Mayflower (original) (raw)

This article is about the Pilgrim ship. For other things named "Mayflower", please see Mayflower (disambiguation).

The Mayflower was the ship which transported the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth, England to North Virginia (in what was later to become the United States of America) in 1620 (left Plymouth on September 6). Initially the plan was for the voyage to be made in two vessels (the other being the Speedwell), however, due to problems after setting out both ships were forced to return and after some reorganisation the voyage was made in the Mayflower alone. As a result of the delay, the settlers did not arrive until the onset of winter, which made for a difficult time for them. On April 5, 1621 the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts on a return trip to Great Britain.

Details regarding the size and overall dimensions of the ship are unknown, but it has been estimated from its load weight and the usual size of 180-ton merchant ships in the period to be 90 - 110 feet in length and about 25 feet in width. Careful research went into designing a replica, the Mayflower II (launched on September 22, 1956), to make it as much like its namesake as possible.

Mayflower passengers

Pilgrims

Planters recruited by London merchants

Men hired to stay one year

Family servants & young cousins

The ship Mayflower was principally used as a cargo ship trading between England and other European contries, principally France but also Norway, Germany and possibly Spain. At least between 1609 and 1623 it was mastered by Christopher Jones, who was Captain on the trans-atlantic voyage, and based in Rotherhithe. He was buried in the graveyard of St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe following his death in March 1623, and it is likely that the ship was broken up for scrap lumber there in the following year.

The Mayflower is, incidentally, the emblem of the English football club Plymouth Argyle F.C, who are known by the nickname of "The Pilgrims".