Shropshire

When the set sail for America in 1620, it carried the four young children of Katherine More of Larden Hall in Shipton, Shropshire. The baptisms of Elenor, Jasper, Richard and Mary are recorded in the Shipton parish register, which today survives in Shropshire Archives. And the sad story of their banishment by Katherine’s husband Samuel, who suspected he was not their biological father, is being remembered at various events across the county this year as part of the Mayflower 400 Project (). Two of the four children died during the voyage; a third passed away after arrival in America. Richard survived, going on to have a long career as a sailor, ship owner and merchant. He also seems to have been a bigamist, since records indicate that he had a wife on both sides of the Atlantic.