Plymouth Plantation - a history of the first English colonial village at Plymouth, Massachusetts and the starting point of the greater Plymouth Colony (1620-1697).
Background[]
- See Plymouth Colony - general overview. And also Familypedia:Plymouth Colony.
- Backround of settlers - see Leiden Pilgrims.
- Voyage of Mayflower and Landing of the Mayflower for arrival of settlers.
Early Immigrant Ships[]
- Mayflower: 1620 - First Ship to Plymouth Colony.
- Fortune: 1621 - Plymouth Colony
- Sparrow, Swan & Charity : May 1622 - See Wesseagussett Colony
- Anne: 1623 - Plymouth Colony
- Little James: 1623 - Plymouth Colony
1623[]
1623 Great Fire[]
On 5 November 1623, Francis Sprague (1590-1676) recorded and took part in what may well have been one of the first "volunteer" fire fighting efforts to have taken place in New England. On that evening a fire broke out in one of the settlement houses that soon spread to and destroyed two or three other houses and threatened to engulf the storehouse where the settlement's winter food supply was being kept. Governor Bradford organized the fire fighting effort and the food stores were saved. It was later discovered that the fire had resulted from a deliberate act of arson.
Historic Landmarks[]
Jenney Grist Mill[]
John Jenney grist mill in Plymouth MA today.
First grist mill of Plymouth was built by John Jenney (1596-1644) in 1636.
Nestled today alongside bucolic Town Brook, and just a short walk from the waterfront and Mayflower II, the Plimoth Grist Mill tells the story of the grist (corn grinding) mill built by the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony. After more than a decade of laboriously grinding corn by hand in wooden mortars, the colony authorized the construction of a water-powered corn grinding mill on Town Brook in 1636. Colonist John Jenney was given permission to run the mill and to take a portion of the corn that was brought for grinding as a payment or “toll.” After his death in 1644 John Jenney left the mill to his wife Sarah. Sarah, and later their son Samuel, ran the mill until 1683.
Founding Nearby Towns 1633-1643[]
During this time period a number of towns were founded nearby by the Plymouth settlers
Also during this time rival colonies are growing at Boston, Salem, New Amsterdam (Manhattan/Dutch) and Canada (French).
Historical Genealogical Documents[]
- 1st Pierce Patent (1620) - Document to legalize Plymouth Colony - dated 1620. This document appears to be lost.
- 2nd Pierce Patent (1621) - 2nd Document to legalize Plymouth Colony
- Bradford Patent (1629) - 3rd Document to legalize Plymouth Colony
- Immigrant_Ships_To_America/First_Families/Mayflower - Mayflower Passenger List - Written 30 years after the fact by Gov William Bradford - but has proven to be very accurate.
- Mayflower Compact (11-NOV-1620) - Cooperative agreement signed by most settlers.
- 1623 Plymouth Land Census
- 1623 Division of Land - Early Colony Census
- 1626 Purchasers - Corporate Stock Agreement signed by some colonists
- http://www.histarch.uiuc.edu/plymouth/cattlediv.html 1627 Division of Cattle] - Early Colony Census
- 1633 Tax Roll -
- 1634 Tax Roll -
- 1643 ATBA Militia Roll - Able to Bear Arms List
- Mourt's Relation - A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, 1622, Part I
- William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation: 1620-1647 - Journal of the Governor
References[]
- Mayflower and Her Passengers by Caleb Johnson - Genealogical research on all Mayflower pilgrims. 292 pages (Pulb 2006).
- Wikipedia History of Plymouth Colony
- Book: Plymouth Colony - Its History & People 1620-1691 by Eugene Aubrey Stratton - good genealogical history with many biographical sketches.
- Genealogy Trails - Mayflower settlers and marriages for two generations
- Writings of Governor Winslow - the author of several works concerning Plymouth Colony, which are now considered among the most important primary source materials about Plimoth still in existence. These include Good Newes from New England (1624); Hypocrisie Unmasked (1646),; New England's Salamander Discovered (1647); and The Glorious Progress of the Gospel Amongst The Indians of New England (1649). It is believed that he also wrote Mourt's Relation with William Bradford in 1622, although he did not sign the work.
Footnotes[]
Please do not list people here - but instead use the passenger lists above and/or start a page Resided in Plymouth Colony.