Letter of Thomas Lloyd to Philip Ford, 1693

LETTER OF THOMAS LLOYD TO PHILIP FORD, 1693. 17 LETTER OF THOMAS LLOYD TO PHILIP FORD, 1693. Thomas Lloyd, the writer of the following letter, as is well known to all, familiar with the early history of Pennsylvania, was one of the most distinguished of her citizens. He came to the Colony in 1683 and for eight out of the eleven years he lived thereafter, occupied the highest offices in the province. He was at once appointed Master of the Rolls and member of the Council, and was afterward President of the Council, and for a time Deputy Governor—the only Friend who held that special office. Thomas Lloyd, of Dolobran, Montgomeryshire, Wales, was born about 1640, and came out in the ship "America," sailing from London, June 10th, and arriving August 20th, 1683. He had for a fellow passsenger, Francis Daniel Pastorius. He brought his wife and nine children with him—four sons and five daughters. His daughters all married men of prominence; only one of his sons (Thomas, Jr.) left descendants. He himself died of a fever in 1694. No man of the early years left a better record in both public and private life. He was an acceptable minister among Friends. The letter here printed, so far as known, for the first time, is from the original, in the possession of the editor of the Bulletin. It is unusually valuable, from the fact that it refers to three subjects of the greatest interest—William Penn ; the coming of Governor Fletcher, whom William and Mary appointed Governor of Pennsylvania during the short period when Penn was deprived of his province ; and George Keith. It is also interesting as being addressed to Philip Ford, Penn's rascally Secretary, whose true character neither Penn nor Lloyd ever dreamed of. The shrewdness and skillfulness of Lloyd's treatment of Fletcher is evident from his reference to him. Towards Keith, Lloyd felt as bitterly as was possible for him to feel towards anyone. Keith had opposed him in every way, calling him "an impudent man and a pitiful governor," and tauntingly asking him why he did not send him (Keith) to jail. The spelling and contractions are given as in the original, which is in perfect condition : i8BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Thomas Lloyd to Philip Ford. 2d: m°: [April] 93. To ffriend Ph. F. Thy letters of the 5mo. last, & of the 9th: m0: by way of n. y. & by ye plimoth Ketch wh the Letter of ye P: friends of the 9th: m°: Superscribed to me, I reed abt a week Since, but had no Line from W: P: our proprietarie whom I have so long served for ye Truth Sake, & ye readyer because of ye esteem I have of his Servise therein & my purpose is to Continue my well wishes & sincere respects towards him, as long as I shall have opportunity of expressing ye same ; notwithstanding all the seeming Slights, & discouragemts I have met wth Since I Came under him; He is near unto me tho he doth n* well understand his best friends here; his Countenance of late as well as formerly, hath fortified Such ag': us, who are & have been uneasy in Church & State:—Thus far to thyself— As to Coll. ffletcher, he Sent me notice by a priuat Ir from an acquaintance of mine at n: york 4 days ago, that he ree'd 1rs. patent from ye Queen to be Cap*: Gen1: & Govr: here, and y' he intended to be here next week: I wrott in Answer next day, y* I ree'd no mandat or Order from the K : Q : or Councel or any Line from the Proprietarie or Gov: concerning ye premises , however, he should haue ye welcome of a neighb:ring Gov: & when we came duly under him, I doubted not but he should meet wh as much fidelity & Lawful Obedience in this Colony, as in any part of his governm*: I finde no great encouragement (if any) from such who may be reputed as patriots or good fauorers of his Interest in these parts to assert, tho modestly, his present powers of Gouernor: the pest Councel & Magistrates y* are frs. continue their kindness towards him, & would Serve him further if they...