Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-11-22

plot had been tried and punished in 1905 1t was
ordered that because Of their deliverance the
English people should keep the 9TH OF November
every year "as a public Thanksgiving to Almighty
God, that unfeigned thankfulness may never De
forgotten and that all ages to come may yleld
praise to Gods divine majesty for the same"
The 18th of November" continued legal thanks
giving day for than two centuries put IN
later years it fell into disuse, 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 Fa1ure
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 Monbegan on which this claim is based
was the regular Sunday service of the Church OF
England and while it had element OF thanks
giving the day In nowise be regarded as
Thanksgiving day that term is understood
Contemporary evidence refutes all claim TO the
contrary.
From "a Relation of Voyage to Sagadoc" we
read as follows: "Sundaye benge 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 gyvlnge
God thanks for our happy metlnge ana sane dT
into the country, and returned abord again
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings
xvii, 1922
The record made in his "Breeches Bible" by
William White, who came over in 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 We Sd day of March, 1920
to Susannah Tilly. Peregrine White, born on
board We Mayfower in Cape Cod harbor, some
Born to Susannah White December 18th, We six
l. 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 it was not part of the
regular Sunday service makes it more nearly &C
does the Monhegan event. But this similarity
Is not sufficient to warrant regarding it the
origin of the American custom.
The prototype of our present Thanksgiving day
is found in the harvest festival at Plymouth in
1921. The long winter that followed the estab-
lishment of the colony had been one of great NOR
tally and suffering. Scarcely half of the colony
had survived It, AT one time during the winter
only Brewster Standish and FIVE other hardy
ones were well enough to get about" In the
spring and summer that followed their fortunes
improved and by autumn they had cleared TWEEN
ty-six acres and made 1t ready for cultivation.
This industry. too, had been rewarded by a boun-
teous 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.
This first Thanksgiving was not for day only
1t continued week. In letter to a friend in