The Mayflower Bride Read online

  ©2018 by Kimberley Woodhouse

  Print ISBN 978-1-68322-419-8

  eBook Editions:

  Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-68322-421-1

  Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-68322-420-4

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Photograph: Lee Avison/Trevillion Images

  Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1810

  Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

  Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  DEDICATION

  This book is lovingly dedicated to my fellow “super-pants” wearer: Tracie Peterson.

  For two decades you have taught, mentored, loved, and cheered me on. Now, umpteen published books later, I hope you know how much you are appreciated.

  Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am, and I know it’s to God that the glory be given—not only for this gift of story and publication, but for the gift of you. You are my dearest friend other than my precious husband—and sometimes I wonder how or why you ever put up with me. But you do. Through thick and thin. And I’m so very grateful.

  Precious lady—my prayer and Bible study partner, accountability partner, and listening ear. I love all the opportunities to learn from you, teach with you, write with you, and laugh with you. What a privilege it is to have you in my life.

  Thank you for telling me I was a storyteller all those years ago and encouraging me to keep working at it. I also need to thank Jim. Without his encouragement, consistent help, and prayers—and let’s not forget all the bunny stories—I would be lost. Give him a hug for me.

  This dedication could never encompass my heart of gratitude for you, Tracie. So I will leave you with these simple words: Thank you. For everything.

  DEAR READER

  What an awesome joy and privilege to write the first book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. It has been a delight to research such a monumental moment and to present to you this work of fiction based on the real events.

  Writing historical novels is a passion of mine, and I must admit I got caught up in the research. But this is a first for me—most of the time as an author I get to make up the majority of my characters and then sprinkle in real people from the time period. This time was different. With historical events surrounding the Mayflower and her passengers, I had to research each person on the ship and then bring aboard only a few fictional people.

  But just so you are aware, the main characters—William, Mary Elizabeth (along with her father and brother), and Dorothy’s family—weren’t real people on the Mayflower. Nor was the character Peter. I did that for a reason. I didn’t want to take anything away from the ones who lived the true story and live on in history. Rest assured the remaining characters were true Mayflower travelers. I pray I’ve done them justice in this story.

  To keep this book enjoyable for today’s reader, I have written The Mayflower Bride with both modern English and spellings (i.e., I didn’t use thee and thou in the characters’ speech. After I trudged through all the historical documents and journals, my eyes and brain were exhausted just from trying to figure out what they were saying, so this decision was for your benefit. You can thank me later). English of the day didn’t have common spelling, so a lot of it was phonetic, with spelling changing from person to person. A sample of the way things were written in 1620 is the handwritten copy of the Mayflower Compact from William Bradford’s book. Here is a small sample of it so you can experience the spelling and language:

  Haueing vndertaken, for ye glorie of God, and aduancemente of ye christian faith and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia· doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, couenant, & combine our selues togeather into a ciuill body politick; for ye our better ordering, & preseruation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte, constitute, and frame shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & conuenient for ye generall good of ye colonie: vnto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

  Notice the various uses of u and v. If you try to read an original copy of the Geneva Bible, which the Separatists used, in addition to the interesting spellings and language of the day, you’ll see the s that looks like an f without the cross bar.

  I used scans of an original Geneva Bible (1560) for the Biblical quotations throughout this novel, but again, because spelling wasn’t modernized yet, I modernized some of the spelling to make it easier to read. It’s a beautiful piece of work—the original Geneva Bible—and there are two copies believed to have come over on the Mayflower in the Pilgrim Hall Museum. And while the King James Version would have come out by the time the Separatists journeyed to the New World, they would not have had anything to do with it because it was authorized by the Church of England and their persecution for many years had come directly from the King whose name the new version held.

  Many readers may equate this period with Puritans, but remember that these brave souls, the Separatists, were different. The Puritans wanted to change the Church of England from within and thus fully reform it, while the Separatists wanted to completely separate themselves from the Church of England.

  Another important thing to note is the timeline. Back in 1620, the Julian calendar was still used by the English and the colonists. That meant that the new year didn’t start until March 25. To try to keep this novel as historically accurate as possible—and yet still understandable for you, the reader—I’ve time-stamped the dates from January 1 until March 24 with the year notation 1620/1. To the passengers, these events happened in 1620, but we would now think of them as taking place in 1621.

