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#REDIRECT [[Richard More (Mayflower passenger)]] |
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The '''More children''' were passengers on the historic voyage of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' in 1620. The four children were at the center of an incident in early 17th century England that caused later genealogists to ponder why their father would send his very young children away on an extremely dangerous voyage to the [[New World]] in the care of strangers.<ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Children in the Mayflower'' (The London Times) June 30, 1959 pp. 11- </ref><ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 163-168</ref> The mystery was solved in 1959 with the discovery of a 1622 document which detailed the adultery of the children's mother, [[Katherine More]]. That admission of adultery led the father, [[Samuel More]], to believe that the children were not his offspring.<ref>Donald F. Harris, PhD. ''Mayflower Descendant'' (July 1993) vol. 43 no. 2 pp. 124-127</ref> To rid himself of these children, he arranged for them to be sent to the [[Colony of Virginia]],{{sfn|Harris|1994|pp=124-126}} but due to winter weather they were forced to land far north at Cape Cod. During the first winter there, three of the children died and [[Richard More (Mayflower passenger)|Richard More]] was the only survivor.<ref>David Lindsay, PhD., ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) pp. 43, 44, 45.</ref> |
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== The More family == |
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Much of what is known about the More children's early childhood is through legal documents, more specifically a document written in 1622, in response to a petition of [[Katherine More]] to [[James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough|Lord Chief Justice Sir James Ley]], at which time Katherine demands to know what has become of her children.<ref>David Lindsay, PhD. ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p 8.</ref><ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 163-168</ref> Richard More's mother was Katherine More, (sometimes spelled Katharine hereafter spelled Katherine). Katherine’s father, Jasper More, was master of Larden, a 1000-acre estate between [[Much Wenlock]] and [[Ludlow]]. Both estates are in [[Shropshire]], England. Samuel’s father, Richard More, was master of [[Linley, Shropshire|Linley]], an estate near [[Bishops Castle|Bishop’s Castle]], close to the Welsh border.<ref>Donald Harris PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant'', (Jan. 1994) no. 1 p. 12</ref> |
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Jasper's sons died leaving no male heir.<ref>David Lindsay, PhD., ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p. 2</ref> The estates were held in an entail whereby inheritance was restricted to male heirs and Samuel's father, but Richard, in the marriage settlement paid 600 pounds to Jasper More, so there must have been clear title.<ref>Donald F. Harris, ''The Mayflower Descendant'' (July 1993) vol. 43 no. 2 p. 130</ref> It was arranged that Katherine would marry her cousin and indeed, in February 4, 1610, ([[Old Style and New Style dates|old date style]]) Katherine, 25, the last unmarried daughter of Jasper, married her cousin, seventeen year old [[Samuel More]]. The marriage papers contained the unusual mention of "without tabling" allowing Samuel to live at his own estate or elsewhere.<ref>Edwin A. Hill, PhD. ''The English Ancestry of Richard More of the Mayflower'', The New York genealogical and biographical record, (July 1905) vol 36, p. 214</ref><ref name="register">Shipton Parish Register ''Shropshire archive''.</ref> |
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At some point during this time, Samuel began working in London as secretary to Lord Edward Zouche, privy councilor, diplomat and courtier.<ref>''Acts of the Privy Council of England'', APC Col. p. 38 show Samuel More in Zouche's service as a private secretary as noted in David Lindsay, PhD., Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p.221.</ref> |
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[[File:St James Memorial Plaque.JPG|thumb|right|file size: 136 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg|Mayflower plaque in St. James Church in Shipton, Shropshire commemorating the More children baptism. courtesy of Phil Revell]] |
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== The More children == |
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Over the course of four years, Katherine had four children. There were all baptised at St. James Church, Shipton, Shropshire: |
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* [[Katherine More|Elinor or Ellen]], baptised on May 24, 1612; |
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* [[Katherine More|Jasper]] baptised on August 8, 1613; |
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* [[Richard More (Mayflower Passenger)|Richard]] baptised on November 13, 1614. |
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* [[Katherine More|Mary]]. baptised on April 16, 1616.<ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ‘''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 164 |
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Parish Record of the Shipton Shropshire Register Society. ''Ellinora Moore filia Samuelis Moore de Larden on 24 May 1612; of Josperus Moore, filius Samuelis Moore de Larden Generosi on 8 Aug. 1613 and of Ricardus Moore filius Samuel Moore de Larden on et uxoris on I3, Nov. 1614; Maria Moore, filia Samuelis More et Caterine uxoris ejus de on 16 April 1616''. |
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</ref><ref>Robert Charles Anderson. ‘’The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633’’ (New England Historical Genealogical Society Boston 1995) vol. 2 G-O p. 1282</ref> |
