As introductory to a notice of the Pilgrim Society, the narration of
a few facts in reference to the early settlement of New England may
be neither inappropriate nor uninteresting. It will serve also to
elucidate more fully the objects of the Society.
Religious persecution was the chief cause of the emigration of our
forefathers to this country. The memorable Reformation, effected
principally by the instrumentality of Luther and Calvin, appeared
in England in 1534, under Henry VIII. During its progress, in the
reigns of Mary, Elizabeth, and James I., those who were denominated
Puritans[B] were subjected to the most cruel oppression. Thousands
suffered martyrdom; many were banished; and others were doomed to
perpetual imprisonment.
Those Puritans who lived in the north of England were, on account of
their dispersed state, divided, in the year 1606, into two distinct
churches. With one of these was connected the celebrated John Robinson,
who afterwards became its minister. Persecuted for non-conformity to
the established church, he, with a part of his congregation, that they
might worship God according to the dictates of their consciences,
removed in 1607-8 to Amsterdam, in Holland, where religious toleration
was then sanctioned by law; and soon after, (in 1609,) they went to
Leyden, where they formed themselves into a church, according to the
pattern prescribed, as they supposed, by the word of God. In that
place they remained till their removal to America. "Their motives
for this," (their removal,) "were to preserve the morals of their
youth; to prevent them, through want of employment, from leaving their
parents and engaging in business unfriendly to religion; to avoid the
inconveniences of incorporating with the Dutch; to lay a foundation
for propagating the gospel in the remote parts of the world; and, by
separating from all the existing establishments in Europe, to form the
model of a pure church, free from the admixture of human additions."
What Lord Brougham, of England, has said of the North American colonies
in general, is most strictly and emphatically true of these individuals
in particular. "All idea of wealth or pleasure was out of the question.
The greater part of them viewed their emigration as taking up the
cross, and bounded their hopes of wealth to the gifts of the Spirit,
and their ambition to the desire of a kingdom beyond the grave. A set
of men more conscientious in their doings, or simple in their manners,
never founded any commonwealth."
Such were the reasons which induced the founders of New England to
leave all that was dear to them in England and Holland, and to remove
to these then inhospitable shores; reasons sufficient to affect the
minds, hearts, and conduct of some of the best men that ever lived.
Speaking of them, Governor Stoughton remarked, "God sifted a whole
nation that he might send choice grain over into this wilderness."
In accomplishing their object, "it was agreed by the English
congregation at Leyden, that some of their number should go to America
to make preparation for the rest. Mr. Robinson,[C] their minister, was
prevailed on to stay with the greater part at Leyden; Mr. Brewster,[D]
their elder, was to accompany the first adventurers, but these and
their brethren remaining in Holland were to continue to be one church,
and to receive each other to Christian communion without a formal
dismission, or testimonial. Several of the congregation sold their
estates and made a common bank, which, together with money received
from other adventurers, enabled them to purchase the Speedwell,[E] a
ship of sixty tons, and to hire in England the May Flower, a ship of
one hundred and eighty tons, for the intended enterprise."[F]
The following graphic description of the attachment of the Pilgrims to
each other, and of their pious views and feelings on the occasion of
their separation, is found in Morton's New England Memorial.
"Being prepared to depart, they had a solemn day of humiliation, the
pastor teaching a part of the day very profitably, and suitably to the
present occasion; the text of Scripture was Ezra viii:21. The rest
of the time was spent in pouring out of prayers unto the Lord, with
great fervency, mixed with abundance of tears.--When they came to the
place," (Delftshaven,) "they found the ship and all things ready; and
such of their friends as could not come with them, followed after them,
and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipped, and to take their
leave of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most, but
with friendly entertainment, and Christian discourse, and other real
expressions of Christian love. The next day, the wind being fair, they
went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the
sight of that sad and mournful parting, to hear what sighs, and sobs,
and prayers did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye,
and pithy speeches pierced each other's heart, that sundry of the Dutch
strangers, that stood on the quay as spectators, could not refrain from
tears: Yet comfortable and sweet it was, to see such lively and true
expressions of dear and unfeigned love.--Their reverend pastor falling
down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks, commended
them with most fervent prayers unto the Lord and his blessing; and
then with mutual embraces and many tears, they took their leave one of
another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them."
