Winthrop, Margaret (c. 1591-1647) - English-born wife of Massachusetts
Bay Colony Governor, John Winthrop. A noted letter-writer, her
correspondence began several years before her arrival in America.
Comprised mostly of letters to family members, her writings reveal her
acceptance of Puritan attitudes toward women. Mrs. Winthrop's letters
are important contributions to our understanding of the Puritan
settlement in the New World through the eyes of a woman.
A Puritan Wife to Her Husband (1627) - A love-letter written to
Winthrop's absent husband, in which Mrs. Winthrop states "how much I do
desire to be always with you, to enjoy the sweet comfort of your
presence." This short letter offers an interesting glimpse at Puritan
attitudes toward love and duty to God.
