88 Mayflower Myths and Legends


‘These historical myths grow up silently. Some of them reign for centuries. Modern research has exposed many ..... Yet the historical myth rarely dies ...... The reason ....... is not far to seek. The myth, or the tradition, as it is sometimes called, has necessarily a touch of the imagination, and imagination is almost always more fascinating than truth.’


HENRY CABOT LODGE: “AN AMERICAN MYTH” A


lthough Dartmouth has many surviving histori- cal records, no contemporary local reference to the visit of the Mayflower and Speedwell in 1620


has yet been discovered. Our knowledge depends upon the history written by William Bradford, “Of Plym- outh Plantation”. Bradford travelled on the Speedwell from Holland and on the Mayflower from Plymouth. He was first elected Governor of the infant colony in 1621, began his history in 1630 and died in 1657 aged 67.


Mayflower memorials of 1955 and 1957 in Bayards Cove Bradford makes clear that the visits to Dartmouth


(and to Plymouth) were unplanned. The intended de- parture point from England was Southampton, the ren- dezvous for the Mayflower coming from London and the Speedwell coming from Holland. Equipped with supplies for the journey and the first few months in America, they left for America “about the 5th August”.* Bradford says: “… they had not gone far but Mr Reynolds, the


The first page of William Bradford’s history of Plymouth Plantation


master of the lesser ship, complained that he found his ship so leaky as he durst not put further to sea till she was mended. So the master of the bigger ship (called Mr Jones) being consulted with, they both resolved to put into Dartmouth and have her there searched and mended, which accordingly was done, to their great charge and loss of time and fair wind. She was here thoroughly searched from stem to stern, some leaks were found and mended, and now it was conceived by the workmen and all, that she was sufficient, and they might proceed without either fear or danger. So with good hopes from hence, they put to sea again, conceiving they should go comfortably on, not looking for any more lets of this kind; but it fell out otherwise…” When the same thing happened again, both ships


bore up and put back into Plymouth where it was decided to leave the Speedwell altogether. Some


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