~~~~~(I've) Come to Look For America ~~~~~
We were in Plymouth, Massachusetts back in May of this year (2025). Sadly, I should have taken notes when we toured the Mayflower II, for there are quite a few photos here that do not have locations of where on the ship I took them. I also purposely waited to post this blog on this particular date...read on to understand why.
I hope you enjoy it.
(By the way, all of the photos of taken of and on the Mayflower II were taken by me except the "full sail" picture)
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| September 6, 1620? September 16, 1620? |
Did you notice the date this blog post was published?
September 6.
What is the relation between September 6th and the Mayflower?
It's not November~~~
Well...when you do historical research you realize that it was on September 6 in 1620 that the Mayflower left England for America. However, accounts differ about when the Mayflower began its journey. Some say it departed England on September 6, 1620, but others claim the ship left on September 16.
Which of these dates is accurate?
Well, actually, both dates are right—sort of. Here’s the quick answer:
Simply put, the Mayflower passengers used a different calendar than we do now. According to their old-style Julian calendar, the Mayflower departed England on September 6, 1620. However, if you use the Gregorian calendar of which we use today, the date of their departure, accordingly, was September 16, 1620.
Make sense to you?
No?
No?
Well...I have a complete explanation at the bottom of this post.
As for the date that the Mayflower left England, pilgrim passenger, William Bradford wrote in his historical account, Of Plimoth Plantation, that the Mayflower finally departed from Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620.
We'll go with that.
If you still have questions, well...as I said, make sure you check out the explanation at the bottom of this post~~~
So, anyhow, we had been planning our Massachusetts vacation since last year - 2024. Unfortunately, hoping that last year would have been the year, just hours before we were to leave, we had a family emergency. So I shifted gears and focused on this year---2025---which just so happens to be the beginning of America 250 celebrations (and mine & my wife's 40th wedding anniversary year). And, well, we did it! We finally made it east - to one of the original 13 colonies (okay---I have been to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, so it's actually my fourth colony visit)---but we made it to a New England colony - - - Massachusetts!
Of course, we did the Freedom Trail in Boston on day one (click HERE). Day two found us following the Battle Road from Lexington to Concord (click HERE for our Battle Road tour, and also HERE to check out the awesome Concord Museum). On the third day (of which our adventures will be posted here in November around Thanksgiving) we traveled to the city of Plymouth and spent the entire day visiting the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians at Plimoth Patuxet.
But then, once we returned to our hotel after a great day in the Plimoth Village, we had a health emergency: my wife, Patty, had an extreme sharp pain in her left side and began having bloody stools, bloody urine, and even puking up blood. Naturally I told her to get over it, that she wasn't going to ruin this vacation!
Naw...I would never say such a thing. I, instead, looked up on my phone where the nearest hospital was and took her there. They kept her overnight to run tests and we soon found out she had a very large kidney stone (which I began affectionately calling "Plymouth Rock"). So she spent Wednesday night in the hospital, and me and my son, Miles (who came along with us on this vacation), spent the night back at our hotel room.
Naw...I would never say such a thing. I, instead, looked up on my phone where the nearest hospital was and took her there. They kept her overnight to run tests and we soon found out she had a very large kidney stone (which I began affectionately calling "Plymouth Rock"). So she spent Wednesday night in the hospital, and me and my son, Miles (who came along with us on this vacation), spent the night back at our hotel room.
No...I didn't get much sleep. And neither did my wife. Actually, we continuously texted each other.
On the morning of this fourth day, Miles and I went to the hospital to pay Patty a visit. She was very tired after being up all night and only wanted to sleep, so she told us to carry on with our vacation plans and go visit The Mayflower II ship, along with the Pilgrim Hall Museum. She said there was no reason why we should hang around and do nothing while she slept, that she would be okay and would call me if anything arose.
