Mayflower
The
Mayflower was the
ship that transported the
Pilgrims from
Plymouth,
England, to
Plymouth Colony,
Massachusetts, in what would become the
United States, in
1620. It left Plymouth on
September 6 and dropped
anchor near
Cape Cod on
November 11 (both dates according to the
Old Style, the
Julian Calendar). This voyage was inspired by the successful establishment of the first permanent English settlement,
Jamestown, by the
London Company of Virginia in
1607.
The
Mayflower was used as a cargo ship, trading (often in wine) between England and other European countries, principally
France, but also
Norway,
Germany, and
Spain. At least between
1609 and
1622, it was mastered by
Christopher Jones, who was Captain on the transatlantic voyage, and based in
Rotherhithe, England. It is likely that the ship was broken up for scrap lumber in Rotherhithe in
1623, the year after Jones's death. The
Mayflower Barn, just outside the
Quaker village of
Jordans, in
Buckinghamshire, England, is said to be built from these timbers.
Details of the ship's dimensions are unknown; but estimates based on its load weight and the usual size of 180-
ton merchant ships in the period give her a length of 90â€"110
feet (27.4â€"33.5
m) and a width of about 25 feet (7.6 m). Careful research went into designing a replica, the
Mayflower II (launched
September 22,
1956), to make it resemble its namesake as closely as possible.
Initially, the plan was for the voyage to be made in two vessels, the other being the smaller
Speedwell. The first voyage of the ships departed
Southampton, England, on
August 5,
1620; but the
Speedwell developed a leak, and had to be refitted at
Dartmouth.
On the second attempt, the ships reached the
Atlantic Ocean but again were forced to return to Plymouth because of the
Speedwell's leak.
After reorganisation, the final 66-day voyage was made by the
Mayflower alone. With the crowding of 102 passengers plus crew, each family was allotted very little space for personal belongings.
At one point, the ship's main
beam cracked and had to be repaired using a large iron screw.
The
Mayflower landed at
Renews, on the southern shore of the
Avalon Peninsula, in
Newfoundland, where it picked up water and supplies from local fishing families before sailing on to Cape Cod.
The intended destination was a section of land in the area near the
Hudson River, in "
North Virginia". The ship, however, was forced off course by poor weather on this leg of the voyage. (The first leg had enjoyed finer weather.)As a result of the delay, the settlers did not arrive at the future site of Plymouth Colony until the onset of a harsh,
New England winter.The settlers had failed to reach Virginia, where they had permission from the
London Company to settle.
To establish legal order outside of this jurisdiction, and to quell increasing strife within their ranks, the settlers wrote and signed the
Mayflower Compact.On
April 5,
1621, the
Mayflower set sail from
Plymouth Colony to return to England, where she arrived on
May 6,
1621.
The passengers on the
Mayflower were the earliest permanent European settlers in New England; some of their descendants have taken great interest in tracing their ancestry back to one or more of these Pilgrims. (See "
List of passengers on the Mayflower" for a complete accounting. See also "
List of Mayflower passengers who died in the winter of 1620â€"1621".)
The voyage and the ship later became famous as an icon of a perilous one-way trip to a new life, with many things named after it.
*The Mayflower is the emblem of the English football club
Plymouth Argyle F.C., who are known by the nickname of "The Pilgrims".
*Folk singers
Simon and Garfunkel mention the ship in their song "American Tune".
*
Mayflower II at Plymouth Plantation Museum
*
Mayflower passengers from MayflowerHistory.com
*
Mayflower history from MayflowerHistory.com
*
Pilgrim Hall Museum of Plymouth, Massachusetts
*
General Society of Mayflower Descendants*
The Mayflower And Her Log;
Azel Ames,
Project Gutenberg edition.
*
The village of Jordans and the Mayflower today*
The Straight Dope: "Did the Pilgrims land on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer?"*
Mayflower Descendants Chart.
