The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 43
Capen was deacon of the church in 1658, Selectman
sixteen years, repeatedly deputy to the Court, and
thirteen years Town Recorder, and wrote more in the
records than any other man. He died in 1692, aged
80 years. By his first wife he had-Joanna, born
October 8, 1638; and John, born October 21, 1639.
By his second wife he had-Samuel, Mary, Bernard;
Preserved, born March 4, 1657; Joseph, born December 10, 1658; Hannah, born October, 1662; and
Elizabeth, born December 29, 1666. Mr. Capen
was by trade a shoemaker. His house is supposed
to have stood at the corner of Pleasant and Pond
Streets.
The following are copies of letters sent by him
to Deacon Bass, of Braintree, and his daughter Mary,
a short time preceding his marriage to the latter.
To his Loueing and kind ffreind Goodman Bass, Deacon of
the church at Brantrey, giue this Ipray you.
SIR,
My kind love and respect to you wth yor wife remembered,
Wth thanks for all yor kindness showed vnto me, hoping for yor
health and prosperity as my one. The Cause of my writtinge
to you at this time, is only this, to make bold Wth you to be as a
Cloake to cover this my inclosed letter directed to yor daughter,
because as yet I know not who may be the bearer heerof, I
would intreate you to delieur it vnto her. ye Contents of it I
know she will not hide it from you. Therefore I doe forbeare
it my selfe, because I chouse rather breauely, but I would intreat
her to keep it as private as she can from others. Thus in hast
I rest, desiring yor earnest prayers to god for vs for direction in
this greate vndertakeing.
Yors to vse in any thing I may.
ffrom Dor: this 15th of ye 2d m~. 1647. JOHN CAPEN.