George+Soule

George Soule Interview
** My **life in England was very quiet. I grew up in a small village in the south. My parents thought I had a quick wit and they sent me to school as much as possible. I enjoyed reading and writing very much and I did well in school. When I was 16 I needed to earn my own living. I began working for Master Edward Winslow who was a Puritan and was involved in the printing trade. This was a wonderful chance for me to learn printing. I helped him with his work and also taught Latin to the boys in the household. Sometimes I had to switch them if they did not pay attention to their lessons! I liked working on the printing press for Master Winslow. Placing each of the letters in right spot can be tedious, but it was certainly exciting to have so many things to read! I learned a great deal during that time. **
 * __Tell us about your life in England or the Netherlands.__ 



Why did you decide to go to the New World on the Mayflower? What was that voyage like?

 **I decided to travel to the New World with my master, Edward Winslow. I had been working for him on the printing press. Even though I had not traveled to the Netherlands for religious reasons, I thought it would be good to go to America. I thought it would be a great opportunity to further myself. In America I would perhaps be able to get some land to farm and become prosperous. My parents were dead and my only sister lived far away so I would not miss my family. I could not afford to pay for my trip so I went as an indentured servant to Master Winslow. He paid for my voyage and I promised to work for him for 7 years. The voyage was the worst 66 days of my life! Most of the time we had to stay below decks. We were cold and damp. We could not light a fire. Our food was boring, cold and soon became moldy. I went without bathing, wearing the same clothes for over 2 months. The smell in the ship was horrible. The worst part of the voyage was the great storm we sailed through. I believe it was truly a hurricane. We were sure we would all die. I never want to experience anything like that again.**



How did the land and climate of Plimoth compare to what you were used to in England or the Netherlands?


 * What was the first year like? What was hardest about adjusting to life in a new place?**