At a County Court held at Cambridge the 6^th of the 2^d mo:1652:

[long cut of matters relating to a debt]

When Agnes was nere death in the ship she desired her husband Thom
Blanchard that when he came to New England, that he would endeavour
that her children might have their owne or their due, shee knoweing
that it was in Mr.Nowse his hands for her son Barnes; her young
child dyed shortly after in the ship. And her husband Thom Blanchard
promised that he would and hath since endeavoured it for her son
Rich^d Barnes as appears &c.

I Peter Noyes doe testify that I payd fiue pound out of the estate
of Agnis Bent by her order for the passage of Thomas Blanchard wife
and alsoe I lent Thomas Blanchard twenty shillings after I arriued
at Boston by the apoyntment of Elizabeth Plympton the now wife of
John Rutter.

The testymony of John Bent is that he placed his mother and hir 2
granchildren befor he came out of England; that she had sufficient
in hir owne hand to discharg for hir expences and that she came over
to new England w^thin less than one yeare after I cam over.

Samuell Hides aged 42 yeares or there abouts deposeth and sayth
That about thirteene yeares since this Depo^nt came ouer into New
England in a shipp w^th Thomas Blanchard and sayth that there was an
old woeman lay in a cabbine in the shipp w^ch this depo^nt doth not
remember that shee came forth all the tyme that shee was at sea
untill she was brought forth to be buried, and sayth there was a
bigg gerle there but this dep^nt did not see her to doe anything
about the old woeman or if she did it was very little. But this
dep^nt doth well remember that he saw the sayd Thomas Blanchard doe
much about her and had light about her very much on nights untill
shee dyed.

Thomas Gould aged 45 yeares or there abouts deposeth and sayth. That
about thirteene yeares since this Depo^nt comeing ouer in a shipp
w^th Thoma sBlanchard here into New England this depo^nt saw none
nor knew none that had care of an old weoman w^ch this dep^nt
apprehended to be the s^d Blanchards mother in law, but the said
Blanchard; there was a mayde of some stature but this dep^nt
perceiued that she did little or nothing in cookeing to the sayd old
weoman yet this depo^nts cabbine was ouer against them, neither did
this depon^t see her up on nights about her but this depont well
remebers that he saw the said Thomas Blanchard take much paynes
about the old weoman as of his owne famyly.

ffrances the wyfe of goodman Cooke of Charlestowne aged 44 yeares or
there abouts deposeth and sayth.
That shee this dep^nt come into New England in the same shipp w^th
Thomas Blanchard in the yeare 1639 and lying in the next cabbine to
him and his wiues mother sayth that the said Thomas Blanchard did
wholly take care and paynes w^th his wiues mother all the way ouer
(except some little help some tyme of a weake gerle who was a
kinsweoman of hers) and the old weoman what w^th her age and what
w^th her sicknes, for she was sick all the way his trouble and
paynes w^th her was such that it was unseemely for a man to doe, but
there was no other saue that little helplesse gerle his kinsweoman,
and continued his care and paynes w^th her all the way from
London to Nantaskith and endured very much w^th her untill the shipp
came to Nantaskith and ancored there and this depo^nt came away
before shee was dead.

From the Essex County Court Files
The testimonie of us Inhabitants now of Newburie whose names are
here under written, who about thirteen yeares past came ouer in a
ship called the Jonathan of london with Thomas Blanchard now of
Charlestowne, at which time his wife dyed in the ship hee was
conceiued to be very poore and in greate necessity by reason of his
wiues and his childrens sicknesse, that the passengers made a
gathering for him in the shippe to helpe to put his child to nurse
his wives mother also being sicke all the while wee were at sea and
wee knew no other man that looked to her but Thomas Blanchard, but
there was a maide which was her neece tended her --- --- ffurther
I Anthony Somerby testifyes taht about the time the ship came to
Anchor in Boston Harbor the woman his mother in law dyed, And Thomas
Blanchard procured to carry her to shore to be
buried, I knew no other man taht was about it but hee.

ffurther Nicholas Noyes testifyes that old Goody Bent came up from
Andeuor to London in a waggon with the carryers, And Thomas
Blanchard tooke care of her and her goods from Andeuor
to the ship and she was with Thomas Blanchards family about a month
in London, and that there was a gathering among christians in
england to help him ouer.

taken upon oath in the court held at Ipswich ths 28th of (7) 1652

Nicholas Noyes
Anthony Somerby

[end of quotation]