On the 6th of September, 1620, the adventurers sailed from Plymouth,
in the May Flower, and, on the 9th of November, they arrived, after
enduring a perilous voyage, in sight of Cape Cod. Having entered
the harbor, they, on the 11th day of the month, after prayer and
thanksgiving, subscribed a written instrument, by which they were made
a body politic. The covenant entered into was signed by _forty-one_
individuals, who, with their families, amounted to _one hundred and
one_ persons. Mr. John Carver was unanimously elected Governor of the
colony for one year.[G] Though these adventurers undertook their
enterprise under the authority and sanction of a royal charter, yet
they commenced their political existence as a republic. December 22,
1620, they disembarked and went on shore. The place where they landed,
called by the Indians Patuxet, they named Plymouth, after the town in
England from which they last sailed.
Such was the origin of the settlement of the Plymouth colony.
Sentiments of high respect for the principles and character of the
first settlers of New England have been cherished in every succeeding
generation of their descendants. They have been eager to reward their
inestimable service by commemorating their virtues and piety, and by
preserving a recollection of their sufferings, resolution, and noble
deeds, in so glorious a cause. In doing this they have been actuated by
the dictates of nature, reason, and gratitude.
On January 13, 1769, when the storm of British oppression was
gathering, and the time for open and decided resistance to the crown
was at hand, an association called the "Old Colony Club" was formed
at Plymouth, consisting of some of the principal men of that place
and vicinity; and on December 22, of that year, the "Landing of the
Forefathers" was first celebrated.[H] The Winslows, Watsons, and
Howlands were among those who were the most prominent. Major-General
John Winslow of Marshfield, who had been an eminent officer in the war
between England and France, in 1754-1762, General Peleg Wadsworth,
Colonel Gamaliel Bradford, and Hon. George Partridge of Duxbury, Hon.
William Sever and General John Thomas of Kingston, Colonel Alexander
Scammell, then a teacher of youth in Plymouth, and afterwards a
distinguished officer in the American Revolution, were original or
early members of the Society.
"In the year 1773 the Association was dissolved, in consequence of
conflicting opinions existing among its members, in relation to the
American Revolution," and two of the early members of the Club left the
country, from attachment to the British government.
The following gentlemen have delivered sermons or addresses, by the
request of the "Old Colony Club," or of the inhabitants of the town, or
of the members of some one of the religious societies, at the times of
the anniversary at Plymouth, on the 22nd of December. Edward Winslow,
Jr., Esq., Plymouth; Rev. Chandler Robbins, D. D., Plymouth; Rev.
Charles Turner, Duxbury; Rev. Gad Hitchcock, D. D., Pembroke; Rev.
Samuel Baldwin, Hanover; Rev. Sylvanus Conant, Middleborough; Rev.
Samuel West, D. D., Dartmouth; Rev. Timothy Hilliard, Barnstable; Rev.
William Shaw, D. D., Marshfield; Rev. Jonathan Moore, Rochester; Doct.
Zaccheus Bartlett, Plymouth; Hon. John Davis, LL. D., Boston; Rev. John
Allyne, D. D., Duxbury; Hon. John Quincy Adams, LL. D., Quincy; Rev.
John Thornton Kirkland, D. D., Cambridge; Rev. Jonathan Strong, D. D.,
Randolph; Rev. James Kendall, D. D., Plymouth; Alden Bradford, LL. D.,
Boston; Rev. Abiel Holmes, D. D., Cambridge; Rev. James Freeman, D. D.,
Boston; Rev. Adoniram Judson, Plymouth; Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris, D.
D., Dorchester; Rev. Abiel Abbot, D. D., Beverly; Rev. John Elliot,
D. D., Boston; Rev. James Flint, D. D., Salem; Rev. Ezra Goodwin,
Sandwich; Rev. Horace Holley, LL. D., Boston; Hon. Wendell Davis,
Sandwich; and Hon. Francis Calley Gray, Boston.
As the "Old Colony Club" had for many years ceased to act as a society,
and had, in fact, ceased to exist, that the object of the annual
celebration of the "Landing of our Forefathers" might be better
accomplished, a society was formed, November 9, 1819, by the name of
the "Old Colony Pilgrim Society," and immediately went into operation.
The Hon. Joshua Thomas, William Jackson, and Nathaniel M. Davis,
Esqs., were chosen a committee on behalf of the Society, to petition
the General Court for an act of incorporation. On February 24, 1820,
the Society was incorporated and made a body politic, by the name of
the "Pilgrim Society." The design of the institution may in part be
learned from a clause in the first section of the act of incorporation,
which is, "to perpetuate the memory of the virtues, the enterprise, and
unparalleled sufferings of their ancestors."
