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Christopher Martin (c. 1582-1621).〔''A genealogical profile of Christopher Martin,'' (a collaboration of Plimoth Plantation and New England Historic Genealogical Society accessed2013) ''()''〕 He and his family embarked on the historic 1620 voyage of the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'' on its journey to the New World. He was initially the governor of passengers on the ship ''Speedwell'' until that ship was found to be unseaworthy, and later on the ''Mayflower'', until replaced by John Carver. He was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact. He and his family all perished in the first winter at Plymouth Colony.〔Eugene Aubrey Stratton, ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620–1691,'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 323〕〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) pp. 185-186〕 == Early life == Christopher Martin first appears in the records of Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex, England, with his 1607 marriage to a widow by the name of Mary Prower.〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) p. 183〕〔〔 Per Banks, according to Bradford he “came from Billirike in Essexe, from which partes came sundrie others to goe with them.”〔Charles Edward Banks, ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers'' (Boston: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2006), p. 70〕 He was a merchant by trade, but without the required seven year apprenticeship, which caused him problems when he was sued, probably in 1607 in Quarter Sessions Court, by another merchant George Hilles. The result of the suit is not known, but Martin did manage to build his estate significantly over the following years.〔〔Nick Bunker, ''Making Haste from Babylon: The ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims and their New World a History'' (New York: Knopf 2010), p. 268〕 Martin and his wife Mary had their only child together, Nathaniel, born probably in 1609 in Great Burstead. To their marriage Mary also brought a son from her prior marriage, Solomon Prower, probably a young child. In 1609 Christopher Martin was one of those men with property holdings who were selected to appear at the archdeacons Visitation of that year. 〔 In 1611 Martin was appointed churchwarden at Great Burstead, a position of which he may have been appointed on an involuntary basis. At Easter in 1612, Martin and his wife refused to kneel at the Easter Service and to take Holy Communion. This refusal to participate in Anglican church ceremonies indicated very early his Puritan views. This particular incident did not seem to cause issues for him within the community since a month later he was admitted as a land owner of three properties in Great Burstead by the Manorial Court.〔〔 The records of the Virginia Company in London state that on January 15, 1616/17 Christopher Martin paid monies for the transportation of two people with a man named Ralph Hamor. It is unknown who Martin paid to transport to the Colony of Virginia.〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) pp. 183-184〕 Records indicate that he was residing in Billericay in 1620 and it is noted that his family was having problems with the church again, this time for the behavior of his son Nathanial and step-son Solomon. This was in regard to the boys contrary answers to questions put to them by the vicar during their confirmation ritual. On March 3, 1620 Martin was prosecuted in the Archidiaconal Court “for suffering his son (Solomon Prower) to the answer (the Archdeacon) that his father gave him his name.” Then Martin himself was cited by church officials for not providing the financial accounts he maintained during the time he was the churchwarden. Problems with financial records would follow him later with the ''Mayflower'' voyage preparations.〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) p. 184〕〔 About this time, presumably in early 1620, Martin was making arrangements for his family to emigrate to America, purchasing four shares in the Virginia Company from George Percy, which was enough to take himself and three others – his wife and two sons - with him on the ''Mayflower''. Why his son Nathaniel did not travel with the family on the ''Mayflower'' is unknown – although the possibility exists that he had died, there is also speculation per Stratton that Nathaniel may well have been alive in England in 1620 and just did not accompany the family when the ''Mayflower'' departed. Nothing further is known of him.〔〔Eugene Aubrey Stratton, ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620–1691,'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 324〕 Christopher Martin had begun selling off his land holdings, in preparation for departure from England, several years before he boarded the ''Mayflower''. One such sale was dated June 22, 1617 and the last sale was June 8, 1620.〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) p. 184〕 Due to his somewhat wealthy estate, interest in emigrating to the Colony of Virginia and being at odds with the Anglican Church, Martin associated himself with the London merchants, known as Merchant Adventurers, who were providing financial investment and arranging the emigration and settlement in America of the Leiden congregation.〔Caleb H. Johnson, ''The Mayflower and her passengers'' (Indiana:Xlibris Corp., Caleb Johnson, 2006) p. 184〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Christopher Martin (Mayflower passenger)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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