So we took her advice. And, well, what you are about to see was me and Miles still vacationing...but I must let you know - - I did a lot of copying and pasting of information here, mostly historical general Mayflower information:
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| The Mayflower II at full sail. I was told that visitors can pay a fee to enjoy a ride out into the Atlantic Ocean on this ship - what an experience that would be! But I hear it's a bit pricey~~ This photo courtesy of the Plimoth Patuxet Museums (from THIS page) |
The original Mayflower that sailed to Plymouth in 1620 no longer exists. Plimoth Plantation’s full-scale reproduction, Mayflower II, was built in Devon, England and crossed the Atlantic in 1957 to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where tens of thousands board this floating classroom and cultural icon each year. Following a three-year restoration, May 2020 marked the return of Mayflower II to Plymouth where it, once again, opened to the public.
Through powerful personal experiences, Plimoth Plantation tells the stories of the Wampanoag people and English colonists who created a new society – in collaboration and in conflict – in the 1600s at historic Patuxet.
The Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower initially left Holland, but from Delftshaven, not from a Dutch port directly. They then sailed to Southampton, England to meet the Mayflower, which was chartered by their English investors. The Mayflower, along with the Speedwell, set sail from Southampton on August 15, 1620, but had to return due to the Speedwell's leaks. The Mayflower then departed from Plymouth, England on September 6, 1620, alone, after the Speedwell was deemed unfit for the voyage.
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| This is a model of the Mayflower that sits inside the Pilgrim Hall Museum just a short drive from Plimoth Patuxet. |
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| A quick snippet of Mayflower information. |
This was a bucket-list item for me, to go onto the Mayflower II, and though my wife was in the hospital, my son & I made the best of it. Since arriving in Massachusetts late Sunday afternoon after the long drive in from Metro-Detroit, the weather had been sunny and beautiful for us. Unfortunately, Mayflower day was overcast and somewhat drizzly.
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| When I first laid eye upon the ship, I was awestruck by its beauty and the history it represented. (Can you see the raindrop on my camera lens?) |
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| I was figuratively pinching myself, for one of my dreams had come true! I was really here! |
Mayflower II is a full-scale reproduction, but not an exact replica, of the original Mayflower that sailed to Plymouth in 1620. While it aims to be historically accurate, some modifications were made for safety, comfort, and to meet modern standards.
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| My son Miles has a dislike of boats, but for this he was downright excited to see. |
On our way back to Michigan, I asked him what his favorite part of the trip was. He thought for a moment and then said, "I think it was being on the Mayflower."
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| From this angle you can see the metal ramp for visitors to board. |
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| I was just snapping away with my camera - I had no idea what I was taking pictures of, nor did I care, I just wanted to capture every part! The low-hangimg clouds are a great affect. |
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This vessel serves as a shallop, or work boat. This boat is a reproduction of the small vessel the Pilgrims would have used to explore the coastline of the new world. The shallop was built in 1957 at Plymouth Marine Railway, at the same time the Mayflower II was being built in England. It sailed out to greet the Mayflower II upon its arrival in Plymouth, carrying Pilgrim descendants who rowed the captain and crew ashore. |
"The shallop attached to the Mayflower II serves as a historical and educational tool, giving visitors a more complete picture of the Pilgrims' arrival and life in the new world."
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| Here we see the back (stern) of the Mayflower. They were not flying the flags from the masts on this day of our visit, the historic flags that I was told were flown upon the Mayflower when it landed in Plymouth in 1620. The Mayflower likely flew the St. George's Flag (red cross on a white background) and the 1606 King's Colours/Union Flag (a combination of the St. George's Cross and the St. Andrew's Cross of Scotland, and would eventually become the Union Jack we know today), but the St. George's Cross was a prominent flag associated with England and was flown on the foremast, according to Flagpro. This flag has a long history, dating back to the Crusades, and was a symbol of England during many key voyages and early colonial settlements. |
As many of you may know, I collect historic (replicated) flags, nearly all from America's colonial period. And when I learned of the strong probability of which flags were flown on the original Mayflower (of which are still flown atop the Mayflower II's masts unto this day---except when we were there lol), I felt the need to purchase the replications, if for nothing else, to fly off of my porch on Thanksgiving - not that anyone would actually know (lol), but that's kind of the point, I suppose.
