Mayflower Ancestors, Part 1: Voyage

John Alden
Born: About 1599, England
Died: Sep. 12, 1687, Duxbury, Massachusetts
Relation to Author: 10th Great Grandfather in Law

Priscilla Mullins (married name Alden)
Born: c. 1603, England (maybe Dorking or Guildford)
Died: After 1650 (maybe as late as 1685), Duxbury, Massachusetts
Relation to Author: 10th Great Grandmother in Law

William Mullins
Born: Unknown, England
Died: Winter 1621, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Relation to Author: 11th Great Grandfather in Law

Alice Mullins
Born: Unknown, England
Died: Winter 1621, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Relation to Author: 11th Great Grandmother in Law? (so little is known about her that researchers do not know if she was the mother for some, all or none of William’s children)

There were supposed to be two boats sailing to America for the Puritans - the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The former was hired and the latter was purchased by the Puritans. But the Speedwell was leaking at the beginning of the voyage - going in for repairs twice before leaking for the final time when they’d finally set out, which Philbrick suggests was purposeful by the Speedwell’s master - using a mast that was too big and going too fast and straining the boat. Philbrick thinks that the Dutch may have conspired with the Speedwell’s master. Both boats turned around and went to Plymouth, then crowding some of the Speedwell passengers onto the Mayflower and leaving the Speedwell behind. The Speedwell was sold and would make many future voyages without leaking. 

The Mayflower left England September 6, 1620, months later than originally planned because of these and other delays. They were using up some of their provisions while waiting. So they would arrive in America later than planned and closer to winter and with less provisions. The trip across the Atlantic took two months and they arrived in November 1620. 

The Mayflower’s original destination was supposed to be the mouth of Hudson River - what is now New York City but was then considered part of Virginia. The Dutch - former hosts of the Puritans - had their eyes on New York and may have been conspiring against them. 

At some point late in the journey (there don’t seem to be any detailed records of the voyage), after encountering bad weather and storms, the captain did not, and could not, know how close he was to land because he could not determine his longitude. 

He knew he was north of where he wanted to be. But with supplies running low and disease starting to show up, the captain decided to just race west and reach land even if it was to reach Cape Cod first. They could decide once they reached land if they wanted to proceed south to the Hudson River. 

We now know that they were traveling just 2 miles per hour, in part because of the Gulf Stream, which flows up from the Caribbean and then east across the Atlantic. The Mayflower was fighting the east-moving waters. They arrived in America after more than two months at sea. When the Mayflower left in the spring of 1621 to head back to England, it would take just one month to get back across the Atlantic. 

During the journey, only one person died, though they arrived low on provisions facing a New England winter.