So you think you are a Homesteader Part 15

By Unicoi Ludd

So you think you're a homesteader? - Lessons from the MAYFLOWER..... Our last look at the colonist's was as they buried Edward Thompson, the 2nd passenger to die & the first to die in America. It's now December 5th 1620 and the pressure is on to find a site for their colony, the Shallop is repaired & preparations for an extended search for a site are under way when a young hooligan named Francis Billington decides to play around with his fathers "fowler" (shotgun) and accidentally discharges the weapon below deck. Near by are "many people" & a barrel of gunpowder, fortunately no one is hurt. Young Master Billington will prove to be quite a handful, but for now we'll leave him. The next day, Jasper More, a boy servant to Governor Carver, dies and is buried ashore. The exploration party also leaves this day determined to find a place to settle, the best map available to them was that of John Smith of the Jamestown colony and is pictured below. The next day, Dec. 7 , Dorothy Bradford, wife of William Bradford , who is away with the exploring party, falls overboard and drowns. Much speculation on Mrs. Bradford's death has been made, was it an accident or suicide ? Little is said about the incident and unlike the other deaths, no mention is made of her burial service even though her body was recovered. Who can say ? Certainly this was a rough time for everyone, a cold & bleak harbor, no place to settle, widespread illness and 2 deaths in as many days, fear & perhaps despair wouldn't be unusual. The next day, Dec. 8 Master James Chilton dies, the first head of household to die, and left behind a wife and 2 daughters. The effects of scurvy, exposure to cold & wet, respiratory infections and possibly leptospirosis are beginning the relentless harvest. Dec. 4 -8, 4 days & 4 dead out of 102 colonist's, almost a 4% mortality and they haven't even started a colony. Besides the obvious lesson of "don't let children play with guns", I'd like us to consider Dorothy Bradford. Not whether her death was accidental or suicide but rather the emotional state that we can all fall into. She had followed her husband on this extraordinary voyage, leaving her son behind in Leyden rather than risk his life. We've seen how difficult the voyage was, the setbacks, hardships and now arriving at the wrong destination. A cold and inhospitable land, illness affecting them all and now her husband gone and friends dying around her daily. Nothing about this dream of freedom is going as planed. For all our hopes & dreams, no matter how well you plan & prepare, sometimes nothing goes right. Whatever you're long term homesteader goals are, accept that things will go wrong, it's not the end of the world, don't let the setbacks & mistakes bring you down. Cuss, cry & get drunk if you want, but get up with the sun the next day and learn from your mistakes, adjust the plan and know that everyday is a new chance. Life will kick you enough, don't add to the problem by kicking yourself, learn, get better and don't give up.