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| Here are the two flags that I was told were flown at the top of the masts of the Mayflower: St. George's Cross on the left, being held up with a halberd, and the King's Colours on the right. Is this how I would look were I on the Mayflower in 1620? My friend Brian is a 17th century reenactor and dressed me up in his accurate Pilgrim-era clothing so I could get a good and somewhat unique photo of these two flags. |
Historically, there were two flags English ships flew in 1620. The English Cross of St. George and the Union Flag of 1606.
St. George's Cross: The St. George's Cross is the flag of England, featuring a red cross on a white background, originating from the Crusades in the Middle Ages and possibly earlier in the Republic of Genoa. English ships began flying the flag in the 12th century for protection and it became a symbol of English identity during the Crusades and was officially adopted as England's national flag in the 14th century, with King Richard the Lionheart reputedly using it as his symbol. The flag was later incorporated into the Union Flag to form the national flag of the United Kingdom.
By the way, this flag has been in the news lately here in 2025 (click HERE)
The King's Colours: The "King's Colours flag," or the First Union Flag, was created in 1606 by King James I (James VI of Scotland) to symbolize the unification of England and Scotland. It combined the red St. George's cross of England and the white St. Andrew's saltire (X-shaped cross) of Scotland on a blue field. This flag was the first flag of Great Britain, flown on British ships and used by American colonists, and was replaced by the modern Union Jack in 1801 after the Act of Union with Ireland.
(information for each flag came from a Google search)
The St. George's Cross flag was difficult to get in anything except polyester or nylon. If at all possible, I like my flags to be made from natural fibers of the time, so when I found one available in linen, I jumped at the chance. The King's Colours is made from cotton.
They may cost a bit more, but to me, they're worth it.
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| The Mayflower did have cannons. It was equipped with cannons of various sizes for protection against pirates, privateers, and potential attacks from hostile ships, or even Native Americans. The ship likely carried around twenty cannons, including minion cannons that could fire 3.5 to 5-pound cannonballs, as well as smaller base cannons, according to historical ship records. |
The following list, with original spellings and measures, comes from The Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, which I, in turn, nick'd off of the book Mayflower 1620 A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage by Plimoth Plantation with Peter Arenstam, John Kemp, and Catherine I'Neill Grace.
This list details the provisions necessary for 100 passengers and 35 returning mariners going to New England in 1629 aboard a ship called Talbut. Mayflower probably had similar goods loaded in its hold:
45 tun beere (tun is a barrel size)
Mallega and Canari caske 16 a tun (kinds of wine)
6 tuns of water
12 M of bread, after 3/4 C. to a man (M = 1000 pounds, C = 100 pounds)
22 hheds of bieffe (hheds stands for hogshead, a barrel size)
40 bushells peas, a peck a man ye voyadg
20 bushells oatmeale
14 C. haberdyne (kind of fish)
8 dussen pounds of candeles
2 terces of beere vyneger (terce is a barrel size)
1 1/2 bushells mustard seede
20 gallons oyle, Gallipolly or Mayorke, a qrt a man (gallipoli oil refers to a historical type of olive oil, specifically the lamp oil - also known as olio lampante - produced in the Salento region of Italy. As far as Mayorke, I have no idea)
2 ferkins of soape (firkin is a barrel size)
2 runlett Spanish wyne, 10 galls a p (runlett is a barrel size)
4 thowsand of billets (firewood)
10 firkins of butter
10 C. of cheese
20 gallons aquavine (a type of liquor)
mmmm....makes me hungry! (lol)
Sailors used block and tackle to load supplies into the hold of Mayflower. Water and beer for the voyage were contained in barrels. Supplies that needed to be kept dry, such as salted fish, were also stored in barrels.
