In December 1620, the ship Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor. It carried over a hundred passengers from England and Holland, only half of whom would survive their first winter.

The Plymouth colonists considered all of those who arrived in the colony’s start up years as “First Comers.” These groups were described by later generations as “Pilgrims.”

Passenger lists are a key source of documentation on the individuals who settled Plymouth Colony. Knowing the names of the passengers is the first step in identifying who they were and enabling more detailed research into their lives, family backgrounds, and experiences.

William Bradford documented the names and family or household relationships of the passengers on the Mayflower as one of the last entries in his journal of the early Colony.