Robert Cushman (1577–1625) was an important leader and organiser of the Mayflower voyage in 1620, serving as chief agent in London for the Leiden Separatist contingent from 1617 to 1620 and later for Plymouth Colony until his death in 1625 in England.
[1] Cushman was most likely one of the first Mayflower passengers when the ship sailed from London to Southampton to meet the Speedwell coming from Leiden.
The authorities ordered that the "lewd seditious persons" posting the libels be found, interrogated and committed to prison if they refused examination.
Robert Cushman was arrested by the authorities and not providing satisfactory answers upon questioning, for "certain reasons" was committed to Westgate prison for one night.
Due to the fact that their conventicles were illegal and secret it is very difficult to research these associations other than to state that these kinship and marriages relationships seem to be true to form for Canterbury non-conformist society.
[5] In February 1607/1608 is found the last Canterbury record for the Cushman family at the baptism of Robert's son Thomas at St. Andrews.
In 1620 they were in Aldgate, London, staying at Heneage House, Duke's Place, from where they negotiated with Thomas Weston for financial backing from a group of merchants.
[11] After Weston had hired the Mayflower ship, Cushman and Carver, as purchasing agents for the Leiden congregation, began to secure supplies and provisions in London and Canterbury.
[14] The Mayflower sailed from London with its passengers at the end of July, 1620, to take on supplies and meet up with the Speedwell from Leiden at Southampton.
When it was time to leave Southampton, in August 1620, Cushman made sure he joined his friends aboard the Speedwell, but the ship was not seaworthy.
The months of tension had caught up with Cushman and he began to suffer a searing pain in his chest – "a bundle of lead as it were, crushing my heart."
[15][self-published source] [16] The two ships left Dartmouth and sailed more than 300 miles, but then they again had to turn back, this time to Plymouth in Devon, because of trouble on the Speedwell.
Among those from the Speedwell who did not board the Mayflower was the family of Cushman, who stated he expected at any moment to become meate for ye fishes.
[15][17][18] After the decision to abandon the Speedwell, Cushman and his family had priority to sail on the Mayflower but they declined – probably because of Robert's illness.
Cushman carried with him a patent to the New Plymouth colony in the name of Mr John Pierce of London, one of the Merchant Adventurers.
His mission was to convince the settlers to accept the terms of their contract imposed by Thomas Weston and the London investors.
This contract had incurred the resentment and anger of the Leiden contingent and they had angrily rejected it on 5 August 1620, the date of departure from Portsmouth.
[20] Bradford later reported on Cushman's visit to Plymouth that he "stayed not above fourteen days" and that the ship Fortune was "speedily dispatched away laden with (cargo) estimated to be worth near £500.
"[19] On the voyage back to England, the Fortune was attacked by French pirates and was robbed of its valuable cargo, along with the possessions of crew and passengers.
[22] When Robert Cushman arrived in London at the end of February 1622, he hurried to have printed and disseminated 'Mourt's Relation' as quickly and widely as possible, which was obviously meant as propaganda for the colony.
[23] The mission of Cushman in aid of the new Plymouth colony was much advanced by his return and arrival in London, 17 February 1622, with the signed approval of the terms of the Adventurers with him.
William Bradford, in his book Of Plymouth Plantation, wrote that Cushman's "own purpose was to come over and spend his [last] days with them".
"[1] Robert Cushman's first marriage, in the parish of St Alphege, Canterbury, 11 July 1606, was to Sara Reder, who lived in the precincts of the cathedral and whose parentage has not been discovered.
Thomas Cushman at age fourteen, was left behind at New Plymouth in the charge of the governor, William Bradford, after his father, Robert, returned to England.
Thomas Cushman became Ruling Elder of the Plymouth Church in 1649, and remained in that office forty-two years until his death in 1691.
On 15 August 1855 a gathering of Cushman family members meeting on Burial Hill in Plymouth Massachusetts decided to erect a monument to him and his descendants.