[Reminder: Companion Facebook Group to read the blog, Jones Gathering Place, is now open for those with a Facebook account . Please join and feel free to share family news and photos with your cousins.] Try as I might, I could not find any of our ancestors on the passenger lists of the Mayflower, but we came damn close. PILGRIMS We all studied the Pilgrims in school and how they came to Massachusetts in 1620. They made friends with the Indians, had a magnificent feast, and lived happily ever after, right? Not exactly. What I don't recall learning in school is that the Pilgrims bought a ship to accompany the Mayflower--a small ship named the Speedwell of 60 tons, about one-third the size of the Mayflower. The leader of the group that acquired the Speedwell was Dr. Thomas Blossom, 8th great grandfather to those cousins of my generation in the Jones family. Pilgrims, or Separatists who had illegally broken with the Church of England in 1607 while living in Scrooby, England, immigrated to Leyden in the Netherlands where laws were more lenient. About 400 settled in there own section of the city. After twelve years, leaders of the community feared members would not only lose their English language and heritage if they were to stay much longer, but they would avail themselves of more opportunity to prosper if they were to seek a new home in the New World. The Mayflower was financed by a London stock company. THE SPEEDWELL The Speedwell was built in 1577 and used by the British against the Spanish Armada in 1588 under the name the Swiftsure. It was refitted with two masts and decommissioned. Captain Reynolds was hired to command the ship. Once in America, the settlers planned to use the ship as a fishing boat. On board the two ships were 150 passengers. Only approximately 35 were Pilgrims and the others were "strangers," men hired by the financiers to oversee their venture. SAYING GOOD-BYE Nathaniel Morton (our 11th great uncle) wrote the first history of the or Plymouth Plantation after arriving on the Anne in 1623 and was a nephew of William Bradford, a founder of the colony and its governor. He described the Pilgrims leaving Leiden to sail to Southampton: "When they came to Delfs-Haven they found the (Speedwell) and all things ready, and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipt, and to take their leaves of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse, and other real expressions of true Christian love. "The next day they went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting, to hear what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each others heart, that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the Key as spectators could not refrain from tears. But the tide (which stays for no man) calling them away, that were thus loath to depart, their Reverend Pastor, falling down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks commended then with the most fervent prayers unto the Lord and His blessing; and then with mutual embraces and many tears they took their leaves one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them." AMERICA BOUND The Mayflower and the Speedwell left for their planned destination in Virginia on August 5, 1620. The little Speedwell began to leak "as a sieve" almost before clearing the harbor. Both ships headed to Dartmouth for repairs just 75 miles along the coast. Workmen did some minor patching and, once again, put out to sea. Just 200 miles out, the Captain again complained of leaking and landed in Plymouth, England, for several more weeks delay. The passengers were forced to use provisions they had packed for their new home. Finally, Captain Reynolds concluded that the Speedwell was not seaworthy. About 20 of its passengers joined their comrades on the Mayflower. Most of the remaining passengers, including the Blossoms, returned to Leyden. The ship left Plymouth with 102 passengers on September 6, 1620 after losing a month of good weather for a miserable storm-tossed voyage that threw them off course and it almost sank when the main beam cracked. No privies, no privacy, no baths. Odors from he chickens, pigs, and goats. It arrived 66 days later on November 11 in Massachusetts. Half of the new settlers died of disease or starvation in the first winter. THE FATE OF THE SPEEDWELL There are theories that Reynolds himself sabotaged the ship because he feared sailing it across the Atlantic and wanted out of his contract. Nathaniel Morton reported rumors from the crew that the Dutch wished to undermine England's effort to colonize America and paid them to cause the leaks. The Speedwell was repaired and made several trips for its new Captain, John Thomas Chappell until finally sold at auction in 1635. The Blossoms finally arrived in Plymouth on a ship also named the Mayflower, in 1629. More about them next time. The Mayflower Voyage
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Bonnie EastonHi! I am a Jones cousin, daughter of Evelyn Jones Easton. Since retiring as a reference librarian after 20 years, I have become a genealogy addict. Our ancestors want to tell us their stories.
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