

It an amazing story of Providence and the skill of English seamen that dozens of Atlantic ocean passages were made in little wooden ships bringing our Puritan ancestors to America almost without mishap in the 1630s; the unhappy exception being the harrowing story of the Angel Gabriel, 1635, which met a terrible storm and cast up on the coast of Maine with only a few survivors.
There were perhaps 30,000 emigrants from England to New England before the English Civil War. These people were mainly from the English middle-class, self-reliant and motivated to find a place where they might live, worship, and raise their families without government harassment. This movement of people is called The Great Migration.
Also known as the Suzan and Ellin, the captain ("Master") was Edward Payne. She set sail 11 March 1635 from London for New England, outfitted by Sir Richard Saltonstall, Lord Mayor of London. His son, Sir Richard, Jr., had already served as assistant Governor of Massachusetts and it was this son, his wife and nine-month-old daughter, who accompanied the 1635 voyagers and later settled in Ispwich, Massachusetts.
In the Suzan and Ellin, Edward Payne Mr. for New England. Theis p'ties hereunder expressed have brought Certificate from the Minister and Justices of their Conformitie and that they are no Subsedy men.
Theis under written names are to be transported to New England imbarqued in the Suzan and Ellin Edward Payne Mr. The p';ties have brought Certificates from ye Ministers and Justices of the peace of they are no Subsedy men: and are conformable to ye orders and discipline of the Church of England.
First Name; Surname ; Years ; Occupation:
Theis under written names are to be transported to New England, imbarqued in ye Suzan and Ellin, Edward Payne Mr. The p'ties have brought Certificates from the minister of the p'ish of their conformitie to the Church of England, and that they are no Subsedy men: The p'ties have taken the oaths of Allegeance and Supremacie.
Common words in these lists are "uxor" meaning "wife", "mr" for "Master" (of the ship). Many names are abbreviated. A partial name with a colon after it was one of the ways people at the time indicated that they were omitting letters. Some of the abbreviated names on this list are:
Eliza: = Elizabeth
Eliz: = Elizabeth
ffra: = Ephraim
Geo. = George
Jo: = John
Kat: = Katherine
Margare: = Margaret
Nico: = Nicholas
Rich. = Richard
Rich: = Richard
Robt = Robert
Tho: = Thomas
Wm = William
Willm = William
Also, spelling was very fluid at that time. People often spelled their own names - even their surnames - differently every time they wrote them. Partly this was because most people simply didn't write very often; and also spelling just was not standardized as it is today. An examples from this list is the Pinder/Pynder family group. Within the same family, all traveling together, their surnames were spelled both ways on this passenger list. When looking for an ancestor, be sure to check as many different spellings for their name as possible. Some spellings that were used in this list are below, with their current spellings:
Barnabie =Barnaby
Burd = Bird
Dyonis = Dennis
Ellin = Ellen
Hanna = Hannah
Katherin = Katherine, Catherine
Lambart = Lambert
Lumus = Loomis
Merriall = Muriel
Nathaniell =Nathaniel
Precilla = Priscilla
Percivall = Percival
Samvel = Samuel
Skofield = Schofield
Suzan =Susan
Symon = Simon
Thomazin=Thomasine or Thomasina