Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-15

ages ana journeys undertaken by the
settlers, is believed to have been from
the pen of Edward Wlnslow In none
Of these records In the preparation Of
which five Of the most prominent Of
the Plymouth company united, is there
any mention by name Of the ship iu
which the Pilgrims made their memoir
able voyage. II Is likewise TO be- noted
that Bradford In recording the name
Of the vessel IN which the company arr
irving In 1929 made their voyage does
not In any manner intimate that this
Is the arrival Of an old friend which
the first settlers made their home dur
ing long and troublesome voyage, IN
which they remained for several weeks
In the harbor Of ProvincetoWn, and
from which they made their final land
ing at Plymouth
John Smith, n contemporary In point
of time but not a member Of the Ply
mouth company, ls one Of the chrQnl-
clers Of the beginnings Of New Eng
land but although he tells Of the
voyage and Of the disasters which bee
fell the Pilgrim fathers. he makes no
mention Of the name of the ship which
brought them.
This dlsposes Of all contemporary
narators and In our search for the
name Of the ship which brought the
Pilgrims Ia these shores we must turn
To the New England Memorial" Of Ma
thaniel Morton. This writer was a son
OF George Morton, born In 1913 He
was. therefore, T years Of age when the
Pilgrims landed at Plymouth George
Morton was not q member Of the first
company, but came In 1928 In the Anne,
bringing with him his five children "
whom Nathaniel was the eldest. lie
died in less than a year after his ar
rival
Nathaniel Morton's New England's
Memorial was published In 1863 when
its author was l3 years Of age and
forty-hve years after the death Of his
father Gov bradford records, how
ever that IN 1879 twelve persons Of the
old stock were stIl living, Morton.
therefore. must have often heard the
story of the voyage and original set
Element from the lips Of those who were
"a great part thereof" Hence
when we take up his New EngIand's
Memorial" we do so with a full as
suranrp that if he may not know NJ
mis- own knowledge whereof he writes.
he certainly had ample opportunity 70
learn the truth In his dedication OF
his work to the Right Worshiptul
Thomas Prince, ESD. governor OF the
jurisdiction Of New Plimouth,' he con-
fesses that the greatest part of his M
telligence has been borrowed from MS
much honored uncle William Bradford,
and such manuscripts as he left In nus
study. He scarcely needed to have tod
us this, for there are many passages
which are copied literally from the
work Of Gov Bradford. There H. how
ever, this variation: Whereas Coy.
Bradford says "a small ship Of some
sixty tons was bought and lltted IN
Holland" Morton has tnterp0lated the
words called the Speedwell," ana few
lines farther on, In making record OF
the larger vessel hired In London, no
here also follows the governors phrase
oogy, but interpoates the words called
the Mayhower'
This. then Is the first mention IN any
historical record Of the name OF the
vessel in which the Pilgrims made their
earliest voyage. and this Is made nearly
fifty years later than the date of the
voyage. and by a person whose inior-
nation must have been nj second hand.
That there was ship Mayhower
which was engaged In the New Eng
land emigrant service during these
years Is undouhtcd. As we have al
ready seen Bradford mentions her as
bringing the Col0nlsts of 1929 but let's
fall no word to Indicate that this II
the vessel In which he himself and his
company made their voyage. Morton
gives the names Of the ships which set
out upon the first voyage as the Speed
well and Mayllower but he does not
mention the MayhoWer os having
made another voyage In 1929, Cotton
Mather follows Morton with eSactness
having evidently used his book as
for a portion OF his "Magnalla
Christi Americana" Thomas Prince In
his acknowledged History OF New
England" makes mention of a ship
Maynower engaged In the New Eng.
land emigrant service. He quotes the
letter OF Shirley TO Bradford, recorded
by the latter. and likewise records the
arrival az Charlestown In 1880 Of fleet
Of ships OF which the Mayilower was
one. hut in all these records there ls
no hint that this vessel was Identical
with that which brought the first
party from SoD.hampton Gov, Win
throp makes a similar record
The icOuoclast then would raise the
question. Why are Bradford and
Winslow silent concerning the name OF
The vessel IN when the cOlonlSts sailed
II the Mayhower Of 1929 and 1880
was the ship which brought over the
original colonists. would It not have
been natural for Bradford TO have
stated that fact in his mention OF that
'essel2
Might not Morton, writing In 1869,
,aslly have forgotten the name Of the
.hlp-lf no had ever heard lr-or might
ne not have easily COMPOUNDED II with
he vessel which brought the party Of
600?
Is the testimony Of later writer's,
who received their information from
Norton, more reliable than that Of
Norton himself
n the Maynower OF 1929 and 1880 was
he pilgrim ship. r. Il not remarkable
hat neither Bradford, nor Wlnslow,
Tor Morton nor Mather nor Winthrop,
or Prince mentions such an interest
me- fact'
is there. then any direct evidence
hat the Mavfower was the ship IN
.hiCh the pilgrims came 20 New Eng
lnd2-E J. Carpenter in Boston
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