Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-12-28
THE: PILGRIMS 1 !. ! ! ) d:
PLYMOUTH / ROCK
Rev. Arthur Metcalf Gives a Very
Fine Illustrated Discourse
at the Congregational
Church.
THE as5rH ANNIVERSARY 4.
THE 295TH ANNIVERSARY
An Interesting and Instructive Mar
alive Portraying the Important
Movement.

{ 40 n r. Z ]. Z ~ y
The Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock
came to life again Sunday night at
the Congregational church when the
pastor celebrated the 295th anniyer-
sary Of the historic landing. of the
first families Of New England. Mr..
Metcalf gave stereopticon lecture
covering the story from Scrooby to
Massachusetts, using Asset of slides
collected by himself, some of them
from his own camera, some copies
from rare old prints, and all of thGm
Mr., Metcalf was born on the edge. of
the Pilgrim geography in England;
that the Pilgrims started for Hol-
land within short distance from
his birthplace, and that he has been
q lifelong student, of the Pilgrim
movement, The pictures with which
he illustrated his lecture are not on
the market, and much of the infor-
nation given by the lecture is not
common property to any but close
students of the movement. 1t was
one of the finest efforts ever heard
in a Webster City church.
! The Pilgrim movement came TO
light at scrooby early in tho seven-
teenth century in q church which
held its meetings at the old Manor
House in which at that time William
Brewster kept hisi Majesty's post.
Pictures of the old Manor House, the
quaint parish church redolent of
Grey's Elegy, of the ancient church
at Bawtry where William Bradford
was born, slide showing the bap-
tislnal entry marking the date Of
1 Bradford's christening in the church,
and one of the ancient halls at Gains
borough viyified the story of the
Scrooby beginnings.
The church at Scrooby was, as
King James put it, "Harried out of
the land" and sought refuge as ex-
lies in Holland They went to Hol-
land because William Brewster
when he was private, secretary to
Sir William Davidson, who was pri-
vate secretary to Queen Elizabeth.
had travelled and lived in Holland,
and therefore had first-hand infor-
nation and experience of the liberty
granted in Holland to Monochrome
ing religions. The pictures shown
set forth the stages of the Pilgrims
life in Holland in realistic man
ner After eleven years it became
apparent that the religious commune
ity was likely to~become absorbed in
Dutch life and institutions unless
something heroic were done. Grave
council was held&and in the long
run, after canvassing every avail
able point of emigration, it was dee
cided to transplant the colony to
America. The screen flashed pict-
ures of canals down which their
boat returned to Delftshayen, and
various artists conceptions of the
embarkation on the little ship
Speedwell which was to take the Pill
grims to Southampton. Their pas
tor, the famous John Robinson, one
of the outstanding figures in all his
tory, made farewell address in
which he told his departing friends
that he was persuaded that more
light would yet break out of Gods
word, and that this religious Argosy
would be led by the Almighty hand.
At Southampton the Pilgrims
found the Mayfower waiting for
them. The lecture Sunday night per-
mitted one to see the Pilgrims board
the ship, and slide of Mayflower
freight showed cradle, two quaint
arm chairs, the iron kettle, brass
platter and the redoubtable sword of
Miles Standish. The difference be-
tween Plymouth plantation and the
settlement at Jamestown was that
the latter was made in quest of gold
and the former to find and establish
a new home in the new world. The
Pilgrims came to found church
without a bishop and a state with
out king. They brought with them
their women and children. The
Speedwell proving unseaworthy had
to be left behind, and t103 passen-
gers originally intended to be car )
ried in two ships, were crowded be- I
tween the cramped decks of the May 7
lower. The unsanitary conditions
Of the ten weeks on the Atlantic
we're wildly set forth Sunday night.
md picture of the MayHower in I
nidocean almost made the congre- I