Pilgrim Fathers Memorial

In August of 1620, the Mayflower and Speedwell set sail from Southampton, England. Aboard the ships were the "Pilgrim Fathers," a protestant Christian sect seeking religious freedom. They set sail for the New World, and after several set backs, the group eventually establishing the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts, sowing the seeds of the future United States of America.

Today, masses of tourists on the way to their vacations on the Isle of Wight pass through the ferry terminal in Town Quay, Southampton. Nearby, a 50-foot-tall tower memorializes the Pilgrim Fathers' departure point.

The monument was erected in 1913. The tall, square column is topped by a white and gold cupola, crowned with a copper Mayflower weather vane. A plaque on the monument tells the history of the Separatist Congregation and the Pilgrim Fathers, as well as the tale of their first attempted voyage.

The departure day, August 15, 1620, was late in the season for such a long trip. Even before leaving English coastal waters, fierce storms struck the little fleet, mortally wounding the Speedwell. They stopped in Dartmouth and then again in Plymouth, Cornwall, but the mast of the Speedwell was beyond repair. In the end, they abandoned the ship and crowded on the Mayflower for an arduous journey to the New World.