This post has turned out much longer than I first thought, I apologize.
So, back to our journey of the Separatist cult which history prefers to call the Pilgrims. They spent twelve years in Leyden, Holland struggling to make a living as for the most part they were farmers by trade and Amsterdam and Leyden were manufacturing communities. King James I was tired of the propaganda materials that they were printing, and smuggling back to England which put bad light on the church of England and the King. With bad economy, their children becoming assimilated to a different culture, threat of being arrested and an imminent war with Spain, the group decided to go to the new world. They hired a boat called "The Speedwell" first then they had investors join them and they were also able to hire "The Mayflower" and her crew. They boarded the Speedwell in Leyden and sailed for England where the Mayflower was waiting. When they arrived, they found that their investor had like all the others betrayed them. He had sold passage to "Strangers" to the new world, and told the Pilgrims that they also had to sign a contract. This caused much delay and loss of provisions as they had no money. They set off for the new world, but with the "strangers" there was much dissension. They had to turn back twice, some say that the Speedwell was not sea worthy. Others speculate that passengers aboard the Speedwell were scuttling their own boat as they would rather be drowned at sea then be indentured servants to the investment company. It was agreed that not all would go, and they would take just the Mayflower. The groups were equally divided. However, not many of the original Scrooby congregation still survived. Seven of the original group made it on the Mayflower. The group from Leyden were 17 men, 10 women, and 14 children. The "Strangers" from England were 17 men, 9 women, 13 children and servants: 5 men, 1 woman and 6 children. Yes children! Remember the era, children were working as young as 5 years old, many were orphans. They began what would turn out to be an 8 month journey in August of 1620. They spent 18 days in South-Hampton, 10 days in Dartmouth and then 14 days in Old Plymouth. Then they spent another 66 days at sea before they set foot in the new world in December 1620 it was a horrible journey. Finally in took them another 131 days of exploring the new land before they finally agreed on a settlement. There was so much bitterness and fighting as they just sat in the bay anchored one mile off shore that it is believed that William Bradford's wife Dorothy committed suicide. She was just 23 years of age. Of course he did not write this, as suicide is a sin. He wrote that she fell over board and drowned. They had to come to an agreement, so the Mayflower Compact was drawn up and signed. Richard Warren from which our family descends signed the Compact and his signature appears twelfth. In all, 41 signed the Mayflower Compact.
They arrived in the dead of winter and explored Cape Cod for 30 days. They were sick, cold and hungry. The first shore party of 16 men took the shallop and rowed to shore. The water was shallow. In full armour and leather boots, holding sword and musket they ended up having to get out and walk the boat a long distance in the freezing cold. Miles Standish, William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins and Edward Tilly were amongst these men. They stayed for three days and two nights before returning to the ship. William Bradford writes about walking through a foot of snow and accidentally getting his foot in a deer trap, the sapling tree quickly had him face down hanging from one ankle. In this first exploration they came across an Indian village that was primarily used in the summer when fishing was good. The pilgrims stole everything including the seed corn that the Indians had left for next years planting. This was probably the first of many transgressions by the Pilgrims in this new land which lead up to King Philips War.
The first child to be born in the new world arrived to a family from Sturton-Le- Steeple, William White and his wife Susanna. He was christened Peregrine White. This was this families second son. The first was born in Leyden four years earlier. His name was Resolved. I am not of direct descent. However, Lewis Morris White (1847-1941) the father of Minnie Emma White was. She married Fredrick Hamilton Rider who was a progeny of Ezra Bartlett Rider. Lewis was of direct male descent. That family lived through the massacres of King Philips war.
I might still find a connection, however I am currently missing 100 years in the Rider line of decent. Stay tuned!
William Bradford missed his 5 year son John. Dorothy had decided not to bring him on the first voyage, and like many other families left their children back in Europe. Isaac Allerton, who Clarence Howie's wife Evelyn May Harlow has family connection, and his wife Mary Norris had just given birth to a still born son, Mary did not recover and later died herself she was 34 years old. It was a cold somber winter and over the next three days three more died of scurvy. The Pilgrims had not eaten properly in over eight months.
January came and the first mater of business was to protect themselves from the Indians which had made several attacks and had set a blaze their first common house by shooting flaming arrows into the thatch roof. They built a large stockade with enough room to build 19 individual homes and one common house. They then built the common house, and upon the roof built a fort with a cannon which them kept manned night and day. By January 11th everyone was exhausted and ill including William Bradford and Christopher Martin. The common house became a hospital and eight more quickly died of scurvy including Christopher Martin. We are connected to the Martin family through the Howie line. The remaining Martin family also fought the Indians in King Philips war. The next date in Bradford's journal was February 17. William White and Mary Allerton were dead. This continued through the winter with the Mayflower anchored off shore. More than half of all the people died including the crew on board the Mayflower. Only six remained on their feet to care for the ill. Elder Brewster who was 50 years old was one of these. He had to cut wood, tend fires, feed and clean the ill to attempt to stop the dysentery. Then by night they would have to bury the dead. They did not want the Indians to know how small their community was getting inside the stockade so they placed no grave stones on burial hill.
In the spring a Naked Massasoit Indian brave walked into the camp. Twenty-five year old Edward Winslow quickly covered him with a coat, and became the ambassador to the Indians. Later in the spring Squanto, a Paturxet Indian who was captured and made a slave returned from Europe to his home land to find the Pilgrims on it. Some historians believe this was the Pilgrims hope and their downfall. As Squanto spoke English he was able to play both sides. This created much tension as he was also helping the white man live off the land.
On April 5th, 1621 the crew of the Mayflower was well and set sail for England, leaving the Pilgrims, not one Pilgrim went back with the Mayflower.
On May 12, 1621 the first wedding took place. However, Puritans do not recognize marriage as a sacrament. So it would have been a civil ceremony. Now widower Edward Winslow and Widow Susanna (Fuller) White were joined before William Bradford as legal magistrate, six weeks after Edwards first wife died. Susanna was the sister of Samuel Fuller the only doctor, used in the loosest of terms. She was taking care of orphans Resolved and Peregrine White, as their mother and father were dead and she was their only kin.
The summer much exploring and farming was performed so they could store food for winter. In December, on the same date as the Pilgrims had first stole the food from the first Indian camp, the Chief showed up with 90 Indians and demanded a feast in reparation for the food they had stole the prior winter. So there is the story of the winter harvest, that today we are celebrating with our families and giving Thanks.
 | THE 53 PILGRIMS AT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING : |
5 ADOLESCENT GIRLS : Mary Chilton (14), Constance Hopkins (13 or 14), Priscilla Mullins (19), Elizabeth Tilley (14 or15) and Dorothy, the Carver's unnamed maidservant, perhaps 18 or 19.
9 ADOLESCENT BOYS : Francis & John Billington, John Cooke, John Crackston, Samuel Fuller (2d), Giles Hopkins, William Latham, Joseph Rogers, Henry Samson.
13 YOUNG CHILDREN : Bartholomew, Mary & Remember Allerton, Love & Wrestling Brewster, Humility Cooper, Samuel Eaton, Damaris & Oceanus Hopkins, Desire Minter, Richard More, Resolved & Peregrine White.
22 MEN : John Alden, Isaac Allerton, John Billington, William Bradford, William Brewster, Peter Brown, Francis Cooke, Edward Doty, Francis Eaton, [first name unknown] Ely, Samuel Fuller, Richard Gardiner, John Goodman, Stephen Hopkins, John Howland, Edward Lester, George Soule, Myles Standish, William Trevor, Richard Warren, Edward Winslow, Gilbert Winslow.
