2005 Trip to the UK - Scrooby and Bawtry Pictures

2005 Trip to the UK - Scrooby and Bawtry Pictures

SCROOBY

Of great interest to Jeanne as one of the major villages involved in the setting sail of the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower in 1619….here is a brief history:

Pioneers of religious tolerance and greater freedom of worship, the Pilgrim Fathers set up one of the first colonies in North America in a bid to escape persecution in

England

. Each year,

America

celebrates the anniversary of their first harvest at Thanksgiving and the102 original passengers of the Mayflower are thought to have more than a million descendants in the

today. Scrooby postmaster William Brewster and Richard Clyfton, a parson from Babworth, were part of a local group – called the Separatists – who wanted to reform the church system in

England

. All Saints’ Church in Babworth is closely tied to the origins of the Separatists. Richard Clyfton was parson here from 1586 to 1605 and William Brewster and William Bradford – who would eventually become Governor of the new colony, 3,000 miles away – were among his friends. Following the Pilgrims’ Way north from Babworth leads to Scrooby, home to William Brewster before his epic journey. He lived at Scrooby Manor House after inheriting his father’s position as bailiff to the Archbishops' estates and held meetings of the Scrooby Separatists Congregation here from 1606–1607. The Separatists met in secret, fearing persecution for their beliefs. In 1607, many of the group decided to move to the

Netherlands

, a country that was far more accepting of unorthodox religious beliefs. But, twelve years later, the economic situation of the group, who had settled in Leyden, was bleak. The decision was made to move on. Thirty five of the original Scrooby Separatists joined the Mayflower at Plymouth and made the arduous crossing to the New World. Scrooby's link to the Separatists was overlooked for 250 years after the initial Mayflower voyage. It was not until the Victorian period, around 1860, that relatives retracing their roots back to the area visited Scrooby. The largest number of people to visit the village came in 1970 on the 350th anniversary of the crossing. In Scrooby, there are a number of plaques dedicated to the Separatists.

Jeanne stood outside the Church at Scrooby, the starting place for many of the Pilgrim Fathers

St. Wilfrid's Church at Scrooby - Note the spelling, the "I" rather than an "E" is correct.

BAWTRY

Bawtry has been a market town since it was granted its first charter in 1213. In the middle ages, the roads were so bad that the rivers were preferred as a means of transport. In 1379 Bawtry was a growing port and it continued to develop its river trade until 1777 when traffic bound for the Rivers Trent and Humber was re-routed onto the newly opened Chesterfield Canal. After the Turnpike Act of 1759, the roads improved and stage coaches ran regular services from stage to stage. Bawtry was one of these stages. In 1890 the town hall was built for public functions. It could hold four hundred and fifty people, and is now home to Bawtry's Flower and Plant sales. Swan Street was named after what was probably the oldest and largest of the Bawtry coaching inns. All that remains is the dovecot (now part of The Gift Shop down the courtyard).