Speedwell (1577 ship) facts for kids

Speedwell was a small ship, about 60 tons. It sailed with the famous Mayflower in the early 1600s. Both ships were meant to take the Pilgrims from England to the New World. Speedwell was the smaller of the two ships.

Speedwells Early Life: From Warship to Pilgrim Ship

Speedwell was built in 1577. Back then, it had a different name: Swiftsure. England built it to prepare for war against Spain.

Fighting the Spanish Armada

Swiftsure helped fight against the powerful Spanish Armada. This was a big battle at sea. Later, in 1596, it served as a ship for a leader named Sir Gelli Meyrick. This was during an expedition to the Azores.

A New Name and Purpose

When the war with Spain ended in 1605, the ship was taken out of service. It was then renamed Speedwell. This new name came from a wildflower in the UK. It also hinted at the hope that the ship would travel quickly.

The Pilgrim's Journey: Speedwell and the Mayflower

In July 1620, a Pilgrim leader named Captain Blossom bought Speedwell. The Pilgrims were a group of people who wanted to practice their religion freely. They planned to move to the New World.

Meeting the Mayflower

Speedwell sailed to Southampton, England. There, it met its sister ship, the Mayflower. The Mayflower was a larger ship. Other Pilgrims and colonists joined them in Southampton.

The Embarkation of the Pilgrims, 1843, US Capitol Rotunda. The name of the ship, Speedwell, and 1620 are written in the foreground of the painting.

Leaks and Delays

Right away, Speedwell had problems. It was leaking water. The ships had to wait in Southampton for almost two weeks. Speedwell needed repairs. The group even had to sell some of their things to pay for the repairs and port fees.

Two Failed Starts

The two ships finally started their journey on August 5, 1620. But Speedwell was still taking on water. Both ships had to turn back to Dartmouth for more repairs.

They tried again. They sailed about 300 miles beyond Land's End in Cornwall. But Speedwell started leaking badly once more. Both ships had to return to Dartmouth.

The Decision to Go On

The Pilgrims decided to continue their journey on only one ship, the Mayflower. Speedwell was sold in London. After it was fixed, it made many successful trips for its new owners. Some of Speedwell's passengers, like Captain Thomas Blossom, returned home.

Why Did Speedwell Leak?

Before the voyage, Speedwell had been changed in Delfshaven. It had two masts. Some people think the masts were too big for the ship. This extra weight might have caused holes in the hull (the ship's body).

William Bradford, a Pilgrim leader, wrote about the "overmasting." He believed it strained the ship's hull. However, he also thought the crew might have caused some of the leaks. Another passenger, Robert Cushman, wrote that a loose board caused the leaking.

The Mayflower Continues Alone

Eleven people from Speedwell moved to the Mayflower. About 20 people returned to London. The Mayflower then set off for the New World for a third time. It left Plymouth on September 6, 1620. It arrived at Cape Cod Bay on November 11.

Speedwells replacement ship, Fortune, arrived a year later. It reached Plymouth Colony on November 9, 1621. One of Speedwells original passengers, Philippe de Lannoy, made the trip on the Mayflower.

Later Voyages

Years later, in 1635, a ship named Speedwell sailed again. It left Southampton and finally arrived in Virginia. This ship then returned to England, was refitted, and sold.

Speedwell in Art and Stories

Speedwell has appeared in many works of art and fiction.

Famous Paintings

The reverse of the $10,000 bill shows a scene from Weir's painting of Speedwell.

In 1837, Robert Walter Weir painted a famous picture of the Pilgrims. It's called The Embarkation of the Pilgrims. This huge painting is in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.. It shows a scene on board Speedwell in Holland in 1620. Weir painted a smaller version later, which is in the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

On Money

The painting The Embarkation of the Pilgrims was even shown on the back of a special 10,000 dollar bill in 1918. These bills are very rare today.

In Books and Movies

Speedwell has also been in many stories:

• A novel called A Spurious Brood suggests why Speedwell might have been sabotaged.
• In the C. S. Forester novel Hornblower and the Atropos, a treasure ship named Speedwell has sunk.
• The historical novel Armada: A Novel mentions Speedwell in battle scenes.
• In the 1987 movie A Return to Salem's Lot, Speedwell did not sink. Instead, vampires arrived in the New World on it.

See also

In Spanish: Speedwell para niños