Item List (54)

The main events of Manchester’s Mayflower Tercentenary took place over the week of September 18th to 25th. First was a young people’s demonstration in Cross Street Chapel, held on Saturday the 18th. On the following Monday, there was a large public…

Although the months of September, October, and November 1920 marked the high point of the Mayflower tercentenary, celebratory events continued to be held in the winter and even into 1921. In the case of Manchester, the performance of Hugh Parry’s…

Interest in the Pilgrim Fathers was growing among Congregationalists on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 19th century. In 1891, the first International Congregational Council was held in London - an opportunity for Americans to tour the Pilgrim…

Written by Canon Leville Lovett and his daughter Myra, ‘John Alden’s Choice’ was the crowning glory of Southampton’s 1920 celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. Staged four times by a large cast of 444 amateur…

Immingham, in Lincolnshire, lies on the southern bank of the Humber Estuary. Between 1841 and 1901, the population of the village barely increased, staying at a constant of around 220-240 people. But the construction of the Immingham Docks…

Historical pageants, a sort of amateur re-enactment, were incredibly popular forms of engagement with the past in the early to mid 20th century. They usually took the form of a series of chronological episodes, often starting as far back as the…

The Fairhaven Congregational Church was opened in 1912, perhaps the peak period for Congregationalism in Britain. Known locally as ‘the White Church’ for good reason, its tall tower and three domes are built in a striking Byzantine style. But, as the…

Lowestoft’s celebration for the Mayflower anniversary in 1920 was held under the auspices of the Lowestoft Free Church Council. In a highly unusual move, it was a female preacher who gave the service. The Rev. M. Marie Varney came from America and…

Hugh Parry’s Mayflower pageant was a huge draw throughout the autumn of 1920. In London, the pageant was performed for 25 days, from the end of October to the middle of November. But it returned to London in April 1921, where it ran for ten days at…

The end of the tercentenary year saw a number of Mayflower-themed bazaars and sales of work. Such events were often held at churches and chapels around the Christmas period to raise money for repairs and building work, and the tercentenary provided a…