Great Migration: Passengers of the Hercules, 1634

Replica of the 17th century ship Godspeed

An 88-foot replica of the ship that brought the first English colonists to America. The Good Ship Hercules would have been similar (although the statue of Liberty wouldn't have been there in the 17th century!!)

The Good Ship Hercules In 1634, people embarked at Sandwich for New England on the 'Good ship Hercules of Sandwich'. The following is a passenger list, taken from 'History of Sandwich, by W. BOYS, 1792, pp. 750-1'.

List and Register Of all such persons as embarked themselves in the good ship called the HERCULES, of Sandwich, of the burthen of 200 tons, John Witherley, master, and therein transported from Sandwich to the plantation called New England in America; with the certificates from the ministers where they last dwelt of their conversation, and conformity to the orders and discipline of the church, and that they had taken the oath of allegiance and supremacy. (The certificates, all dated February and March, 1634, are here omitted.)

Masters of Families. Children. Servants.

1. NATHANIAL TILDEN of Tenterden, yeoman, and Seven children, Seven servants, LYDIA his wife
2. JONAS AUSTEN of Tenterden and CONSTANCE his wife Four children.
3. ROBERT BROOK of Maidstone, mercer, and ANNE his wife. Seven children.
4. THOMAS HEYWARD of Aylesford, taylor, and SUSANNAH his wife Five children.
5. WILLIAM WITHERELL of Maidstone, schoolmaster, and MARY his wife Three children One servant
6. FANNET ...... of Ashford, hemp-dresser
7. THOMAS BONEY and HEN. EWELL of Sandwich, shoemakers
8. WILLIAM HATCH of Sandwich, merchant, and JANE his wife Five children Six servants
9. SAMUEL HINKLEY of Tenterden and SARAH his wife Four children.
10. ISAAC COLE of Sandwich, carpenter, and JOAN his wife Two children.
11. THOMAS CHAMPION of Ashford
12. THOMAS BESBEECH of Sandwich Six children Three servants
13. JNO. LEWIS of Tenterden and SARAH his wife One child
14. PARNEL HARRIS of Bow London
15. JAMES SAYERS of Northbourn, taylor
16. COMFORT STARRE of Ashford, chirurgion, Three children Three servants
17. JOS. ROOTES of Great Chart
18. EM. MASON of Eastwell, widow
19. MARGARET. wife of WILLIAM JOHNNES late of Sandwich, now of New England, painter
20. JNO. BEST of the said parish, taylor.
21. THOMAS BRIDGEN of Faversham, husbandman, and ...... his wife

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The following is a short history of the Hercules passenger list, taken from a great website, "English-America," that is now sadly defunct.

The list has a history of numerous updates, each published, some reprinted, and separately corrected in various publications. One list, copied from the original records of Sandwich, co. Kent, England, was found later to be partial (in that the numbers of children and servants were given, rather than names). A copy of the list was made by William Boys (in his "History of Sandwich," 1786.) James Savage included a copy of Boys' list in an article ("Gleanings for New England History," 1843.) The Boys' list was also printed in Samuel Drake's "Founders of New England" (1860) and in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEGHR, 1861.) The "Somerby Manuscripts" contain a copy made from Boys' "History of Sandwich." These sources were duplicated in other various publications, including Drake's version in John C. Hotten's book (1874.) A copy was finally made from the original list at Sandwich, England by J. A. Jacobs, a curator there. That list contained some differences in names and numbers of people, and included the names missing from the other lists. The "complete" Sandwich list was provided to the NEHGR by Eben Putnam for publication (1921), with the note that Hotten had not included it in his book. Then an additional article by Elizabeth Bartlett, who had copied them from the Sandwich original in 1911, was printed in the NEHGR providing many corrections to the Putnam list (and noting that Hotten had included the other list.)

Links

• http://www.open-sandwich.co.uk/town_history/hercules.htm
• http://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/hercules1.htm