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This barrel is what's known as a "tun" as explained in the blue plackard below. As was mentioned on the list. |
Because the weather kept the crowds away, all three tour guides were "ours." Each had their section and did a great job. One even gave us a history of the bell:
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| The Mayflower II has a new bell (seen lower center in this picture I took) that was cast to commemorate its restoration and the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival in Plymouth. |
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| The bell was forged in 2019 at Plimoth Patuxet Museums by The Verdin Company, based on a 1638 design. Local veterans donated their military medals and awards to be melted down and included in the new bell's casting. |
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| I read this is called a "hatch grating" |
For 66 days, the original Mayflower crossed the Atlantic: no phones, no streaming devices, no privacy, and only the very basics for food. As noted earlier, the Mayflower carried a variety of provisions to support the Pilgrims during their voyage and initial settlement of Plymouth. But, besides food and drink, they had included clothing such as Monmouth caps and shirts; bedding including canvas sheets and blankets; arms like muskets and swords; and household items like iron pots and platters. They also brought tools like hoes, axes, spades/shovels, and saws.
The Mayflower also carried a significant amount of dried goods like biscuit, dried beef, and salt pork, which were crucial for long voyages. Also, oats, peas, and wheat were included as basic sources of nutrition and sustenance. Then there was butter, sweet oil, and bacon which provided essential fats and were important for cooking.
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| I see an hour glass - also could have been referred to as a sand glass, due to the material used to keep time. |
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| A closer shot of this time piece. |
The passengers, and also their livestock, lived on the Tween Deck, during the voyage.
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| "The passangers were crowded below decks where they had small cabbins---cubicles or bunks---where they spent much of their time aboard ship." |
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| From mid-deck looking to lower deck, also known as the Hold. This lower deck held most of the passengers' household goods, tools, and supplies, as well as the ship's store of food, cordage, canvas, gunpowder, etc. |
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| A not -so-comfortable bed for one of the crewmen. |
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| I would really like for us to go back so we all can do this tour! |
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| It's good to have the fire extinguisher, but perhaps re-locate it to a spot less conspicuous. |
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The two photos here really give a good idea of how the pilgrims lived - 102 of them! - for the 66 day journey across the ocean.
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| The Pilgrims didn't even have cabins for privacy as they crossed the Atlantic. Instead, all the passengers were stuffed into the space between decks. This was basically one large, open room, divided only by a few curtains to offer a bit of privacy. |
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| Without the modern modification of the electric light, I imagine it can get pretty dark down there. It would be interesting to see them turn out the lights for only about 30 seconds or so just to experience it. |
During the time period the original Mayflower was used, the head of this ship was not called a "captain" - he was, instead, known as the Master.
(the following is from AI---yes, it is correct basic information):
"In maritime contexts, a Master is the official title for the person in command of a commercial or merchant ship, while Captain is a more general, informal term for someone in charge, often used for naval or recreational vessels. The Master is the highest-ranking officer on a merchant vessel and holds ultimate responsibility for the ship, crew, and cargo. Captain can be a more casual term for the same position or refer to a naval officer in command."
The captain and quarter-owner of the Mayflower was Christopher Jones. His wife's name was Josian (aka Joan).
"In maritime contexts, a Master is the official title for the person in command of a commercial or merchant ship, while Captain is a more general, informal term for someone in charge, often used for naval or recreational vessels. The Master is the highest-ranking officer on a merchant vessel and holds ultimate responsibility for the ship, crew, and cargo. Captain can be a more casual term for the same position or refer to a naval officer in command."
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| The Great Cabin where the ship's Master would stay. Also known as the Poop House, it has nothing to do with the bathroom. The poop house was the living quarters for the ship's master, Christopher Jones |
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| Table setting in the Master's cabin. |
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| The name "Josian" here on this setting refers to Josian (or Joan) Jones, the wife of Christopher Jones, the shipmaster and part owner of the original Mayflower. |
This is likely a commemorative plate related to the Mayflower II, possibly by Adams of England, celebrating its trans-Atlantic journey in 1957. Shipmaster Jones also named an earlier ship he commandeered 'The Josian.'
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| This is another picture of the Great Cabin. |
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| I love these old-style windows in the shipmaster's cabin. These are faithful reproductions to the original. |
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| This was where some of the crew slept, called the Forecastle. The Forecastle (or Fo'C'SLE) housed the crewmen and may have served as the cookroom (galley). A hatch gave access to this lower deck. |
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| The common sailors slept in this space, located at the front of the ship. It was known for being wet, cold, and constantly swaying with the ship's movement. |
The original Mayflower was roughly 90-100 feet long and 25 feet wide, with an estimated 180+ tons displacement, while the full-scale replica, Mayflower II, is about 106 feet long and 25 feet wide, with a 236-ton displacement. Mayflower II's dimensions are very similar to the original ship.