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== The Scandal == |
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In 1616, Samuel More accused his wife of adultery and, at the direction of his father, Richard, devised a plan to rid himself of Katherine and the children. The adultery was supposedly committed with [[Jacob Blakeway]], a young man near in age to Katherine who lived close by and whose family had been More tenants for several generations. In 1608, Jacob Blakeway and his father Edward, a [[yeoman]] had renewed a lease on a parcel of land owned by Katherine More's father, Jasper More of Larden Hall. The manor of Larden Hall was about half a mile from Brockton where the Blakeway family lived.<ref>Donald Harris PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant''. (Jan. 1994) vol. 44 no. 1 p. 12</ref> By a deed dated 20 April 1616, Samuel cut the entail on the Larden estate to prevent any of the children from inheriting. During the long court battle, Samuel would deny that he was the father of the children borne by his wife, Katherine, and stated them to be children of the adulterous relationship.<ref name="Donald F. Harris 1994 p. 14, 18">Donald F. Harris, PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant'' (Jan. 1994) vol. 44 no. 1 p. 14, 18</ref> Katherine did not deny her relationship with [[Jacob Blakeway]], stating there was a former betrothal contract with him, and therefore he was her true husband. This would have made her marriage to Samuel invalid. Samuel quotes her words in his declaration, ''though she could not sufficiently prove by witnesses yet it was all one before god as she sayed''. At that time any of the usual witnesses would have been dead.<ref name="Anthony R. Wagner 1960 p. 165">Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 165</ref> |
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In that same year, by his own account, Samuel went to his employer and a More family friend, [[Edward la Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche|Lord Zouche]], [[Council of Wales and the Marches|Lord President of the Council of Wales]], [[Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports]] and [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Counselor]], to draw up a plan for the disposition of the children.<ref>Donald F. Harris, PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant'' (July 1994) vol. 44 no. 2 p. 109</ref> Zouche had been an active member of the [[Virginia Company]] and in 1617 he invested £100 in an expedition to the [[colony of Virginia]], which is where the ''Mayflower'' was supposed to have landed. It was his actions that were instrumental in putting the More children on the ''Mayflower''.<ref>Liza Picard. ''Elizabeth's London'' (Weidenfield & Nicolson 2003). p. 196</ref><ref>Morison & Commager. ''The Growth of the American Republic'' (4th Ed., New York, 1950), vol. 1, p. 40</ref><ref>Donald F. Harris, PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant'' (published Jan. 1994) vol. 44 no. 1, p. 14. and (July 2, 1994) vol. 44 no. 2 pp. 108-110</ref> At that time, children were routinely rounded up from the streets of London or taken from poor families receiving church relief to be used as laborers in the colonies. Any legal objections to the involuntary transportation of the children were over-ridden by the Privy Council, namely, Lord Zouche. Most people thought it a death sentence and indeed, many did not survive either the voyage or the harsh climate, disease and scarcity of fresh food for which they were ill-prepared.<ref>''The Mayflower Descendant'' (July 2, 1994) vol. 44 no. 2 pp. 110, 111</ref><ref name="R.C. Johnson. 1970">R.C. Johnson. ''The Transportation of Vagrant Children from London to Virginia, 1618-1622'', in H.S. Reinmuth (Ed.), Early Stuart Studies: Essays in Honor of David Harris Willson, Minneapolis, 1970.</ref> |
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== The Removal of the Children == |
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Additionally, in 1616, Samuel More, under his father Richard's direction, removed all four children from Larden and placed them in the care of some of Richard More's tenants near Linley.<ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Children in the Mayflower'' (The London Times) June 30, 1959 pp. 11- </ref><ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 163-168</ref> The removal was shortly after the youngest child had been baptised which was on April 16. According to Samuel's statement,<ref>The More Archive - Shropshire Council</ref> the reason he sent the children away was ''as the apparent likeness & resemblance … to Jacob Blakeway'', quoting from: ''"A true declaracon of the disposing of the fower children of Katherine More sett downe by Samuell More her late husband together with the reasons movinge him thereunto accasioned by a peticon of hers to the Lord cheif Justice of England" and it is endorsed, Katherine Mores Petition to the Lord Chief Justice ...the disposing of her children to Virginia dated 1622"''.<ref name="Anthony R. Wagner 1960 pp. 165-167">Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 pp. 165-167</ref> Samuel goes on to state that, during the time the children were with the tenants, Katherine went there and engaged in a struggle to take her children back:<ref>David Lindsay, PhD. ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p. 13</ref> ''Katharine went to the tenants dwelling where her children had been sequestered, and in a hail of murderous oaths, did teare the cloathes from their backes.'' There were at least twelve actions recorded between December 1619 and July 8, 1620 when it was finally dismissed.<ref>The Shropshire Records and Research Center 1037/10/8 and 9</ref><ref>Anthony R. Wagner ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 166</ref> |
