The herald., 1897-04-19
THE RETURN OF THE "LoG"
How the Mayfower's Precious Rec
ords Are Restored to America.

When the chancellor of the consistory
the decision of the court to return to
America the long lost log of the May
flower he stated that the petition for
its return was brought, not by a single
person, but by the whole of great ma
ton, living in the greatest amity with
Great Britain. A precedent for it's re-
turn was found in the friendly action of
the Philadelphia library in restoring to
Great Britain five manuscript volumes
which were once part of the archives of
England, for which Lord Romily, the
then master of rolls formally expressed
the deep thanks of England.
Thus will we soon regain possession of
one of the most famous and valuable
documents in American history, Gov
ernor William Bradford's history of the
voyage of the Mayf1ower and the per-
sonal and colonial events subsequent
thereto. The recovery follows upon the
efforts of the government of Massachu-
setts, the American Antiquarian and
Massachusetts Historical societies, the
Pilgrim society of Plymouth and the
New England society of New York.
1t had the support in England of the
archbishop of Canterbury and the bish-
op of London.
Governor William Bradford's story of
the Mayf1ower is one of the most valua-
BILE historical documents connected with
the history of this country. 1t tells in
some 270 closely written pages not only
the voyage of the Mayfiower but the
events in England and Holland which
preceded its sailing. 1t also relates the
history of the new Plymouth colony for
nearly forty years after the famous
landing on Plymouth Rock.
It is work of great accuracy and de-
tail. The author, the second governor of
the colony, seems from the hour of the
ships sailing to have had this history in
his mind.
His work, when finished, was the cor
ner stone Of New England's history. 1t
was the nucleus of the present magnifi-
cent public library of Boston. The orig
inal manuscript, now about to be
brought to this country, contains a book
plate stating that This book belongs
to the New England library begun to
be collected by Thomas Prince July 6,
1703."
The New England library was depos-
tied by him in 'the steeple chamber of
the Old South church." and after many
vicissitudes, in the year 1866 was trans
ferred in trust to the Boston public IL
brary. But the ancient library was not
complete. Not only Governor Brad
ford's history, but other works of great
value had been transferred to England.
How they got there is matter Of
conjecture. 1t has been suggested that
the Bradford manuscript may have been
among the possessions of Governor
Hutchinson when they were scattered
by the mob in 1765, or may have been pre-
served by him and taken back to Eng
land. 1t Is more likely, however, that
it was appropriated from the steepie
chamber when Old South church was
occupied by British troops during the
siege of Boston in 1775-76 and carried to
England after the evacuation.
The only proof that such work ever
existed was found in quotations from 1t
in the books of Morton, Prince. Hutch
inson and other early historical writers.
4. 1t was discovered in 1856 in the Pull
ham library by the bishop of Oxford,
who was writing history of the Epis-
copal church in America. The Rev.
John 8. Barry secured COPY Of this