Behind the Scenes
at Plimoth Plantation

Current articles in this section:

1. Firing Up the Kiln

2. Ordinarie Technology

3. Notes on a Shallop

4. Archaeology at Plimoth Plantation: Key to the Past

5. Maritime Programs at Plimoth Plantation

6. Recreating the Material Culture of Mayflower II

7. Documenting Mayflower II

8. Hands Across the Bay: A 1957 Crewmember Sails Again

9. A New Furnace for Mayflower II

10. The Story and Crew of 1957's Mayflower II

11. Why P-l-i-m-o-t-h?

Documenting Mayflower II

by Karin Goldstein, Curator of Original Collections

On June 30, 1957, shortly after arriving in Plymouth after a 55-day journey at sea, 23 Mayflower II crewmembers inscribed their names on a scrap of oak plank. If the wood could talk, maybe we’d know what they were thinking as they signed their names - triumph for a successful trip? Bittersweet nostalgia that the trip of a lifetime had ended?

Plimoth Plantation has a collection of almost 250 artifacts associated with Mayflower II. These documents, tools, instruments, etc., help flesh out both the published and manuscript accounts of the voyage. Sometimes they’re powerful artifacts in their own right. Some came with the ship in 1957, while others have been given over the years, by crewmembers, their children and even grandchildren. Together, the artifacts and written accounts tell the story of an incredible adventure.

In 1951, Plimoth Plantation commissioned plans for Mayflower II from naval architect William Baker. These plans were later used by J. W. & A. Upham Shipyards, under the direction of Warwick Charlton’s organization, Project Mayflower, to build the ship. Today, Plimoth Plantation keeps Baker’s meticulously-drawn plans. The museum also has Baker’s templates, metal patterns, for hull models of both Mayflower II and the shallop, built here in Plymouth.

There are also a number of artifacts in the collection from the Upham Shipyard. From shipyard owner Stuart Upham, an amateur watercolorist, came several paintings of the ship. When the yard closed in the 1960s, Stuart Upham donated a group of blacksmithing tools used for making iron fittings. In 2001, Upham’s granddaughter, Jane Bedford, presented the museum with a collection of family papers relating to Mayflower II, including the program for the hull launching ceremonies, and a bright red ticket, #201, to view the launching from the port side.

One of the shipyard’s workmen, Edgar Mugridge, was chosen as “chippy,” or ship’s carpenter, to accompany Stuart Upham on the transatlantic voyage. In 2001, Mugridge’s grandson, RAF Lt. Commander Peter Disney, reunited his grandfather’s tools with the ship that he’d helped to build. The thirty-odd caulking tools, many hand shaped, were kept in Mugridge’s canvas tool bag, still greased and ready for use. These tools are not just relics of the construction of Mayflower II—they also tell us a great deal about ship building in England in the mid 20th century.

To fund the voyage, Charlton sold advertising space in oak chests for £460 each. Eighty British industrial firms purchased the chests, and filled them with goods to be exhibited in both the UK and U.S. These goods were to “represent the 20th-century trading links between the US and Great Britain.” The chests were built in a style reminiscent of the 17th century, by S. J. Lethbridge, an old Cornish furniture firm. Plimoth Plantation has one of the chests. Built of solid oak, the chest has a drop front, secured by a cast-iron hook, for displaying merchandise. Ours is from a British petro-chemical firm, probably the Stauffer Chemical Co. or the Chemical and Insulating Co., Ltd. of Durham.

In addition to purchasing chests, many firms donated material in-kind. Charlton increased their gifts by asking them to donate the cost of the goods as well as the goods themselves. Some firms donated food and other provisions. John Harvey and Son of Bristol (known for Bristol Cream Sherry) donated sherry in specially printed bottles, designed to commemorate the voyage. Ben Truman Ale issued a special Mayflower label for beer donated to the voyage. Dexter Olsson, who recently gave Plimoth Plantation a bottle of Ben Truman Ale from the voyage, recalled eating lunch with crew members after their arrival in Plymouth. By that time, he remembered, “they’d discovered Budweiser. They even served it warm!”

