Author, David Lindsay, finds an unusual relative among the Pilgrims. An indenture servant, he was not a Puritan.
MAYFLOWER BASTARD is riveting at first. The back story involving Richard More's parents reads like a gothic novel. Theirs was an arranged marriage that quickly unraveled with Samuel, Richard's father, living in London, and his mother, Katherine, carrying on an affair with another man, resulting in four bastard children. Richard More's father is such a snake it's hard to believe people like him actually exist. When his wife is too blatant in her affair, he divorces her and has their illegitimate children deported to America on the Mayflower. Richard is assigned to William Brewster the temporary minister at Plymouth Colony. Richard is pretty much treated like a servant and the Stranger (non Puritan) that he is, and his siblings die.
Apparently Samuel's arrangement with Brewster was rather like that of an indentured servant. After seven years, Brewster's obligation was fulfilled. Richard then hooks up with Richard Hollingsworth, a shipwright whose daughter Christian he marries. They ultimately have seven children together. Richard becomes a sea captain and in the process takes another wife in England, an offense which could have gotten him hanged since the penalty for bigamy was death.
Richard More lived to be an old man and was known among the Puritans as one of the Ancient Ones. He was around at the beginning of the colony and was there for the Salem Witch trials. He was not hanged for being a witch but he did become embroiled in politic intrigue and was found guilty of adultery and required to wear a scarlet A, just like Hester Prynne.
Author David Lindsay, a descendant of Richard More, did extensive research on his subject, but the book is replete with supposition which cheapens his effort. Lindsay set out to prove Richard a rogue, but in the end he finds enough to like about him to determine that he was human just like the rest of us.
Lindsay has an annoying style of writing, addressing another character in the book. I got the impression this was supposed to be the person who accused Richard of adultery but I'm not really sure. I wasn't interested enough to read over the beginning to find out. History lovers will like the book. The fact that there was such a character as Richard More among the sanctimonious Pilgrims is enough of a hook.
Dave Schwinghammer's Fargo-esque novel, SOLDIER'S GAP, is available on Authorsden, signed, and at Amazon.com, new and used. Thank you for your support. Click here to post or read comments.
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