John Carver

John Carver ( 1584 1621) Carver was a passenger on the Mayflower.  He was a leader during the Mayflower voyage and signed the Mayflower Compact.  He was also the first Governor of Plymouth Colony.Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War, (New York: Viking, 2006), p. 42

It is believed that Carver was from Doncaster in Yorkshire England. Carver was a Separatist who did not believe in the teachings of the Church of England.A genealogical profile of John Carver  Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), p. 107

Carver and his first wife Mary were members of the French Walloon church in Leiden, Netherlands. Their religion was also not allowed where they lived. Mayflower passenger Francis Cooke and his wife were also members of the French church in Leiden.  So was Philip Delano.  Delano would arrive in Plymouth in 1621 on the ship Fortune.  Carver was a deacon in Leiden about 1609 at about age 25, and was born sometime before 1584. Leiden church records show that Carver lost his first wife Mary and their child in 1609Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), pp. 107-108Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691,  (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 18

Carver then married Katherine White.  She was a member of the Separatist church and was originally  from Nottinghamshire. Carver became very involved in the Leiden church.  He made close friendships with the leaders of the church, especially the pastor John Robinson.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), p. 108Charles Edward Banks, The English ancestry and homes of the Pilgrim Fathers who came to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620, the Fortune in 1621, and the Anne and the Little James in 1623, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2006), p. 44Nick Bunker, Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and their New World a History (New York: Knopf 2010), pp. 108-109 He also became friends with Robert Cushman who would play an important part in the plans for the Mayflower voyage.

The church members decided to travel to Virginia Colony, a place where they would be allowed to practice their religion.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), pp. 108-109Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War (New York: Viking, 2006), p. 19
William Brewster was in hiding from King James I. John Carver and Robert Cushman were chosen to make plans for the voyage.  In 1617 Carver and Robert Cushman began talking to officials of the Virginia Company.

These were London businessmen interested in making a profit from the New World.  By June 1620, John Carver was in Southampton purchasing supplies for the Mayflower voyage, along with Christopher Martin.  They agreed to pay for the Mayflower voyage.Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War (New York: Viking, 2006), p. 42Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), pp. 109-110"

Carver was very rich and provided much of his money to the church members, and for the Mayflower voyage.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), p. 110

 Voyage 
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England on 16 September 1620. There were 102 passengers and 30–40 crew. On 19 November 1620, the Mayflower reached land at Cape Cod hook. They landed on November 21. They wrote the Mayflower Compact, which made rules on how they would live and treat each other.Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691, (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 413George Ernest Bowman,  The Mayflower Compact and its signers, (Boston: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1920). Photocopies of the 1622, 1646 and 1669 versions of the document pp. 7–19. The Mayflower was supposed to land in Virginia Colony, but the ship was too damaged and they were forced to land at Cape Cod now called Provincetown Harbor.Stratton, 20.George Ernest Bowman,  The Mayflower Compact and its signers (Boston: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1920). Photocopies of the 1622, 1646 and 1669 versions of the document pp. 7-19.Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691, (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), pp. 411-413

Carver was very educated and was fair with everyone so the passengers chose him to be their leader on the Mayflower.  When they landed the people chose him to be their first governor.Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691, (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 259

In Plymouth Colony 
Carver left the ship and went to the land to find a safe place where they all could live.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers, (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), p. 110  William Bradford, John Carver, Myles Standish, Edward Winslow, John Howland, Richard Warren, Stephen Hopkins and Edward Doty also went. Hopkins was very helpful.  He had seen Native Americans during his time at Jamestown. On one trip  Bradford said they set off in below freezing weather.  Many of the men were ill,  and when the set sail the salt spray froze on their coats.  They saw Native Americans.  They were cutting up a whale which was very large.  When they saw the men coming toward them, the Indians ran.  At night they tried to protect themselves from the cold and the Indians.Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War (New York: Viking 2006) p. 70

Carver worked very hard with the other men to build houses to keep the people warm.  He hunted and fished and helped to plant food.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers, (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), pp. 110-111

During that time, a Native American called Samoset paid a visit to Plymouth Colony and then the chief Massasoit also arrived. Governor Carver worked out a peace treaty with them.  On March 23, 1621, John Carver was again chosen to be Plymouth governor.  The people said that John Carver was a man they well approved of.Caleb H. Johnson, The Mayflower and Her passengers, (Indiana: Xlibris, 2006), p. 113

In early April 1621, after working in the field on a hot day, Governor Carver complained of a pain in his head. He returned to his house to lie down.  Within a few days he died.  William Bradford stated that Carver, although a wealthy man had worked hard alongside everyone.

Thomas Weston was one of the men who helped to pay for the Pilgrims trip.  He had criticism of the pilgrims for not loading up the returning Mayflower with furs and other goods to pay them back.  Govenor William Bradford sent a letter telling them of all the troubles they had.  He blamed Thomas Weston, and stated that Governor John Carver "had worked himself to death that spring and the loss of him and other industrious men lives cannot be valued at any price".William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, the second Governor of Plymouth, (Boston: 1856), p. 109

Carver is buried at Cole's Hill Burial Ground in Plymoth, Massachusetts.

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References

Category:Mayflower passengers
Category:1580s births
Category:1621 deaths
category:People of the Plymouth Colony