There were already established colonies at the time, not least Jamestown — founded in But the Mayflower story is renowned for its themes of freedom and humanity — including the relationships first formed between the Native American Wampanoag tribe and the colonists and the first Thanksgiving. He created his own church, with its own rules determined by him - called the Church of England.
In doing this, Henry was expelled by the Pope and the reformation of the English churches had started. Some wanted to separate it from other churches by purifying it of all Catholic practices. They became known as the Puritans. However, others believed that you could not change the church and that the only way to form a new group was to break away entirely.
They became known as the Separatists. The Church dictated all aspects of life — from what you ate to what you wore.
To dispute that rule was a dangerous path ending in prosecution. This was especially foreboding for Separatists. The leading religious Separatists who voyaged to America in mostly originated from an area where modern-day Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire meet. Regarded as dangerous renegades who rejected fundamental principles of the State and the established Church of England, they worshipped in secret to avoid arrest and persecution.
Among them was William Brewster, who was brought up in the village of Scrooby in north Nottinghamshire. Inspired by the radical words of Richard Clifton, the rector of nearby All Saints' Church in Babworth , Brewster is believed to have founded a Separatist Church in his family home - the manor house at Scrooby. When the Separatists landed in America, Bradford went on to become a Governor of the Plymouth Colony, serving for more than 30 years.
Bradford was baptised St Helena's church where the original font can be seen today. Heavily influenced by leading Pilgrim William Brewster, he was a sickly young orphan when they first met, but grew into a passionate religious radical. A similar group had long been growing in the nearby town of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, drawing members from surrounding villages.
As the authorities intensified their crackdown on the Separatists, the two groups decided to flee England for Holland — seen as a liberal nation where they could live peacefully. But the captain of a ship betrayed them and the local militia seized the group and took their money, books and personal possessions. Stripped of their belongings and hope, the group were brought by boat back to Boston and held and tried at the Guildhall, home to the local law court and cells.
They were eventually freed and made a second, successful attempt at fleeing to Holland — this time from the coastal town of Immingham in Lincolnshire. They settled in the city of Leiden via Amsterdam. Leiden was a city of free-thinkers, relative religious tolerance, and a long tradition of offering shelter to the dispossessed. They built a life in Leiden, living and working here for 12 years. They built land near the spectacular Pieterskerk church and built houses in what is today known as the Engelse poort English Alley.
Many worked in the textile industry and similar trades — but it was hard work and a challenging life. Here he produced dissident pamphlets that were smuggled into England for distribution. Eventually the time in a foreign land took its toll and the group started to plan a journey to a new land to start again. They wanted to find a place completely free of limitations where they could build a better economic future. They had been living in small houses with big families — and were becoming poor.
More than half of the group stayed though and fully integrated into Dutch life. Leiden had a profound influence on the lives of the Pilgrims - even after their departure. The concept of civil marriage was one innovation they took with them. Virginia in America was an attractive destination because several colonies had already settled there.
However, they also felt that they should not settle too near and end up with a similar environment to which they originally fled.
The Separatists worked with their counterparts in England to fund and organise the journey — which had to make commercial sense. They negotiated with merchants in London and convinced them that funding their journey would see a return on investment thanks to the goods they would be able to send back to England. They also needed permission to land in Virginia and establish a colony.
The Mayflower would sail from the port of Rotherhithe in London, carrying many there for work in the new land, who simply wanted to build a new life, crew and servants.
Rotherhithe was home to many of the crew including the Mayflower's Captain Christopher Jones. The plan was to meet the Mayflower in Southampton before heading off together across the Atlantic. Southampton was a thriving seaport offering all the commercial facilities to provision and equip for the long sea voyage. Many of the buildings and streets familiar to the passengers then still exist.
When the two ships met in the port there were concerns about the Speedwell though, which needed repairs after developing a leak. But on 15th August the two ships weighed anchor and set sail from Southampton. It may have been because she carried too much sail, straining her timbers, or the direct result of sabotage by a reluctant crew.
They changed course for Dartmouth , a port on the south coast of Devon. Unfortunately, the second attempt did not go as hoped either. The two boats turned about for Plymouth. By this time, the cramped, damp and miserable passengers had already spent up to six weeks at sea.
With a fair wind and good fortune, they would have hoped to be nearing America by then. The Speedwell was finally declared unfit for the journey. Some of the Pilgrims dropped out. The Separatist church congregation that established Plymouth Colony in New England was originally centered around the town of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire, England.
Members included the young William Bradford and William Brewster. When they felt they could no longer suffer these difficulties in England, they chose to flee to the Dutch Netherlands. There, they could practice their own religion without fear of persecution from the English government or its church. Although they had religious freedom, life in the Netherlands was not easy. The Separatists had to leave their homeland and friends to live in a foreign country without a clear idea of how they would support themselves.
The congregation stayed briefly in Amsterdam and then moved to the city of Leiden. There they remained for the next 11 or 12 years.
Most found work in the cloth trades, while others were carpenters, tailors and printers. Their lives required hard work. Even young children had to work. Some older children were tempted by the Dutch culture and left their families to become soldiers and sailors.
Their parents feared that they would lose their identity as English people. To make matters worse, the congregation worried that another war might break out between the Dutch and Spanish. They decided to move again. After careful thought, the congregation decided to leave Holland to establish a farming village in the northern part of the Virginia Colony.
At that time, Virginia extended from Jamestown in the south to the mouth of the Hudson River in the north, so the Pilgrims planned to settle near present-day New York City. There they hoped to live under the English government, but they would worship in their own, separate church. Common thinking is: They were both groups of English religious reformers.
They both landed in modern-day Massachusetts. And they were both stuffy sourpusses who wore black hats, squared collars and buckled shoes, right? Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. The Mayflower Voyage The group that set out from Plymouth, in southwestern England, in September included 35 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church.
The Mayflower Compact. Recommended for you. The Pilgrims. The Mayflower. Mystery at Roanoke. Plymouth Colony In September , during the reign of King James I, a group of around English men and women—many of them members of the English Separatist Church later known to history as the Pilgrims—set sail for the New World aboard the Mayflower. The Puritans The Puritans were members of a religious reform movement known as Puritanism that arose within the Church of England in the late 16th century.
The Mayflower In September , a merchant ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, a port on the southern coast of England. William Bradford As a longtime member of a Puritan group that separated from the Church of England in , William Bradford lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade before sailing to North America aboard the Mayflower in Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson was an influential Puritan spiritual leader in colonial Massachusetts who challenged the male-dominated religious authorities of the time.
Eventually, Plymouth became part of the larger Massachusetts in The legacy of the pilgrims lives on today, as can be seen in the yearly celebration of Thanksgiving. Are You a Descendant of a Mayflower Pilgrim?
Find Out! Related Articles:. FamilySearch Blog. About FamilySearch. For Latter-day Saints. For the Whole Family. Genealogy Research. Heritage and History. News and Events. Personal History. About the Author. Alison Ensign. Take a Virtual Tour of the Mayflower Ship. When did the Mayflower Land? The Answer Might Surprise You! Mayflower Passenger List and Other Facts.
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