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| The Forecastle |
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| Here we have steps rather than a ladder. |
For instance, one of the most notable differences is the large modern staircase between the main deck and the lower decks. In the 17th century, ladders were used. A good example of the "ladder-look" is what we see below the hatch grating in the following photo:
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| The hatch grating from below deck. |
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| If I ever make it back to Mayflower II, and there are no other visitors, I may ask them to turn off the electric lights just so I can have a better visual and idea of how it looked. |
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| If I'm not mistaken, the metal pieces resembling small cannons on the ledge of the Mayflower II are swivel guns. |
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| Can anyone tell me what this is? |
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| Of the hundreds of ships that made the transatlantic crossing in the 1600s, the Mayflower is the ship we remember. And, like the Liberty Bell, it is a significant piece of American history. |
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| Warwick Charlton founded Project Mayflower Ltd. to honor the alliance of friendship forged between the United States and United Kingdom during World War II. Charlton’s team came across an article written by Baker, and after connecting with Plimoth Patuxet, a new partnership was born. Plimoth Patuxet provided Baker’s research and plans to Project Mayflower Ltd. |
Mayflower II set sail from Plymouth, England on April 20, 1957 with a crew of thirty-three men under the command of acclaimed Captain Alan Villiers. As they neared Massachusetts shores, Mayflower II ran into a violent squall. No one aboard had experience with handling a 17th-century vessel in inclement weather.
Much of this information came directly - word for word - from THIS site.
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| However, Captain Villiers remembered that William Bradford, famed Governor of Plymouth Colony and passenger aboard the original Mayflower during her 1620 voyage, wrote in his manuscript, "Of Plimoth Plantation", how Master Christopher Jones steered the original ship to safety during the 1620 voyage by lying ahull. Quickly recalling this note, Villiers and the crew executed the same maneuvers and calmly rode out the storm. On June 13, 1957 Mayflower II arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts to a crowd of 25,000 adoring spectators. |
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| I have read that the Separatists, eager to establish a new life free from the persecution they had faced in England, likely viewed the Mayflower as a vessel of hope and a means to achieve their goal of a new beginning in the New World. |
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| William Bradford described the departure from Holland with a sense of sadness and mournful parting, noting the sighs, sobs, prayers, and tears shed by those who remained behind. |
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"After enduring a difficult and dangerous 66-day journey across the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower, the Separatists' reaction to finally seeing land on November 9, 1620, was primarily one of immense joy, relief, and profound gratitude. They thanked God for their safe passage through the treacherous ocean and for bringing them safely to solid ground. It's important to remember that their initial relief was tempered by the immediate challenges they faced. They landed far north of their intended destination, according to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and the ensuing winter was harsh, leading to significant loss of life. However, the initial sight of land undoubtedly brought a much-needed sense of accomplishment and hope after their arduous voyage." |
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| The voyage itself and the arrival in the New World brought unforeseen challenges and disputes, particularly with the "strangers," (the non-Pilgrim passengers who accompanied the religious separatists on their journey to America), which they soon found they would need to create a system of rules that would establish a form of self-governance for the Plymouth colony. Herein lies the creation of the Mayflower Compact to maintain order and create a civil society. |
(I)
Probably because I had so much on my mind, with my wife being in the hospital while in Massachusetts and all that goes with that, and my son and I trying to make the best of this medical issue, we completely forgot about seeing Plymouth Rock.
Can you believe that??
But I'm not too upset, for I have been told repeatedly it is very underwhelming.
Still...
(so, I suppose, we'll have to go back!)~
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| The St. George's Cross & The King's Colours flags~ |
Anyhow - - - next up here is an explanation on the date changes back in 1620 that I wrote about at the top of this posting:
'Twas not too long before the American Revolution that New Year's took on a little bit of a different observance than today and was actually celebrated in the month of March rather than in January.
Yes, March.
