******************** Hello from the Hovel and already we are half-way through September. The nights are drawing in and there is a autumn chill in the air. My favourite time of the year, when nature's colours turn to bronze and gold...
Did the Pilgrim Fathers think this as they set sail from the land of their birth to a new life in America? These courageous souls believed so much in their faith that they braved the seas to a land where they could be free from persecution...
'The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbour' by William Hasall ~ 1882 at Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA ~
On September 16, 1620 (September 6 1620 of the Gregorian Calendar) The Mayflower set sail from a site near the Mayflower Steps, Plymouth, England. On board were 102 passengers, 25-30 crew and two dogs. There may have beeen more animals but none were noted. The significance of the Mayflower is that it transported the 37 English Seperatists, better known as Pilgrims or Pilgrim Fathers, from England to America...
The Mayflower Steps, Plymouth, England (Curtsey of RobertBFC)
Initially, the plan was for the voyage to be made in two vessels, the other being the smaller ship Speedwell. Both ships first set sail in August 1620 from Southampton but due to a leak in the ship Speedwell they had to stop at Dartmouth. A second attempt was made and both ships reached the Atlantic Ocean but due to another leak in Speedwell they returned to Plymouth. It transpired that the ship Speedwell did not in fact have a leak and it was thought by the passenages that it had been sabotaged by the crew...
Pilgrims on the deck of the ship Speedwell before their departure to the New World. Painted by Robert Weir
After reorganization the final voyage was made by The Mayflower alone. The ship however stopped at Newlyn, Cornwall, to take on water...
Newlyn, Cornwall, England
The original destination for The Mayflower was the mouth of the Hudson River but the ship went off course due to winter approaching. After a grueling 66-days the ship finally dropped anchor at Cape Cod Bay on November 21st (November 11). The journey claimed two lives and many of the passengers suffered from disease. During the journey a baby was born, who was named Oceans Hopkins...
Due to the weather conditions the passengers and crew remained on board until March 1621. During this time there was an outbreak of scurvy, pneumonia and TB which resulted in nearly half of the people on board dying. Another baby was born on The Mayflower on November 20 and was named Perigrine (meaning 'Wanderer') White...
A Memorial to the people who died while on The Mayflower, Provincetown, USA
The surviving 53 people finally left the ship in March 1621 to start their new life in America. Accompaning them were at least two dogs, a female Mastiff and a small spanial...
In April 1621 The Mayflower returned to England where it is believed it was dismantled. Another ship named The Mayflower 2 made crossings fom England to America in 1629, 1630, 1633, 1634 and 1639. Another voyage was attempted in 1641 carrying 140 passengers from England to Virginia. It never arrived and on 18 October, 1642 a deposition was made in England regarding it's loss...
Replica of The Mayflower
After World War 11, an accurate replica of the original Mayflower was designed by naval architect William A Baker and was launched on September 22, 1956 from Devon, England. It set sail in the spring of 1957 and was captained by Alan Villiers. After 55 days the voyage ended in Plymouth Harbour on June 13 1957 to great acclaim. The ship is moored to this day at State Pier, Plymouth, and is open to the public...
The Mayflower Memorial by the Old City Walls, Southampton, England (Curtsey of Alan Ford)
I salute all of those that chose to travel by sea at this time. I don't think I would have had the courage....
Until next time, take care...Hugs Chrissy xx
'Ay, Call it Holy Ground the Soil where first they Trod. They have left unstained, what there they found. Freedom to Worship God'
~ Felicia Dorothea Hemans - 1793-1835 ~
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