Pilgrim Boat Names: A Historical Journey Across The Seas

The name of the ship that carried the Pilgrims from England to North America in 1620 was the Mayflower.

The Mayflower's passengers

The Mayflower was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England to the New World in 1620. The ship carried 102 passengers, 74 men, 28 women, and 31 children, as well as a crew of about 30 people. The Pilgrims were a group of Puritan separatists who sought to break away from the Church of England and establish their own colony in the New World, beyond the reach of the English government and church.

The Mayflower passengers consisted of members of the Leiden, Holland Congregation, servants of the congregation, passengers recruited by Thomas Weston of the London Merchant Adventurers, and servants of these merchant adventurers passengers. The majority of the passengers were Puritan separatists and their dependents, while others were hired hands, servants, or farmers.

Members of the Leiden, Holland Congregation:

• Isaac Allerton and Mary (Norris) Allerton with their children Bartholomew, Remember, and Mary.
• William and Dorothy (May) Bradford.
• William and Mary Brewster with their children Love and Wrestling.
• John and Katherine (White) Carver with Dorothy, Katherine's maidservant.
• James and Mrs. Chilton with their daughter Mary.
• Francis Cooke and his son John.
• John Crackstone and his son John.
• Francis and Sarah Eaton with their son Samuel.
• Edward and Mrs. Fuller and their son Samuel.
• Stephen and Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins with their children Constance, Giles, Damaris, and Oceanus, who was born during the voyage.
• Christopher and Mary (Prower) Martin.
• Ellen, Jasper, Richard, and Mary More.
• William and Alice Mullins with their children Priscilla and Joseph.
• John and Alice Rigsdale.
• Thomas Rogers and his son Joseph.
• Myles and Rose Standish.
• Edward and Agnes (Cooper) Tilley.
• John and Joan (Hurst) Tilley with their daughter Elizabeth.
• Thomas and Mrs. Tinker with their son.
• John Turner and his two sons.
• William and Susanna (Jackson) White with their son Resolved. Peregrine, their second son, was born on board the ship in Provincetown Harbor.
• Edward and Elizabeth (Barker) Winslow.

Servants of the Leiden Congregation:

• William Butten, indentured servant of Samuel Fuller.
• John Hooke, servant of Isaac Allerton.
• John Howland, manservant and executive assistant to Governor John Carver.
• William Latham, servant of the John Carver family.
• Desire Minter, servant of John Carver.
• Ellen More, assigned as a servant to Edward Winslow.
• Jasper More, indentured to John Carver.
• Richard More, indentured to William Brewster.
• Mary More, assigned as a servant to William Brewster.
• George Soule, servant or employee of Edward Winslow.
• Elias Story, in the care of Edward Winslow.
• Roger Wilder, servant of John Carver.

Passengers Recruited by Thomas Weston:

• John Billington, Eleanor Billington, and their sons John and Francis.
• Richard Britteridge.
• Peter Browne.
• Francis Eaton and his son Samuel.
• Richard Gardiner.
• Stephen Hopkins.
• Giles Hopkins, son of Stephen Hopkins by his first marriage.
• Constance Hopkins, daughter of Stephen Hopkins by his first marriage.
• Damaris Hopkins, daughter of Stephen Hopkins.
• Oceanus Hopkins, son of Stephen Hopkins, born on board the ship.
• Edmund Margesson.
• Christopher Martin.
• Mary Prower, wife of Christopher Martin.
• Solomon Prower, son of Mary Prower.
• Myles Standish, military expert for the colony.
• Rose Standish, wife of Myles Standish.
• Richard Warren.
• Edward Winslow, brother of Pilgrim Edward Winslow.
• Gilbert Winslow.

Servants of Merchant Adventurers Passengers:

• Robert Carter, servant or apprentice to William Mullins.
• Edward Doty, servant to Stephen Hopkins.
• William Holbeck, servant to William White.
• John Langemore, servant to Christopher Martin.
• Edward Leister, servant to Stephen Hopkins.
• Edward Thompson, in the care of the William White family.

The Mayflower's crew

The crew of the Mayflower, a 17th-century cargo ship, was led by its captain, or Ship's Master, Christopher Jones, a 50-year-old native of Harwich, Essex, England. Jones was one of the owners of the ship, along with Christopher Nichols, Robert Child, and Thomas Short. The Mayflower was likely a small cargo ship, weighing in at about 180 tons, and measuring about 100 feet long and 25 feet wide.

The crew of the Mayflower consisted of about 30 men, including the captain. Of these, only a handful can be identified with historical records. The Ship's Pilot and Master's Mate was John Clarke, who had previously been a prisoner of the Spanish for five years after being captured on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia. Robert Coppin, another Master's Mate, claimed to have been to New England before and to have experience whaling. John Alden, the 21-year-old Cooper (barrel-maker), was also from Harwich, and was related to Master Jones by marriage. Giles Heale, the Ship's Surgeon, was a young man from London who had just completed his apprenticeship as a Barber-Surgeon before the voyage.

The crew also included a Master Gunner, a Ship's Carpenter, a Boatswain, four Quartermasters, a Ship's Cook, and a Swabber. The Master Gunner, Boatswain, Cook, and three of the Quartermasters all died during the first winter in Plymouth. The Master Carpenter played a crucial role in repairing the ship's main beam during the voyage using a giant screw that the passengers had brought with them.

