What drove the Separatists out of England?
Between 1606 and 1607 William Brewster and others received summonses for non-attendance at their local churches. One by one they fled the country with their congregations. After a year in Amsterdam, they chose to move on to Leiden where they settled. But a military coup in 1618 brought about new religious suppression in the Netherlands and it was time for the Separatists to move on. Supported by a company of English investors the Separatists obtained a charter to found a new colony in America. A first wave of the Separatist congregation would go on ahead to prepare the way for the rest to follow to the New World. And the voyage of The Mayflower had begun… For more detailed information about the Pilgrim Fathers’ heritage, click here.
