when the shallop made Plymouth harbor the first time, and, narrowly
     escaping destruction, took shelter under Clarke’s Island.  The first
     three governors of the colony, its chief founders,—­Carver,
     Bradford, and Winslow,—­with Standish, Warren, Hopkins, Howland,
     Dotey, and others, were on board, and but for the heroism and prompt
     action of “the lusty sea man which steered,” who was—­beyond
     reasonable doubt—­English, as Bradford’s narrative ("Morton’s
     Memorial”) shows, the lives of the entire party must, apparently,
     have been lost.  That English was, if on board—­Bradford shows in
     the “Memorial” that he was—­as Master of the shallop, properly her
     helmsman in so critical a time, goes without saying, especially as
     the “rudder was broken” and an oar substituted; that the ship’s
     “mates,” Clarke and Coppin, were not in charge (although on board)
     fully appears by Bradford’s account; and as it must have taken all
     of the other (four) seamen on board to pull the shallop, bereft of
     her sail, in the heavy breakers into which she had been run by
     Coppin’s blunder, there would be no seaman but English for the
     steering-oar, which was his by right.  Had these leaders been lost
     at this critical time,—­before a settlement had been made,—­it is
     certain that the colony must have been abandoned, and the Pilgrim
     impress upon America must have been lost.  English’s name should, by
     virtue of his great service, be ever held in high honor by all of
     Pilgrim stock.  His early death was a grave loss.  Bradford spells
     the name once Enlish, but presumably by error.  He signed the
     Compact as Thomas English.

William Trevore was, according to Bradford, one of “two seamen hired to
     stay a year in the countrie.”  He went back when his time expired,
     but later returned to New England.  Cushman (Bradford, “Historie,”
     p. 122) suggests that he was telling “sailors’ yarns.”  He says: 
     “For William Trevore hath lavishly told but what he knew or imagined
     of Capewock Martha’s Vineyard, Monhiggon, and ye Narragansetts.”  In
     1629 he was at Massachusetts Bay in command of the handmaid
     (Goodwin, p. 320), and in February, 1633 (Winthrop, vol. i. p. 100),
     he seems to have been in command of the ship William at Plymouth,
     with passengers for Massachusetts Bay.  Captain Standish testified
     in regard to Thompson’s Island in Boston harbor, that about 1620 he
     “was on that Island with Trevore,” and called it “Island Trevore.” 
     (Bradford, “Historie,” Deane’s ed. p. 209.) He did not sign the
     Compact, perhaps because of the limitations of his contract (one
     year).