The ship only stayed in the colony for about three weeks, returning to England in December loaded with valuable furs and other goods.
But when nearing England, instead of heading to the English Channel, a navigation error caused the ship to sail southeast to the coast of France, where it was overtaken and seized by a French warship.
The Fortune finally arrived back in London in February 1622, over two months after leaving Plymouth, but without its valuable cargo.
[1][2][3] At 55 tons displacement, and about one-third the tonnage of the Mayflower, the Fortune was tasked with delivering thirty-five new settlers to Plymouth Colony.
Eighteen persons are known to have been unmarried, eight married, but emigrating without their families, and as far as can be determined, Mrs. Martha Ford may have been the only woman on the ship.
Per author Charles Banks, individual records show that sixteen of the passengers can definitely be assigned to London or districts of the city such as Stepney and Southwark.
Upon hearing reports of this strange vessel, Governor Bradford had Myles Standish arm his militia and load the cannon on Burial Hill in case of an attack by the French.
As Bradford recorded, "...So they were landed, but there was not as much as biscuit-cake or any other victuals for them neither had they any bedding, but some sorry things they had in their cabins, nor pot, nor pan, to dress meat in; nor over many clothes,…" The colony government was not pleased that Weston had unexpectedly sent over new settlers, and without provisions or other goods to support them.
Bradford was forced to divide the Fortune passengers among the preexisting seven houses and four public buildings, some of which were converted into virtual male dormitories for the many young men.
Bradford wrote, "They were presently put to half allowance, one as well as another, which began to be hard, but they bore it patiently, under the hope of (future) supply.
Cushman carried, in addition to Bradford's letter to Weston, a manuscript that would become an invaluable historic recording of the Pilgrims first thirteen months in America known today as Mourt's Relation.
About five weeks into her voyage on 19 January 1622 and not far from the fortified Ile d’Yeu, a French warship overtook the Fortune which was off-course about 350 sea miles southeast of where they should be – England's Land's End and the English Channel.
Edward Winslow recorded that in June or July 1622 two ships, the Charitie and Swan, financed by Thomas Weston, came into Plymouth Harbor.
And the ship Discovery, in a 1622 voyage from Virginia to England, made a short visit at Plymouth with a letter by passenger John Pory, an official of Jamestown, written in praise of the colony.
In October 1622 the ship Paragon, with sixty-seven passengers, came out by "private men's purses" but had to return to England two weeks later, leaking from storm damage.