Mayflower expert says Harwich's trail detailing links to voyage display 'major errors'

Julian Whybra, who spent 12 years researching the voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers from the UK to the New World in 1620, hit out at Harwich’s Mayflower Trail.

The trail includes boards detailing the town’s links to the famous ship and were installed to mark the 400th anniversary of the voyage.

Harwich’s proudest link to the Mayflower lies with the ship’s captain, Christopher Jones, who hailed from the town and whose house can still be seen in King’s Head Street.

But, in one of 20 alleged errors, Mr Whybra said the boards display an incorrect portrait of the captain.

“The image used twice for Christopher Jones is actually taken from the 1625 portrait of Myles Standish, the Pilgrims’ military commander,” he said.

“There is no known portrait of Master Jones.”

The ‘first record’ of the ship is claimed to have been made in 1608 on one board, but Mr Whybra said a record exists from February 1606.

Mr Whybra said there is no proof passengers John Alden and Richard Gardiner came from Harwich, despite claims made on the boards.

“The image labelled John Alden, used on two panels, is actually taken from a 1904 sketch based on an 1884 drawing,” he said.

“There is no known portrait of Alden.”

Mr Whybra, whose research culminated in the publication of a book, also said one board’s claim the first Thanksgiving occurred on November 26, 1621, is a “total nonsense”.

Alex Porter, Tendring councillor responsible for leisure and tourism, said: “The content has all been researched with much taken from other publications and research from books produced by the Harwich Society and others, along with supporting overall historical narrative from the Mayflower Compact and our international partners.”

He added: “We understand academics have different interpretations of historical events and that it will always cause debate.

“This is to be encouraged.”