The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-11-21

plot had been tried and punished in 1905 1t was
ordered that because of their deliverance the
English people should keep the 5th OF November
every year "as public thanksgiving to Almighty
God, that unfegned thankfuness 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 a legal thanks
giving day for more than two centuries, but in
later years it 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 first
to keep Thanksgiving day" in America The
service at Monhegan which this claim Is based
was the regular Sunday service of the Church OF
England, and while it had an element OF thanks
giving the day can in nowise 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 iland.
whear the cross standeth; and thear we heard
God thanks for our happy metinge and safe aruall
into the country, and returned abord again."
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings,
xviii, 1922
The record made in his "Breeches Bible" by
William White who came over in the Mayfower,
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 Peregripe White, btrn
board ye Mayfower in Cape Cod harbor, some.
Born to Susannak White December 10th, ye six
o'clock morning. Next day we meet for prayer
and thanksgiving" This meeting for prayer
and thanksgiving" not on Sunday, but on
Tuesday. The fact that 1t was not part of the
regular Sunday service makes 1t more nearly ac-
cord with our idea of Thanksgiving day than
does the Monhegan event But this similarity
is not sufficient to warrant regarding 1t as 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 twen-
ty-six acres and made 1t ready for cultivation.
r This industry, too. had been rewarded by boun-
teous harvest Now food and fuel sufficient for
the needs Of the approaching winter were laid in
Then Governor Bradford ordered Thanksgivins
the first in America
This first Thanksgiving was not for a day only
1t continued week In letter to friend in