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[[Image:Provincetown - Lost Pilgrims F cropped.JPG|thumb|right|Provincetown memorial for the pilgrims that died at sea or while the ship was anchored; Jasper is third from bottom]] |
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The statement details that soon after the denial of the appeal on July 8, 1620, the children were transported from Shipton to London by a cousin of Samuel More and given into the care of [[Thomas Weston (merchant adventurer)|Thomas Weston]],“…and delivered to Philemon Powell who was intreated to deliver them to John Carver and Robert Cushman undertakers for the associats (sic) of John Peers (Pierce).<ref>William Bradford. ''History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, the second Governor of Plymouth'' (Boston. 1856 Not in copyright) p. 123</ref> for the plantacon (sic) of Virginia…” <ref>Nathaniel Philbrick ''Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War'' (Viking 2006) p. 20</ref> in whose home they would be staying while awaiting ship boarding.<ref>Charles Edward Banks. ‘’The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers’’ (Grafton Press N.Y. 1929) p. 72</ref><ref>David Lindsay, PhD., ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p. 53</ref> Thomas Weston and Philemon Powell were both poor choices, and Thomas Weston especially was quite disreputable. In later years Weston would become an enemy of the Crown.<ref name="David Lindsay 2002 pp.27,28">David Lindsay, PhD., ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) pp.27,28,54,55</ref> As the agent of the Merchant Adventurer investment group that was funding the Puritan voyage, Bradford states that Weston caused them many financial and agreement contract problems, both before and after the ''Mayflower'' sailed. Weston’s Puritan contacts for the voyage were John Carver and Robert Cushman who jointly agreed to find the children guardians among the ''Mayflower'' passengers. Carver and Cushman were agents from the Puritans to oversee preparations for the voyage <ref>Nathaniel Philbrick ''Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War'' (Viking 2006) pp. 21. 26, 42, 135</ref> with Robert Cushman’s title being Chief Agent, from 1617 until his death in 1625.<ref>Robert E. Cushman and Franklin P. Cole. ''Robert Cushman of Kent (1577-1625): Chief Agent of the Plymouth Pilgrims (1617-1625)'' (2nd Ed. Edited by Judith Swan Pub by General Society of Mayflower Descendants 2005) p. 87</ref> Within several weeks of the More children’s arrival in London, and without their mother Katherine More’s knowledge or approval, they were in the care of others on the ''Mayflower'', bound for New England.<ref name="Anthony R. Wagner 1960 pp. 165-167"/> |
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After the ''Mayflower'' sailed, Katherine made another attempt to challenge the decision through the courts. It was this legal action in early 1622 before [[James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough|Chief Justice James Ley]] which led to the statement from Samuel explaining where he sent the children and why, the historical evidence for his parent's history.<ref>Anthony R. Wagner. ''The Origin of the Mayflower Children: Jasper, Richard and Ellen More'', The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1960) vol. 114 p. 164-167</ref> |
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By a deed dated 20 April 1616, Samuel cut the entail on the Larden estate to prevent any of the ''compromised'' children from inheriting. During the long court battle, Samuel would deny that he was the father of the children borne by his wife, Katherine, and stated them to be children of the adulterous relationship.<ref name="Donald F. Harris 1994 p. 14, 18"/> Katherine never denied that she had been intimate with Jacob Blakeway, stating there was a former betrothal contract with him, and therefore he was her true husband. This would have made her marriage to Samuel invalid. Samuel quotes her words in his declaration, ''though she could not sufficiently prove by witnesses yet it was all one before god as she sayed''. At that time any of the usual witnesses would have been dead.<ref name="Anthony R. Wagner 1960 p. 165"/> |
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== The ''Mayflower'' == |
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[[File:Gravestone of Richard More.jpg|599 × 600 pixels|right|The original gravestone of ''Mayflower'' passenger Captain Richard More. |left|thumbnail]] |
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Soon after the denial of the appeal on July 8, 1620, the children were transported from Shipton to [[London]] by one of Samuel's cousins and given into the care of [[Thomas Weston (merchant adventurer)|Thomas Weston]], organizer of the ''Mayflower'' voyage.{{sfn|Lindsay|2002|p=28}} As stated several years later in a document from Samuel More telling Katherine More what had happened to her children "…and delivered to Philemon Powell who was intreated to deliver them to John Carver and Robert Cushman undertakers for the associats [''[[sic]]''] of John Peers for the plantacon [''[[sic]]''] of Virginia…” Thomas Weston and Philemon Powell were both choices that would not speak well of the Puritans judgement of people. Powell became a convicted smuggler.<ref>''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York, 2002) p 53</ref> Weston was especially disreputable. As the agent of the Merchant Adventurer investment group that was funding the Puritan voyage, he would cause them numerous financial and agreement contract problems, both before and after the ''Mayflower'' sailed.<ref name="David Lindsay 2002 pp.27,28"/> |
