William Bradford

Pilgrim Father

During 1588 in Austerfield, Yorkshire, a boy was bornto honest parents.“Where people were unacquainted with the Bible”Mather, C. (1702).

by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton, 1915

St Helena’s Church where William was baptised.William’s family were Yeoman farmers and owned the land they worked.

TommY Gunn - flickr

William was not well as a child, to fill his time, he took to reading the Scriptures.

1607

Why

did

the

Puritans

want

to

leave

England ?

In 1604 at Hampton Court, James 1st King of England and his bishops met and approved a new set of rules and Bible that the Separatists were unwilling to follow.

100 Anglican Clergy refused to comply and were stripped of all their possessions and lost their living.

The Separatists made their escape to Holland and lived there peacefully for 12 years. Unable to secure civil autonomy, they voted to emigrate to America.

The passengers drew up the Mayflower Compact before making their historic landing on 21st December 1620.

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwitten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King and Defender of the Faith, e&.

• William Bradford Tomb.jpg

2007 marks the 400th Anniversary of the foundling Pilgrim Fathers leaving England to start their new life in Holland. It was 13 years later in 1620 that the Pilgrims finally reached Plymouth, U.S.A

By kind permission of Mike Haywood

William describes the First Thanksgiving in his own words in “Of Plymouth Plantation.”

Here is the first page of The Governor’s book.

William Bradford Tomb.jpg

On 8th May 1657, fifty years after leaving Yorkshire, William told his family and friends he was going to die. The next day William died aged 68. He is buried on “Burying Hill, Plymouth, U.S.A.

2007

400 years

after

William

left

Yorkshire

what

remains

of

the

Pilgrims ?

The Mayflower Trail

Bassetlaw Museum

The Pilgrim Fathers UK Origins Ass

There is a multi-million development being built in Scrooby, a few miles away from William’s birthplace.

It will be dedicated to all the Pilgrim Fathers.

You can also click on the websites below.

Desperate Crossing - Youtube

Linda Gardner - Teacher

St Helena’s Church

Austerfield