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).
- - Ely (not Ellis, as Arber miscalls him, "The Story of the Pilgrim
Fathers," p. 377) was the other of the "two seamen hired to stay a
year," etc. He also returned when his time expired. (Bradford,
Hist. Mass. ed. p. 534.) He did not sign the Compact, probably for
the reason operative in .Trevore's case. A digest of the foregoing
data gives the following interesting, if incomplete, data (errors
excepted): -
Adult males (hired seamen and servants of age included)... 44
Adult females (including Mrs. Carver's maid).............. 19
Youths, male children, and male servants, minors.......... 29
Maidens, female children.................................. 10
- - - -
102
Married males............................................. 26
Married females........................................... 18
Single (adult) males (and young men)...................... 25
Single (adult) females (Mrs. Carver's maid)............... 1
Vocations of adults so far as known (except wives, who are presumed
housekeepers for their husbands): -
Carpenters................................................ 2
Cooper.................................................... 1
Fustian-worker and silk-dyer.............................. 1
Hatter.................................................... 1
Lay-reader................................................ 1
Lady's-maid............................................... 1
Merchants................................................. 3
Physician................................................. 1
Printers and publishers................................... 2
Seamen.................................................... 4
Servants (adult).......................................... 10
Smith..................................................... 1
Soldier................................................... 1
Tailor.................................................... 1
Tradesmen................................................. 2
Wool-carders.............................................. 2
Allowing for the addition of Wilder and the two sailors, Trevore and Ely,
who did not sign it, the number of those who signed the Compact tallies
exactly with the adult males.
