Anna W. Hale - The Mayflower People. Triumphs & Tragedies

The
Mayflower People

The
Mayflower
People

TRIUMPHS & TRAGEDIES

by

Anna W. Hale

Illustrations by
Maria Hazen-Voris

Harbinger House appreciates the cooperation and helpful guidance from the research department of Plimouth Plantation in the preparation of this book.

Copyright 1995 by Anna W. Hale

Illustrations copyright by Harbinger House

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher:

Harbinger House
P.O. Box 42948
Tucson, AZ 85733-2948

Manufactured in the United States of America
Design, production and maps by Page by Page Studio
Cover illustration by Betsy Hall Hutchinson

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hale, Anna, 1909

The Mayflower people: triumphs and tragedies/Anna W. Hale; illustrations by Maria Hazen-Voris.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary: Recreates the voyage of the Mayflower and the experiences
of the New Plymouth colonists after they landed, based on journals,
letters, and other contemporary reports.

ISBN 978-1-57140-003-1

1. Mayflower (Ship)Juvenile literature. 2. Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony)Juvenile literature. 3. MassachusettsHistoryNew Plymouth, 1620-1691Juvenile literature. [1. Mayflower (Ship) 2. Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) 3. MassachusettsHistoryNew Plymouth, 1620-1691.] I. Hazen-Voris, Maria, ill.

II. Title.

F68.H135 1995 95-17355

974.48202dc20

Authors Notes

Dates in this story are Old Style, as used by the English at the time of the Pilgrims. When the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582, December 10 changed to December 21.

This story is about real people and real events as described in letters, records and other historical documents. Dialogue has been added to bring the story to life.

No one really knows the precise size and shape of the original Mayflower, but one clue is found in the writings of William Bradford, who mentions that she was a vessel of 180 tons. From this information historians and ship builders have estimated the following (approximate) measurements:

Length of keel-64 feet

Width (beam)-26 feet

Depth of hold-11 feet

The original version of the Mayflower Compact has been adapted from the Old English to express its essential statement for todays readers.

Chapter 1

TakeoffAt Last!

On August 6, 1620, Master Jones of the Mayflower gave orders to hoist anchors and set the sails. Master Reynolds on the much smaller Speedwell did the same. Turning out of the harbor at Southampton, England, the two ships headed for the distant Atlantic.

These ocean going ships carried unusual cargo. They were loaded with fathers and mothers and children and all their household goods.

For three long years these people had planned, prayed, and prepared to settle in the New World. In America the king could not put them in prisonor kill their leadersfor separating from the Church of England, of which he was the head.

Also on board were a few people who were not Separatists. These were the Adventurers, who had paid to take part in the expedition in hope of finding gold.

In the cargo area were the usual supplies, as well as three heavy cannons for defense. Packed in sections was an open boat called a shallop, useful for exploring and fishing. The people had tried to think of everything they could possibly need.

On the deck of the Mayflower stood Mary Brewster, who had come from Holland with her sons Love, 9, and Wrastle, 6. Her husband, Elder William Brewster, was the leader of the group. He had been in England for some months to make final arrangements, working under cover because the king had ordered his arrest as a traitor.

Wrastle, looking worried, tugged at his mothers arm.

Mother, he said, Father promised to meet us here. Where is he?

Theres no way he can catch up with us now we are moving, Love said.

Mary Brewster hugged and hushed her boys. I dont know, she said. But dont worry. Well be all right.

She glanced across the deck at William Bradford and his wife, Dorothy, grateful they were there. Even before the Separatists had fled to Holland for safety, young Bradford had been Brewsters right-hand man. Mary respected and liked him although, at 31, he lacked the care for others that made her husband so trusted. She felt sorry for Dorothy, 23, who had to leave her only childa boy of 4behind with friends, because he was so often sick. Since parting from him she had hardly said a word to anyone. It was as though she had left her heart behind and nothing else mattered.

Mary Brewster understood. She had left children behind also, but they were teenagers, and they were to join the settlement next year if all went well.

Just before sailing, the Separatists and other passengers had chosen a senior man, John Carver, to be their governor for the voyage. And at the last minute, one more passenger had come aboard. This man, John Alden, was not a Separatist. He was a footloose young carpenter and barrel-maker who had been hired to take care of the countless barrels of food and other supplies in the hold of the Mayflower. It is possible, perhaps likely, that he had also caught a glimpse of Priscilla Mullins, one of the teenage girls on board.

The ships began to pick up speed. It was an exciting but scary moment. Now there could be no turning back. The Separatists were now Pilgrims, torn between their hope for freedom to worship God in their own way, and fear of the unknown wilderness where the native people might be unfriendly.

Others on board were probably thinking of how they would spend the gold they hoped to find in the New World.

On the deck near Mary Brewster and her sons were Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins with their three children, and another on the way. These five would occupy one of the four tiny cabins on the Mayflower. Elizabeth whispered to her husband.

Stephen, are you sure well get settled before the baby comes?

Of course, he answered quickly. In good summer weather the crossing will take six, maybe seven weeks. Say to the end of September. Well have houses built long before the end of November.

I hope so, she said.

Next to them stood William Mullins and his wife, from the English town of Dorking. With them was their son Joseph, 6, and their daughter Priscilla, an attractive 18-year-old. She had not wanted to leave her home and friends. It is easy to imagine that she had already made plans for her futureplans that would not come true if she crossed the Atlantic. She had begged to stay with her grandparents, but her stubborn father refused. He wanted all of them to take part in the new settlement.

Also watching the ships progress were Captain Miles Standish and his wife, Rose. This short, stocky soldier with bristling red hair and beard was responsible for the military protection of the Pilgrim colony. He had combat experience and a voice like a drill sergeant. He intended to use the weeks at sea to train the men for military action. The Separatists and the other men needed to be able to understand and obey his commands. They also needed to be able to shoot straight. Rose Standish, even shorter than her husband, was as quiet as he was blustery.