Dorchester Company

This company (and Rev. John White) is the focus of the next issue of Gardner's Beacon. There is a lot to be said for the company as many have weighed in with their views. It might be interesting to collect some of these here, whether or not they mention Thomas.

Too, research, and summaries thereof, needs to take a broad scope, probably wider and deeper than that taken by the Great Migration project. Such work will take some time; priorities have not been set. Right now, the thing is to gather material (even those that are, might be, of lessor value). So, the bibliography will continue to grow (we'll have a section for material from websites). This time around, ought we have a Dorchester Company subsection? 

As well, most of the material that we use will be accessible on-line. Library work will occur as time permits. Or, I ought to mention, work will depend upon having access to material. From what I've seen, the Boston area is loaded with gems (need to spend some time there); perhaps, someone in that locale will contribute (as John Goff did earlier).

Some sites recently encountered are:

• answer.com - This site has a nice little overview with interesting sources. One thing mentioned is that several men were left to over-winter in 1623. When did Thomas arrive? Then, or the next spring? By the time that Roger arrived in 1625, the headcount was fifty persons or so. 
• Salem Focus - The site deals with Salem. The particular PDF presents a story, in the early chapters, about the Cape Ann/Salem crew that was written by Richard Scott. The author starts each chapter with a year-event tidbit. Nice, as these can help motivate the look back in annals format. Governor Roger figures heavily. Governor Thomas has a mention or two. John Balch and a few of the other "old planters" have roles, too. Up to Chapter 30 (covers the period of 1661-1674) deals with the early times. 
• Two books of interest: Vickers (1994) - Farmers and Fishermen: ..., Staloff (1998) - The Making of an American Thinking Class. In terms of the first, there is a nice discussion that helps to think about the motivation for the Cape Ann crew's configuration. The second? Ah, yes, the class that can do nothing but split hairs (for whom the farmers and the fishermen labor - how did this come about?). Ah, why there is a backbone series.   
• ...

We will be adding to this list as we find interesting things related to the theme of the issue.

Remarks:  Modified: 03/21/2022

03/21/2022 -- Further on the Company. John Tilley's father was an investor. 

08/29/2016 -- More on Cape Ann, 1623.

11/01/2013 -- When we get a few things collected for the Dorchester subsection of the bibliography, we'll put a notice here. 

11/06/2013 -- While working on the next Beacon, I ran across some books. The one by Staloff was timely; imagine, I was wondering why the backbone series? Has the talented set ever allowed the lessors to have some semblance of a good life? Oh, you say yes? Winthrop, et al, were against this from the beginning. The stalwart of what could be (or could have been)? Thomas Gardner, of course.