Christopher Jones, Mayflower Captain (1570 - 1622) - Genealogy Christopher Jones, Mayflower Captain Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos Harwich, Essex, England, United Kingdom Death: Added 2014-12-14 12:11:58 -0800 by William Noonan Collection: Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Parents: Christopher (Widower Sarah Twitt - Died 1603 Jones, Sybil Jones Brother: Thomas (Mother Sarah Twitt) Jones Wife: Josian Jones (Widow Of Thomas Grey) (born Thompson) Children: Christopher Jones, Thomas Jones, Josiah Jones, Roger Jones, Christopher Jones, Joan Jones, Grace Jones, John Jones, Teague Jones Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Wife: Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Wife: Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Parents: Mar 4 1622 - Rother

hithe, Surrey, England Parents: Christopher Jones, Unknown Jones (born Sybil) Wife: Josian Grey (Thompson) Jones Jones Children: Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Parents: Capt.

Christopher (*) Jones, Sybil (*) Jones Wife: Mar 4 1622 - St Marys, Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Wife: Mar 4 1621/22 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Parents: Sarah Jones (born Twitt) Children: ...omas Jones, Christopher Jones, Thomas Jones, Josiah Jones, Roger Jones, Christopher Jones, Joan Jones, Grace Jones, John Jones, Teague Jones Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surry, England Parents: Josian Jones (born (Thomson) Gray) Son: Between Mar 4 1621 and 1622 Parents: Mar 4 1622 - Rotherhithe, Surrey, England Parents: father About Christopher Jones, Mayflower Captain Christopher Jones was the captain of the Mayflower when it took the Pilgrims to New England in 1620. Christopher Jones, her master, was a native of Harwich, co.

Essex, England, born about 1570, the son of Christopher and Sybil Jones of the same parish, also a mariner and ship owner who died in 1578, leaving to his son bearing his name his interest in the ship Marie Fortune when he should attain the age of 18 years. Christopher, Jr., married (1) on Dec. 23, 1593, Sarah Twitt of Harwich (co. Essex, England), who died in 1603; and (2) in the same year Josian, widow of Richard Grey of Harwich (co. Essex, England). Capt. Christopher Jones was a man of considerable prominence in his community and was named as one of the burgesses of Harwich (co. Essex, England) in the charter granted to that town by James I. In 1607 he was master of a ship called the Josian --- probably named for his wife--- but in 1609 he is first recorded as master of the Mayflower and one of the four owners of that vessel.

From that period onwards he was continuously master of [begins page 20] her up to the time when she was chartered by the Merchant Adventurers for her famous voyage. He removed to Rotherhithe, Surrey, about 1610, which became his home until his death. By his first wife he had one son. This child died in infancy. By his second wife, Josian, he had five children baptized in Rotherhithe 1611-1619 and a sixth child, John, baptized 4 March, 1620/1 at Harwich (co. Essex, England) whither his wife had gone while he was on this voyage and in anchor in Plymouth harbor. After his return from New England in the Summer of 1621 he resumed his former trading voyages to Europe but not for long. It is evident that the perils and deprivations of the Pilgrim voyage had undermined his health as it did so many of the other voyagers, for on March 5th, 1621/2 he was buried in St. Mary's, Rotherhithe.

Administration of his estate was granted to his widow, August 26th following, but of the subsequent history of her and her young children nothing is certainly know. A Joan Jones, wiow, married one Thomas Barthelmore in 1626 at Stepney, directly across the river from Rotherhithe. Christopher Jones left four sons-- Roger, Christopher, Thomas and John-- from whom it is possible that descendants still live who can trace their origin to the master of one of the famous ships of history. When and where this ship of destiny was built is still an unsolved problem, but it is not improbable that she was launched at Harwich (co. Essex, England) and although later known as "of London" she was designated as "of Harwich" in 1609-11 in the Port Books. Two years after the death of Capt. Jones an application was made to the Admiralty for an appraisal of the ship by three of her woners at that time--- Robert Child, John Moore and Mrs. Josian Jones. ) Jones was born in the port of Harwich in Essex co., on the eastern coast of England located on the North Sea.

He died in Rotherhithe parish, London, sometime before March 5, 1622 and was buried at St. Mary The Virgin Church in Rotherhithe on that date.[1][2] He was a son of Christopher Jones (Sr.) and his wife Sybil _____. The senior Jones was also a mariner and ship owner who died in 1578, leaving to his young son bearing his name, and his interest in the ship Marie Fortune when he should attain the age of eighteen years.[2] Jones' mother Sybil married Richard Russel after his father’s death and continued to reside at the Jones family home on Kings Head Street in Harwich which is presently a visitor attraction.[3] Family[edit source | editbeta] Christopher Jones married twice: 1. Jones married Sara Twitt at St. Nicholas Church, Harwich on December 23, 1593. She was age 17 and had been born about 1576. She was Jones’ neighbor, living opposite each other on Kings Head Street, Harwich, both residences still existing as visitor attractions. Sara had a wealthy father, Thomas Twitt, who had strong shipping interests.

At his death, her father provided considerable funds for her and a 1/12 share in his ship Apollo. The two familiesC Within a year of his marriage to Sara they had a boy named Thomas, after Sara’s father. But per the Church Burial Register, it records the infant’s death on April 17, 1596. Sara had no more children and died at age 27. She was buried in Harwich on May 23, 1603.[3] 2. Jones married his second wife, widow Josian ___ Gray, widow of Richard Gray, age 21 at St. Nicholas Church in Harwich a few months after Sara’s death in 1603. Josian had seafaring relatives and her late husband was a noted mariner with friends among the Captains of the 1588 Armada Fleet and which included ‘treasure hunting’ in the Indies, this have may included attacks on Spanish treasure ships.