The Pilgrims' journey

The journey of the Pilgrims began in England in 1620, where they set sail from Plymouth on the 16th of September. They were travelling on a ship called the Mayflower, a name that has since become iconic in the history of the United States. The Mayflower was a cargo ship, a type of sailing vessel known as a carrack, with three masts and three decks. On board were 102 passengers, including men, women, and children, as well as a crew of about 30. The passengers were a diverse group, consisting of religious separatists, later known as pilgrims, and others referred to as 'Strangers' by the pilgrims. The 'Strangers' were people who did not share the pilgrims' religious beliefs but were instead seeking a fresh start in a new land.

The Pilgrims were a group of English families who had chosen to separate themselves from the Church of England, which forced them to pray in private. They believed that the church's resistance to reform and its Roman Catholic past left it beyond redemption. As a result, they left England for the Netherlands in 1608, where they could worship freely. However, life in Holland became increasingly difficult, and by 1620, they had decided to cross the Atlantic for America, which they considered a "new Promised Land".

The original plan was for two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, to make the voyage. However, the Speedwell sprang leaks three times, forcing the Mayflower to return to port each time for repairs. Eventually, the Speedwell was deemed unfit for the journey, and the Mayflower continued on alone. The Mayflower finally set sail from Plymouth on the 16th of September 1620, with up to 30 crew and 102 passengers on board. The journey across the Atlantic was treacherous, with harsh winter storms and many passengers suffering from seasickness. The ship was damaged by a storm, and a young passenger, John Howland, was swept overboard but managed to grab a rope and was pulled to safety. Sadly, one person, a sailor who had been cruel to the passengers, died during the voyage, with the colonists believing that God was punishing him for his cruelty. There was also a joyous occasion during the journey, with the birth of a baby boy, Oceanus Hopkins, to Elizabeth Hopkins.

After 66 days at sea, the Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod on the 11th of November 1620. The Pilgrims had intended to land further south near the Hudson River but were forced to change course due to rough seas. They decided to explore Cape Cod and the surrounding area, including what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. They encountered a small group of Native Americans, the Wampanoag tribe, who had lived in the region for thousands of years. The Pilgrims decided to settle in what was once the village of Patuxet, which had been deserted following an outbreak of disease brought by earlier European colonists.

The harsh winter took a heavy toll on the Pilgrims, with many falling sick and dying. They struggled with the cold and lack of food, and by the end of February 1621, only 47 colonists had survived. During this time, the Mayflower remained anchored in Plymouth Harbour, serving as a home for the sick and dying. Finally, in March 1621, there were enough houses built for everyone to live on land. The Mayflower then left Plymouth to return to England on the 5th of April 1621, making the return journey in less than half the time it had taken to sail to America.

The Pilgrims' beliefs

The beliefs of the Pilgrims, who travelled on the Mayflower, were largely religious in nature. The core members of the Pilgrims were Puritan Separatists, a religious sect that had split from the Church of England, which was the only legal church in England at the time. The Separatists believed that the Church of England was beyond redemption due to its resistance to reform and its Roman Catholic past. They chose to separate themselves from the Church of England, which forced them to pray in private.

Another leading religious Separatist was William Bradford, who went on to become a Governor of the Plymouth Colony, serving for more than 30 years. Bradford kept a journal, titled 'Of Plimoth Plantation', which recorded much of what happened to the group, including how they had become so persecuted that they could no longer live peacefully.

The Pilgrims' religious beliefs were also reflected in their political actions. Upon arriving in America, the Pilgrims drew up the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to cooperate for the general good of the colony. They established constitutional law and ruled by majority vote.

In addition to their religious beliefs, the Pilgrims also sought a new life and a fresh start in a different land. They were in search of religious freedom and the opportunity to build a better future for their families. Some Pilgrims also anticipated the chance to explore new land and embark on adventures.

The Pilgrims' arrival

The voyage was originally intended to be made with two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, but the Speedwell sprang multiple leaks and had to be abandoned, leaving the Mayflower to continue the journey alone. The Mayflower faced treacherous conditions during its 66-day crossing of the Atlantic. The ship encountered fierce storms, and passengers endured seasickness and cramped living quarters. In the midst of one storm, a main beam supporting the ship's frame was damaged, but the passengers were able to repair it using a metal jackscrew they had brought along. Another storm swept a young passenger, John Howland, overboard, but he was able to grab onto a rope and was pulled back to safety.

The Mayflower finally reached the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on November 11, 1620, and the Pilgrims anchored in what is now known as Provincetown Harbor. They had intended to land further south near the Hudson River but were forced to change course due to rough seas. Upon arrival, the male passengers drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact, establishing a rudimentary form of government and legal order for their new colony.

The Pilgrims spent the next month and a half exploring the area and interacting with the Native Americans who called this land home, particularly the Wampanoag tribe. They decided to settle in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, and began constructing their first buildings. However, the harsh winter took a heavy toll, and many passengers fell ill and died. Only about half of the original Pilgrims survived that first winter, with the help of local indigenous people who taught them vital survival skills.

The following year, in 1621, the remaining colonists celebrated the colony's first fall harvest with a three-day festival of prayer and feasting, known today as the first American Thanksgiving. The Mayflower's journey and the Pilgrims' arrival marked a pivotal moment in the history of colonisation in North America, with lasting impacts on the future of the United States.

Frequently asked questions