Governor Bradford Gets a Break

In the early days of Plymouth Colony, finding leaders was no easy task. It was so difficult that in 1633, Plymouth enacted a law that required anyone who was voted in as a governor or council member to accept the position or face fines or taxes. Just months after they first landed, Governor John Carver fell ill while working in the field, dying days later. It was then that William Bradford was thrust into leadership of the colony while still recovering from his own illness. 

Bradford guided the community for twelve years before he finally got a break from his tiring work as governor on January 1, 1633. Edward Winslow, a dependable leader and diplomat, was then chosen to replace him. 

Despite the challenges of finding leaders, the Plymouth Colony continued to grow but was outpaced by the newer Puritan colony to the north. John Winthrop's colony had more strict rules regarding who could vote or hold office, requiring individuals to be acknowledged members of the Puritan congregation to be considered full citizens.

Bradford's respite from the governorship was well-deserved, but short-lived. He was voted in several times again throughout his career. His legacy as a leader continued long after his time as governor. He served intermittently for about 30 years between 1621 and 1657 and even served as a commissioner of the United Colonies of New England on multiple occasions, and twice as president. The weary leader's work proved critical to the survival and success of the Plymouth Colony. 

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“I am not able to bear all this people alone, for it is too heavy for me.”

(Numbers 11:14; 1599 Geneva Bible)

A Gruesome Coroner's Report

Rachel Ramsden of Plymouth Colony happily went on an errand for her neighbor, Alice. When she returned with the buttermilk Alice requested, there was blood on the ladder leading to a child’s sleeping loft. Four-year-old Martha was dead. The coroner’s jury reported their findings to the Plymouth Court on August 1, 1648. Alice Bishop killed her daughter.

The jury said, “We declare, that upon entering the house of Richard Bishop, we saw at the foot of a ladder... much blood.” When they climbed up to the loft, they found little Martha in her nightgown “with her throat cut..., and a bloody knife lying by the side of the child.”

In a chilling confession, Alice “confessed she did commit the aforesaid murder, and is sorry for it,” but she claimed no memory of it. She was swiftly convicted and sentenced to hang, making Alice Bishop the first woman to be executed in the colonies. The shocked community could never discover a motive.

Theories abound regarding the factors that may have contributed to Alice's actions: depression, psychosis, the Puritanical expectations of perfection, or perhaps a mother’s common stresses with all the constant physical labor in New England’s rugged frontier. Alice’s struggles may have been intensified by unresolved mourning, common among immigrants facing anxiety from the drastic changes. To this day no one knows why Martha’s young life was taken by her own mother. Two months after the jury reported their findings, Alice was hanged from the branch of a tree. 

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"So is it not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

(Matthew 18:14; 1599 Geneva Bible)

They Chose Plymouth

Exhausted from two months at sea and weeks of waiting along the coast in the cramped and stinking ship, the Pilgrims were desperate to get on land, but first they had to choose a home. Adding urgency to their decision was the pressure from the Mayflower’s crew. The sea-beaten sailors were already agitated at the long delays and weeks of futile searching along the coast for an ideal location that may not exist. After all, their ship was blown hundreds of miles north of their destination. 

Recent history made the Pilgrims extra cautious in their choice. To the south was Jamestown, the struggling colony that seemed always on the verge of collapse. And the chilling tale of Roanoke, the village that disappeared without a trace, haunted their memories.

After weeks of wintry exploration, one location looked most promising. Named by English explorer John Smith, Plymouth offered fresh water springs, abundant fish and fowl, and endless trees for lumber. With a hilltop location that gave them security and a natural protective harbor, the Pilgrims chose Plymouth for their fledgling colony on December 20, 1620. 

Additionally, with all the other benefits, the land was already cleared off and prepared for fresh crops and new homes. It seemed as if Plymouth was a gift from God. Later they learned the real reason why the land was ready for habitation. A few years earlier the thriving village of Patuxet stood there, but the population was decimated by the diseases brought over from Europe.  

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“Joshua and Caleb “spake unto all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we walked through to search it, is a very good land. If the Lord love us, he will bring us into this land, and give it us, which is a land that floweth with milk and honey.” 

(Numbers 14:6-8; 1599 Geneva Bible)

“According to the grace of God given to me, as a skillful master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon: but let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it.” 

(1 Corinthians 3:10; 1599 Geneva Bible)