Josian probably brought a substantial marriage portion and had inherited her late husband’s house in Church Street, Harwich together with other land and property.[3] It is believed Josian may have remarried in 1626 as in that year a ‘Joan Jones’, widow, married one Thomas Bartelmore at Stepney, London, directly across the Thames from Rotherhithe.[2] Their marriage produced eight children, of whom the following four children were known to have been born in Harwich: Christopher b._____ Thomas b. 1607 Josian b. 1609 John b. 1621.[3] He was baptized March 4, 1621 in Harwich, Essex, where Jones’ wife had gone to reside while he was on his voyage to the New World and was anchored in Plymouth Harbor over the winter of 1620-1621.[2] And the following children were born in Rotherhithe, London to which the family moved in 1611.[2] Roger b. 1611 Christopher b. 1614 Joane b. 1615 Grace b.

1619[3] Harwich, Essex[edit source | editbeta] Queen Elizabeth I called Harwich ‘a pretty town’ and it was extremely loyal to her in sending three ships to join the attack against the Spanish Armada in 1588. As with Plymouth, Harwich became wealthy by the pillaging of Spanish ships of the Armada though its primary business then was the export of English woolen cloth to Holland for finishing. Its explorers also could relate some stories of far places traveled to, with tales when Jones was a youth of their men voyaging as far as Baffin Island in the far Arctic.[4] The entrance to Harwich port was covered with dangerous sandbars and sailors had to stay alert at all times. A prime example of this was on a night in 1627 when a strong North Sea storm wrecked more than thirty ships. These were the waters in when Jones served his apprenticeship at the side of his father and grandfather, who were both Harwich skippers. At age eighteen, Jones inherited his first part-share of a ship.[5] Harwich was a town managed by a company of mariners and shipwrights who enforced harsh discipline.

In 1605 some women were hanged as witches and harlots were dragged through the streets by a cart with such as dice games also being banned. As with other seaports around the country, Harwich was a place where sea captains and merchants ran the local government and levied their own taxes on the citizens to take care of town business.[5] In his mid-thirties Jones was somewhat of a prominent Harwich citizen and was named as a burgess of Harwich in a new town charter granted by King James. Jones was coming into his own about this time, and with an assist from a bounty, he built a 240 ton, larger than average ship of his own which he named after his second wife – Josian.

Jones used the ship for trading voyages as far south as to Bordeaux in France.[5] In 1601 he was one of 77 men who took the oath as freeman of the Borough of Harwich.[3] In 1604 his name is listed as one of the 24 capital burgesses on the Great Charter granted by King James I.[3] Civil accounts record Jones acting as an assessor for tax on land and property and also as a jury member when his father-in-law was reprimanded for failing to repair steps to the quay adjacent to his house.[3] In 1605 Jones was accused, with George Colman, for keeping hunting dogs, a pursuit that was only open to those classed as ‘gentlemen’ whose land was valued at a certain per annum value. Apparently Jones had prospered but had not reached the class of ‘gentleman’.[3] In August 1609 records first note Christopher Jones as master and part owner of the Mayflower when his ship was chartered for a voyage from London to Drontheim (Trondheim) in Norway, and back to London.

Due to bad weather, on her return the ship lost an anchor and made short delivery of her cargo of herrings. Litigation was involved and was proceeding in 1612.[6] In a document of January 1611, Christopher Jones is described as being ‘of Harwich’, and his ship is called the Mayflower of Harwich (in Essex co.). Then about 1611, Jones decided to leave Harwich and moved south to London, where he made his home in Rotherhithe parish, a mile downstream on the Thames from the Tower of London. By that time, Jones had traded the ship Josian for a quarter-share in the smaller ship Mayflower.[4] Christopher Jones, Mayflower Captain's Timeline 1570 Who is Captain Christopher Jones? Who is Captain Christopher Jones? 0 Comment [November 26, 2015] Captain Christopher Jones was born about 1570 to the father of a mariner and ship owner. After the early death of his father, Jones inherited interest in the British ship Marie Fortune upon reaching the age of 18.

Married twice and having a number of children, his legacy might have ended there but he was hired to sail his ship that was to be famous in American history. British records of King James show that in 1605 Jones was master and part owner of another ship called the Mayflower of Harwich. Jones made a considerable sum of money by transporting French and Dutch wine to London England. But due to poor economic conditions in Europe in the late 1610s, the wine trade began to decline. He took the ship whaling in the North Atlantic and traveled to Mediterranean Sea ports to help make ends meet. In the summer of 1620 Thomas Weston chartered the Mayflower to undertake a voyage for some pilgrims. With a crew of about 40 and beginning with 65 passengers Captain Jones began the first leg of a voyage to the Commonwealth of Virginia. After a problem with a sister ship some of the passengers transferred to Jones’ ship bringing the total passengers to 102.

After 66 days of fighting gales and with a damaged ship, the Mayflower finally anchored at Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 11, 1620; far north of their intended destination.1 Nearly half the Pilgrims died that first winter but, assisted by local Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer. They declared a three-day feast to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (services were held as early as 1607 in Virginia), it was America’s first Thanksgiving Festival.2 As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, we should also give thanks to Captain Christopher Jones who helped make the beginning of the United States possible. [Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page .] ——————— Crew — MayflowerHistory.com The Mayflower would have been crewed by about thirty men. Of those, only a handful can be identified with historical records. Ship's Master, Christopher Jones The ship's master (the term "captain" was only used for military ships at this time) was Christopher Jones.

He was born about 1570, the son of Christopher and Sybil Jones of Harwich, co. Essex, England. He lived in Harwich until about the age of 40, when he then moved to Rotherhithe, co. Surrey, England, a short distance from London on the river Thames. His first ship of record was called the Josian, named after his wife. He sold that ship about 1608, and purchased the Mayflower with three others. He had nine children, but most of them died in infancy. He was about fifty years old when he was hired to transport the Pilgrims to America onboard his ship. Ship's Pilot and Master's Mate, John Clarke John Clarke had been a ship's pilot on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1611, in the fleet that brought Sir Thomas Dale to govern the colony. He lived and worked ferrying cargo in the bay for about 40 days, until a Spanish ship came into the harbor. He was taken prisoner, tied up, and sailed first to Havana, Cuba, and later to Malaga, Spain, where he would be repeatedly interrogated by Spanish authorities.

