The Mayflower and Speedwell in Dartmouth Harbor. By Leslie Wilcox. Painted in England, 1971. Material : Oil on canvas.

The Mayflower, a hired ship, and the Speedwell, owned by the Pilgrims, set out from Southampton. Leaks in the smaller ship forced the pair to put into Dartmouth for repairs. The two ships proceeded to sea, but were forced to return to Plymouth, where the Speedwell was sold. Some of her passengers crowded aboard the Mayflower, while others stayed in England to await passage the next year.

Leslie Wilcox, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Marine Art, was largely self-taught. He became one of Britain’s foremost marine artists.

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