USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 4
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 4
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 4
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The Virginia Founders believed, according to Seagull in "Eastward
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SNORRI OR PEREGRINE?
Hoe," a comedy written in 1605, that they would find in the New World that "golde is more plentiful there than copper is with us . ... Why man, all ... the chains with which they chaine up their streets are massie gold; and for rubies and diamonds they go forth in Hylydayes and gather them by the seashore." It is said that the fleet carried to Virginia forty or fifty sailors and "six score male emigrants, including fifty-two gentlemen and-a barber. A gentleman of that time was unused to manual labor."
The adventurers went under sealed orders which they opened on Sunday night, April 26, 1607, when they entered the Chesapeake Bay, and found that the councillors named were Edward-Maria Wingfield, Bartholomew Gosnold, John Smith, Christopher Newport, John Rat- cliffe, John Martin and George Kendall. Five took the oath of office and chose Wingfield as president. Captain John Smith was under ar- rest at the time and was excluded from his seat until the following June. Newport gave a farewell supper and sailed for England, June 22. By September fifty of the one hundred and four colonists banqueted by Christopher Newton were dead, and among them, Gosnold. Kendall was removed from the council, for the good of the service, tried for mutiny and shot. Wingfield was deposed from the presidency and im- prisoned on the "Discovery," one of the ships which brought them from England. Smith was specially delegated to secure supplies and, in doing so, was seized by Indians led by Opechancanough, brother of Powhatan, and it was while he was a prisoner of the Indians that the romantic incident of Pocahontas saving his life took place, if at all. Powhatan sent him back to Jamestown.
Upon his return he was arrested, indicted under the Levitical law for allowing the death of two of his men, and sentenced to be hanged. The colony then consisted of forty half-starved persons. Just as Cap- tain John Smith was to be executed, Christopher Newport arrived with more colonists and provisions, liberated Smith, and he later be- came president and prosecuted his desire to explore and rule. He finally was the only member of the council and made no attempt to fill the vacancies.
In September, 1609, Smith returned to England. He never revisited Virginia, but in 1614, with Thomas Hunt, sailed from England and fished, hunted for furs and explored the coast from the Penobscot River in Maine to Cape Cod. They returned to England with fish, furs, a map which Smith had made, and some Indians whom Hunt had taken prisoner. Hunt sold the Indians in Spain. One of them subsequently returned to America and was the friendly Squanto who greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Smith died in London in 1631, at the age of fifty-one.
On the6 of September, 16zo,in the Mayoralty of Thomas Townes, af ter bring kindly entertained and courteously used by divers Friends there dwelling" the Pilgrim Fathers tailed from Plymouth in the Mayflower, in the Providenceof Godto settle in NEW PLYMOUTHand to lay the Foundation of the NEW ENGLAND STATES . The ancient Causey ahonce they embarked was destroyed not many Years afterwards. but the Sete of their Embarkation is marked by the Stone bearing the name of the MAYFLOWER in the pavement of the adjacent Pier. This Tablet was erected actie Mayoralty of J. T. Bond 1891, to commemorate their Departure, and the visit to Plymouth in Jutg of that Year of a number of their Descendants and Representatives.
ANYVELOWER 1620
Enod by Cammobei NY
COMMEMORATIVE STONE AND TABLET ON THE BARBICAN,
PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND
CHAPTER III FROM SCROOBY TO PLYMOUTH.
Early Education and Life of the Pilgrims and Parting Advice of Rev. John Robinson-Debt of Humanity to Governor Bradford for His Authentic History-Its Remarkable Preservation-The "Mayflower" Census and Early Vital Statistics-Descent Proved from Fifty-four "Mayflower" Passengers-How Roger Williams and Other "Heretics" Were Dealt With-Punishment for the First Offense in Plymouth- First Dairy Cattle Arrived on the "Charity"-Beginning of Public Schools-Punishments for Quakers.