After five years imprisonment, he was released to the English in 1616. He took a load of cattle to Jamestown again in 1618, and was then hired for the Mayflower's voyage. Master's Mate, Robert Coppin. Not much is known about Robert Coppin, other than he claimed to have been to New England on a previous voyage and claimed to have some experience whaling. He may have come from the vicinity of Harwich, and a man of that same name invested a small sum to purchase a share in the Virginia Company of London in 1609. Cooper (Barrel-maker), John Alden. Twenty-one year old John Alden was hired in Southampton, England, where the Mayflower took on provisions, but he may also have originally been from Harwich, as there was an Alden family living there that was related, by marriage, to Master Christopher Jones. Alden's job was to build, repair and maintain the ship's barrels. This was a very important job, since everyone's food and drink were stored within those barrels. The Pilgrims' joint-stock company had agreed to allow him to decide whether he would stay in their Colony, or return to England.

John Alden ultimately decided to stay. Ship's Surgeon, Giles Heale. Giles Heale was born about 1595, and had just completed his apprenticeship in London as a Barber-Surgeon on 3 August 1619 with Edward Blanie. Just prior to the Mayflower's voyage, on 2 May 1620, Giles Heale filed his marriage intention to Mary Jarrett of St. Giles in the Fields. The voyage of the Mayflower was quite probably Giles Heale's first "real" job. Given that half the crew and half the passengers would ultimately die, he may have been quite unprepared for what ultimately played out. In February, during the height of the first winter at Plymouth, Mayflower passenger Isaac Allerton gifted him a book, Annotations Upon the Psalms by Henry Ainsworth. Giles Heale regifted the book to his wife Mary on 28 February 1621/2. The book still survives and is at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. Giles Heale also witnessed the February 1620/1 will of William Mullins. He returned to London after the voyage and took up residence at St.

Anne Blackfriars, where a daughter Mary was baptized on 23 April 1623, and buried four days later. They had a son William baptized 11 March 1624/5 at St. John of Wapping, London, but he is buried 21 October 1625 in neighboring St. Mary Whitechapel. They had no more children. Heale was admitted to the lecture bills of the Barber Surgeons in 1631, and was taxed at Drury Lane in 1641 and 1646. In 1644, he and his wife were involved in a Chancery lawsuit over a debt owed them by William Chamberlain of London, esquire. He was buried 8 April 1653 at St. Giles in the Field, London, producing a will four days earlier that only mentioned his wife Mary. Master Gunner. The master gunner was responsible for the maintenance and readiness of the ship's guns, powder, and canon.

Though his name was not recorded, it is known that the Master Gunner went out on the expedition of 6 December 1620 exploring Cape Cod, where it was reported he was "sick unto death (but hope of trucking made him to go)." He died the first winter. Ship's Carpenter. The ship's carpenter was responsible for stopping leaks, caulking, splicing masts, and fixing anything ship-related that broke or needed mending. He was responsible for maintaining his tools and supplies, including nails, cinches, hatchets, saws, and rudder iron. When the main beam of the Mayflower cracked during the middle of the voyage, the Master Carpenter made the repairs with a giant screw that the passengers happened to have with them. He also assisted in constructing the shallop that the Pilgrims had dismantled and stored betwixt the decks. The Boatswain. The boatswain was responsible for the ship's rigging, rope, tackle, and sails, as well as the ship's anchors and the ship's longboat.

William Bradford remembered that the Mayflower's boatswain was "a proud young man, who would often curse and scoff at the passengers, but when he grew weak they had compassion on him and helped him." Despite that help, the boatswain died the first winter. The four Quartermasters. The quartermasters were in charge of maintaining the cargo hold and setting and maintaining the shift and watch hours. The quartermasters were also responsible for fishing and maintaining the lines, hooks and harpoons. Though the names of the Mayflower's quartermasters are unknown, it is known that three of the four of them died the first winter at Plymouth. The Ship's Cook. The cook was responsible for preparing the meals for the crew, and maintaining the food supplies and the ship's cook room (typically located in the forecastle of the ship). The Mayflower's cook also died the first winter at Plymouth. The History of the Mayflower Ship – History of Massachusetts Blog 10 Comments on The History of the Mayflower Ship The Mayflower is one of the most important ships in American history. This cargo ship brought the pilgrims to Massachusetts in the 17th century .

These pilgrims were some of the first settlers to America after they established the Plymouth colony . This journey made the Mayflower an icon of European colonization. Who Was the Captain of the Mayflower?: The captain of the Mayflower was a businessman named Christopher Jones. Jones was born in Harwich, England around 1570 and was the son of a mariner and ship owner, also named Christopher Jones. Around 1608, Jones purchased the Mayflower and became its Master, what we would call a captain today, but he was only a quarter owner of the ship. The other owners were Robert Childe, Thomas Short and Christopher Nichols. Facts About the Mayflower: The Mayflower was a European cargo ship in the years before its voyage to the New World with the pilgrims. Jones’ first voyage on the Mayflower was to Norway in 1609 where the ship transported fish, lumber and tar. The ship began leaking during a storm on the way back to England and the crew had to dump some of its cargo overboard to save it.

Jones never ventured into the North Sea with the Mayflower again and instead went back and forth between France and Spain delivering wine, cognac and vinegar, according to the book Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War: “The Mayflower was a typical merchant vessel of her day; square-rigged and beak bowed, with high, castlelike superstructures fore and aft that protected her cargo and crew in the worst weather, but made beating against the wind a painfully inefficient endeavor. Rated at 180 tons (meaning that her hold was capable of accommodating 180 casks or turns of wine), she was approximately three times the size of the Speedwell and about one hundred feet in length.” “The Mayflower and Speedwell in Dartmouth Harbor”, oil painting, by Leslie Wilcox, circa 1971 The Pilgrims and the Mayflower: In May of 1620, religious separatists known as pilgrims hired Jones and his ship to take them to the mouth of the Hudson River where they had been granted permission to build a colony. The Mayflower set sail from England along with another ship, the Speedwell, on August 15, 1620.

