Mary and John

Named in tribute to John and Mary Winthrop[2] she was captained by Robert Davies and owned by Roger Ludlow (1590–1664), one of the assistants of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

[3] The ship's first two voyages to North America were to what is now Maine in June 1607 and September 1608, transporting emigrants to the colonies and back to England.

The colonists were financially backed by Sir John Popham, Chief Justice of England, and led by his nephew George.

They hoped to ship timber back to England, to find gold, silver, and other valuable minerals, and to establish a fur trade with the local eastern Abenaki people.

The ship Gift of God remained at the settlement until December 16 when it too sailed for England, carrying nearly half the colonists with it with the purpose of conserving the outpost's supplies.

[12] Captain Argall and shipmaster Robert Tyndall departed Portsmouth, England, with an additional mission to find a shorter route to the New World.

[11] While a "southern passage" using the trade winds would take a few months, a more direct westerly route by the Mary and John proved the journey could be done in less than ten weeks.

[10] In Chesapeake Bay, the Mary and John intercepted the smaller ship and prevented it from entering the James River and discovering the status of Jamestown.

The voyage, along with an 11-ship flotilla led by John Winthrop that departed England in April 1630, greatly strengthened the two-year-old Massachusetts Bay Colony.