Catalogue description The ABBESS OF GRAVELING to JOHN COTTON.

This record is held by Lincolnshire Archives

Details of 8ANC7/115
Reference: 8ANC7/115
Title: The ABBESS OF GRAVELING to JOHN COTTON.
Description:

--Jesus. Maria. "Good Sir, after my kynde commendations thes are to let you understand of the health and happy progresse of your daughter, whome we have clothed and receaved unto probation the 7th of October last, and perceive by this little tyme of triall her zealous desire to persever in this holy religion, wherof I make no doubt by the grace of God, for her vertuous cariadge and good disposition doo geve us great likinge of her and she receveth no lesse likinge and contentement of the place. As concernyng her portion, I have not hetherto answered you, for that I hoped we should have fully satisfied the charges of our buylding with the portions of the others, and so we might have sayed unto her the wordes of the holy Gosple (accordyng unto the apointement of our holy Rule) that she should sell all that she hath and geve it unto the poore, for our Rule permitteth us not to have rentes, or to receave greter portions then for the defraynge of the charges of their clothinge, or some little some if they pleas to bestow it on us by way of almes to relieve our present or nerehand necessities. Wherfore we having refused to receave (if they would geve us) more then we stand in nede of, they are to distribute the surplus unto pius uses as God shall inspire them, but if themselves were not able to dispose of the sayde goodes, they might use the helpe of some devote person, wherfore as afore I have sayd, I hoping we should not have stode in nede of the sayd portion (although your daughter would have geven it unto us), had purposed to have left it unto your handes to have distribeted, knowing none who might better have done this pius worke then your selfe, but now seing our buylding hath amounted to much more then those who had the ordering of the sayd buildinge did in the beginning judge it would have come unto, in so much that although it be not fully perfected yet ar we in debte 8 or 9 hundred poundes for the same, for the governer of this towne lent us 500l. for the sayde buylding before we begon it, without which we coulde not have taken it in hande, having our selves nothing at all to begin withall, and yet were we constrayned to begin, in that the oulde house, which of his charitie before he had geven us, was redy to fall: which sayd 500l. he is contented to expecte untill by portions of thos which enter we can repay it; for which cause we shalbe constrayned yet a while to receave portions, and to except gratefully of that which your daughter hath bestowed upon us, entretying you to sende it so sone as conveniently you may, for although the governer of his charite be contented to expect for that we ow unto him, yet must we with the gretest spede furnishe the payment of the rest, beinge du unto poor men who can not longe forbear. Thus, good Sir, I have delated my selfe with thes longe lines, unto the end you might fully know our estate and make the same knowne unto others when tymes and occasions present, entretyng that none be scandalized to here we have receaved portions, and yet live on almes, sith we have built a house sufficient to receave 40 persons, as also have receved many with little, and some with no portion, only two with more then the 100l. (exceptyng the charite which our good frend the olde gentleman hath done unto us this sommer,) wherfore if you pleas to be unto us a spirituall father, or move others to be the same, in sometymes to procure for us some little almes in how smal quantite soever, we shall take it very thankfully, and be bound to pray for you and all the sayde benefactors; thus entretyng you to geve thankes in our behalfe unto the gentleman who bestowed upon us the 5l. I ceass, committyng you unto the protection of Almighte God, from our convent of the poor Clares of Nazareth, this 8 of November.

 

Your poor oratress in our Lord Jesus

 

Sister Mary Stevens Abbes unworthy."

 

Endorsed by Archbishop Abbott.

Date: [1612, October 29-] November 8
Held by: Lincolnshire Archives, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Physical description: 1 page.

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