The Speedwell leaked so badly that both ships had to return to England. A few weeks later, the pilgrims all boarded the Mayflower and it set sail alone from Plymouth, England on September 6, 1620. How Many People Were on the Mayflower?: Although the Mayflower was a large ship measuring about 80 feet in length and 24 feet wide, the 102 passengers on board lead to cramped conditions. The Mayflower had three decks, an upper deck, a gun deck below it and the cargo hold at the bottom. The pilgrims lived on the gun deck, which was about 5 1/2 feet in height, and would sometimes venture upstairs to the upper deck during calm weather. The 30 crew members and the captain lived in cabins at the back of the upper deck. Only a few of the crew’s names were recorded but they included a cooper named John Alden, ship surgeon Giles Heale and Pilots and Master’s Mates John Clarke and Robert Coppin.

“The Mayflower At Sea”, oil painting, by Gilbert Margeson The ship’s passengers included William Bradford, who later became governor of Plymouth plantation and wrote a detailed book about the journey to America on the Mayflower and Plymouth Plantation titled Of Plymouth Plantation . The first half of the voyage was smooth with sunny skies and fair weather. The passengers were healthy and there were even three pregnant women on board. One of the women, Elizabeth Hopkins, gave birth on the Mayflower to a son that she named Oceanus. About halfway into the journey, the Mayflower ran into bad weather. A series of storms caused the ship to leak and the main mast to crack. The pilgrims worried the ship would not be strong enough to make it America. The crew managed to fix the beam and fill some of the leaks. The constant cold and dampness on board began to take a toll on the pilgrim’s health. By the time the pilgrims reached America many of the Pilgrim’s developed coughs and colds and one little boy died just a few days before reaching land. “Mayflower on her Arrival in Plymouth Harbor,” oil painting, William Formsby Halsall, circa 1882 The colonists sighted shore on November 9th.

Although the pilgrims had intended to land in northern Virginia, when they reached the shore they realized they were in New England. After 66 days at sea, the pilgrims relieved to see land nonetheless, according to Of Plymouth Plantation: “…after long beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod: they were not a little joyful! After some deliberation amongst themselves and with the master of the ship, they resolved to sail southward to find someplace about Hudson’s river for their habitation. But after they had sailed that course about half a day, they fell amongst dangerous shoals and roaring breakers, and resolved to bear up again for the Cape, and thought themselves happy to get out of those dangers before night overtook them. Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof.” With winter approaching and a short supply of food and beer, they decided to go no further and dropped anchor off the coast of Cape Cod in Provincetown harbor.

While the ship was anchored in the harbor, the passengers drew up a social contract known as the Mayflower Compact that established a set of rules and laws for the colony. After some skirmishes on land with the local Native American tribes, the pilgrims decided to pick up anchor and sail to nearby Plymouth harbor where they landed at Plymouth rock. Where is the Mayflower Now? The Mayflower crew spent the winter with the pilgrims in Massachusetts, living on the ship, and returned to England in April the next year. Christopher Jones passed away the next year and his widow, Josian, inherited the Mayflower. Josian never used the ship and it fell into disrepair just a few years later. The Mayflower was eventually broken up and sold off as scrap. Get Updates Via Email! Plimoth.org: Who Were the Pilgrims?: Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War; Nathaniel Philbrick; 2006 The Mayflower History: The Mayflower: Share this: The Mayflower The Mayflower In 1620, some wealthy Englishmen hired the Mayflower and the Speedwell to make a trip to start a colony in Northern Virginia.

The Speedwell turned out to be a leaky ship, and so was unable to make the famous voyage with the Mayflower. Christopher Jones was the captain of the Mayflower when it took the Pilgrims to New England in 1620. They came to the tip of Cape Cod (Massachusetts) on November 11, 1620. Mayflower was a very common ship name, and other ships called the Mayflower made trips to New England; but none of them were the same ship that brought the Pilgrims to America. The Mayflower stayed in America that winter, and it suffered the effects of the first winter just as the Pilgrims did, with almost half dying. The Mayflower set sail for home on April 5, 1621, arriving back May sixth. The ship made a few more trading runs, to Spain, Ireland, and lastly to France. However, Captain Christopher Jones died shortly thereafter, and was buried in England. The exact size of the Mayflower is unknown. No pictures, paintings, or detailed description of the Mayflower exist today. However it is estimated the size of the Mayflower was about 113 feet long from the back rail to the front.

A duplicate of the Mayflower, called the Mayflower II, is in Plymouth, Mass. Today it is a tourist attraction, and available for touring. The voyage from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Harbor is about 2,750 miles, and took the Mayflower 66 days. The Mayflower left England with 102 passengers, including three pregnant women, and a crew of unknown number. One child was born at sea. After the Mayflower had arrived and was anchored in Provincetown Harbor off the tip of Cape Cod, Susanna White gave birth to a son. The Mayflower then sailed across the bay to Plymouth Harbor. There, Mary Allerton gave birth to a stillborn son. One passenger died while the Mayflower was at sea--a young man named William Butten, a servant-apprentice to Dr. Samuel Fuller. The death occurred just three days before land was sighted. One Mayflower crew member also died at sea, but his name is not known. The men of the Mayflower wrote "The Mayflower Compact", a set of laws for the new colony. This was the first time that immigrants to the new country had set down rule of the majority. It is still used today.

The place they stayed was called the Plymouth Colony. Choose the best answer: The Mayflower The Mayflower [ send private message ] This page has been accessed 25,429 times. Categories: Massachusetts | Plymouth Colony | New Plimoth | Colonial America | Great Migration Ships | Mayflower Project | Mayflower Passengers | Mayflower Family Member . The Mayflower was a now famous ship that carried the Pilgrims, English separatists looking for freedom from religious prosecution, from Southampton, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. The ship departed England on September 6 and would sail for 66 days. The journey was hampered by disease, which would claim two lives, before dropping anchor inside the hooked tip of Cape Cod on November 11. The ship was originally set to make landfall at the mouth of the Hudson River, but had sailed off course as winter approached. The passengers all went ashore on March 21. The Mayflower, a privately commissioned vessel, left for a return trip to England on April 5. The Mayflower was likely dismantled for scrap lumber after the death of her captain, Christopher Jones, in 1622.

