Pilgrim Fathers Memorial facts for kids
The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial is a special monument located in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. You can find it by the Haven river, near a place called Fishtoft. This memorial is a small granite stone shaped like a tall, thin pillar. It helps us remember an important event from September 1607.
At that time, a group of English people called the Scrooby Congregation tried to leave England. They were Protestants who wanted to practice their religion freely. They were some of the first people who later became known as the Pilgrims. These Pilgrims eventually sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in New England.
The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers
The Pilgrim Fathers were a group of people from Scrooby, Nottinghamshire. They wanted to leave England because they faced challenges for their religious beliefs. In 1607, they hired a Dutch ship to take them to the Netherlands.
However, their plan did not work out. The ship's captain told the local authorities about them. The Pilgrim Fathers were arrested and taken by boat to Boston Guildhall. They were held in cells there for about a month.
After they were released, they tried again in 1608. This time, they left from the Humber and successfully reached Amsterdam. The Scrooby congregation then moved to Leiden in 1609. Later, in 1620, they set sail for the New World. Their journey took them through Southampton and Plymouth before they crossed the ocean.
About the Memorial
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The memorial was built in 1957 by the local council in Boston. This was 350 years after the event it remembers. A company called Leake's Masonry did the building work.
Many members of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants attended the ceremony. They are people who are related to the original Pilgrims. They also gave money to help pay for the monument.
The memorial's design is special. It has a tall, thin shape that gets narrower at the top. This design represents the strong desire that made these people leave their home. It shows how they left their country and families for their beliefs. The strong stone used for the memorial also shows how strong and steady their faith was.
The words on the front of the memorial have been updated over time. The first inscription said:
- "Near this place in September 1607 those later known as "The Pilgrim Fathers" set sail on their first attempt to find religious freedom across the seas. Erected 1957"
The words were changed in 2009 to be more accurate. The new inscription reads:
- "Near this place in September 1607 those later known as the Pilgrim Fathers were thwarted in their first attempt to sail to find religious freedom across the seas.
- Memorial re-worded by the generous gift of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and The First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa WI USA - 2009"
