The Mayflower was a ship that sailed from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts. A group of pilgrims left England in 1620 to seek a new life and religious freedom in the New World. Upon their arrival in the New World, they created the Mayflower Compact, which established self-governance for the colony and helped shape the nation that eventually became the United States of America. The Mayflower set sail from England carrying farmers, merchants, and English Puritan separatists searching for a new land where they could worship freely. The voyage to the new world took 66 days and ended when they set anchor in Plymouth, Massachusetts (now it is Provincetown, Massachusetts). The citizens of Plymouth Colony, known as Pilgrims, face many struggles as they settle the land. With hard work, determination, and much suffering, these brave individuals set the foundation for what is now the United States of America.
The cabin was the general sleeping quarters for the Mayflower’s crew. The 20–30 crewmembers took shifts working the ship and sleeping in this small space. From this room, the ship’s pilot steered the Mayflower. Unlike more modern vessels with a helm wheel, the Mayflower was steered by moving a stick, known as the whip-staff, back and forth to change the rudder’s direction. From this room, the ship’s pilot steered the Mayflower. Unlike more modern vessels with a helm wheel, the Mayflower was steered by moving a stick, known as the whip-staff, back and forth to change the rudder’s direction. The poop house served as the living quarters for the ship’s captain and officers.
Our 10 Great-Grandfather was Francis Cooke at age 37 he landed with the pilgrims at Plymouth. He was the seventeenth signer of the Mayflower Compact. Born around 1583 in England, he married Hester le Mahieu in 1603 in Leiden, Holland. What brought him to Holland is unknown, but his profession was that of a woolcomber. Hester his wife was a French Walloon (an ethnic group native to Belgium) whose parents had fled to Canterbury, England. Hester moved to Leiden sometime before their marriage in 1603.
They joined the Pilgrim church 6 years after they had married, around 1609, when the church had moved to Holland. Later around 1619, the church had decided to go to the new world so they could have freedom of religion. Francis and his oldest son, John, left Hester and the other children behind and came on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620. After the colony was founded and better established, he sent for his wife, Hester and 6 other children. They come to Plymouth in 1623 on the ship “Anne.” Francis lived out his life in Plymouth. Although he kept a fairly low profile, he was a number of minor committees such as the commitee to lay out the highways, and received some minor appointments by the Court to survey or lay ou land. He as a juror on a number of occasions, and was on the Coroner’s jury that examined the body of Marthat Bishop, the 4 year old daughter who was murdered by her mother Alice. He recieved some modest land grants at various times throughout his life. He lived to be about 80 years old, dying in 1663.
Our line of decent:
