Plymouth, England – What a mother of a city
Plymouth in southwest England played a big part in American history
About 200 miles south west of London, England, there is a port city called Plymouth, around the world she has many children named after her. You count them. It is built on the mouths of the river Plym to east and Tamar to the west, they merge to form Plymouth Sound. It is the biggest deep water Naval Installation in Western Europe. Many U.S. naval personnel will know it.
Plymouth and the Pilgrims
To most Americans, Plymouth is famous for being the departure point, in 1620, of the Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrims on their legendary months long journey to the New World. But there are many other interesting things about this Devonshire city.
Jackas Bakery is reputed to be the worlds oldest commercial baker still in operation. It made biscuits for the Pilgrim’s journey.
Eddystone Lighthouse was the first offshore lighthouse in the world, built in 1688, it was made of wood. The English Channel was a graveyard for the wooden ships of those days.
Captain Bligh – Captain of the good ship Bounty, of Mutiny On The Bounty fame, was born in Plymouth.
Sir Francis Drake – Vice-Admiral, Sea Captain, Privateer, Slaver, Pirate, first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, destroyer of the Spanish Armada, was Mayor of Plymouth.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club – The City’s professional soccer team, it’s nickname is The Pilgrims.
Sir Richard Grenville – Sailed from Plymouth in 1584 to set up the Roanoke Colony in what was then, Virginia.
Napoleon Bonaparte – Left Plymouth on his way to exile in St. Helena.
Charles Darwin and Captain James Cook – Set out on their journey’s of adventure and discovery from Plymouth.
Plymouth and other UK Cities hold Thanksgiving celebrations, not just for expats, but for anyone who wants to enjoy the day and recognize the importance of the connection between the two countries.
The Mayflower Steps in Plymouth Harbor where the Pilgrim Fathers trod their last on English soil
This story was originally published at MMA one year ago today.
And don’t forget those great sea captains who departed from Plymouth like Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower.
My ancestors came from Bedford, and lit on Colonial soil circa 1620. They might have stepped foot there in Plymouth on their way here. Neat.
John Bunyan wrote ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ while serving a jail term in Bedford. Any Bunyans on the family tree?
Not that I know of.