Wigan Album

What struck me about that ship was how small it seemed to make such a dangerous journey across the Atlantic. I have photos of it on board. All creaking wood and the bare essentials. They did a marvellous job replicating it.

Miles Standish was one of over 100 passengers on The Mayflower. He didn't own the ship. The replica isn't 'his', neither is it a replica of 'his' ship.

I believe, from the accounts I have read, that he was the 'hired muscle', which the Puritans thought they needed for protection. A relationship that eventually turned bad.

There’s always one with a negative comment!

Just because you went to New Brighton on the Mersey Ferry Mick doesn’t make you an expert on historic ships, replica’s or not and you need to brush up your history on Miles Standish and his roll.

Well barked Bob the Dog. I must read up again about those brave sea faring pilgrims. I remember there were delays setting off and the atrocious weather conditions they contended with before landing. It took months then not the 5 days it takes now on the cruise ships. It’s all written down in the Captain’s Log.

'Throughout black winter the red haws withstood
Assault of snow-flawed winds from the dour skies
And, bright as blood-drops, proved no brave branch dies
If root’s firm-fixed and resolution good.
Now, as green sap ascends the steepled wood,
Each hedge with such white bloom astounds our eyes
As sprang from Joseph’s rod, and testifies
How best beauty’s born of hardihood.

So when staunch island stock chose forfeiture
Of the homeland hearth to plough their pilgrim way
Across Atlantic furrows, dark, unsure –
Remembering the white, triumphant spray
On hawthorn boughs, with goodwill to endure
They named their ship after the flower of May.'

#sylvia plath#mayflower#massachusetts#sonnet

This photo reminds me of an incident in 1996. My wife & I to celebrate our Silver wedding decided to travel across America by train booked with an organised tour company. It was New York to San Francisco over a 11 day period. On the final leg Denver to San Francisco, over breakfast we got chatting to a party of Americans on the opposite table. When asked where we came from in England, I replied a little village near Wigan in Lancashire called Standish. The guy replied " Miles Standish and the Mayflower. He then said we have a replica of that. To think 3000 miles from my home village and we were discussing over breakfast Miles Standish. To end this tale, towards the end of breakfast another gentleman came up the aisle and said " I couldn't help overhearing where you came from near Wigan" then told us "I'm Wigan born & bred but now live in the Midlands" and he was a tour guide with another group doing the same trip. It was our 1st holiday in the states and since then we have travelled by train across Canada & North America. Our last one was in 2009 Toronto-Halifax Nova Scotia.

Captain Wigan has not even been to New Brighton on a ferry Bob, the furthest he has been on a boat is on the cut from Wigan Pier to Crooke, he even wore a red bandana and also an eyepatch to thwart any pirates from boarding, he did try wearing a peg leg too, but it was a left one and kept tripping him up, so he dumped that

Myles Standish was a soldier in the Netherlands and later the leader of a band of militia men who accompanied the religious exiles of Separatists and Puritans whom he'd met in the Netherlands, they became known as the Pilgrims and sailed on The Mayflower to New England, America. Though his name was Standish there was no connection to the Town of the same name and he being born at Duxbury Hall in Chorley the family's estate, though the family roots go back to The Isle of Man.
https://www.history.com/news/pilgrims-puritans-differences

Captain Mick seems to be correct with his comment. Myles Standish had no authority over The Mayflower. He was, however, contracted under the governor of the new colony of Plymouth as security and defence advisor against the native Americans.
The story of the Pilgrims and The Mayflower is well documented as is Myles Standish's involvement.

A few years ago, on holiday in Italy, we met a man who originated from Ormskirk and he had attended the same school as I did only four years earlier. He ran a kitchen fitting company.
I was amazed.
What a small world.

Standish must go down in history as the biggest village known to man.