When the island of Cuttyhunk in Dukes County, Massachusetts, was occupied, in 1602, by Bartholomew Gosnold and his crew of would- be colonists, at Scrooby, one hundred and forty miles from London, there was a congregation of the Protestant Reformation "whom neither king nor priest could force again to submit to tyranny." The postmaster of Scrooby was William Brewster, a native of the vil- lage, who had studied at Cambridge, spent some time at court as as assistant to William Davidson, Queen Elizabeth's Puritan secre- tary, accompanied the latter as secretary when he went as ambassador to the Netherlands, and, when Davidson fell from power, became the Scrooby postmaster. It was his custom on the Lord's Day to offer the manor-house in which he lived as a tenant of Sir Samuel Sandys, to the Separatists constituting the congregation already mentioned, "and with great love he entertained them when they came, making provision for them to his great charge."
Richard Clifton was pastor of the congregation and John Robinson was assistant pastor. Brewster was chief layman and afterwards ruling elder. Soon political displeasure which his identification with the · Separatists invoked, caused him to lose his office as postmaster, and the manor-house, which had belonged to the archbishops of York from the days of William the Conqueror had another tenant. Some of the congregation found themselves in prison, others found refuge in flight, and some got on board a ship at Boston, fifty miles from Scrooby. The captain of the ship betrayed them and their goods were confiscated. Other attempts were made to get away and to some place "where they heard was freedom of religion for all men."
At Leyden, Brewster became a teacher, publisher and printer of books that it would not have been safe to print in England. Bradford became a silk-weaver and a student. He was later the leading mem- ber of the Plymouth Colony as "nature and opportunity equally fitted him to be its chronicler from the beginning." He wrote the first
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
American book. His manuscript was for a quarter of a century safely kept in a house still standing on the banks of the Jones River in Kingston.
Bradford became a citizen of Leyden and a student of its municipal government, preparing himself for the work which was before him, although he knew it not.
Robinson became pastor and trained his congregation to follow the counsel given to the insurgent peasants of Germany nearly a hundred years before, by Martin Luther: "The gospel is not tied to place, but moves freely through the world, like the star which beamed on the wizards, and, as they journeyed from the East, guided them where the Saviour lay. We have power to change our country, and elsewhere pursue truth. Do not dispute with the sovereign for place, but emi- grate in company. Let the people elect a pastor, and support him at their own charge. If the magistrate interferes, let the pastor, whom the people have chosen, take to flight, and let them that will, go with him."
Under Robinson the congregation increased, a church and houses for the people were built. Among the recruits were John Carver, Myles Standish and Edward Winslow. Brewster began printing books which eventually led to his outfit being confiscated, and it soon became very evident that the Separatists were not safe in Holland or England. John Carver and Robert Cushman were delegated to go to England and seek lands in Northern Virginia. The Virginia company granted a charter to the Pilgrims but the patent was in the name of John Win- cob who intended to go with them. The charter was not used. Even- tually Thomas Weston, a London merchant, and about seventy other merchant adventurers planned an emigration scheme. The Pilgrims, if they accepted the terms offered, would practically be servants. "Hard terms indeed; but it was this or nothing and, after all, civil and religious liberty were not covered by mortgage." If a majority went Robinson was to go with them but, since the majority remained in Leyden, Elder Brewster became the leader. Pastor Robinson preached a farewell sermon in which he said "Before God and His blessed angels, follow me no farther than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of His holy word. I beseech you, remember it-'tis an article of your church covenant- that you be ready to receive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written word of God."
Twenty-four miles from Leyden was Delfshaven, and from this place they embarked in the "Speedwell" for Southampton, from which she was to act as transport to the "Mayflower," a vessel of one hundred and eighty tons. At Southampton, Stephen Hopkins, a man with a
31
FROM SCROOBY TO PLYMOUTH
well developed commercial tendency, had his family of eight ready to go. William Mullens with his wife and daughter, Priscilla, were also waiting to go, and John Alden was hired as a cooper.
On the voyage of nine weeks, one passenger died, Oceanus was born to Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins and so the number remained the same when, on November 10, the shores of Cape Cod were seen. Al- though the Pilgrims' patent was for Virginia, they were led to ac- cept the shelter of "the only windward port within two hundred miles where the ship could have laid at anchor for the next month, unvexed by the storms which usher in a New England winter."
