"Learn something old every day."

Dear Diary,

I spent my birthday in the 17th century.  I visited Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts to experience what life was like for my 8th Great Grandfather Edward Doty.  He came on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Stephen Hopkins in 1620 and was one of the fortunate ones who survived that first harsh winter.  Despite being a servant, Doty signed the Mayflower Compact.

Edward fought a duel with another servant in 1621 and was sentenced to be lashed together with his combatant, head and foot, for an entire day.  It was reduced to a few hours. He had other brushes with the law until finally settling down and raising 9 children with his wife Faith Clark.

I enjoyed a lunch of Pilgrim fare; Peascod (which is chicken, currant, dates and spice mixture in a pastry shell), seasonal sallet (which was a pickled cuke), a course textured bread and stewed pompion ( a mashed butternut squash).; all quite good by the way.

My extra photograph is of the recreation of Stephen Hopkin's house in the village where Doty would have lived while a servant.  He would have slept on a straw pallet on the dirt floor.  Hopkin's wife gave birth on board the Mayflower, a child they called Oceanus.  Tight  quarters for sure!

My best friend growing up also had an ancestor on the Mayflower and that amazed me.  From these 54 surviving original Pilgrims an estimated 35 million people now can truthfully say, "My ancestor came over on the Mayflower".


I will be back in Plymouth in June when the Mayflower II returns from her repairs in Mystic Connecticut.  I want to see what life was like for Edward when he made that amazing journey in 1620.