[November 26, 2015] Captain Christopher Jones was born about 1570 to the father of a mariner and ship owner. After the early death of his father, Jones inherited interest in the British ship Marie Fortune upon reaching the age of 18. Married twice and having a number of children, his legacy might have ended there but he was hired to sail his ship that was to be famous in American history.
British records of King James show that in 1605 Jones was master and part owner of another ship called the Mayflower of Harwich. Jones made a considerable sum of money by transporting French and Dutch wine to London England. But due to poor economic conditions in Europe in the late 1610s, the wine trade began to decline. He took the ship whaling in the North Atlantic and traveled to Mediterranean Sea ports to help make ends meet.
In the summer of 1620 Thomas Weston chartered the Mayflower to undertake a voyage for some pilgrims. With a crew of about 40 and beginning with 65 passengers Captain Jones began the first leg of a voyage to the Commonwealth of Virginia. After a problem with a sister ship some of the passengers transferred to Jones’ ship bringing the total passengers to 102. After 66 days of fighting gales and with a damaged ship, the Mayflower finally anchored at Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 11, 1620; far north of their intended destination.1
Nearly half the Pilgrims died that first winter but, assisted by local Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer. They declared a three-day feast to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (services were held as early as 1607 in Virginia), it was America’s first Thanksgiving Festival.2
As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, we should also give thanks to Captain Christopher Jones who helped make the beginning of the United States possible.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Jones_(Mayflower_captain)
- http://christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g007.html