They were sore in need of a landing place and sanitary conditions better than could be provided on the "Mayflower." The names of those who signed the Compact in the cabin of the "Mayflower," by means of which "humanity recovered its rights and instituted govern- ment on the basis of equal laws enacted by all the people for the general good" are well known. It is not so well known that there were forty-eight grown men on board and only forty-one signed the Compact. Perhaps the other seven were too ill to sign their names. At all events they died shortly after. The make-up of the "Mayflower" company was thirty-four men passengers, eighteen wives, twenty boys, eight girls, three maid-servants, and nineteen men-servants, five of whom were not more than half-grown. Their clothing was filthy, or, as William Bradford tells the story: the women went ashore to do "the homely Monday work of washing clothes as they had great need." Most of them were weakened by their confinement in cramped and unsanitary quarters and they landed at the worst possible time for comfort or safety, but "Freedom's ark had reached its Ararat."
Debt of Humanity to Governor Bradford for His Authentic "His- tory" .- Presumably every student of history has attempted to picture the people who came over in the "Mayflower" and has obtained cold comfort from reading a list of names, copied from the monument to the Forefathers, at Plymouth, or from some other memorial or his- torical volume. Just what each family group consisted of and what became of the different members has not appeared in most of the his- tories and, where some attempt has been made to tell the "human interest" story there have been variations, so the reader has won- dered whether anyone really knows. Fortunately there is a manu- script, written in the legible hand of Governor Bradford, now care- fully preserved in the Massachusetts State House, which gives us first- hand information.
Its Remarkable Preservation-From the time that Governor Brad- ford died until 1728, this precious manuscript was carefully hidden away
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
in the old house in Kingston, now owned by the Jones River Village Club of that town. It had been loaned to Reverend Thomas Prince, by Major John Bradford, to enable Prince to write his "Chronological History of New England." Dr. Prince eventually deposited it in the library of the Old South Church in Boston. Hutchinson and Mather had access to it and it was valuable to them in writing their histories.
The Old South Church was looted at the time of the Revolutionary War and the manuscript disappeared, with many other valuable things. Half a century later, it was discovered in the Library of Fulham Palace in London. In 1897 it was returned to Boston and copies of it printed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This literary treasure enables the student to satisfy his curiosity concerning the fate of the passengers on the "Mayflower," written by one of them as late as 1650, and with additional information in another handwriting as late as 1698. The story as it appears in Bradford's manuscript is not easy reading from the fact that the spelling is in Old English and the lower case u is used where we of the present time employ the lower case v, and there are other peculiarities, now out of date. Those who wish to read it as Bradford wrote it, may examine the original manuscript in the · State House or seek one of the copies printed by the Commonwealth. It is here presented in twentieth century United States instead of seventeenth century English, the wording the same, the spelling altered, with the exception of the names :
The "Mayflower" Census and Vital Statistics :
The namics of those which came over first, in the year 1620 and were (by the blessing of God) the first beginners and (in a sort) the foundation, of all the plantations, and colonies, in New England, and their families.
Mr John Carver, Kathrine his wife. Desire Minter; and two man servants, John Howland, Roger Wilder, William Latham, a boy, and a maidservant. and a child that was put to him called Jasper More.
Mr William Brewster, Mary, his wife, with two sons, whose names were Love and Wrasling, and a boy was put to him called Richard More; and another of his brothers; the rest of his children were left behind and came over afterwards. -
Mr Edward Winslow, Elizabeth, his wife, and two men servants, called Georg Sowle and Elias Story; also a little girl was put to him called Ellen, the sister of Richard More.
William Bradford and Dorothy his wife, having but one child, a son left be- hind who came afterward.
Mr Isack Allerton, and Mary his wife; with thrce children, Bartholomew, Remember and Mary, and a servant boy, John Hooke.
Mr Samuel Fuller; and a servant called William Butten. His wife was be- hind and a child, which came afterwards.
John Cradston, and his son John Cradston.
Captain Myles Standish and Rose, his wife.
Mr Christopher Martin and his wife; and two children Joseph and Priscilla; and a servant Robart Carter.
-
1620
PLYMOUTH ROCK
1
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FROM SCROOBY TO PLYMOUTH
Mr William White and Susana his wife; and one son called Resolved, and one born a shipboard called Peregriene, and two servants, named William Holbeck and Edward Thomson.
