Searching for links to American History in England is a lot like hunting for treasure - you need some clues, a good map, comfortable shoes, a raincoat and a camera to record it for posterity. And, like hunting treasure, you can't be too sure about what you will find.

I have spent several years hunting down places in England that have a clear link with American history.  This project started when my son was taking a course in American History at the American School in London. If we had been living in the states, we would have planned family trips to Valley Forge, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC to see places that were important in the story of the United States, but as we were living in London, it seemed that American History was going to have to be learned from the book alone.  Then a friend old me about the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe, on the south side of the River Thames.  It was an easy outing to take the Underground to the Rotherhithe stop and then walk the short block to the riverside tavern. And this is where my "Discoveries" really began.  I didn't know that the Mayflower actually stopped here in July 1620 to pick up passengers at the beginning of their voyage to America.  At that time the pub was named "The Shippe".  Three of the four owners of the Mayflower lived in Rotherhithe, which was conveniently located right on the Pool of London.  One of the ship's owners, Christopher Jones, is buried in the churchyard at St. Mary, Rotherhithe, just across the cobbled-stone street from the pub. A statue commemorating this "Master of the Mayflower," paid for by the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, was unveiled in the churchyard in 1995. 

 My visit to this charming pub was to be the start of a six-year project!  Exploring the streets of London, peeping into quiet corners of country churches, wandering through local museums, and enjoying visits to beautiful country houses and stately homes, I came to realize that clues to American History can be found in many unexpected places in England!