Walking in the steps of my ancestors is always amazing. This year I got to do just that by going back over 400 years to the towns where two of my ancestors lived in England.
In December 2018 I was privileged to become a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants in the San Diego Colony. After many years of research I was able to prove that I am truly a descendant of John Alden, William and Priscilla Mullins. As a genealogist I thirst for any and all information I can find about my ancestors. I want to know everything I can about them which is not always easy since they lived 400 years ago.
Last Summer
an email was sent from GSMD about a Mayflower Tour that was taking place at the
end of May this year. I hesitated for
about a week and then decided to register.
UGH, I was placed on a waiting list.
Before Christmas I was notified that friend and fellow Society Member
Diane Gould Hall and I had been moved off the wait list and were able to go on
the Tour. YEA!
One of the
members of our Tour (about 35 in total) was Governor General Jane Hurt. What a pleasure to meet Jane! I learned that she was the one who had a
vision for a ‘Mayflower Tour’ and had proposed her idea to Reformation Tours a
few years ago. Covid hit and plans were
put on hold. Finally in 2022 her vision
became a reality. Our Tour was so well
planned and jam packed with activities it is difficult to recount them all
here. These are some of the many highlights.
We began our
Tour in Amsterdam. After a brief tour of
the city, including a canal boat ride, and visiting sites related to the
Pilgrims, we were off to spend several days in Leiden. Each day of our Tour was filled with amazing
experiences from early morning until evening.
There was just so much to see and learn.
Previously, I had never paid too much attention to the “Pilgrims” that
had gone to the Netherlands since my ancestors were not among them. I very quickly realized that as children what
we learned about the Pilgrims is so very superficial. The Pilgrim Museum in Leiden was astounding. Seeing what a small area each family lived in
and how many artifacts from the era the museum still exist was exciting.
our group at Den Waag in Leiden
After leaving Leiden we were off to visit Delshaven, the departure point for the Speadwell. Next we were off on a six hour ferry ride to Harwich, UK where the Mayflower was built and where the ship’s captain, Master Christopher Jones was born and lived. Our day in Harwich began on the Ha’Penny Pier with a proclamation being read in our honor.
During a
walking city tour of Harwich we visited the home of Mayflower Captain
Christopher Jones, Foresters (the home of the Harwich Society), the Electric Palace (oldest theatre remaining in UK and seen in the current Downton Abbey
movie) among other sites. We just
happened to be in Harwich on June 2nd, the day of the Queen’s
Jubilee. How exciting it was to see and
partake in some of the celebrations honoring Queen Elizabeth!
Next we were
off to Boston and the Guildhall where some of the Pilgrims had been held before
escaping to the Netherlands. Our historian had a wealth of information for us
and a tour of the building where some of the Pilgrims were confined including William
Brewster. Listening to the historian was
so fascinating to learn what a ‘hot bed’ this general area (Boston, Cambridge,
etc.) was for the development of religious beliefs differing from the King’s
religion that would lead to groups such as the Pilgrims in coming to the New
World.
Following
Boston we spent a few days touring Babworth Church (where William Brewster and
William Bradford came together), Scrooby Manor (home to William Brewster), St.
Helena’s Church in Austerfield (where William Bradford was baptized) and
Gainsborough (where the Pilgrims took off for the Netherlands). The highlight was definitely a tour of
Scrooby Manor and meeting the current owners who also joined us for dinner that
evening. Author and historian, Sue Allan (The Mayflower Maid) spoke
with us briefly after dinner. What an
additional treat it was to be able to meet Sue and hear about some of her
Mayflower research.
Next we were
off for two days to Plymouth. There was
so much to see and do in Plymouth. New information to learn about the city, the
Mayflower and the voyage. After a walking tour of the older part of the city, a
tour of a building from the era of the Pilgrims, Sutton Harbor, the Plymouth Gin Distillery (oldest British distillery still active today) and a boat ride in Plymouth
Harbor. One of the highlights of this
day was visiting the Pilgrim Steps.
While this is probably not the exact stop when the Pilgrims boarded the
Mayflower we were in the area.
After Plymouth we were on our way to Southampton. In Southampton we took a walking tour of the area, visited the Tudor House and Gardens (which existed at the time the Pilgrims were in Southampton), saw a pub where many of the crew were known to frequent, the Pilgrim Memorial and most exciting walked through the gate the Pilgrims would have gone through to board the Speedwell and the Mayflower. How very exciting to walk through the city gate that we know our ancestors and the other passengers would have walked through!
Our next stop was one of my favorites. We arrived in Dorking. Dorking is where my Mullins ancestors lived before sailing for the New World. It was so very exciting for be here! We toured the Dorking Museum, had lunch at the White Horse Hotel and toured the city. William Mullins was known to have owned a building of four shops in the city. I was very happy to have had tea in the Mullins Café. I wondered what it must have been like for Priscilla to have been in this building perhaps visiting her father’s cobbler shop.
Unfortunately, our tour was coming to an end and we were off to London. In London for a day we managed to take a cruise on the Thames River, go up in the London eye and end our visit with a luncheon at the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe. This Pub was known to the Mayflower crew. While there, we were able to sign the Mayflower Descendants visitor’s book. Quite a finish to a jam-packed historical tour!
In school we learned about the Pilgrims and their journey to Leiden before coming to America. I had learned that John Alden was a Cooper and that Priscilla’s father William Mullins was a Cobbler. I knew they had not gone to the Netherlands but that was about all I knew. How exciting to be in the locations where they lived and learn from local historians that John may have lived in Harwich and been a cousin of Captain Christopher Jones when I was in Harwich and then when in Southampton learn that the historians there believe John was from this area. When in Dorking I learned from the local historians that William Mullins was a rather wealthy merchant and probably owned a Cobbler shop but doubtful he actually made shoes himself. William’s reason for going to America are unknown. William is thought to have sympathized with the Pilgrims and was probably looking for new business ventures in the New World. Records from Dorking during this time period are nonexistent. John may have decided to stay in the New World to avoid conscription in the United Kingdom for an upcoming war. There was so much to learn and many new questions to go unanswered.
Our Tour group was composed of a wonderful group of people with amazing backgrounds. Most of us were all members of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Among our group we found many new ‘cousins’ and great new friends that we will continue to keep in touch with. I would highly recommend a tour like this one to learn more about your ancestors. Actually walking in their footsteps can give us a much better understand of where they lived.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Enjoy the journey,
Debby
If you are interested in a similar tour FEAT Travel Inc. has taken over for Reformation Tours. I know Chad Murray was trying to get enough people together for a Plymouth, USA tour next Summer but I think it will be 2024 before the next one happens.
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