  You’ll notice throughout the book that there are variations on the spelling of “Plymouth.” Modern spellings of both the US destination and England are “Plymouth.” But to keep things as accurate as possible and yet clear to you, I used “Plymouth” for Plymouth, England, “Plimouth” to depict how Captain John Smith has this area labeled on his map of New England from 1614 which the travelers used on their journey, and then “Plimoth” for the original settlement. Plimoth Plantation is a fabulous place to visit at the original location.

  While a lot of different conversati
ons have taken place about the details of the Mayflower and its passengers, many particulars aren’t known as fact. I did extensive research, but as always, this is a work of fiction. In trying to stay true to the historical story, I may have made a choice here or there that was based on opinion or supposition because the facts weren’t clearly known. Please check the note at the end for more details. Any mistakes are purely my own.

  Hopefully, this story will give you a glimpse into the lives of people who sacrificed everything for a better future almost four centuries ago—and were the beginnings of our great country. If you have a passion to read more about this historical time period, might I suggest the following nonfiction books: Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford (the true account/journal written by one of the passengers of the Mayflower and the eventual governor of the area—the edited version by Mayflower historian Caleb Johnson is phenomenal with footnotes and other journals included); Here Shall I Die Ashore by Caleb Johnson; Plymouth Colony by Eugene Aubrey Stratton; Thanksgiving by Glenn Alan Cheney; and Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.

  My favorite website was MayflowerHistory.com by Caleb Johnson.

  I pray you enjoy this series full of fascinating history from our incredible country.

  It is a joy to give you The Mayflower Bride.

  Enjoy the journey,

  Kimberley Woodhouse

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  Aback: wind from wrong side of sails

  Alee: in the direction in which the wind is blowing

  Aft: near or in stern of ship

  At hull: to lay at drift with the wind

  Battens: Narrow strips of wood used for several purposes on ships. One of the main uses was to fasten down the hatches—thus the phrase “batten down the hatches.”

  Bow: front of ship

  Bulwark: The planks that made up the “sides” of the top deck to keep crew and passengers from being washed overboard (what today we might think of as the railing)

  Caulk: The pushing or driving of fibrous materials into seams to make them water-tight. Not to be confused with modern caulk compounds.

  Companionway: staircase/ladder between decks

  Gangway: The long, narrow board used as a walkway onto ships. Most times it had smaller strips of wood across the width of it to aid in climbing onto the ship without slipping. The term changed to gangplank in the 1700s.

  Gun deck: Where the passengers lived on the Mayflower and Speedwell. So named because in time of conflict, the guns—or cannons—would be brought out of the gun room to fire out of the gun ports. The gun ports were open only during a conflict or during nice weather to provide light and allow air to circulate.

  Hold, the: cargo hold, bottom level of the ship

  Larboard: left side of ship, changed to port officially in 1844

  Masts and sails:

  Fore mast (front) held the fore-course sail and a bonnet sail

  Main mast (midship) held the main sail and a bonnet sail

  Mizzen mast (aft) held the lateen-rigged mizzen (a triangular sail on diagonal)

  Spritsail came up off the bowsprit (a long diagonal-looking mast that hung well over the sea past the bow of the ship)

  Poop deck: deck above cabin of the ship master on the aft castle—highest level above the stern

  Shallop: Also known as a tender, the shallop is a vessel used to ferry supplies and people between the shore and the ship.

  Shoal: submerged natural ridge or bar that can be very dangerous to a ship

  Steerboard: right side of ship, changed over time to starboard

  Stern: rear of ship

  Thatch: dried plant material such as straw, reeds, grass, and leaves

  Ton or tonnage: Does not refer to the weight measurement we use today. Back then it was used to show the cargo capacity of a ship. A ton referred to a wine or beer barrel that was used for food stuffs, as well. So the Mayflower was listed as a 180-ton ship. That meant she could carry 180 barrels, each holding an equivalent to about 250 US gallons today.

  Whipstaff: Device used to steer the ship. (The large wheel that we think of for steering large sailing vessels hadn’t come into use yet.)

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Saints from the Leyden Congregation:

  Fictional:

  Mary Elizabeth Chapman

  Robert Chapman, Mary Elizabeth’s father

  Elizabeth Chapman, Mary Elizabeth’s mother, deceased

  David Chapman, Mary Elizabeth’s little brother

  Dorothy Raynsford, Mary Elizabeth’s best friend

  Dorothy’s mother and father, Mr. and Mr. Raynsford

  Historical Speedwell/Mayflower passengers:

  Isaac and Mary Allerton and their children: Bartholomew, Remember, Mary

  William and Dorothy Bradford

  William and Mary Brewster and their children: Love and Wrestling. William was head of the congregation because Pastor Robinson stayed in Holland.

