 25:203–04); addressed, “Honble Thos. Hutchinson Esq”; endorsed “Mr Jackson 11 Sept 1767.”