From Shropshire to Plymouth: The Forgotten Children of the Mayflower
Discover the heart-wrenching tale of four young siblings from Shropshire who became unlikely passengers on the Mayflower, connecting rural England to the founding of Plymouth Colony.
In the annals of American history, the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620 stands as a pivotal moment, marking the beginning of English colonisation in New England. While the story of the Pilgrims is well-known, a lesser-known tale connects the rural English county of Shropshire to this momentous journey. Among the passengers were four young siblings from Larden Hall, whose presence on the ship was the result of a complex and heart-wrenching family drama.
The children in question were Ellen (Elinor) More, aged 8, Jasper More, aged 7, Richard More, aged 6, and Mary More, aged 4. Their journey to the New World was not one of hope and religious freedom, as it was for many of their fellow passengers. Instead, it was the culmination of a bitter family dispute that saw them torn from their mother and sent across the Atlantic as indentured servants.
The story of the More children begins with their mother, Katherine More, who was born in 1586 at Larden Hall in Shropshire. As the youngest daughter of Jasper More, she was not expected to inherit the family estate. However, fate had other plans. When her brothers died, leaving no male heirs, Katherine suddenly became a valuable commodity in the eyes of her family.
In 1611, at the age of 25, Katherine was compelled to marry her 17-year-old cousin, Samuel More, in a union designed to consolidate family lands and wealth. It was a marriage of convenience, lacking in love and marred by Samuel’s frequent absences due to his position as secretary to Lord Edward Zouche in London.
Despite the couple’s strained relationship, four children were born over the next five years. However, in 1616, Samuel made a shocking declaration: he claimed that none of the children were his, accusing Katherine of adultery with Jacob Blakeway, a local yeoman to whom she had been attached before her arranged marriage.
What followed was a legal battle that would ultimately lead to the children’s fateful journey on the Mayflower. Samuel, with the support of his father, took swift action to bar the children from inheriting the More family estates. He removed them from their mother’s custody and placed them with tenants near Linley Hall.
Katherine fought back, attempting to have her marriage to Samuel annulled on the grounds of a pre-existing contract with Blakeway. However, her witnesses had died, and her petition was denied. By 1619, Blakeway had fled to avoid imprisonment due to lawsuits brought against him by Samuel.
With Katherine legally separated from him and the children under his control, Samuel made the drastic decision to send the four young siblings to the New World on the Mayflower. It was a cruel fate for children so young, torn from their mother and sent on a perilous journey across the Atlantic.
The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620, under the command of Captain Christopher Jones. Jones, an experienced mariner of about fifty years old, had been hired to transport the Pilgrims to America. His role in the voyage was crucial, as he was responsible not only for navigating the treacherous Atlantic but also for the safety of his passengers and crew.
The journey was fraught with challenges. Storms battered the ship, and at one point, a main beam cracked, threatening the structural integrity of the vessel. Through ingenuity and determination, the passengers and crew managed to repair the beam using a large iron screw from a printing press they had brought along.
After 66 days at sea, the Mayflower finally sighted land on November 9, 1620. However, they were far north of their intended destination in Virginia. Faced with the onset of winter and dwindling supplies, the passengers decided to settle where they had landed, in what is now Provincetown Harbor on Cape Cod.
Before disembarking, the adult male passengers drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact, a document that would have far-reaching implications for the governance of the Plymouth Colony and, indeed, for the future of democracy in America. The Compact established a rudimentary form of self-government, with the signatories agreeing to create “just and equal laws” for the general good of the colony.
This document was revolutionary for its time. It represented the first instance of a group of common people creating their own government through a social contract. The principles outlined in the Mayflower Compact would later influence the development of democratic ideals in the United States, including the concept of government by consent of the governed.
As winter set in, the Pilgrims faced their greatest challenge yet. Unprepared for the harsh New England climate and lacking adequate shelter, food, and medical supplies, they suffered terribly. By the end of that first winter, nearly half of the original passengers and crew had perished from malnutrition, disease, and exposure.
The More children were not spared from this tragedy. Jasper More died during the first winter, while Ellen and Mary succumbed to illness shortly after. Only Richard, the second youngest at 6 years old, survived. He would go on to live a long life in America, becoming a successful sailor and living to the age of 81.
The survival of the remaining colonists can be largely attributed to the assistance they received from the local Wampanoag people. In March 1621, an English-speaking Native American named Samoset walked into the Plymouth settlement, marking the beginning of diplomatic relations between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.
Soon after, Samoset introduced the Pilgrims to Squanto, another English-speaking Native American who had been kidnapped and taken to England years earlier. Squanto became an invaluable intermediary and teacher, showing the colonists how to cultivate native crops like corn, beans, and squash, and where to fish and hunt.
The Wampanoag, led by their chief Massasoit, also played a crucial role in the colony’s survival. They provided food during times of scarcity and entered into a mutual defense pact with the Pilgrims. This alliance, while not without its complexities and eventual tragic end, was instrumental in the early years of the Plymouth Colony.
The assistance provided by the Wampanoag culminated in the famous harvest celebration in the autumn of 1621, which is now remembered as the first Thanksgiving. This three-day feast, attended by about 50 colonists and 90 Wampanoag, celebrated the colony’s first successful harvest and the peace between the two groups.
As we reflect on the story of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony, it’s important to remember the human stories behind the grand narrative of colonisation. The tale of the More children from Shropshire serves as a poignant reminder of the personal tragedies and triumphs that were part of this historical event.
Their story connects a small corner of rural England to one of the most significant chapters in American history. It reminds us that the passengers of the Mayflower were not just names in a history book, but real people with complex lives and stories. Some, like the More children, were unwilling participants in this grand adventure, their fates decided by the actions of others.
The survival of Richard More, who went on to live a long and eventful life in America, serves as a powerful demonstration of human resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity. His story, and those of his siblings who did not survive, deserves to be remembered alongside the better-known tales of the Pilgrim Fathers.
As we recently commemorated the voyage of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony, let us also remember the four young children from Larden Hall in Shropshire. Their journey, born of family strife and ending in tragedy for three of them, is a stark reminder of the human cost of colonisation and the complex tapestry of personal stories that make up our shared history.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13
Bob Lynn / 19-Sep-2024
