ALL ABOARD

Southampton’s heritage as a maritime gateway to the world will come alive during the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s transatlantic voyage

- Viv Micklefield

Today it’s the country’s cruise capital, but for centuries Southampton has harboured a rich heritage of journeys of exploration, hope and discovery.

And none was greater than the voyage four centuries ago of the Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World. This world-changing event has been celebrated locally in the naming of a theatre, university hall of residence, park and, most recently, a regeneration project, but this year deservedly gains renewed recognition.

The Mayflower’s story begins in July 1620, when 65 passengers, some of whom were puritan separatists fleeing religious persecution by King James 1 boarded at Rotherhithe, London, bound for Southampton. A modest vessel – she weighed-in at 180 tons and just 100ft long – previous cargoes included wool, wine, salt, and hops transported across the English Channel and occasionally into the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

Fellow migrants journeyed from Leiden in Holland aboard Mayflower’s sister ship Speedwell, before also disembarking in the thriving Hampshire port. While Speedwell underwent running repairs at West Quay, the travellers found vital provisions as well as seamen with transatlantic experience. But despite both ships setting sail again on 15 August, Speedwell proved unseaworthy forcing another stop-over in Devon. Eventually abandoning the Speedwell in Plymouth, the Mayflower, under Captain Christopher Jones and now crammed with 102 passengers and around 30 crew, tried again on 6 September, battling weeks of storms. With Cape Cod spotted on 9 November 1620 they made landfall. A month later, at New Plymouth, the so-called Mayflower Compact created the foundation for American democracy and an estimated 35 million descendants.