The first English settlement permanently planted in New England was
the famous "Old Colony" at Plymouth. The Puritan Separatists, from the
Church of England, sought refuge from English persecution in Holland,
living in Leyden under their pastor, John Robinson, for eleven years,
when they decided to migrate to America. They arranged with the
Virginia Company to send them across the ocean, and about the middle
of the summer of 1620 the little band of Pilgrims sailed from
Delft-haven, the port of Leyden, on the "Speedwell," in charge of
Elder Brewster. The "Mayflower" joined at Southampton with other
Puritans from England, but the "Speedwell" sprung a leak and they put
into Plymouth roads. Then they decided to go on in the "Mayflower"
alone, and the party left Plymouth early in September. They were
seeking Virginia, but found the land, after a voyage of over two
months, at Cape Cod, anchoring inside the Cape. Then they thanked God,
"who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered
them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet
on the firm and stable earth." While the ship lay there, the famous
"Mayflower Compact" was drawn up, pledging the signers to obey the
government that it established, and John Carver was chosen the first
Governor, forty-one men signing the compact. After nearly a month
spent in exploration, their shallop going all about the coasts,
Plymouth was selected, and the pioneers landed December 21, 1620, the
day being now annually celebrated as "Forefathers' Day."
Plymouth has a little land-locked harbor behind a long and narrow sand
beach, projected northward from the ridge of Manomet below, this beach
acting as a protective breakwater to the wharves. The harbor is so
shallow, however, that there is little trade by sea. The town spreads
upon the bluff shores, and on a plateau to the hills in the rear.
There is now a population of about nine thousand, engaged mainly in
manufacturing cordage and textiles, and having a considerable fishery
fleet. While the town is of modern build, yet it is devoted to the
memory which gives it deathless fame, every relic of the Pilgrims
being restored and perpetuated. There is little to be seen that comes
from the olden time, however, outside of the hills and harbor and
original streets, excepting the carefully cherished relics of the
"Mayflower's" passengers, that have been gathered together. The choice
of Plymouth as the landing-place seems to have been mainly from
necessity, when protracted explorations failed to find a better place,
and the coming of winter compelled a landing somewhere. The actual
location was hardly well considered, the Pilgrims themselves being
far from satisfied. After the "Mayflower" anchored inside of Cape Cod,
several weeks were passed in explorations, and finally, upon a Sunday
in December, 1620, a landing was made upon Clark's Island, where
religious services were held, the first in New England. Upon the most
elevated part of this island stands a huge boulder, about twelve feet
high, called from some local circumstance the "Election Rock." Its
face bears the words taken from _Mourt's Relation_, which chronicled
the voyage of the "Mayflower":
"Upon the Sabbath-Day wee rested, 20 December, 1620."
Eighteen of the Pilgrims thus "rested," after their shallop, in making
the shore, had been almost shipwrecked. The next day they sailed
across the bay to the mainland, their first landing being then made at
Plymouth, and upon the second day, December 22d, the entire company
came ashore and the settlement began.
Within the Pilgrim Hall, a fireproof building upon the chief street,
are kept the precious relics of the "Mayflower" and the Pilgrims, with
paintings of the embarkation from Delft-haven and landing at Plymouth,
and old portraits of the leaders of the colony. Among the interesting
documents are autograph writings, establishing a chain of
acquaintanceship connecting the original Pilgrims with the present
time. Peregrine White was the first child of the new colony, the
infant being born on the "Mayflower" after she came into Cape Cod Bay,
in November, 1620, and he was only a month old when they landed. The
baby, surviving all their hardships, lived to a ripe old age, and
"Grandfather Cobb," born in 1694, knew him well. Cobb, in his day,
lived to be the oldest man in New England, his life covering space in
three centuries, for he exceeded one hundred and seven years, dying in
1801. William R. Sever, born in 1790, knew Cobb and recollected him
well, and living until he was ninety-seven years old, died in 1887.
These three lives connected the Pilgrim landing almost with the
present day. The old cradle that rocked Peregrine White on the
"Mayflower," and after they landed, is preserved--an upright,
stiff-backed, wicker-work basket, upon rude wooden rockers. One of the
chief paintings represents the signing of the memorable "Mayflower
Compact." There are also in the hall some of the old straight-backed
chairs of the Pilgrims, with their pots and platters, and among other
relics Miles Standish's sword. In the court-house are the original
records of the colony, the first allotment of lands among the
settlers, their deeds, agreements and wills, and the patent given the
colony by Earl Warwick in 1629. There are also shown in quaint
handwriting, with the ink partly faded out, records of how they
divided their cattle, when it was decided to change from the original
plan of holding them in common. Signatures of the Pilgrims are
attached to many of these documents. Governor Carver died the first
year, William Bradford succeeding, and there is preserved in Governor
Bradford's writing the famous order establishing trial by jury in the
colony.