NEW Information About the Pilgrims Uncovered

This is a classic example of how important it is to revisit your documents/records once in a while. In preparing for next year's #Mayflower400 celebrations, Luke Skerritt of Boston Guildhall made a fascinating discovery. Here's the press release: 

New and exciting information has been uncovered in the lead up to the 2020 ‘Mayflower 400’ anniversary of the foundation of America that completely changes the story of the Pilgrims in Boston. 

Original archive documents and new research, now on display in Boston Guildhall, has revealed a story of illicit worship, intrigue and influence in the town with a Boston draper, Leonard Beetson, central to unravelling the threads that make the story so compelling. 

archival document that uncovered new details

Luke Skerritt of Boston Guildhall Museum knew of a document in Lincolnshire Archives that related to the arrest of the Pilgrims in Boston in 1607 and arranged to view it. It was this document and the leads it provided which proved to be the first step in uncovering the story. Instead of a brief relationship with Boston it was actually the case that the Pilgrims were in the town for three months before their arrest and that those arrested were incredibly influential individuals such as WIlliam Brewster, Richard Clyfton and Thomas Helwys as well as the Boston draper Leonard Beetson.  This showed a completely different relationship between the Pilgrims and Boston, accessing other archival documents and new research the story began to unravel. 

jail cells where pilgrims were held

Beetson, the Boston Draper, weaves two of Boston’s most influential American connections together… he is the thread between the Pilgrims and the foundation of Boston Massachusetts by the congregation of charismatic Boston vicar John Cotton.  Arrested alongside the famous Pilgrims he chose to stay in Boston and became a respected business man and eventually a town councillor. He kept his habit of not conforming to religious convention though and became a close friend of the charismatic and radical, puritan vicar of Boston, John Cotton who influenced 1 in every 10 Bostonians to leave for America and found Boston Massachusetts in 1630. 

Not only have these stories been revealed but further intrigue comes linking them with a hand written letter from Edward Winslow one of the most famous of the Pilgrims to a Clerk of the local Courts shining a new light on an unsuspected network between Boston and Scrooby, Nottinghamshire where many of the Pilgrims came from. 

The new exhibition on display at Boston Guildhall showcases these stories and features as it’s highlight the documents that have helped reveal them which are on public display together for the very first time.

new exhibit for the #mayflower400 commemoration

*with thanks to Boston Guildhall for the information

#Mayflower 400 Boston Stump

Following the VIP tour and fascinating glimpse into the history of Boston Guildhall, Luke took me over to Boston Stump. 

The current church stems from the 14^th century. It is one of the largest parish churches in England. Perhaps its greatest feature is its Medieval towers which is the tallest in the country standing at 273 ft tall.  

The nave is wide and long and gives the initial impression of greatness, just by its sheer size. In terms of the Pilgrim story, the church is known as the parish church from which John Cotton preached. A Puritan, Cotton was the vicar of Boston. He was charismatic and as such attracted extremely large groups of people travelling miles to hear him preach.

As a Puritan, Cotton wanted to do away with the pomp and circumstance of church services, including vestments and ceremony. He did not require his parishoners to kneel during communion. When questioned by the Church, Cotton used the rather tongue in cheek excuse that he attracted such large crowds that there was no room for them to kneel. Cotton was not a separatist. He was adamant about remaining in the church, preferring to make changes from within.

John Cotton was a 17th-century vicar of Boston. A Puritan, he was noted as a preacher and attracted new members to the congregation. He wanted to change the Anglican Church from within, and simplify its programme. 

Cotton managed to maintain his Puritanism under four different Bishops of Lincoln. However, by 1632 the church authorities had greatly increased pressure on non-conforming clergy, and Cotton was forced into hiding. In 1633, he and his wife boarded a ship and headed to New England.

A memorial in the church commemorates the men of Boston who later became Governors of New England. 

#Mayflower400 Boston Guildhall

On Saturday, I left Lincoln and drove down to Boston. My destination was Boston Guildhall.

Boston is a medieval market town, dating from the early 12^th century. The merchant's Guild of St Mary was founded in 1260. This was a religious guild offering masses for the souls of its members to have their time in purgatory reduced. 

Initial membership was a gold coin and annual subscription. However, the more the members donated, the more time their souls would receive a “get out of purgatory” prayer. 

Being incorporated allowed it to hold both land and property. As such, many members bequeathed property, their wealth and all assets for the extended time out of purgatory after they left this earthly world.

St. Mary's Guild quickly became the wealthiest and most influential of Boston's Guilds. The Guild members included many of the town’s merchants and traders. The largest export at the time was wool with some three million fleeces per year leaving through the port. Trade with the Baltic states was swift and prosperous.

When the Crown gave approval for guilds to possess assets, Boston's fantastically rich merchants almost immediately built the Guildhall, making it one of the first in the country. It is a massive building and would have stood as a rather imposing silhouette for anyone coming up from the harbour.

In 1360, the crown granted a charter permitting weekly markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays and that tradition continues in Boston even today.  

In 1545, Henry VIII made the continuation of Guilds impossible, event those the size and strength of Boston Guildhall. Charities were disbanded and all goods and assets seized. The town of Boston was incorporated in 1545 and all of the Guild’s assets, including the Guildhall, were transferred to the Corporation. 

An inventory of the Guild’s holdings was drawn up. This is a 9 foot long double-sided scroll and it is on display in the Guildhall today. 

The key players in the running of the Guild were now members of the Corporation of Boston and continued to be influential in the business of the town.

In the autumn of 1607 a group of men, women and children had walked some 60 miles from Scrooby to meet a sea captain who had offered them transport to Holland where they could live with religious freedoms. Unknown to the group, the Captain had alerted the authorities that this meeting was to take place and once they were on board his boat, the captain called the authorities to come and seize the group. All of the belongings were confiscated. The pilgrims were then taken to the magistrates at the Guildhall. For the most part, the magistrates were sympathetic. The women and children were given leave. As were most of the men. The seven ‘ringleaders’ were held in the Guildhall for a month. 

William Bradford records in his diary that the members were well treated during their time in prison. The seven men were eventually discharged and allowed to return home. They made their way back to Immingham.