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Archiver > MAYFLOWER > 2003-12 > 1071154126


From: "FJ H" <>
Subject: RE: [MFLR] Mayflower Sites in England
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:48:46 -0700


Wonderful report, Jim.

Thank you!

Some day, I will make that trip, too. Your experiences are very nice to
read.

Blessings,
Father John
http://www.grandmemories.com
(Grand Memories Photo Restorations)





>From: "Jim Bullock" <>
>To:
>Subject: [MFLR] Mayflower Sites in England
>Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 21:34:01 -0700
>
>Thanks to suggestions from several list subscribers, my wife & I visited a
>number of places in England that have some significance in Pilgrim history.
>These included Scrooby, Babworth, Austerfield, Gainsborough, Immingham
>(near
>Grimsby), Boston, and Fishtoft.
>
>At Scrooby we started by having lunch at the Pilgrim Fathers, an inn built
>in 1771. Neece & Geoff Francess-Allen have become the proprietors in the
>past four months. While there, they recommended that I go see Malcolm
>Dolby
>who lives in the Old Vicarage on the road (I think it was Church St.)
>between the inn and Scrooby Manor. Mr. Dolby, about 60, recently retired
>as
>curator of the museum in Retford. He is an expert on local history, has
>participated in archeological digs around the Manor, and gives tours. He
>was kind enough to give us an impromptu tour of Scrooby Manor and the town.
>
>There have been changes in the use of the Manor. The previous owner passed
>away and his two sons, one who lives in Lincoln and the other in New
>Zealand, now own the property. Rather than farming the land, they now
>raise
>horses there. Scrooby Manor, which previously was being used for storage,
>has been restored somewhat and has a family living there. Besides showing
>us Scrooby Manor, Mr. Dolby took us to where the Great North Road (the
>primary old route from London to the north) runs through town. It was an
>excellent tour. Incidentally, Mr. Dolby said he plans to move in about a
>year to Wales where taxes are much cheaper.
>
>In Babworth we were fortunate in arriving at Rev. Richard Clifton's old
>church, All Saints' Parish Church, just as Sunday services had concluded.
>We were invited in to join the congregation for coffee. The regular
>minister who comes only once a month wasn't there, but the Reader showed us
>around. They have done an excellent job of maintaining the building thanks
>to have a generous membership. St. Helena's Church in Austerfield where
>Bradford was baptized was locked when we went there, so I just viewed it
>from outside.
>
>In Gainsborough we went through Gainsborough Manor, now known as the Old
>Hall. It is another very well maintained building and has a lot of old
>furnishings. They had guides dressed in period costumes who were taking a
>group of children through while we were there. In the kitchen there were
>stuffed animals (including a wild boar) and other foods of the kind that
>would have been prepared for King Richard's visit. This was where Rev.
>John
>Smyth held services for the nonconformists.
>
>On the way to Grimsby we saw the Immingham Creek Pilgrim Memorial which was
>originally erected on the Humber estuary where some of the Pilgrims waited
>to be picked up by a Dutch skipper for their trip to Amsterdam. In 1970
>the
>monument was moved to a location near the parish church to make room for
>industrial development. Immingham is an industrial town and not a pleasant
>place to visit.
>
>We went to Boston where the Pilgrims went in their first attempt to sail to
>Holland. We were disappointed that the Guildhall, where they were
>imprisoned, was closed for restoration. The door was open, so I did go in
>for a look, but it was just full of boxes and construction materials. A
>little south of town outside of Fishtoft, we saw the Pilgrim Memorial along
>the Witham River.
>
>There were other places on our itinerary, but the ones mentioned were the
>only ones related to Mayflower history. I do want to mention how nice
>people were in the various research centers. One word of advice to anyone
>planning research over there is to take along some extra passport photos.
>Some of the places require a photo ID. They will make the ID card if you
>have a picture. You can get pictures made over there, but that takes time
>that could better be spent on research.
>
>Jim Bullock
>Littleton, CO
>
>
>
>==== MAYFLOWER Mailing List ====
>Check out the Mayflower FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)page at
>http://www.macatawa.org/~crich/mayfaq.htm .
>

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