For centuries mighty ships have sailed across the sea from England to America.. But none have brought such a significant heritage as did the little 180 ton Mayflower bringing the Pilgrim Fathers  to their new home in 1620.

Freedom of Religion Beckons

Freedom of religion was the issue pushing America’s first pilgrims to leave their families, friends, and country.  The story of their plight begins in the early 1600’s in the north of England.  A group of sincere Puritan men and women began to meet in secret for religious worship in the Old Manor House of William Brewster in the village of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire. 

They courageously sought to free their worship from the half-hearted religious community of the then Queen of England, Elizabeth.  They desired to have a separate church from The Church of England. 

Following the directives of their conscience they refused to follow the laws of the church and began to suffer heavy penalties. One of their group, William Bradford, wrote, “Some were taken and clapt up in prison, others had their houses besett and watcht day and night, and the most were faine to flie and leave their houses and habitations and means of their livelihood.” 

Religious Persecution Increased

Their lives grew so difficult as the religious persecution increased that they began at last to leave their homes and country.  They knew they could worship as they chose in Holland and escaped to Holland in 1608.  They were farmers and did not adapt well to the industrial and commercial communities. Soon they realized their children were in danger of growing up as Dutchmen instead of Englishmen and thought them to be falling away from their faith.  They deceided to leave for the wild of the New World where they might be able to speak their native language and customs and be free to worship as they believed. 

The small group returned to England in a small ship called the Speedwell where they found another ship and a number of Separatists awaiting them .  They  boarded the Mayflower and set sail out of Plymouth, England on September 6.   The voyage took two months and five days and many of the pilgrims got sick.  One man, William Butten, died and a baby, Oceanus Hopkins,  was born during the voyage.

Provincetown Landing

The finally reached the vacant and lonely shores of Cape Cod on November 9, 1620 harbouring where Provincetown now stands.  They had passed through many struggles during the years since choosing to leave The Church of England but the worst were yet to arrive.   William Bradford wrote, “Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles, they had now no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertaine or refresh their weatherbeaten bodies, no houses or much less towns to repaire too, to seeke for succoure. And for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of that countrie know them to be sharp & violent & subjecte to cruell & firece stormes, dangerous to travill to know places, much more to search an unknown coast.  Beside, what could they see but a hidious and desolate wilderness, full of wilde beasts and wild men? and what multitudes ther might be of they they knew not.”

The List of 102 courageous God-Fearing Mayflower Pilgrims is available on several internet sites as well as the official Mayflower Society site.