History of the ship The Mayflower served as a cargo ship in Europe. From 1609 to 1622 the ship was captained by Christopher Jones, who would lead the ship on its famous journey to the New World. While the exact size of The Mayflower is unknown, it is believed it was a standard 180-ton merchant ship. It would have been between 90 and 110 feet with a width of about 25 feet. A typical crew would have been roughly 25 or 30 men. The voyage to the New World The original plans for the voyage were to include two ships. The Mayflower as well as the Speedwell , a ship which had been previously hired to transport Pilgrims from Delfshaven in the Netherlands to the final departure point, Southampton. However, the Speedwell developed a leak and had to dock at Dartmouth to be refitted on August 17. With the leak repaired, the two ships departed with their Pilgrims on board. However, the leak would again spring on the Speedwell, forcing the ships to return to dock. It was later revealed that there had not been a leak on the Speedwell.

It was believed by the Pilgrims on board that the disaster was fabricated by the crew of the Speedwell so they could escape their contract. The Pilgrims reorganized their plan and finally made their departure on the Mayflower alone on September 6. The ship was crammed full and space was limited and confined. While the original destination, near what is present-day New York city, was the mouth of the Hudson River, the Mayflower was blown off-course by the onset of winter weather. The settlers intended to travel to their Virginia destination where they had received permission from the London Company to settle. But due to their setback, their untimely landing occurred in the middle of the harsh New England winter. The settlers were experiencing strife and disenchantment within their ranks. In order to quell a potential uprising, they all wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11. Upon their arrival, the winter snows had already settled in. The settlers discovered what they believed was an empty Native American village. Assuming the natives gone, they dug up many areas of the village. They discovered stores of food alongside burial mounds. The settlers stole the food and looted the graves, infuriating the Native Americans.

The settlers continued down the coast and explored the Cape Cod area. They continued to raid the empty villages and desecrate the graves as they went. They had difficult confrontation with the angry Native Americans in December 1620 on the later aptly-named First Encounter Beach. The passengers remained on board the Mayflower during the winter. There was an outbreak of a severe disease that, when all was said and done, left only 53 of the original 100 surviving passengers alive. In the spring, the passengers built houses on shore and on March 21, 1621, the surviving passengers all departed the Mayflower. The Mayflower left the New World for England on April 5 and arrived back on on May 6. There were 102 passengers on the Mayflower: 74 men and 28 women.

Here is a complete list: Pilgrim Families Warren, Richard (Hertford, England) Winslow, Gilbert (Droitwich, Worcestershire), brother to "Pilgrim" Edward Winslow but not known to have lived in Leiden Men hired to stay one year Alden, John (Harwich, Essex) - considered a ship's crewman (he was the ship's cooper) but joined settlers Allerton, John , was to return to England to help the rest of the group immigrate but died in the winter. Ely, Richard , hired as seaman, returned to England after term was up but later returned to New England and died there. English, Thomas , hired to master a shallop but died in the winter Trevore, William , hired as seaman, returned to England after term was up Family servants Thirteen of the 18 people in this category were attached to Pilgrim families, the other five were attached to Non-Pilgrim families. Butten , William, age "a youth", servant of Samuel Fuller, only person who died during the voyage Carter, Robert , age unknown, servant or apprentice to William Mullins, shoemaker. (?), Dorothy , maidservant of John Carver.

Doty, Edward , (possibly Lincolnshire) age probably about 21, servant to Stephen Hopkins Holbeck, William , age likely under 21, servant to William White Hooke, John , (probably Norwich, Norfolk) age 13, apprenticed to Isaac Allerton Howland, John (probably Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire), age about 21, manservant for Governor John Carver Lancemore, John (probably Shropshire or Worcestershire), age under 21, servant to the Christopher Martin Latham, William , age 11, servant/apprentice to the John Carver family Leister, Edward (Kensington), aged over 21, servant to Stephen Hopkins More, Ellen , (Shipton, Shropshire), age 8, indentured to Edward Winslow Jasper More , (Shipton, Shropshire), brother, age 7, indentured to John Carver Richard , (Shipton, Shropshire), brother, age 6, indentured to William Brewster Mary , (Shipton, Shropshire), sister, age 4, indentured to William Brewster Soule, George , teacher of Edward Winslow's

 children Story, Elias , age under 21, in the care of Edward Winslow Thompson, Edward , age under 21, in the care of the William White family, first passenger to die after the Mayflower reached Cape Cod.

Wilder, Roger , age under 21, servant in the John Carver family Private Messages: Send a private message to the Profile Manager . (Best when privacy is an issue.) Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.) Public Q&A: These will appear above and in the Genealogist-to-Genealogist (G2G) Forum . (Best for anything directed to the wider genealogy community.) On 12 Jul 2016 at 02:00 GMT John Kingman wrote: The profile linked for John Alden was incorrect. Changed from Alden-2 to Alden-63. On 18 Oct 2015 at 22:53 GMT Mary Brooks wrote: In the process of tracing the Brooks line back thru the Mullender, Morgan, Par(r)ish, Bethiah to Wm Brewster line. Just discovered the possibility of this lineage. On 10 Aug 2015 at 23:54 GMT Marvin Barger wrote: The Billington family was there, John, Ellen, Francis, John Jr.

On 25 Mar 2015 at 21:53 GMT Mike Simmons wrote: I'm researching John Simmons who married a daughter of John Alden and Pricilla Mullins Alden. Also Richard Simmons who arrived in Massachusetts on the ship "The Fortune" . Anyone with knowledge of their descendants please leave me a message. I will gladly assist on any other members of the earliest settlers, Wade, Parrish, Warren, Gresham, Grisham or others if I can. Mike Simmons On 25 Jun 2013 at 00:29 GMT Bruce Veazie wrote: Changed Henry Sampson from Sampson-27 (which linked to Nancy Gertrude Sampson) to Henry Samson On 10 Jun 2012 at 16:35 GMT M Lechner wrote: History of the Mayflower — MayflowerHistory.com Contact Me Master Christopher Jones and several business partners purchased the ship Mayflower about 1607. It's origins prior to that remain uncertain. Its first documented voyage of record was to Trondheim, Norway, in 1609.