Mr Steven Hopkins, and Elizabeth his wife; and two children called Giles and Constanta a daughter, both by a former wife. And two more by this wife called Damaris and Oceanus, the last was born at sea. And two servants called Edward Doty and Edward Litster.
Mr Richard Warren, but his wife and children were left behind and came afterwards.
John Billinton, and Elen his wife; and two sons John and Francis.
Edward Tillie and his wife; and Eelizabeth their daughter.
Francis Cooke and his son John; But his wife and other children came after- wards.
Thomas Rogers and Joseph his son: his other children came afterwards.
Thomas Tinker, and his wife, and a son.
John Ridgdale and Alice his wife.
James Chilton and his wife and Mary their daughter; they had another daughter that was married came afterward.
Edward Fuller, and his wife; and Samuell their son.
John Turner, and two sons; he had a daughter came some years after to Salem, where she is now living.
Francis Eaton and Sarah his wife, and Samuell their son, a young child.
Moyses Fletcher, John Goodman, Thomas Williams, Digorie Preist, Edmond Margeson, Peter Browne, Richard Britterige, Richard Clarke, Richard Gardenar, Gilbart Winslow.
John Alden was hired for a cooper at South-Hampton where the ship vic- tualled; and being a hopeful young man was much desired, but left to his own liking to go, or stay when he came here, but he stayed, and married here.
John Allerton, and Thomas Enlish were both hired, the latter to go master of a shallop here, and the other was reputed as one of the company but was to go back (being a seaman) for the help of others behind. But they both died here, before the ship returned.
There were also' other two seamen hired to stay a year here in the country, William Trevore; and one Ely. But when their time was out they both returned.
These being about a hundred souls came over in this first ship; and began their work, which God of his goodness hath hithertoo blessed; let his Holy Name have the praise. And seeing it hath pleased Him to give me to see thirty years completed since these beginnings. And that the great works of his Providence are to be observed, I have thought it not unworthy my pains, to take a view of the de- creasings and increasings of these persons, and such changes as hath passed over them, and theirs, in this thirty years. It may be of some use to such as come after; but however, I shall rest in my own benefits.
I will therefore take them in order as they lie.
Mr Carver and his wife died the first year, he in the spring, she in the sum- mer; also his man Roger, and the little boy Jasper died before either of them, of the common infection.
Desire Minter, returned to her friend and proved not very well and died in England. His servant boy Latham, after more than twenty years stay in the country, went into England; and from thence to the Bahama Islands in the West Indies; and there with some others was starved for want of food. His maid servant married, and died a year or two after here in this place. His servant John Howland married the daughter of John Tillie, Elizabeth, and they
Plym-3
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
are both now living; and have ten children now all living, and their eldest daugh- ter have four children. And their two daughters, one all living and other of their children marriagable, so fifteen are come of them.
Mr Brewster lived to a very old age; about eighty years he was when he died, having lived some twenty-three or twenty-four years here in the country, and though his wife died long before yet she died aged. His son Wrastle died a young man unmarried; his son Love lived till this year 1650, and died and left four children, now living. His daughters which came over after him, are dead, but have left sundry children alive; his eldest son is still living, and hath nine or ten children, one married who hath a child or two. Richard More, his brother, died the first winter; but his son is married, and hath four or five children all living.
Mr Edward Winslow, his wife died the first winter, and he married with the widow of Mr White, and hath two children living by her marriagable, besides sun- dry that are dead. One of his servants died, as also the little girl soon after the ships arrived. But his man Georg Sowle, is still living and hath eight children.
William Bradford, his wife died soon after their arrival, and he married again; and hath four children, three whereof are married (who died 9th of May 1658).
Mr Allerton his wife died with the first, and his servant John Hooke, his son Bartle is married in England, but I know not how many children he hath. His daughter Remember is married at Salem, and hath three or four children living. And his daughter Mary is married here and hath four children. Himself married again with the daughter of Mr. Brewster and hath one son living by her, but she is long since dead. And he is married again, and hath left this place long ago. So I account his increase to be eight beside his son in England.
