Bentley, William, 1759-1819. Papers of William Bentley, 1783-1815: an inventory. Letter from James Winthrop to William Bentley, 1783 December 1. HUG 1203.5 Box 1, Harvard University Archives.

J Winthrop {Esquire} -{December} 7, 1783 Cambridge 1 {December} 1783 {Reverend} Sir,

Some time since I wrote you a specimen of last-century preaching, which I hope gave you satisfaction. In our dispute such stuff has been preached I believe only by the most ignorant, & not generally relished by the hearers. So far then we are improved.

As for President Bradshaw, he does not appear to be such an obscure person as the later historians represent. I will give you as good an account as I am able to collect from Whitelocke & Lord Clarendon, the former of whom served at the same Council Board with him. I have also used Charles' trial, which is loyal enough.

He was of an ancient & honorable family settled in Cheshire & Lancashire, but of slender fortune. He was a practising lawyer of Gray's Inn when the war broke out in 1642 between Charles & his parliament. Though he had not at that time figured much as a pleader in the Courts at Westminster; yet he was much consulted & esteemed as a man of professional ability. In October 1644, He was employed by the Parliament, with

Prynne & Newdigate as Council for the State in the prosecution of some Irish Rebels. In {October} 1646, he was elected one of the Comissioners of the Great Seal, for the term of six months. In {February} following he was chosen by both houses chief Justice of Chester, & the Commissioners of the Great Seal were directed to nominate sutable persons to be Judges in Wales; to which department he was appointed with others, by the house of Lords on 18 March 1646. He was appointed with others Council for the State in the trial of Judge Jermyn in June 1647; & was promoted to be Serjeant at Law on 12 {October} 1648. In January following he was chosen one of the Judges for the trial of the king, & whoever will take the trouble to of reading that trial in the State Trials {Volume} 1 will be pleased with the Dignity which he supported during the whole proceedings. He sat as Lord President of the Court, resided in the house of the Dean's house at Westminster, & had a guard assigned for the security of his person. It does not appear that he was at all inflated by a promotion to the first dignity in the Commonwealth, but his whole conduct was that of a man used to command, & of one who knew his duty & was disposed to do it, & of one who had no doubts of the rectitude of his conduct. He offered no unmanly insults to the prisoner, but constantly addressed him in terms of civility; while the poor king, with all the encomiums that have been bestowed on him, did not know how to [?]behave.

At an high Court of Justice appointed on 1 {February} 1648 It appears that his behavior in Office had made such favorable impressions, that he was elected Lord President of the High Court of Justice appointed on 1 {February} 1648, for the trial of Lord Holland & some other insurgents. On the fourteenth of the same month he was chosen one of the Council of State, & we find him named before Cromwell. He was elected Lord President of the Council; but does not not appear to have made so advantageous a figure at that board as in his law department. Complaints of his interesting himself in the debates occur so late as the 20th of March, which was two months from his elevation to the Presidency. In June 1649, a grant of £1000, was made him for his services & a Committee appointed to consider of a further compensation. Agreeably to their [report] lands to the amount of £2000. a year were settled upon him & his heirs. He was again elected chief Justice of Chester; & was made Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster, in which Office he is to be found in {September} 1653. Transient mention is made in {December} 1657 of a difference

between him & Cromwell; which probably originated in [?] Bradshaw's enmity to Monarchy; for notwithstanding his being employed in a judicial character, yet [?] his name does not occur in Cromwell's list of persons summoned to meet in the as an house of Lords, in the Parliament which met 20 {January} 1657. The Protector died on the third of September 1658, & Bradshaw was chosen by Parliament on 13 May 1659 & one of the first Commissioners of the Great Seal for the term of five months from 3 June in the same year. A few weeks afterwards he went to the house of Peers & he took an oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth as governed without a king, single person, or house of peers. This by the way confirms the conjecture of the cause of his difference with the late protector. On 31 {October} 1659, this great & good man died of a quartan ague which had held him a year. He is characterized by Whitelocke as a stout man, learned in his profession, & no friend to monarchy. The day after his death the Great Seal was committed by the Council of State to Lord Whitelocke, which makes it probable that Bradshaw died in London; & I think this circumstance with the idea of absurdity which there would be in suffering a Judge to be for any considerable time out of the kingdom will amount to a certainty. Yours sincerely {Reverend}{William} Bentley James {?} Winthrop