[Bradford's Historie, As Already Cited; Arber, The Story Of The
Pilgrim Fathers, P. 341.
John Brown, in his Pilgrim Fathers of New
England, p. 198, says:
"She [the SPEEDWELL] was to remain with the
colony for a year." Evidently a mistake, arising from the length of
time for which her crew were shipped. The pinnace herself was
intended, as we have seen, for the permanent use of they colonists,
and was to remain indefinitely.]
that the crew of the SPEEDWELL "were hired for a year," and we know, in a
general way, that most of them went with her to London when she abandoned
the voyage. This there is ample evidence Coppin did not do, going as he
did to New England as "second mate" or "pilott" of the MAY-FLOWER, which
there is no reason to doubt he was when she left London. Neither is
there anywhere any suggestion that there was at Southampton any change in
the second mate of the larger ship, as there must have been to make good
the suggestion of Dr. Dexter.
Where the SPEEDWELL lay while being "refitted" has not been ascertained,
though presumably at Delfshaven, whence she sailed, though possibly at
one of the neighboring larger ports, where her new masts and cordage
could be "set up" to best advantage.
We know that Reynolds - "pilott" and "Master" went from London to
superintend the "making-ready" for sea. Nothing is known, however, of
his antecedents, and nothing of his history after he left the service of
the Pilgrims in disgrace, except that he appears to have come again to
New England some years later, in command of a vessel, in the service of
the reckless adventurer Weston (a traitor to the Pilgrims), through whom,
it is probable, he was originally selected for their service in Holland.
Bradford and others entitled to judge have given their opinions of this
cowardly scoundrel (Reynolds) in unmistakable terms.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 28 of 340
Words from 7492 to 7812
of 94513
