HISTORY
group used precious funds to buy a ship, originally known as the Swiftsure, now renamed the Speedwell. The ship had been built more than 40 years previously, when most vessels were deemed too old for service after 25. It had an eventful past too as it was part of the fleet that saw off the Spanish Armada in 1588.
The fact the group chose to purchase this boat is a good indication of how poorly backed their venture was. It’s like a company wanting to run an air courier business buying a former BOAC Comet today. Not only was there a lack of funds but the vessel, at the very least, had some obvious safety issues.
They charted another ship, the
Mayflower to take the majority of the passengers. The group planned to use the Speedwell as a fishing vessel once in the new World. The company assembled in Southampton ahead of the voyage in September 1620.
But almost as soon as they set
off, the Speedwell began to take on water.
The company put in to
Dartmouth for repairs – and tied up at Bayards Cove.
The harbour was renowned for its shipwrights, so it was probably deemed the best place to stop. The whole ship was checked and nothing untoward found – so it was ‘resealed’ with pitch and sent on its way. That didn’t do the trick, and it
continued to take on water. The company stopped again at Plymouth, offloaded the Speedwell, took some of its passengers, crew and provisions on board the Mayflower and set off again on what was to become its historic journey from the Mayflower Steps. There were rumours that the sailors on the Speedwell had sabotaged the ship so they could break their year long contract. Recent studies, however, suggest something different putting the blame how the ship was rigged when in Holland. The ship, it is thought, had masts
that were too big for the size of boat – when under sail, it’s timbers
were under too much strain, causing them to bow and let in water. 66 days after leaving Plymouth, the
Mayflower landed north of its original target, the Hudson River, at Cape Cod. Storms stopped the group from going south so they decided to settle there. Interestingly, the place the group landed and made their home had already been named Plymouth six years earlier. It had been so by the adventurer John Smith, who would become famous for his involvement in the story of Pocahontas. So the group left from Plymouth and landed, completely by chance, in Plymouth. Strange but true. More than half their number died
during their hard first winter but with the help of an Indian named Squanto, they began to learn how to survive the harsh environment and slowly built a sustainable colony. It was one of the first such colonies in the new World, and it became the stuff of legend, a key component in the story of the USA. Dartmouth may have only had a fleeting association with the group of determined and brave religious refugees but it left an indelible mark. The town receives thousands of visitors each year interested in tracking the journey of this brave band of persecuted men and women. •
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE
WE OFFER INDEPENDENT ADVICE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS;
• Investments • ISAs • Retirement Planning • Estate Planning • Mortgage Solutions • Buy to Let • Income Protection
• Critical Illness • Life Assurance • House & Second Home Insurance • Commercial Business Insurance • Equity Release
Call in and see us for a friendly discussion on any of your financial requirements
Initial meeting at our expense and without obligation
Karen Cooper Dip PFS 0800 833389 Clarity Wealth Management LLP Chadwick House, Hauley Road Dartmouth TQ6 9AA
www.claritywm.co.uk Discover@claritywm.co.uk
Totnes Office – Waterside House, The Plains, Totnes TQ9 5DW
Chadwick Financial Management is a trading style of Clarity Wealth Management LLP who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority 575252.
Registered in England and Wales as a Limited Liability Partnership No: OC371189. The Financial Services Authority does not regulate advice in matters of taxation and some Buy To Let mortgages.
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