Friday, 30 November 2012
"To the memory of Christopher Jones 1570 - 1622 Master of the Mayflower. He landed 102 planters and adventurers at Plymouth Massachusetts 21 Dec 1620. They formed the Mayflower Compact the first permanent colony in New England."
Christopher Jones became master of the Mayflower in 1609 and had a quarter share in the ownership of the vessel. It was mainly employed transporting wine, spices and furs from the new world back to London from almost this spot.
In 1620 he took the pilgrims to Massachusetts. The pilgrims honoured his memory by naming the Jones river in nearby Kingston after him. When he died he was buried in this very churchyard, in a now unmarked grave.