Discover what life was like on board the ship
that took the Pilgrim Fathers to America
T
whe Mayfl ower is one of the most
famous ships associated with English
maritime history. After transporting the
Pilgrim Fathers to a new life in A merica during 1620,
the Mayfl ower was often regarded as a sy mbol of
religious freedom in the United States.
Originally, however, the Mayfl ower was a simple
cargo ship that was used for the transportation of
mundane goods – namely timber, clothing and
w ine. While statistical details of the ship have been
lost, when scholars look at other merchant ships of
this period they estimate that it may have weighed
up to 182,000 kilograms. It is suggested that the ship
would have been around seven metres wide and 30
metres in length.
The ship’s crew lived on the upper decks. A ll in all,
26 men are believed to have manned the Mayfl ower
on her legendar y journey. The Master orCommander was a man called Christopher Jones:
he occupied the quarters situated at the stern of
the ship. The regular crew lived in a room called
the forecastle, which was found in the bow –
accommodation was cramped, unhygienic and
highly uncomfortable. It was constantly drenched
by sea water and the offi cers on board were
fortunate in that they had their accommodation in
the middle of the ship.
During the historic voyage, the Mayfl ower carried
102 men, women and children – these Pilgrims were
boarded in the cargo area of the ship, which was
deep below deck where the liv ing conditions led to
seasickness and disease. The Mayfl ower set sail
from England in the July of 1620, but the ship was
forced to turn back twice because a vessel that
accompanied it began to leak water. Many problems
affected the Mayfl ower and her crew during thevoyage. There were serious threats from pirates, but
it was storm damage that was to prove problematic
on this journey. In the middle part of the expedition,
severe weather caused damage to the wooden beam
that supported the ship’s frame. Fortunately,
however, it was repairable.
Several accidents also occurred, including the
near drow ning of John Howland who was swept
overboard but then rescued. Less fortunate was a
crew member who died unexpectedly – considered
by all as ‘mean spirited’ – his demise was v iewed as
a punishment from God. A child was also born
during the voyage: Elizabeth Hopkins called her
son Oceanus.
The ship reached Cape Cod safely on 11 November- The religious community, who were hoping to
start a spiritual life in the New World, thanked God
for their sur v ival.
The Mayfl ower
Inside the
Mayfl ower
The Mayfl ower was a cargo ship that could be
div ided into three levels, which included the
deck with masts, lookout and rigging, and the
lower decks, which contained the staff
quarters, gun rooms and storage areas.
Below this, the hold contained passengers.Forecastle
Accommodation for the
common sailors, the men
slept here when not
working on deck.Beakhead
The beakhead is the protruding part
of the foremost section of the ship.Hold
The hold is the deepest
section of the ship. It was
used to store cargo and
accommodate passengers.“ The Mayflower set sail from
England in 1620, but was
forced to turn back twice”
HISTORIC