You see, early on, New Year's Eve was on the evening of March 24, according to the Julian Calendar, and therefore, New Year's Day was March 25th. This is why most of our months have the names they do:
September comes from the Latin word "seven" and October is "eight" - here you go - -
Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. The last six names were taken from the words for five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Romulus, the legendary first ruler of Rome, is supposed to have introduced this calendar in the 700s B.C.
January and February were the 11th and 12th months.
This practice lasted until the year 1752.
Now, here's where you gotta pay attention, for it gets a little complicated: according to numerous sources (linked at the bottom of this post), it was way back in 45 B.C., that Julius Caesar ordered a calendar consisting of twelve months based on a solar year. This calendar employed a cycle of three years of 365 days, followed by a year of 366 days (leap year). When first implemented, the "Julian Calendar" also moved the beginning of the year from March 1 to January 1. However, following the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, the beginning of the new year was gradually realigned to coincide with Christian festivals. Centuries later, by the seventh century, Christmas Day marked the beginning of the new year in many countries.
But it was in the ninth century that parts of southern Europe began observing the first day of the new year on March 25 to coincide with Annunciation Day, or Lady Day, when Christians celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. This was the church holiday that occurred nine months prior to Christmas celebrating the Angel Gabriel's revelation to the Virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. A fine example of this new year date comes from Adam Winthrop, the father of English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop. On March 25, 1620, Adam wrote in his diary, "The new year beginneth."
Because the year began in March, records referring to the "first month" pertain to March; to the second month pertain to April, etc., so that "the 19th of the 12th month" would be February 19. In fact, in Latin, September means seventh month, October means eighth month, November means ninth month, and December means tenth month. Use of numbers, rather than names, of months was especially prevalent in Quaker records.
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I can only imagine the confusion something like this would caused. |
During the Middle Ages, it began to became apparent that the Julian leap year formula had overcompensated for the actual length of a solar year, having added an extra day every 128 years. However, no adjustments were made to compensate. By 1582, seasonal equinoxes were falling 10 days "too early," and some church holidays, such as Easter, did not always fall in the proper seasons. In that year, Pope Gregory XIII authorized, and most Roman Catholic countries adopted, the "Gregorian" or "New Style" Calendar. As part of the change, ten days were dropped from the month of October, and the formula for determining leap years was revised so that only years divisible by 400 (e.g., 1600, 2000) at the end of a century would be leap years. January 1 was established as the first day of the new year. Protestant countries, including England and its colonies, not recognizing the authority of the Pope, continued to use the Julian Calendar.
Between 1582 and 1752, not only were two calendars in use in Europe (and in European colonies), but two different starts of the year were in use. Although the "Legal" year began on March 25, the use of the Gregorian calendar by other European countries led to January 1 becoming more commonly celebrated as "New Year's Day" and given as the first day of the year in almanacs.
It wasn't until 1750 that an act of Parliament in England changed calendars dates to align with the Gregorian Calendar rather than remain with the Julian calendar. The beginning of the legal new year was then moved from March 25 to January 1.
Henceforth, New Year's celebrations will take place on the evening of December 31st and lasting into the following day.
As a result, people born before 1752 had to add 11 days to their birth dates. Also, those individuals born between January 1 and March 24 (again, before 1752, as George Washington, for example, was born in February), also had to add a year to be in sync with the new calendar, for New Year's Day was moved from March 25 to January 1st. This double dating process was used in Great Britain and its colonies, including America, to clarify dates occurring between January 1 and March 24 on the years between 1582, the date of the original introduction of the Gregorian calendar, and 1752, when Great Britain adopted the calendar.
Whew! Did you get all that?
Oh, and by the way, there are ar least two more Plymouth posts coming, but not until November.
Okay then~~~
Until next time, see you in time.
If you are interested in watching some very good films about the Pilgrims and Wampanoags and the whole "1st Thanksgiving" with more truth than myth, please check out my blog post HERE
If you are interested in reading about the "1st Thanksgiving" please click HERE
People like sources, and so do I. Here are a couple of calendar sources:
Click HERE
Click HERE
Click HERE
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