The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-11-21

plot had been tried and punished in 1906 it was
ordered that because OF their deliverance the
English people should keep the 9th of November
every year "as public thanksgiving to Almighty
God that unfegned thankfulness may never be
forgotten and that all ages to come may yield
praise to Gods divine majesty for the same
The 18th Of November" continued legal thanks
giving day for more than two centuries, but In
later years 1t fell into dsuse, and in 1888 was
abolished by parliament.
Long before the advent Of the pilgrims in
Massachusetts. all rituals contained expressions
of gratitude to God for his mercies. In that OF
the Church of England special prayers were pro-
vided for the Sunday service. This service how
ever, must be carefully distinguished from the
Thanksgiving day Of the pilgrim fathers Failure
to make this distinction has led to the groundless
claim that the Popham colonists were the nrst
to keep Thanksgiving day" in America. The
service at Monhegan which this claim is based
was the regular Sunday service OF the Church or
England and while 1t had an element OF thanks
giving the day can In nowse be regarded as a
Thanksgiving day as that term Is understood.
Contemporary evidence refutes all claim to the
contrary.
From "A Relation of Voyage to Sagadoc' we
read as follows: "Sundaye beinge the 9th Of
August in the morninge the most part OF our holl
company OF both shipes landed on this Hand.
whear the cross standeth; and thear we heard
sermon delyvred unto us by our preacher, gyvinge
God thanks for our happy metinge and safe aruall
into the country, and 80 returned abord again.
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings.
xviii, 1922
The record made in his Brooches Bible by
William White who came over i'm the Mayhower
has far more significance In determining the
origin Of our American Thanksgiving day than
the event at Monhegan. The record reads: will
lam White married on ye Sd day Of March, 1920
to Susannah Tilly. Peregrine White, born on
board ye Mayfower in Cape Cod harbor, some
Born to Susannah White December 10th, We six
o'clock morning. Next day meet for prayer
and thanksgiving" This meeting for prayer
and Thanksgiving was not on Sunday, but
Tuesday. The fact that II not part OF the
regular Sunday service makes 1t more nearly
cord with idea OF Thanksgiving day than
does the Monhegau event. But this similarity
is not sufficient to warrant regarding 1t the
origin OF the American custom.
is found In the harvest festival at Plymouth in
1921. The long winter that followed the estab-
lshment of the colony had been OF great NOR
had survived 1t. "At one time during the winter
only Brewster. Standish and five other hardy
well enough to get about" In the
spring and summer that followed their, fortunes
improved and by autumn they had cleared TWEEN
tyslx and made it ready for cultivation.
This industry. too. had been rewarded by a boun-
teors harvest Now food and fuel sufficient for
the needs Of the approaching winter were laid In.
Then Governor Bradford ordered Thanksgiving
the first In America ,-t-
This first Thanksgiving was not for a day only.
u continued a week In letter to friend In