Captain Christopher Jones and the Mayflower
Pilgrims' Ship Attempts Navigating to the Mouth of the Hudson River
The Gulf Stream and winds blew the Mayflower north of its original destination which was supposed to be at the mouth of the Hudson River. Instead, they were facing the outerside of Cape Cod. Legally, the passangers on board did not have a right to begin a colony in New England.
Captain Jones' Historic Decision--Head for the Mouth of the Hudson River
There were already two people dead on board ship. Supplies were almost depleted. To make matters worse, it was late fall, winter was just a few weeks ahead. Captain Jones wanted to get the passengers on land--pronto!
Though the shores of Cape Cod were in view, it was decided the ship would head south. The wind was blowing in that direction, calculations were, the ship would land at the mouth of the Hudson within a few days. There was a problem. Captain Jones was not familiar with the eastern seaboard south of Cape Cod, nor were any of his crew. The maps he had in his possession were useless.
His crew measured depths. For a time, all went well. Then the tides changed, the wind died, and the depth of the water plummeted. The Mayflower had sailed into a dangerous area of ever changing sand bars and shoals, the graveyard of many a shipwreck known as Pollack Rip located between Cape Cod and Nantucket Island.
The Mayflower and Pollack Rip
Most of the day the ship had sailed south towards the mouth of the Hudson River. Now, late in the day, Captain Jones had another decision on his hands. If he anchored here, on the edge of the Rip for the night, should a storm break out, the Mayflower risked becoming shipwrecked on the shoals. Fortunately, the wind shifted just enough to push the ship away from the treacherous area.
With the wind now blowing north, the Captain decided it was best to return to Cape Cod. By the time darkness fell upon the waters, the Mayflower was drifting along the coast of present day Chatham, Massachusetts. Eventually, the ship anchored at Provincetown Harbor. After the signing of the Mayflower Compact, preparations were made to explore the new surroundings.
Captain Christopher Jones' Early Years
Born in England, Captain Jones' career at sea catapulted when his dad bequeathed to him a ship. Later, he owned a quarter of the Mayflower.
The Mayflower was considered a sweet ship, because it generally transported spices and wine. However, by the time the ship reached the shores of New England, due to the close quarters of human habitation, the sweetness had well worn off.
Captain Jones had been married twice. Before this first wife died, this union produced a child. With his second wife they produced eight children.
The Demise of Captain Jones
Though Captain Jones returned to England safely from the shores of New England, unfortunately, he did not live very long afterwards. After a few more trading ventures, he died during his early fifties. He was buried at St. Mary's Rotherhithe, Surry, England, on the fifth of March/1621.
How decisions impact history? What if Captain Jones had succeeded sailing to the mouth of the Hudson? How would the history of New England changed? Would the area have been called New England or given a different name from another set of enterprising colonists? Of course, we'll never know, but it is fun to speculate.
Source
Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower, Viking, Penquin Group (USA), Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10014, 2006, pgs. 35-46.
Cape Cod the hook where the Mayflower landed
|
Landing of the Pilgrims
|
Nantucket Island, NASA image
|
What do you think about this article?
Comments
More in History
Latest Articles