Pilgrims set off from Cornwall, not Plymouth, says historian

THE Mayflower, which transported the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620, may not have left Plymouth after all but set sail from Cornwall, in claims set to infuriate proud Devonians.

It has always been believed that the Devon port was the English Puritans’ last stop in the Old World.

However, John Chapman, 72, a historian, says research suggests the ship stopped for fresh water in Newlyn before heading out to sea, confirming a theory subscribed to by residents in the Cornish seaside fishing port.

Claiming a respected librarian who died in 1989 had uncovered the truth, he said: “Bill Best Harris had unrivalled access to a vast amount of historical information.

“It is commonly accepted that Bill believed that he had uncovered the location where Mayflower finally made ready for the voyage – not at Plymouth but at Newlyn instead. He said Plymouth was racked by a cholera outbreak at the time, which would have made it an unlikely landing place.

“A port well away from Plymouth was needed to obtain fresh water and offload the cargo that was causing the ship to be dangerously overloaded.

“Apparently Bill did establish a connection but all his research was lost when his weekend home was destroyed by fire. As a result, his findings are subject to debate but the evidence must be out there somewhere.”

Luke Pollard, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: “The documentary evidence [for] Plymouth is considerable and so I don’t fear our claim is at risk. We love our Cornish brothers and sisters dearly, but on this occasion, I think we will have to agree to disagree on the Mayflower.”