Andrew Pawling hired the ship to take a cargo of London goods to Norway, sell them off, and buy Norway goods (lumber, tar, fish) to return back to England. Unfortunately on the return voyage, the Mayflower encountered a severe North Sea storm and the master and crew were forced to toss most of Pawlings goods overboard to lighten the ship. The home of Master Christopher Jones in Harwich, co. Essex, England. Following that, Christopher Jones seems to have stuck with safer trading routes. The Mayflower made numerous trips primarily to Bordeaux, France, returning to London with cargoes of French wine, Cognac, vinegar, and salt. The Mayflower could freight about 180 tons of cargo. The Mayflower also made occasional voyages to other ports, including once to Malaga, Spain, and twice to Hamburg, Germany. Upon returning from a voyage to Bordeaux, France, in May 1620, the Mayflower and master Christopher Jones were hired to take the Pilgrims to Northern Virginia.

This was the first recorded trans-Atlantic voyage for both ship and master, though Christopher Jones had several crewmembers, including pilot and master's mates John Clarke and Robert Coppin, who had been to the New World before. The Mayflower was supposed to accompany another ship, the Speedwell, to America, but the Speedwell proved too leaky for the voyage so the Mayflower proceeded alone. Departing on 6 September 1620, the ship was at sea for 66 days, arriving November 9. The ship and crew overwintered with the Pilgrims and departed back for England on 5 April 1621, arriving back to England on May 6. Christopher Jones took the ship out for a few more trading runs, but he died a couple of years later in March 1621/2. The ship was appraised for probate purposes in May 1624, and was referred to as being "in ruins." It was only valued at 128 pounds sterling, and was almost certainly broken up and sold off as scrap. "Prosperous Wind," a painting by maritime artist Mike Haywood.

Giclee prints on canvas are available in the MayflowerHistory.com store . Christopher Jones (Mayflower captain) Christopher Jones (Mayflower captain) Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882) Capt. Christopher Jones, Jr. (c. 1570 – about 5 March 1622) was the Captain of the 1620 voyage of the Pilgrim ship Mayflower . Contents 10 References English origins Christopher Jones is believed to have been born in Harwich , Essex about 1570 although baptismal records are blank for his parish church for the period of time between April 1565 and June 1571. [1] [2] [3] He was the son of Christopher Jones, Sr. and his wife Sybil _____. The senior Jones was also a mariner and ship owner who died in 1578, leaving to his young son, bearing his name, his interest in the ship Marie Fortune when he should attain the age of eighteen years.

[1] Jones’ mother Sybil married Robert Russell after his father’s death and continued to reside at the Jones family home on Kings Head Street in Harwich which is presently a visitor attraction. The family home of Christopher Jones’ first wife Sara Twitt is across from the Jones home on Kings Head Street and is now a hostelry, the Alma. [1] Family Christopher Jones married twice: 1. Jones married Sara Twitt at St. Nicholas Church, Harwich on 27 December 1593. [4] She was age 17 and had been born about 1576. She was Jones’ neighbor, living opposite each other on Kings Head Street, Harwich, both residences still existing as visitor attractions. Sara had a wealthy father, Thomas Twitt, who had strong shipping interests. At his death, her father provided considerable funds for her and a 1/12 share in his ship Apollo. The two families combined their shipping interests to mutual advantage. Within a year of his marriage to Sara they had a boy named Thomas, after Sara’s father. But per the Church Burial Register, it records the infant’s death on 17 April 1596.

Sara had no more children and died at age 27. She was buried in Harwich on 23 May 1603. [1] 2. Jones married his second wife, Josian ___ Gray, widow of Richard Gray, age 21, at St. Nicholas Church in Harwich a few months after his first wife’s Sara’s death in 1603. Josian had seafaring relatives and her late husband was a noted mariner with friends among the Captains of the 1588 Armada Fleet and which included ‘treasure hunting’ in the Indies, this have may included attacks on Spanish treasure ships. Josian probably brought a substantial marriage portion and had inherited her late husband’s house in Church Street, Harwich together with other land and property. One of his ships was named Josian, in honor of his wife. [1] It is believed Josian may have remarried in 1626 as in that year a ‘Joan Jones’, widow, married one Thomas Bartelmore at Stepney, London, directly across the Thames from Rotherhithe.

[3] Their marriage produced eight children, of whom the following four children were known to have been born in Harwich: Christopher Jones b._____ Thomas Jones, b. 1607 Josian Jones, b. 1609 John Jones, b. 1621. [1] He was baptized 4 March 1621 in Harwich, Essex, where Jones’ wife had gone to reside while he was on his voyage to the New World and was anchored in Plymouth Harbor over the winter of 1620-1621. [3] And the following children were born in Rotherhithe, London to which the family moved in 1611. [3] Roger Jones, b. 1611 Grace Jones, b. 1619 [1] Harwich, Essex Queen Elizabeth I called Harwich ‘a pretty town’ and it was extremely loyal to her in sending three ships to join the attack against the Spanish Armada in 1588. As with Plymouth , Harwich became wealthy by the pillaging of Spanish ships of the Armada though its primary business then was the export of English woollen cloth to Holland for finishing.

Its explorers also could relate some stories of far places travelled to, with tales when Jones was a youth of their men voyaging as far as Baffin Island in the far Arctic. [5] The entrance to Harwich port was covered with dangerous sandbars and sailors had to stay alert at all times. A prime example of this was on a night in 1627 when a strong North Sea storm wrecked more than thirty ships. These were the waters in when Jones served his apprenticeship at the side of his father and grandfather, who were both Harwich skippers. At age eighteen, Jones inherited his first part-share of a ship. [6] Harwich was a town managed by a company of mariners and shipwrights who enforced harsh discipline. In 1605 some women were hanged as witches and harlots and were dragged through the streets by a cart and with such as dice games also being banned. As with other seaports around the country, Harwich was a place where sea captains and merchants ran the local government and levied their own taxes on the citizens to take care of town business.

