from England to Salem under Plymouth’s old friend [William] Peirce, and in her came thirty-five Leyden people, on their way to Plymouth.”  The number has been in dispute, but the large cost of bringing them, over L500, would suggest that their families must have also come, as has been alleged, but for the following from Governor Bradford’s Letter Book:  “These persons,” he says, “were in all thirty-five, which came at this time unto us from Leyden, whose charge out of Holland into England, and in England till the ship was ready, and then their transportation hither, came to a great deal of money, for besides victuals and other expenses, they were all newly apparelled.”  Shirley, one of the Adventurers, writing to Governor Bradford in 1629, says:  “Here are now many of your friends from Leyden coming over.  With them also we have sent some servants, or in the ship that went lately (I think called the Talbot), and this that these come in is the may-Flower.”  All that Higginson’s journal tells of her, as noted, is, that “she was of Yarmouth;” was commanded by William Peirce, and carried provisions and passengers, but the fact that she was under command of Captain Peirce of itself tells much.  On her next trip the may-Flower sailed from Southampton, in May, 1630, as part of Winthrop’s fleet, and arrived at Charlestown July 1.  She was, on this voyage, under command of a new master (perhaps a Captain Weatherby), Captain Peirce having, at this time, command of the ship Lyon, apparently in the service of Plymouth Colony.  A vessel of this name [may-Flower] was sailing between England and Boston in 1656.  Young says:  “The may-Flower is a ship of renown in the history of the colonization of New England.  She was one of the five vessels which, in 1629, conveyed Higginson’s company to Salem, and also one of the fleet which, in 1630, brought over his colony to Massachusetts Bay.”

October 6, 1652, “Thomas Webber, Mr. of the good shipp called the Mayflower of the burden of Two hundred Tuns or there abouts . . . .  Rideing at Ancor in the Harber of Boston,” sold one-sixteenth of the ship “for good & valluable Consideracons to Mr. John Pinchon of Springfield Mrchant.”  The next day, October 7, 1652, the same “Thomas Webber, Mr, of the good Shipp called the may Flower of Boston in New England now bound for the barbadoes and thence to London,” acknowledges an indebtedness to Theodore Atkinson, a wealthy “hatter, felt-maker,” and merchant of Boston, and the same day (October 7, 1652), the said “Thomas Webber, Mr. of the good shipp called the may Flower of the burthen of Two hundred tuns or thereabouts,” sold “unto Theodore Atkinson felt-maker one-sixteenth part as well of said Shipp as of all & singular her masts Sails Sail-yards Ancors Cables Ropes Cords Gunns Gunpowder Shott Artillery Tackle Munition apparrell boate skiffe and furniture