Mr Fuller, his servant died at sea; and after his wife came over, he had two children by her; which are living and grown up to years. But he died some fifteen years ago. John Crakstone died in the first mortality; and about some five or six years after his son died, having lost himself in the woods, his feet became frozen, which put him into a fever, of which he died.
Captain Standish, his wife died in the first sickness; and he married again, and hath four sons living, and some are dead. (who died 3d of October 1655.)
Mr Martin, he, and all his, died in the first infection; not long after the arrival.
Mr. Molines, and his wife, his son, and his servant, died the first winter. Only his daughter Priscilla survived, and married with John Alden, who are both living, and have eleven children. And their eldest daughter is married and hath five children.
Mr White and his two servants died soon after their landing. His wife mar- ried with Mr Winslow (as is before noted). His two sons are married, and Re- solved hath five children; Peregrine two, all living, so their increase are seven.
Mr Hopkins, and his wife are now both dead; but they lived above twenty years in this place, and had one son, and four daughters born here. Their son became a seaman, and died at Barbadoes, one daughter died here, and two are married, one of them hath two children, and one is yet to marry. So their increase, which still survive are five. But his son Giles is married, and hath four children. His daughter Constanta, is also married, and hath twelve children, all of them living, and one of them married.
Mr Richard Warren lived some four or five years, and had his wife come over to him. By whom he had two sons before he died; and one of them is mar- ried, and hath two children, so his increase is four. But he had five daughters more come over with his wife, who are all married; and living, and have many children.
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FROM SUROOBY TO PLYMOUTH
John Billinton after he had been here ten years, was executed, for killing a man; and his eldest son died before him; but his second son is alive, and mar- ried, and hath eight children. Edward Tillie and his wife died soon after their arrival, and the girl Humility their cousin, was sent for into England and died there, But the youth Henry Samson is still living, and is married, and hath seven children.
John Tillie, and his wife both died a little after they came ashore, and their daughter Elizabeth married with John Howland, and hath issue as is before noted.
Francis Cooke is still living, a very old man, and hath seen his children's chil- dren, have children; after his wife came over (with other of his children) he hath three still living by her all married, and have five children, so their increase is eight. And his son John which came over with him, is married and hath four children living.
Thomas Rogers died in the first sickness. But his son Joseph is still living, and is married and hath six children. The rest of Thomas Rogers came over, and are married and have many children.
Thomas Tinker and his wife and son all died in the first sickness. And so did John Rigdale and his wife.
James Chilton, and his wife also died in the first infection, but their daughter Mary is still living, and hath nine children; and one daughter is married, and hath a child; so their increase is ten.
Edward Fuller, and his wife died soon after they came ashore; But their son Samuell is still living and married, and hath four children or more.
John Turner and his two sons all died in the first sickness; But he hath a daughter still living at Salem, well married and approved of.
Francis Eeaton, his first wife died in the general sickness; and he married again, and his second wife died, and he married the third, and had by her three children, one of them is married, and hath a child; the others are living, but one of them is an idiot. His son Samuell, who came over a sucking child is also married and hath a child. He died about sixteen years ago.
Moyses Fletcher, Thomas Williams, Digorie Preist, John Goodman, Edmond Margeson, Richard Brittarige, Richard Clarke. All of these died soon after their arrival in the general sickness that befell. But Digorie Preist had his wife and children sent hither afterwards, she being Mr Allerton's sister. But the rest left no posterity here.
Richard Gardiner, became a seaman, and died in England, or at sea.
Gilbert Winslow, after divers years aboard here, returned into England and died there.
Peter Browne married twice; By his first wife he had two children, who are living and both of them married, and the one of them hath two children. By his second wife, he had two more; he died about sixteen years since.
Thomas English; and John Allerton, died in the general sickness. John Alden married with Priscilla, Mr. Mollines his daughter, and had issue by her as is before related.
Edward Doty and Edward Litster the servants of Mr Hopkins. Litster after he was at Liberty, went to Virginia and there died. But Edward Doty, by a second wife, hath seven children and both he and they are living.
Of these one hundred persons which came first over in this first ship together; the greater half died in the general mortality; and most of them in two or three months time. And for those which survived, though some were ancient and past procreation; and others left the place and country, yet of those few remaining are sprung up about one hundred and sixty persons in this thirty years. And are
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