The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23
THE MAYFLOWER
no PROOF rHA1JtH le2o IT BORE
THE 1IL0AI1Gs.
Bradford Does Not Mention the Name
Of the Vessel, and Not Until
Fifty Years After the Voy-
age 10 It Given.

There IL an icenocIastic spirit abroad
which delights in destroying or mutilat-
ing our most cherished traditions. 1t IL
In Just such spirit that the question Is
raised: Did the pilgrims come to this
At first thought, such question Is
shocking to the patriotic, as well as to
the historic, sense. Such question has
never benn raised; to raise 1t seems al
most blasphemy. And yet. given as we
are In the present day to critical re-
searches into details of our colonial his
tory, 1t il certainly not an improperly
to discuss the question OF the vehicle by
which eur pilgrim fathers reached these
have set the Maynewer before us as
an object Of veneration. A little volume
entitled "Maynower Essays, written by
Rev. q. c. Oakland. ut one time do
nestle chaplain to the Bishop Of London.
and as such custodian for some years Of
the original Bradford manuscript, con-
tains q brief note. in which attention Is
called to the remarkable fact that in
no place in his narrative does Governor
Bradford record the name Of the vessel
In which the first party of Plymouth col
onists made their VOYAGE An examina-
tion Of the history shows this statement
the two ships in which the colonists set
sail IL exceedingly meager.
AT length, after much traveel and
these debats, all thinKs were got ready
l. and DrOVIue0. "A SIudH SNIP VI eouic W
tune, was bought fitted in Holland,
which was intended to serve to help to
transport them, 30 to stay In We cuntrie
and attend upon fishing and such other
affairs as might be for ye good & ben
Another was hired in London: OF, burden
| ABOUT score: and all other things gott
IN READINGS. Thus hoysing sale.
with a prosperous winde they came in
short time to southamton. wher they
found the bigger ship come from London.
lying ready, with all the rest of their
company. . An things being now
ready. & every bushes dispatched the
Then they ordered & distributed their
company for We best. And chose a Gov.
| and or y assistants for each shfpe. to
order We people by We way. and see TO
We dispensing Of there provisions. and
only with We liking of We masters Of We
shipe. but according to their d sizes.
Which being done, they sett sayle from
thence about We 5 Of August ss 80
rarr. but Mr.. Reinolds We Mr.. Of We Lesser
ship complained that he found his ship
50 leak as he burst not put farther I"
sea till she was mended. 30 we Mr.. OF
we bigger ship (caled Mr.. Jonas) being
consulted with. they both resolved to put
into Dartmouth & have her ther searched
& mended, which accordingly was done.
to their great charg & losse of time and
fsire winde."
The narrative proceeds with the state
ment that the company again put to sea,
but when above one hundred leagues
with out the Lands End" the master OF
"ye small ship again complained OF
leaks and both ships came about and
put>Into Plymouth. Here the smaller ves-
sci was pronounced unseaworthy ana
abandoned. a portion of her company
and of the provisions were placed on
board the larger vessel and at length
final departure was made. In all this
narrative, detailed as It Is in other par"
ticulars. the two vessels OF the expedition
and the bigger ship" blu nowhere is the
name of eliner given Indeed, In no
place In his narrative does Governor
Bradford record the name OF the ship
Mayfiower, save In a single instance, and
this is not in allusion to the vessel In
which the first outward voyage was
made. Ii appears in letter from MI
Shi. Icy to Governor Bradford, which the
fsrs to vessel which conveyed a party
of massachusetts, coionists in the year
| lsgs, nine years after the initial voyage
The omission Of the names Of the two
vessels ii Which the voyaEers first set
sail, and especially u that In which the
remarkable ,toyaSe was actually made.
Is the more remarkable from the fact
that elsewhere IL his narrative Cover
nor Bradford is careful to record the
names of vessels employed by the colo
nists. We read of the Anne. the Para d.
gon, the Charity. the orsune. the James.
the Mary and Anne. the Sparfo1; but.
except in the Instance already cited, the
name of the Maytfower nowhere appears
In the mar alive.
There was, however, another of the
first pilgrim company who made re-
cord of their adventures. This was Ed
ward Willslow-a1terward Governor
whose record, under the name OF G.
Mourt, is now known as Mounts Rela-
ton" Careful critics do not attribute
this book in its entirety 10 Edward Wins
low. The original dedication to Mr.. John
Pierce, in whose name the original pat
ent was issued, 1t f3 believed was the
work OF RoDert Cushman. The bri, ad-
dress ITO the Reader bears the sigma
ture, &c. Mourt," which. Is bthsv>d to
be the nom de plume Of George Morton.
certainly useful advertisements" which
are next in order in the volume, were
doubtless written by John Robinson. The
relation" " hicn follows is bell lived Ia
have been written by William Bradford:
and the remaining portion of the work.
which comprises narratives of yaIi US
voyages and journeys undertaken by tao
settlers. Is believed to have been from
of these records. in the preparatl u OF
which five of the most prominent OF the
Plymouth company united, is there any
mention. by name, OF the ship in which
the pilgrims made their memorah le v"y-
age. 1t Is likewise to be noted that Brad
ford, in recording the name OF the vessel
in which the company arriving In 1879.
MADE their voyage, does not in any man
ner intimate that this Is the arrival OF
an old friend, which the first settlers
made their home during a lang and trouD-
lous voyage, in which they remained for
several weeks in the harbor OF Province
town, and from which they made their
final landing at Plymouth.
John Smith, contemporary In point
of time but not member OF the Ply
mouth company. is one of the chroni-
clers of the beginnings Of New England:
but although ne tells of the voyage and
of the disasters which befell the pilgrim
fathers he makes no mention OF the
name of the ship which brought them.
This disposes of all contemporary mar
rators, and in our search fer the name
of the ship which brought the pilgrims
to these shores, we must turn to the
New Englands Memorial of Nathaniel
Morton. The writer was son OF George
Morton, born in 1913. He was therefore
years of age when the pilgrims landed
at Plymouth. George Morton was not
a member of the first company. but came
in 1923. in the Anne, bringing with him
his FIVE children, of whom Nathaniel was
the eldest. He died In less than year
after his arrival.
Nathaniel Mortons New Engiand's
Memorial was published in 1863. when
its author was So wears Of age, and
forty-five years after the death Of his
ever, that in 1917 twelve persons of the
old stock were still living Morton.
therefore, must have often heard the
story Of the voyage and original settle
ment from the,'hps of those who were
"a great part thereof" Hence when we
take up his New Englands Memorial
we do so with full assurance that II
L ..Iz-Inr