The ship named "The Fortune" was the second English ship destined for Plymouth Colony, arriving one year after the Mayflower in 1621. The voyage was financed by the London-based Merchant Adventurers, the same group that financed the Mayflower's journey. The ship was much smaller than the Mayflower, displacing only 55 tons. The master of the ship was Thomas Barton.
The Fortune embarked on its journey from London and after a four-month voyage, it reached Cape Cod on November 9, 1621, and arrived at the Plymouth Colony later that month. The ship transported thirty-five settlers to the colony. The arrival of the ship caused quite a stir among the colonists and the Native Americans, as it was unexpected and initially suspected to be a threat.
The passenger list of the Fortune included individuals such as:
Notably, only two women, Mrs. Martha Ford and Elizabeth Bassett, are known to have been on the ship.
After staying at Plymouth for about three weeks, the Fortune departed for England on December 13, 1621. However, due to a navigation error, the ship was overtaken and seized by a French warship in January 1622. The passengers and crew were held under guard in France for about a month, and the ship's cargo was taken. The Fortune finally arrived back in the Thames on February 17, 1622.
-----------------------------------------------------------------The "Mayflower" had sailed for America in 1620 with 103 people on board, and half of them died during the first winter through cold, malnutrition, and disease. The "Mayflower" had returned to London empty, with news of what had happened. Some of the original settlers from Leyden in Holland had been left in London when the Mayflower sailed and they, with the help of Sir Edwin Sandys and William and Edward Hilton quickly recruited the tradesmen and their families, that were needed to make the colony survive. Edward Hilton, a fishmonger and member of the Fishmongers Guild of London found them a ship and together with his cousin William Hilton, from Biddick in the "Original" Washington, England, a seasoned fisherman, salter and shipbuilder, who knew the fishing grounds off Cape Cod, they embarked without detailed maps and charts on the "The Fortune" to find the settlers on the other side of the Atlantic.
The "Fortune" left London about August and found the settlers at Cape Cod November 9th, 1621. This is how they found the settlers from the "Mayflower" who had survived; "- They were in low condition, many were ragged in apparel and some little better than half naked, though some that were well stored before were well enough in this regard. But for food, they were all alike, save some that had got a few peas of the ship that was last here. The best dish they could present their friends with was a lobster or a piece of fish without bread or anything else but a cup of fair spring water. And the long continuance of this diet, and their labours abroad, had something abated the freshness of their former complexion" (Source - The Mayflower - Kate Caffrey 1974).
The Fortune returned to London with a cargo of clapboard as good as she could stow although she was robbed by French pirates of her cargo on her return to England. Edward Hilton carried back this letter for Anthony Hilton, Master mariner of South Shields on the North East Coast of England.
"Loving Cousin,
At our arrival at New Plymouth, in New England, we found all our friends and planters in good health, though they were left sick and weak, with very small means; the Indians round about us peaceable and friendly; the country very pleasant and temperate, yielding naturally, of itself, great store of fruits, as vines of divers sorts, in great abundance. There is likewise walnuts, chestnuts, small nuts and plums, with much variety of flowers, roots and herbs, no less pleasant than wholesome and profitable. No place hath more gooseberries and strawberries, nor better. Timber of all sorts you have in England doth cover the land, that affords beasts of divers sorts, and great flocks of turkeys, quails, pigeons and partridges; many great lakes abounding with fish, fowl, beavers, and otters. The sea affords us great plenty of all excellent sorts of sea-fish, as the rivers and isles doth variety of wild fowl of most useful sorts. Mines we find, to our thinking; but neither the goodness nor quality we know. Better grain cannot be than the Indian corn, if we will plant it upon as good ground as a man need desire. We are all freeholders; the rent-day doth not trouble us; and all those good blessings we have, of which and what we list in their seasons for taking. Our company are, for the most part, very religious, honest people; the word of God sincerely taught us ever Sabbath; so that I know not any thing a contented mind can here want. I desire your friendly care to send my wife and children to me, where I wish all the friends I have in England; and so I rest
Your loving kinsman,
William Hilton"
More settlers were recruited in London and Anthony Hilton brought William Hilton's wife and two children, Master William and Mistress Mary Hilton from Biddick in Washington to London. Anthony left his mother and sister with his cousin, the Rector of Hurworth and Vicar of Sockburn on the river Tees near Darlington, and took a commission to sail to Virginia himself carrying 40 passengers for Jamestown.
William Hilton's family sailed aboard either the Anne or the Little James crammed with supplies for the newly established settlement at Plymouth which arrived on Cape Cod in 1623. William Hilton's family moved to Hiltons Point, now known as Dover in 1624 and became the first settlers in what is today NEW HAMPSHIRE.
This is the letter Anthony Hilton wrote to his mother from the Isle of Wight settlement in Virginia in 1623; Anthony Hilton. Letter to his Mother. 4th May 1623.
From the Isle of Waight this 4th of May 1623.
Loveing mother my humble dutie vnto you remembred, desireing your dailie praters to God for me. My last letter I hope you haue long since receiued, wherein I writt you of my intended voyage for Virginia, that hopefull, and happie soile: for wch voyage this day being the 4th of Maye and the Sabboth day wee haueing the wynd faire (that messenger of God) haue dispensed with the Saboth and hoised vp saile this daye and sailed some part of our Journeye, But you may now please to vnderstand, that my honest Carefull, and loveing Maister John Hart my first, and onelie best maister, hath wrought for me better hopes then formerlie I writ you of for my preferment, wch is that by his liberall Comendacon of me, and earnest Intreatie for me, As also that good likeing wch that hopefull and religious Gentleman Mr Gabriell Barbor* marchant of London, and a man of great Estate, hath entertayned of me, haueing had some Conference with him, Concerninge my parte and abilitye of performance in his hopefull Imploymente, hath verie willinglie entertayned me, and taken me bound vnto him for some yeares, to make me a ffreeman of London And hath set forwarde provideing me of all necessaryes for our intended voyage, wch is in a good ship named the Bonnie Besse, built at the Cowes in the Isle of Wight being a new ship of fourescore and ten Tunnes, or thereabout, full fraught with all kind of prouision for 2 yeares, as also with 45 brave gallant Gentlemen, and some of them their Wyues, and Children with them richlie set forwarde for to plant in Virginia. (...) But now to retourne vn to a relacon of what wee intend, it wilbe tedious, yet thus much in short. Wee are first to land our Passengers and their goods in Virginia wch done wee are to proceed vpon the discouerie of that famous river named Hudsons river, first found out by him, yet never was he further then in the mouth thereof, wher hath beene had rich Trade for Beaver skins, pearles, and dyamonde and manie other rich Comodityes, And indeed wch river by the probable Conjecture of manie and learned Navigators is the verie passage Called the Northwest Passage so often sought after by the Northerne Seas, yet never found , wch Wee are by Comission from rthe Lord of Southampton Governour of the Companie and other the Learned Councell, and diuers great lorde to discouer the verie topp and head of that River, and if wee ther find anie straungers as Hollanders or other wch is thought this yeare doe Adventure there, we are to giue them fight, and spoile, and sincke them downe into the Sea, wch to doe, Wee are well prouided with a lustie ship stout seamen, and great Ordnance I pray God prosper us therein, and I hope we shall returne with rich loadeinge, a famous discouerie, and much Credit euerie Way. Wch our retourne wilbe I hope about 2 yeares hence, if not sooner,...
yoreuer obedient sonne Anthonie Hilton.