[6] In his mid-thirties Jones was somewhat of a prominent Harwich citizen and was named as a burgess of Harwich in a new town charter granted by King James . Jones was coming into his own about this time, and with an assist from a bounty, he built a 240-ton, larger than average ship of his own which he named after his second wife – Josian. Jones used the ship for trading voyages as far south as to Bordeaux in France. [6] In 1601 he was one of 77 men who took the oath as freeman of the Borough of Harwich. [1] In 1604 his name is listed as one of the 24 capital burgesses on the Great Charter granted by King James I. [1] Civil accounts record Jones acting as an assessor for tax on land and property and also as a jury member when his father-in-law was reprimanded for failing to repair steps to the quay adjacent to his house.

[1] In 1605 Jones was accused, with George Colman, for keeping hunting dogs, a pursuit that was only open to those classed as ‘gentlemen’ whose land was valued at a certain per annum value. Apparently Jones had prospered but had not reached the class of ‘gentleman’. [1] In August 1609 records first note Christopher Jones as master and part owner of the Mayflower when his ship was chartered for a voyage from London to Drontheim (Trondheim) in Norway , and back to London . Due to bad weather, on her return the ship lost an anchor and made short delivery of her cargo of herrings. Litigation was involved and was proceeding in 1612. [7] In a document of January 1611, Christopher Jones is described as being ‘of Harwich’, and his ship is called the Mayflower of Harwich (in Essex co.). Then about 1611, Jones decided to leave Harwich and moved south to London, where he made his home in Rotherhithe parish, a mile downstream on the Thames from the Tower of London.

By that time, Jones had likely traded the ship Josian for a quarter-share in the smaller ship Mayflower. [5] Rotherhithe, London In 1611 Christopher Jones is recorded as removing to Rotherhithe parish, then in Surrey , now in London. This was his home until his death in 1622. [1] Records of Jones’ ship Mayflower have the ship in the Thames in London in 1613 – once in July and again in October and November. Records of 1616 again state Jones’ ship was in the Thames and the noting of wine on board suggests the ship had recently been on a voyage to France, Spain, Portugal, the Canaries, or some other wine country. St Mary the Virgin Church Rotherhithe In the late 16th century, Rotherhithe and Ratcliff parishes were country retreats of the wealthy Londoners, but gradually, as London grew, they filled with buildings and population. By the late 1620s, those parishes accounted for 120 mariners. Wine was the primary trade product of commercial London and made the fortune of Rotherhithe’s mariners.

Jones’ wealthiest associate was also a ship’s master, Anthony Wood of the ship Rainbow, who ranked at the top of parish taxpayers, owning shares of three ships and numerous houses on both sides of the Thames. He owed his wealth to the fine vintages of the Spanish port of Alicante , which was the favorite drink of James I and was a quite lucrative trade. Jones’ wealthiest client was William Speight, one of the mercantile elite, who resided in Vinery Ward, the wine merchant’s district, opposite Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. As warden of the Company of Merchant Taylors, Speight owned property that ranged from country estates in Suffolk to lower-level dwellings and warehouses in London. In May 1620, on his last trip before carrying the Pilgrims, Jones carried fifty tons of wine for Speight which was extremely profitable for the merchant. [8] Men like Wood, Speight and Jones prospered due to the popularity of alcohol as the wealth of the landowning classes increased. At the peak of the wine trade in 1615, London imported three times the wine that was imported typically twenty years previously.

In 1615, a typical voyage by Jones in Mayflower would see him bring back from France as much as eighty tons of wine and on the trip to New England, the Mayflower carried at least one keg each of French or Dutch wine. When Jones left London aboard the Mayflower on a voyage to France, he would normally carry as trade goods to exchange for quality French wine a hold filled with English woolens, the country’s strongest export. As a family man, Jones had to keep his ship operating, and as trade was waning due to the European economic situation, the offer of Thomas Weston of the Merchant Adventurers to charter his ship for an Atlantic voyage seemed to come at a most opportune time. [8] In addition to wine and wool, with Jones as Mayflower captain, it had transported hats, hemp, Spanish salt, hops and vinegar to Norway and may have taken the ship whaling in the North Atlantic in the Greenland area. Jones had traveled to Mediterranean Sea ports, being then part owner with Nichols, Robert Child, Thomas Short. In 1620 Capt.

Jones and Robert Child still owned their quarter shares in the ship, and it was from them that Thomas Weston chartered her in the summer of 1620 to undertake the Pilgrim voyage. [9] Officers and crew of the Mayflower Most scholars agree with author Charles Banks’ estimation that the Mayflower had a crew of about 50: 36 men ‘before the mast’ (crew) and 14 officers on the captain’s staff. This included the following officers: four mates, four quartermasters, surgeon, carpenter, cooper, cook, boatswain and gunner. The entire crew stayed with the Mayflower when it wintered-over in Plimoth in 1620-1621, with about half of them dying during that time, including the gunner, boatswain, 3 of 4 quartermasters and cook. The survivors returned to London on the Mayflower sailing from Plymouth on 5 April 1621. [10] [11] The identity of several key officers under the captain has been well established. Two Masters Mates (Pilot) with previous New World sailing experience were John Clarke, age 45, and Robert Coppin.

They were assisted by Masters Mates Andrew Williamson and John Parker. John Alden, a born and raised Harwich man and cousin of Christopher Jones, was the ship’s Cooper. It was he who was sent early to Southampton, to buy provisions for the journey and “cooper” them in casks. John Alden remained in Plymouth and later married Prescilla Mullins. An important person on the captain’s staff that Bradford oddly neglected to mention was the ship’s surgeon, a young man just out of apprenticeship as a London Barber-Surgeon by the name of Giles Heale. His name appears as a witness to the death-bed will of William Mullins in February 1621. Another person that Bradford also did not mention who is recorded as possibly being a principal officer of the Mayflower due to his title, is a man identified only as “Master” Leaver. He is recorded in Mourt’s Relation (1622) as rescuing Pilgrims lost in a forest in January 1621.

