Great Bealings – St. Mary’s Church (John Carver and the Mayflower Pilgrims)

This is the list of rectors at St. Mary’s Church in Great Bealings and there’s something interesting that took place during the period that Richard Larwood was the rector here and at this font. This is the baptism of John Carver in the church on 12 March 1580/1581 and there’s more information about this at https://mayflowerhistory.com/carver-john and some of this might be recent discoveries as older documents don’t mention it. He appeared in the records of the local Seckford Hall but he sold off all of his holdings there in 1605 and then disappeared from the record before reappearing in Leiden.

Carver was a member of the Leiden congregation of Separatists who fled religious persecution under the Church of England. Deeply involved in organising the Mayflower voyage, Carver played a critical role in securing funding and negotiating the charter that allowed the Pilgrims to settle in the New World. Carver was elected governor of the colony shortly after the Mayflower arrived in November 1620 and was a key figure in drafting the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document of the colony. Known for his leadership and diplomacy, particularly in maintaining peaceful relations with local Wampanoag peoples, Carver’s tenure was tragically brief and rather sub-optimal. He died in April 1621, likely from illness brought on by the harsh conditions of the first winter, and was succeeded by William Bradford. His legacy remains as one of the founding leaders of early colonial America.