The "Landing of our Forefathers" was first celebrated by the Pilgrim
Society, December 22, 1820, that being the completion of the second
century since the settlement of New England, or the landing of the
Pilgrims. This event, which, in a most important sense, gave existence
to the nation, with all that is valuable in its civil, literary, and
religious establishments, was observed that year with more than usual
solemnity and interest. The Hon. Daniel Webster delivered an address[I]
on the occasion, worthy of himself and the memory of those whose
character and sufferings he so eloquently portrayed. A large concourse
of people attended the celebration, and were escorted to the place of
public service by the Standish Guards, a military company so called in
honor of Capt. Miles Standish.[J]
There were present on the occasion, a delegation from the Massachusetts
Historical Society, and from the American Antiquarian Society. The
Hon. Judge Davis addressed the Pilgrim Society on behalf of the former
institution, and the Hon. Levi Lincoln on behalf of the latter.
The Rev. Dr. Kendall replied to the one, and Alden Bradford, Esq.,
replied to the other. The kindest sentiments and feelings universally
prevailed, and the occasion was one of great satisfaction and rejoicing.
The Pilgrim Society, as such, annually commemorates the day on which
our Forefathers landed at Plymouth. On some of these anniversaries,
addresses have been delivered; in 1820, by Hon. Daniel Webster; in
1824, by Hon. Edward Everett; in 1829, by Hon. William Sullivan;
in 1834, by Rev. George Washington Blagden; in 1835, by Hon. Peleg
Sprague; in 1837, by Rev. Robert B. Hall; in 1838, by Rev. Thomas
Bobbins, D. D.; and in 1845, by Joseph R. Chandler, Esq. Since 1820,
at the request of some religious society or association, the following
gentlemen have delivered addresses on these anniversary occasions,
though not specially before the Pilgrim Society; Rev. Richard S.
Storrs, D. D., Braintree; Rev. Lyman Beecher, D. D., Boston; Rev.
Samuel Green, Boston; Rev. Daniel Huntington, North Bridgewater; Rev.
Benjamin B. Wisner, D. D., Boston; Rev. John Codman, D. D., Dorchester;
Rev. Convers Francis, D. D., Watertown; Rev. Jonathan Bigelow,
Rochester; Rev. Samuel Barrett, Boston; Rev. William T. Torrey,
Plymouth; Rev. John Brazier, D. D., Salem; and Rev. Mark Hopkins, D.
D., Williamstown. In the addresses which have been delivered, the
principles, motives, intentions, and character of the Forefathers
have been exhibited and approved; the causes of their emigration, the
interposition of God in their behalf, and the glorious results which
have followed, have been glowingly described.
The Society erected in the year 1824 a monumental edifice; the
corner-stone of which was laid with appropriate solemnities, and in
an excavation made in it for the purpose, was deposited, with other
articles, a plate having the following inscription: "In grateful memory
of our Ancestors, who _exiled_ themselves from their native country,
for the sake of religion, and here successfully laid the foundation of
_Freedom_ and Empire, December 22, A. D. MDCXX., their descendants,
the Pilgrim Society, have raised this edifice, August XXXI. A. D.
MDCCCXXIV."
The edifice is built of unwrought split granite, and is seventy feet
in length by forty in width, and is two stories in height. It has a
handsome Doric portico in front, eight feet wide, supported by six
pillars sixteen feet high. The whole expense of the building and
its appurtenances was more than $15,000. Its location is pleasant
and presents a full view of the outer harbor of the town. The
principal hall is adorned by a magnificent painting, representing our
Forefathers. This picture, valued at $3,000, was a donation to the
Pilgrim Society by the artist, Henry Sargent, Esq., Boston. It is a
splendid representation of the Pilgrims at their arrival on these
western shores. Pilgrim Hall is the most suitable receptacle for it;
and Col. Sargent has exhibited a noble generosity in placing it within
its walls. The dimensions of the picture are sixteen feet by thirteen.
It contains several groups of individuals attired in the costume of
their day. 1. Governor Carver and his wife and children; 2. Governor
Bradford; 3. Governor Winslow; 4. Wife of Governor Winslow; 5. Mr.
William Brewster, the presiding Elder; 6. Capt. Miles Standish; 7. Mr.
