Bradford Tells
Us That On Thursday, March 22, 1620/21, "Master Williamson" Was
Designated To Accompany Captain Standish - Practically As
An officer
of the guard - to receive and escort the Pokanoket chief, Massasoit,
to Governor Carver, on the occasion of
The former's first visit of state.
Prior to the recent discovery in London, by an American genealogist, of a
copy of the nuncupative will of Master William Mullens, one of the
MAY-FLOWER Pilgrims, clearly dictated to Governor John Carver on board
the ship, in the harbor of New Plymouth (probably) Wednesday, February
21, 1620 (though not written out by Carver till April 2, 1620), on which
day (as we learn from Bradford), Master Mullens died, no other mention
of "Master Williamson" than that above quoted was known, and his very
existence was seriously questioned. In this will, as elsewhere noted,
"Master Williamson" is named as one of the "Overseers." By most early
writers it was held that Bradford had unwittingly substituted the name
"Williamson" for that of Allerton, and this view - apparently for no
better reasons than that both names had two terminal letters in common,
and that Allerton was associated next day with Standish on some military
duty - came to be generally accepted, and Allerton's name to be even
frequently substituted without question. - -Miss Marcia A. Thomas, in her
"Memorials of Marshfield" (p. 75), says: "In 1621, Master Williamson,
Captain Standish, and Edward Winslow made a journey to make a treaty
with Massasoit. He is called 'Master George,' meaning probably Master
George Williamson," etc.
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