  John and Katherine Carver; their ward, Desire Minter; and their servant, Dorothy

  James and Susanna Chilton and their daughter, Mary

  Francis Cooke and his son, John

  John Crackstone and his son, John Jr.

  Moses Fletcher

  Edward Fuller, his wife, Anna, and son Samuel, about twelve years old

  Samuel Fuller (eventually the colony doctor) and his servant, William

  Butten. Fuller’s wife, Bridget, stayed behind and arrived in 1623. Degory Priest

  Thomas Rogers and his son, Joseph

  John and Joan Tilley and their daughter, Elizabeth

  Thomas Tinker and his wife and son

  John Turner and his two young sons

  William and Susanna White and their son, Resolved (approx. five years old). She was pregnant when they left England.

  Thomas Williams

  Edward and Elizabeth Winslow

  (Myles and Rose Standish also left with the Leyden congregation from Holland, but they were not part of the congregation. He was a military man hired to be the colonists’ militia captain. But he appeared to have strong Separatist leanings.)

  Strangers from England who joined the Saints on the venture:

  John Alden, hired to be the ship’s cooper and given the choice to stay at the colony or return with the ship to England

  John Allerton

  John and Elinor Billington and their children, John and Francis

  Richard Britteridge

  Peter Brown

  Robert Carter

  Richard Clarke

  Edward Doty

  Francis and Sarah Eaton and their son, Samuel

  Mr. Ely

  Richard Gardiner

  John Goodman

  William Holbeck

  John Hooke

  Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins and their children, Constance, Giles, and Damaris. Elizabeth was pregnant when they left.

  John Howland, manservant to John Carver

  John Langmore

  William Latham

  Edward Lester

  William Lytton (fictional)

  Edmund Margesson

  Christopher and Marie Martin and her son, Solomon Prower

  Ellen, Jasper, Richard, and Mary More: four children aged four to eight, who were sent without parents

  William and Alice Mullins and their children, Joseph and Priscilla

  John and Alice Rigsdale

  George Soule

  Elias Story

  Edward Thompson

  Edward and Agnes Tilley with their nephew Henry Samson and niece Humility Cooper

  William Trevor

  Richard Warren

  Roger Wilder

  Gilbert Winslow

  Crew of the Mayflower (about thirty men, but we know the names of only those listed):

  John Alden, cooper (barrel maker)

  John Clarke, ship’s pilot and master’s mate

  Robert Coppin, master’s mate

  Giles Heale, ship’s surgeon

  Christopher Jones, master (capta
in)

  Other crew members:

  Boatswain: responsible for all the ship’s rigging and sails, along with the anchors and longboat

  Leadsman: kept track of the depth of the waters around them, could have had another crew title, as well

  Master gunner: responsible for the ship’s guns, cannon, etc.

  Quartermasters (four): maintained the shifts and watch hours, in charge of the cargo hold, and responsible for fishing and maintaining lines

  Ship’s carpenter: responsible for fixing leaks and anything else ship related

  Ship’s cook: responsible for feeding the crew

  Other sailors climbed masts, worked the sails, and performed other duties

  Native Americans:

  Massasoit: sachem (chief) of the Wampanoag in the area

  Samoset: native from Mohegan

  Tisquantum (the English nicknamed him “Squanto”): from Patuxet, which was the native village that had been where Plymouth is located

  But here I cannot but stay, and make a pause, and stand half amazed at this poor people’s present condition; and so I think will the reader, too, when he well considers the same. Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembered by that which went before) they had now no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain, or refresh their weather-beaten bodies, no houses, or much less towns to repair to, to seek for succor.

  –William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation

  PROLOGUE

  Monday, 12 June 1620

  Leyden, Holland

  A splinter of wood pierced Mary Elizabeth Chapman’s thumb as she crept behind her lifelong friend Dorothy Raynsford. Resisting the urge to cry out, she stuck the offending appendage in her mouth and tasted blood. Adults weren’t supposed to sneak around in the rafters. Why she ever agreed to follow her friend on this escapade, she’d never know.

  Well, she did know. She was as curious as Dorothy, just not as brave. The thought of the elders below hearing and catching them? It was enough to make Mary Elizabeth want to faint. But she pressed on behind her bold friend and crawled like a small child up in the attic of the meeting room. The smell of hay filled her nose as fear crept up her throat. This meeting would decide her people’s fate. And Mary Elizabeth wasn’t sure she was prepared to hear the answers.