Myles Standish and the rest on The Mayflower just like the explorers who went to America before them, just brought nothing but misery and death to those native American Indians. They along with the French and Spanish explorers killed them and stole food and valuables from off them and made slaves of them, they gave them horrible diseases such as smallpox, STDs, malaria, dysentery, yellow fever, diphtheria, scarlet fever, influenza, pleurisy, colds, whooping cough, mumps, measles, typhus, typhoid fever, hookworms and other parasites. They were intent on clearing all of these native American Indian tribes from what was their land by murdering them or moving them by force onto reservations that were unfit for them to live on, and when they had accomplished all of that they then had the audacity to call it The Land Of The Free. You are Welcome to America where they've never stopped gunning one another down since.

Cyril if you get the chance watch the film
”Killers Of The Flower Moon”. It’s a really good film. And a long one. Leonardo di Capra and Robert De Niro. It’s a 2023 film. I saw it at Middlebrook a few weeks ago. Read up on Google about it.

Well that provoked a few happy comments.
Miles Standish, people smuggler who took a boat load of illegal immigrants to the New World!

Miles Standish didn't take anything anywhere Colin. He was simply an accessory after the fact. He didn't own any ship. In fact, he didn't own anything although he tried hard to lay claim to land owned by some Standishes, he couldn't prove his relationship to the family. Lately, it has been proved that his name is not included in any Standish family records anywhere in Lancashire. It's all just a story.

I blame the Romans, if they had not come here nearly 2,000 years ago Miles Standish would probably never have existed and no Boston Tea Party.
Just think, we could all still be happily living in our mud huts and the first nation tribes could be frolicking in their Tee Pee's exchanging scalps.

Some good discussion about him and the landing through the photo Colin, and it's the various comments that keeps wiganworld interesting.

Veronica, that does appear to be a good film with excellent reviews, I remember some years ago reading a book review or something similar about when oil was found on an Indian reservation, and it does say the film is based on a true event. I've had a look on Amazon and there is a book from 2017 with the same name of the film, though it's now sold out so it must now be a popular read with folks having seen the film. It's awful what some folks will get up to with their envy, greed and love for money.

I would urge you to go and see it Cyril it's beautifully done and it’s one of Scorsese’s films which came from a true story. I bet it’s the one you have read. It was overwhelming watching it. It was about 3 hours long after the infuriating adverts. I also went to see Napoleon but was disappointed with that one. I am going to watch the Kinder Transport in January. That looks good. The Great Escaper to was a good one.

The Kinder Transport should be a good film Veronica, there was a lady talking of her experience of making the journey from out of Germany to the UK on Granada Reports a few evenings ago, she is now 100 years old and still has the documents that she was given on departure and still goes to schools telling her story. There aren't any cinemas in Wigan now, so it has to be Middlebrook, St Helens or Skelmersdale, there was a cinema in Leigh too, but I'm not sure if that is still open..

There are two good modern Cinemas in Warrington and Chorley but haven't been in either yet.

It turns out that Myles Standish had no involvement with The Mayflower prior to being one of a group from the Netherlands who were allowed to board Mayflower after the first ship he travelled on, the Speedwell, was left behind as an untrustworthy vessel. The Mayflower was funded by a group of London businessmen who called themselves The Merchant Adventurers. They funded the ship as a trade investment.
I don't see the attraction to this Myles Standish person. According to records, he has no Wigan connection, no Standish connection, no St Wilfrid's church connection and no Mayflower connection bar him being a passenger onboard, probably a paying passenger too.

Is there no end to these constant annoying moaners who constantly look to pull apart every post that goes up. Get a life John!

Bob how right you are. I was so pleased to see this replica ship because I have actually been on it. I was more interested in what the Pilgrims went through to reach the shores of America. This is why Thanksgiving is celebrated every year since. All the fuss about Miles Standish which we will never really know the complete truth of going so far back in the mists of time. Thank you to Colin for posting this photo. I hope it doesn’t put you off posting any of your photos.

Thanks Veronica and to all others who like to express a positive outlook on life. The world is awash at the moment with too much negativity.
Hopefully I will get a new computer in the New Year and then not have to rely on Brian to post my pictures for which I am very grateful, as my modest efforts seem to have brought a little pleasure to many at WW.
I shall continue!
And to Bob, keep snapping at the ankles of the disenchanted.