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Weston’s Puritan contacts for the voyage were agents [[John Carver (Mayflower Pilgrim)|John Carver]] and [[Robert Cushman (Pilgrim)|Robert Cushman]], who oversaw voyage preparations and who jointly agreed to find guardians for the children amongst the ''Mayflower'' passengers. Exactly what explanation was given for the More children's presence is not known as many ''homeless waifs from the streets of London were sent to the New World as laborers''.<ref name="R.C. Johnson. 1970"/><ref>Donald F. Harris, PhD. ''The Mayflower Descendant'' (July 1993) vol. 43 no. 2 p.124</ref><ref>Morison & Commager, ''The Growth of the American Republic'' ( 4th Ed., New York, 1950), vol. 1, p.40</ref> |
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Within several months of the arrival of the More children in London, and without their mother Katherine More's knowledge, they were in the care of others on the ''Mayflower'', bound for the New World. This would be a fateful journey, leading to the sad demise of three of the children. |
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The ''Mayflower'' set sail on September 6, 1620 from Plymouth, England and arrived at Cape Cod Harbor on November 21. At the time of the ''Mayflower'' sailing, the More children were aged between four and eight and were classed as [[indentured servants]] that were to be labor in the [[Colony of Virginia|(northern) Virginia]]. Although Virginia was their destination, winter weather and seas forced the ''Mayflower'' to finally anchor safely inside the hook tip of Cape Cod Harbor. This was after a grueling 66-day journey, marked by disease, which claimed two lives.<ref>Eugene Aubrey Stratton. ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691,'' (Ancestry Publishing, Salt Lake City, UT, 1986) p. 413</ref> |
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Three of the senior ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims took responsibility for the four More children as indentured servants: |
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* [[Katherine More|Elinor More]], Ellen More, age 8, assigned as a servant of [[Edward Winslow]]. She died in November 1620 soon after the arrival of the ''Mayflower'' at Cape Cod Harbor. Her burial place is unknown and may have been ashore on Cape Cod similarly to her brother Jasper several weeks later. With many others who died that winter, her name appears on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb, [[Coles Hill]], Plymouth, Massachusetts.<ref name="William Bradford 1856 pp. 447, 451">William Bradford. ''History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, the second Governor of Plymouth'' (Boston. 1856) Not in copyright pp. 447, 451</ref> |
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* [[Katherine More|Jasper More]], age 7, servant of John Carver. He died of a ‘common infection’ in Dec. 1620 while the ''Mayflower'' was in Cape Cod Harbor. He was buried ashore in what is now the Provincetown area. Provincetown has a memorial plaque with his name and that of four others ‘who died at sea while the ship lay at Cape Cod Harbor’ in Nov./Dec. 1620.<ref name="William Bradford 1856 pp. 447, 451"/> |
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* [[Katherine More|Mary More]], age 4, assigned as a servant of William Brewster. She died sometime in the winter of 1620/1621. Her burial place is unknown, but may been on Cole's Hill in Plymouth in an unmarked grave as with so many others buried there that winter. As with her sister Ellen, she is recognized on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb in Plymouth, misidentified after her sister's name as "and a brother (children)" - the statement of calling her "a brother" mistakenly coming from William Bradford's failing memory years after the event of her death. |
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* Richard More, age 6, servant of William Brewster. He resided with the Brewster family until about mid-1627 when his term of indentureship expired. This is about the time that his name appears, at age 14, in a census as a member of the Brewster family, in what was called then 'New Plimouth'. By 1628, Richard was in the employ of Pilgrim Isaac Allerton, who was engaged in trans-Atlantic trading. |
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Richard, the only survivor, went on to a career as an Atlantic ship-captain, supplied many colonies with goods needed to survive, and he served alongside Joseph Dudley during the [[Great Swamp Fight]] in December of 1675, a massacre of the Narragansett people living around Narragansett Bay and lived a long life, dying in the mid 1690s.<ref>David Lindsay, PhD., ''Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger amongst the Pilgrims'' (St. Martins Press, New York,2002) pp 102-104 and pp. 25-27,102-104,150-152</ref> |
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== References == |
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{{reflist|3}} |
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{{navbox Mayflower}} |
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:More children and the ''Mayflower''}} |
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[[Category:1612 births]] |
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[[Category:1613 births]] |
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[[Category:1614 births]] |
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[[Category:1616 births]] |
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[[Category:1620 deaths]] |
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[[Category:1621 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Mayflower passengers]] |
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[[Category:People from Shropshire]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:39, 4 May 2015
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