The Mayflower departs from Southampton

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In August 1620, the Mayflower and her companion vessel the Speedwell departed from Southampton on the first leg of their voyage to establish an English colony in the New World. The Pilgrim settlers, a group of religious separatists seeking freedom to practise their faith, had assembled in Southampton to provision their ships and finalise their plans. The voyage marked one of the most consequential departures in the history of English-speaking civilisation. The departure from Southampton was not straightforward. The Speedwell proved unseaworthy and the two ships were forced to put into Dartmouth and then Plymouth for repairs. The Speedwell was eventually abandoned, and only the Mayflower continued across the Atlantic with 102 passengers, landing at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts in November 1620. The colony they established became the foundation of New England. Southampton's role as the starting point of the Mayflower voyage is commemorated by a memorial pillar on Town Quay, near the spot where the ships were provisioned. The Mayflower connection links Southampton to Plymouth (both English and American) and to the broader story of English colonisation and religious liberty.