My Mayflower ancestor is Isaac Allerton who was written to be a “proper saint,” meaning that he was a Leyden Separatist. He was a tailor in London at the time of his departure on the Mayflower. There are conflicting reports of Allerton’s age when he came over to the new world, which range from age 34 to 37. He boarded the Mayflower with his wife Mary, their three children, and his tailor apprentice, John Hooke.
The individuals on the Mayflower were mostly farmers with limited resources to finance such a trip. They received funding from a group of London stockholders who agreed to finance their voyage in exchange for a share the profits in the new world. After the death of the Governor John Carver one year after arriving in the new world, Allerton’s …show more content…
Allerton even went so far as to purchase ships on behalf of the colony and negotiate patents and grants. When some of these negotiations failed, it drove the colony further into debt. It was also discovered that Allerton set himself up as competitor with the colony at several of the trading posts, one along the Kennebec River and one in Castine, Maine. One of the most interesting facts about my ancestor is the fact that he set up another competitive trading post in Machiasport, five minutes from where I currently reside. Our area is so rich in history due to Machias playing such a major role in the American Revolutionary War, but I have never heard any mention of the pilgrims setting up a trading post in this area. In fact, in reviewing the history of the town of Machiasport and visiting their local museum, the trading post is never given more than a one sentence credit, which I find extremely disappointing.
As a result of Allerton’s business practices, he was replaced in his position and eventually left the colony. Although he ended up leaving, Allerton definitely prospered by coming to the new world. Like most of the others aboard the Mayflower, Allerton was ambitious and sought out new opportunities. He used this ambition and combined it with the knowledge and experience from his work in trade
The individuals on the Mayflower were mostly farmers with limited resources to finance such a trip. They received funding from a group of London stockholders who agreed to finance their voyage in exchange for a share the profits in the new world. After the death of the Governor John Carver one year after arriving in the new world, Allerton’s …show more content…
Allerton even went so far as to purchase ships on behalf of the colony and negotiate patents and grants. When some of these negotiations failed, it drove the colony further into debt. It was also discovered that Allerton set himself up as competitor with the colony at several of the trading posts, one along the Kennebec River and one in Castine, Maine. One of the most interesting facts about my ancestor is the fact that he set up another competitive trading post in Machiasport, five minutes from where I currently reside. Our area is so rich in history due to Machias playing such a major role in the American Revolutionary War, but I have never heard any mention of the pilgrims setting up a trading post in this area. In fact, in reviewing the history of the town of Machiasport and visiting their local museum, the trading post is never given more than a one sentence credit, which I find extremely disappointing.
As a result of Allerton’s business practices, he was replaced in his position and eventually left the colony. Although he ended up leaving, Allerton definitely prospered by coming to the new world. Like most of the others aboard the Mayflower, Allerton was ambitious and sought out new opportunities. He used this ambition and combined it with the knowledge and experience from his work in trade