William White and his child Peregrine; 8. Mr. Isaac Allerton and his
wife; 9. Mr. John Alden; 10. Mr. John Turner; 11. Mr. Stephen Hopkins,
his wife, and children; 12. Mr. Richard Warner; 13. Mr. Edward Tilley;
14. Mr. Samuel Fuller; 15. Wife of Capt. Standish; 16. Samoset, an
Indian Sagamore; 17. Mr. John Howland, of Governor Carver's family, who
married his daughter.
In the edifice there is a room set apart for a Library and a Cabinet of
curiosities. It is already supplied with a number of volumes and many
manuscripts of early date. It is desirable that a copy of all the works
published by the Pilgrims and their descendants should be deposited in
the Library.
"Among the antiquities in the Cabinet of the Pilgrim Society are the
following:
"A chair which belonged to Gov. Carver. The sword of Miles Standish,
presented by William S. Williams, Esq. A pewter dish which belonged to
Miles Standish, presented by the late Joseph Head, Esq. An iron pot
which belonged to Miles Standish, presented by the late John Watson,
Esq. A brass steelyard, owned by Thomas Southworth. A cane which
belonged to William White; presented by Hon. John Reed. A dressing-case
which belonged to William White. The gun-barrel with which King Philip
was killed, presented by Mr. John Cook of Kingston. The original letter
of King Philip to Gov. Prince, written in 1662. A china mug and leather
pocket-book which belonged to Thomas Clark. A piece of ingenious
embroidery, in a frame, executed by Lora Standish, a daughter of Miles
Standish; presented by Rev. Lucius Alden of East Bridgewater. Many
curiosities are still in the hands of individuals and families, which
might add much to the interest of Pilgrim Hall."
The following Portraits embellish Pilgrim Hall: "1. of Edward Winslow,
painted in London in 1651, copied from the original, by C. A. Foster.
2. of Josiah Winslow, the first native Governor of the Old Colony,
painted in London in 1651, copied from the original, by C. A. Foster.
3. of Gov. Josiah Winslow's wife, Penelope Pelham, copied from the
original, by C. A. Foster. 4. of General John Winslow, copied from the
original, by C. A. Foster. The portrait of Gov. Edward Winslow is the
only one preserved, of those individuals who came in the Mayflower. The
originals of these paintings belong to Isaac Winslow, Esq., of Boston,
and are now in the rooms of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 5.
A portrait of the Hon. Ephraim Spooner, presented by Thomas Davis,
Esq., of Boston. 6. A portrait of John Alden, Esq., of Middleborough,
who died in 1821, aged 102 years, who was the great-grandson of John
Alden, who came in the Mayflower; painted and presented by Cephas
Thompson, Esq. 7. A portrait of Hon. John Trumbull, presented by
Col. John Trumbull. This portrait was painted in 1781. The face was
executed by Mr. Stewart, and the other parts by Mr. Trumbull himself,
while a student with him. 8. A portrait of James Thacher, M. D., late
Librarian and Cabinet-Keeper of the Pilgrim Society. It was painted by
Mr. Frothingham, in January, 1841, by order of the Pilgrim Society,
pursuant to a vote expressing their sense of the valuable services he
had rendered, in promoting the objects of said society.[K]
"The Hall contains also a bust of Hon. Daniel Webster, presented by
James T. Hayward, Esq., of Boston; and the bust of Hon. John Adams,
presented by Samuel Nicholson, Esq."
For an account of "Forefathers' Rock" and the beautiful monument
erected by the Pilgrim Society for its preservation, we make the
following extract from Dr. Thacher's History of Plymouth.
"The inhabitants of the town," [1774] "animated by the glorious spirit
of liberty which pervaded the Province, and mindful of the precious
relic of our Forefathers, resolved to consecrate the Rock on which they
landed to the shrine of liberty. Col. Theophilus Colon and a large
number of the inhabitants assembled, with about twenty yoke of oxen,
for the purpose of its removal. The rock was elevated from its bed by
means of large screws; and in attempting to mount it on the carriage,
it split asunder, without any violence. As no one had observed a flaw,
the circumstance occasioned some surprise. It is not strange that some
of the patriots of the day should be disposed to indulge a little in
superstition, when in favor of their good cause. The separation of
the rock was construed to be ominous of a division of the British
Empire. The question was now to be decided whether both parts should be
removed, and being decided in the negative, the bottom part was dropped
again into its original bed, where it still remains, a few inches above
the surface of the earth, at the head of the wharf. The upper portion,
weighing many tons, was conveyed to the liberty-pole square, front of
the meeting-house, where, we believe, waved over it a flag with the
far-famed motto, 'Liberty or death.' This part of the rock was, on the
4th of July, 1834, removed to 'Pilgrim Hall,' and placed in front of
that edifice, under the charge of the Pilgrim Society. A procession was
formed on this occasion, and passed over Cole's hill, where lie the
ashes of those who died the first winter.
