Plaque, St Peter’s Church (Droitwich, 1945)

Edward Winslow, arguably one of the most important Pilgrim Fathers, was born in Droitwich in 1595 and baptised in St Peter’s. In October 1945, the 350^th anniversary of his birth, a plaque to his memory was unveiled in the church. Commemorating Winslow in this way had been the idea of Lord Doverdale, who served on the Droitwich town council. The bronze plaque, with a likeness of Winslow (the only Pilgrim Father for who a contemporary painting survives), states:

"Sacred to the memory of Edward Winslow
Born on the 18^th of October 1595 in Droitwich. He was baptized on the 20^th October of that year in this church of St Peter, where his father was churchwarden 1588-1600. Educated at the King’s School, Worcester, he sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers for the New World in the Mayflower on the 6^th of September 1620. He was a founder of the colony of New Plymouth and on three occasions its governor. He died on the 8^th May 1655."

An American guard of honour and a British naval detachment, with a Royal Marines band (from HMS Duke) were present at the ceremony. Lieutenant-Commander Herbert Agar (the personal assistant to the American Ambassador, John Winant) did the honours. Unsurprisingly, given the recent end of the Second Word War, Agar took the opportunity to note that ‘America and Britain… had concluded another victory’ and said there ‘had never been friendship like’ that of the Anglo-American relationship ‘in any period of human history’ – a bond that was symbolised by the Pilgrim Fathers.

In the early 1950s, the Winslow family in the USA – who were touring places associated with their ancestor in the region - continued to donate large sums of money towards the restoration fund of the Church. In 1973, when a vestry was built onto the church, it was also dedicated to Winslow’s memory.

Not far away, in a local shopping centre, there is also a statue of Winslow.

‘Man who sailed in Mayflower’, Western Morning News (22 October 1945), 2.

‘Pilgrim Father Honoured’, Birmingham Daily Gazette (20^th October 1945), 3.

‘Gift to Droitwich Church’, Birmingham Daily Post (6^th September 1954), 19.