[12] [13] Voyage of the Pilgrim Ship Mayflower The Mayflower embarked about sixty-five passengers in London about the middle of July 1620, proceeded to Southampton on the English south coast and met the Speedwell bringing the Leyden contingent from Holland . The two ships planned to begin their trans-Atlantic journey on 5 August, but problems with the Speedwell, which could not be corrected, caused the loss of a month of critical voyage time with the fall Atlantic gale season coming on. After two false starts and repairs to the Speedwell, some of the passengers chose not to continue and returned to Holland on the Speedwell. The remaining passengers boarded the Mayflower, which with 102 passengers and a crew of possibly 30-40, finally departed Plymouth, Devon on 6 September (16 new calendar). After 66 days of fighting gales and with the ship’s timbers rupturing, and with a detriment to the health of all on board, the Mayflower finally anchored with the hook of Cape Cod harbor on 11 November.

[14] Recent research has revealed that the ship called in at the tiny fishing village of Renews in Newfoundland for fresh water and food, before finally anchoring off, what is now Provincetown. Over the next five months Captain Jones and the Mayflower would remain in Plymouth. He had originally planned to return to England as soon as the Pilgrims found a settlement site, but members of his ship’s crew were ravaged by the same illnesses that overcame the Mayflower passengers, and he had to remain in Plymouth Harbor “till he saw his men began to recover”. [15] John Alden, also fell ill but was nursed back to health by his eventual wife Priscilla Mullins. Priscilla lost all of her family to the unknown illness, whom she also nursed during that fateful winter. The Mayflower remained in Plymouth Harbor through the winter of 1620-1621 and then on 5 April, with her empty hold ballasted by stones from the Plymouth Harbor shore, Jones set sail for England.

As with the Pilgrims, her sailors had been decimated by illness, with Jones having lost his boatswain, his gunner, three quartermasters, the cook, and more than a dozen sailors. [16] The Mayflower made excellent time on her return voyage back to England. The westerly winds that had buffeted the ship coming out, pushed her along going home and she arrived at her home port in Rotherhithe on the Thames on 5 May 1621 – less than half the time it had taken her to sail to America. [17] Among the 102 passengers were six Essex residents from the Great Burstead area, south-west of Harwich . These included Christopher Martin, the Mayflower‘s Treasurer who was responsible for provisioning the ship, his wife, step-son and servant, together with two single men from Great Burstead – Peter Browne and Richard Britteridge. All died that first winter in Plymouth except Peter Browne. [18] After Jones’ return from New England , by the summer of 1621 he had resumed his former trading voyages to Europe.

But by this time it had become evident that the deprivations of the Pilgrim voyage had badly undermined his health as it had so many other Mayflower voyagers. [3] Death and memorials Christopher Jones died in early March 1622 at about age 52 after coming back from a voyage to France. St. Mary The Virgin in Rotherhithe records his burial as 5 March in their churchyard. Administration of his estate was granted to his widow 26 August following, but of the subsequent history of her and her young children nothing is known for certain. [3] However, whilst her husband was away, being heavy with child, she returned to her family in Harwich, Essex, awaiting news of his return. The child was born in Harwich in 1621 and baptised there as “John Jones” – perhaps after hearing from her husband that his cousin and friend, John Alden, had decided to stay on in America.

The rector at St.Mary’s from 1611-1654 was Thomas Gataker, a man of puritan leanings, and Captain Jones may have learned Puritanism from him and could be the reason he accepted the risky task of transporting religious separatists to the New World. Also living in Rotherhithe after 1611 were Mayflower part owners John Moore and First Mate John Clarke, after whom Clarke’s Island, Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts is named. Clarke had been baptized in St. Mary’s in 1575 and spent 1611-1616 as a prisoner of the Spanish. Although St.Mary’s Church was rebuilt in 1715, it contains many memorials to sailors from the original (medieval) church, although Captain Jones’ grave was lost during the rebuilding. [19] Per St. Mary’s information, Jones’ body was buried in the churchyard but the exact location almost 400 years later is unknown. There are two memorials in St.

Mary’s to famous Rotherhithe resident Captain Jones and the Mayflower: St Mary, Rotherhithe – Mayflower plaque In 1995 a tablet in memorial of Captain Jones and the sailing of the Mayflower from Rotherhithe has been placed inside the St. Mary’s Church in the East end. The tablet reads: THE MAYFLOWER Christopher Jones, Master and part owner was buried in the churchyard, 5 March 1622. This tablet was erected on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Consecration of this church. [20] In 2004 a large round ‘blue plaque’ indicating a place of special interest, was placed on a wall outside St. Mary’s church tower. It denotes the sailing of the Mayflower in 1620 and of its commander, Captain Christopher Jones, as being of Rotherhithe. [20] Fate of the Mayflower Mayflower Barn, Jordans, Buckinghamshire After Christopher Jones died in 1622 the Mayflower lay idle on the mud flats of the River Thames near Rotherhithe and was reported in many books to be a “rotting hulk”.

In 1624 the remaining owners of the ship – Roberte Childe, John Moore, Josian Jones, his widow and another, applied for her to be appraised for worth in the High Court of the Admiralty. The sellable items, not including the timbers, were valued at 128 Pounds 6 Shillings and 4 pence . It is thought by some that the cash was shared among the three named partners and the timbers given to the fourth partner as his share. Thereafter, the timbers were sold or given to a farmer in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, England to build a new barn. That barn, known locally as the Mayflower Barn, still stands, alongside which is the graveyard of William Penn (another Essex born man), the founder of the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Hundreds of American tourists visit the “Old Jordans” Quaker graveyard each year, however few of them realise that the old barn nearby, now in private ownership, was probably built from the timbers of the famous ship. 400th anniversary The year 2020 will mark the quatercentenary of the Pilgrim Fathers’ journey on the Mayflower.

To mark the occasion, the residents of Jones’ home town of Harwich have set up the Harwich Mayflower Project , and are building a full-sized replica of the ship ahead of the date, with the intent of making the same journey four hundred years on. [21] References

Question: Christopher Jones was captain of which famous ship?
Answer: Mayflower