"A miniature representation of the Mayflower followed in the
procession, placed in a car decorated with flowers, and drawn by six
boys. The procession was preceded by the children of both sexes of the
several schools in town. On depositing the rock in front of the Hall,
a volley of small arms was fired over it by the Standish Guards, after
which, an appropriate address was delivered by Doct. Charles Cotton,
and the services were closed with a prayer by Rev. Dr. Kendall.
"It affords the highest satisfaction to announce, that the long desired
protection of the 'Forefathers' Rock' is at length completed; and
it may be pronounced a noble structure, serving the double purpose
of security to the rock and a monument to the Pilgrims. The fabric
was erected in June of the present year, [1835,] and consists of a
perfect ellipse, forty-one feet in perimeter, formed of wrought iron
bars, five feet high, resting on a base of hammered granite. The heads
of the perpendicular bars are harpoons and boat-hooks alternately.
The whole is embellished with emblematic figures of cast iron. The
base of the railing is studded with emblems of marine shells, placed
alternately reversed, having a striking effect. The upper part of the
railing is encircled with a wreath of iron castings, in imitation of
heraldry curtains, fringed with festoons; of these there are forty-one,
bearing the names in bass-relief of the forty-one Puritan fathers who
signed the memorable compact while in the cabin of the Mayflower, at
Cape Cod, in 1620. This valuable and interesting acquisition reflects
honor on all who have taken an interest in the undertaking. In the
original design by George W. Brimmer, Esq., ingenuity and correct
taste are displayed; and in all its parts, the work is executed with
much judgment and skill. The castings are executed in the most
improved style of the art. This appropriate memorial will last for
ages, and the names and story of the great founders of our nation
will be made familiar to the latest generation. This monument cost
four hundred dollars. The fund was obtained by subscription; Lieut.
Gov. Armstrong heading the paper, and Samuel T. Tisdale, Esq., of New
York, contributing one hundred dollars. The author of this work" (Dr.
Thacher,) "had the honor and satisfaction of being the active agent in
its execution."
This account of the Pilgrim Society we conclude, by expressing our
high commendation of its object. To be affected at the sufferings
of the Pilgrims of New England; to exercise gratitude for their
inestimable labors and sacrifices; to venerate their virtue and piety;
to revere their principles of religious and civil liberty; and to
hand down a suitable memorial of them to succeeding generations, is
at once the duty and privilege of their descendants. Most cordially
can we adopt the expressive language of President Dwight, in speaking
of our ancestors. "When I call to mind," says he, "the history of
their sufferings on both sides of the Atlantic, when I remember their
preëminent patience, their unspotted piety, their immovable fortitude,
their undaunted resolution, their love to each other, their justice
and humanity to the savages, and their freedom from all those stains
which elsewhere spotted the character, even of their companions in
affliction, I cannot but view them as illustrious brothers, claiming
the veneration and applause of all their posterity. By me the names of
Carver, Bradford, Cushman,[L] and Standish, will never be forgotten,
until I lose the power of recollection."
Our apology for appending so many notes to this historical notice is,
that they illustrate the character of the Pilgrims of New England
and the times in which they lived, and thus serve to accomplish the
object we have in view. For instance, a few sentences in the farewell
discourse of the Rev. Mr. Robinson, who was in an important sense the
Father of the Plymouth colony, show the cast of mind, the religious
faith, and the adherence to Protestant principles, of himself and of
his flock.[M]
The first Presidents of the Society were Hon. Joshua Thomas, John
Watson, Alden Bradford, LL. D., and Nathaniel M. Davis, Esqs.
The present officers are Charles H. Warren, _President_; William Davis,
_Vice-President_; Andrew L. Russell, _Recording Secretary_; Benjamin M.
Watson, _Corresponding Secretary_; William S. Russell, _Librarian and
Cabinet-Keeper_; Nathaniel M. Davis, John B. Thomas, Isaac L. Hedge,
William M. Jackson, Schuyler Sampson, Joseph Cushman of Plymouth, and
James T. Hayward and William Thomas of Boston, _Trustees_.