Welcome to the town! how do you fare? Are you just passing through, or mayhaps you are desiring to settle in this wilderness.

The 1627 English Village is a re-creation of the small farming town built by English Colonists in the midst of the Wampanoag homeland. Find yourself immersed in the year 1627, just seven years after the voyage of the Mayflower. In the village you will be surrounded by the modest timber-framed houses, fragrant raised-bed gardens, well tended livestock and fascinating townspeople of Plymouth Colony, the first permanent settlement in New England.

The people you will meet are costumed role players who have taken on the names, viewpoints, and life histories of the people who actualy lived in the colony in 1627, popularly known as the “Pilgrims” today. Each one has a unique story to tell, learn about the colony’s difficult beginnings or discover the gossip of the day. Ask about religious beliefs, medical practices or relations with the local Wompanoag People. Talk to a houswife and learn what a “pottage” is, or see how a duck or bluefish is cooked on the hearth. Help a young colonist pull up a few weeds in a cornfield, mix daub with your feet for a house under construction, or just relax on a bench enjoying the unique atmosphere of the 17th century New Plymouth.

Your visit to the year 1627 is self guided, so feel free to wander around the village at your own pace. Do not be afraid to walk in on colonists as they eat, question them as they work, or join a lively conservation in the street. Most of the objects in and around houses are modern reproductions designed for everyday use and can be handled gently. You needn’t be an expert on the language of Shakespeare to pose a question either. Just ask and see what happens - you may be called upon to define “bathroom” or even explain what a “Pilgrim” is. You may be surprised at what you learn.

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The first half of the voyage was actually fairly smooth. The wind and weather were good for sailing, and they made good progress. Aside from sea-sickness, the health of the passengers was generally very good. One of the sailors, however, continually laughed and scoffed at the passengers, "cursing them daily" and saying that he hoped to throw their dead bodies overboard and take their belongings for himself. But it turned out that this sailor would be the first to get sick and die: Passenger William Bradford wrote "it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head, ... for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him."

THE VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWER

After they had sailed more than half way to America, the Mayflower began to encounter a number of bad storms, which began to make the ship very leaky, causing many of the passengers below deck to be continually cold and damp.  During one of the storms, a main beam in the middle of the ship cracked, causing some of the passengers and crew to wonder if the ship was strong enough to make all the way to America.  But Master Christopher Jones felt his ship was strong, and so they fixed the main beam with a large screw, caulked the leaky decks as best they could, and continued on.