Lloyd’s of London donated log books. Kelvin and Hughes provided both modern and reproduction antique nautical instruments, including a pearwood cross-staff, a traverse board, two compasses, a binnacle made of deal wood and brass, and a candle lantern. The sturdy cylindrical binnacle stood near the ship at the State Pier for many years, until it was removed to collections storage for safe keeping. Kelvin and Hughes also donated other nautical equipment, including a lead weight for taking soundings, and a modern sextant. While appreciative of the authentic reproductions, Villiers relied on a modern compass, however.

The Ministry of Transportation was greatly concerned with the ship’s seaworthiness. Mayflower II was classed as a yacht, in order to have a chance at meeting modern safety requirements. One stipulation was that the ship have 200% life raft accommodation. Days before departure, one of the five rafts was accidentally inflated. The Ministry demanded replacement, causing several days’ delay. Mayflower II also carried modern life rings, as well as emergency provisions. Plimoth Plantation has a sealed brass box of Carr’s biscuits from the voyage (thankfully, never opened).

On April 20, 1957, with a couple of days of sea trials behind her, Mayflower II was finally set to embark. Captain Alan Villiers, a seaman with years of experience aboard sailing ships, assembled his equipment for the voyage, which included a new pair of binoculars. The binoculars, inscribed “Alan Villiers Mayflower April 19th 1957” on the leather case, are one of the Plantation’s most recent acquisitions. Donor David Rhys Davies found them at an antique fair in England. To authenticate them, he compared the signature on the case to those found among Villiers’ papers at the University of Canberra.

Each crewmember received 17th-century costumes for use in promotions and ceremonies. Every Sunday the men dressed in their 17th-century costumes, and Villiers led them in prayer. Crewmember Mike Ford of Cornwall donated the waistcoat from his costume to the Plantation. The museum’s wardrobe staff was surprised to find that it was made by a London theatrical costumer of an (inauthentic!) poly-wool material with composition buttons. One can only pity the crew, dressed in poly-wool costumes, as they sailed in the tropics!

One of the chores shared among the crew was canceling Mayflower Mail envelopes. As there were more than 140,000 to cancel, this quickly became a dreaded task. Each envelope contained a card with the text of the Mayflower Compact printed on it. The canceled mark read, “Mayflower II Maiden Voyage/ April—July 1957.” While Charlton, Villiers and others had a idea of how long such a voyage might take, no one knew for sure how long they’d be at sea!

Over the course of the voyage, the crew encountered vessels of all different nationalities, including the QEII. On June 7, as Mayflower II approached the coast of America, she spotted the British aircraft carrier, Ark Royal. Crewmember John Winslow, who had taken leave from the Royal Navy to sail on Mayflower II, recognized some of his colleagues. C.P. Gidney, of Tyne on Ware in England, was serving on board the Ark Royal that day. He fondly remembered Winslow and his sense of humor. After hearing a lecture on Mayflower II, he donated a photo of the Mayflower II, riding the wind, with the massive troop ship behind her.

The ship finally arrived in Plymouth on June 13. The official welcome ceremony was recorded in magazines from Life to National Geographic. Official souvenirs included a red, white and blue satin ribbon, printed with a photograph of Mayflower II. It commemorates “her arrival in Plymouth, June, 1957.” Again, the date of arrival was left vague! As described in the ship’s log book, the crew hosted official visits (as well as washing decks and polishing brass). As part of the official visits, Alan Villiers was given several small chunks of Plymouth Rock. One wonders whether these made any impression on Villiers, as they’ve been in the museum’s collection for decades!

After two weeks in Plymouth, the ship left for a six-month stay at the New York City waterfront. The ship arrived June 29, and opened to the public on the 30. Many of the crew left for home. That day, as the crewmembers, together for the last time, signed their names to a scrap of oak, they must have marveled how an 8-week job had turned into the adventure of a lifetime.

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hours: Plimoth Plantation's Administrative offices, Education Department and Creative Gourmet are open 9 AM to 5 PM, M-F
address: 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360 USA
telephone: 1 + 508 746 1622