The fiery merchant of the Mayflower

On September 6, 1620, a crew of 35 men and 102 passengers crammed on to the famous merchant ship, the Mayflower, to begin a treacherous 66-day voyage across the Atlantic to the east coast of America.

Among the passengers, labelled by history as the "Pioneers" and the "Pilgrim Fathers", was a Billericay family - a merchant named Christopher Martin, his wife Marie, his stepson Solomon Prower and their servant, John Langmore.

They had climbed aboard the 180 tonne Mayflower while the vessel was enroute to Plymouth from its base at Rotherhithe, on the Thames.

The affluent family would have been excited at the prospect of starting a new life in America, but within three months of reaching the New World and settling in present day Massachusetts, they would all be dead.

It seems doubtful, however, many would have mourned the loss of Christopher Martin. The salesman, who ran a victualling business - a type of wholesale food supply - was not a likable character.

He was thought to have lived at 57-61 High Street, Billericay, (the Chantry), where the Raga Tandori Restaurant is now located.

By all accounts, Martin was a difficult man to deal with. He had several clashes with fellow traders, the authorities, the local church and even fellow worshippers.

On one such occasion he landed himself in hot water with church leaders when he refused to kneel at holy communion - prompting accusations he was a Puritan at heart and despised the Catholic religion.

Perhaps Martin thought by joining the Pilgrims - most of whom were fleeing from religious persecution under King James I - he could further his business aims, or simply get away from people he didn't like. He was chosen to became the Mayflower treasurer, with responsibility for organising provisions for the ship's voyage.Before the ship had even left the dock he was also elected to become governor of the new colony once they reached American shores.

However, it didn't take long for Martin to fall out with almost everyone on board. The crew was constantly irritated by his haphazard ways of acquiring stores, while his fellow Pilgrims were annoyed by his refusal to supply accounts for what was purchased.

It came to a head before the Mayflower was due to sail, when the rest of the Pilgrims overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in Martin and replaced him as governor.

During the 2,750-mile crossing, one of the passengers, Robert Cushman, wrote about Christopher Martin's unpopularity in his log. "Mr Martin . . . so insulteth over our poor people, with such scorn and contempt, as if they were not good enough to wipe his shoes," he wrote. "It would break your heart to see his dealing, and the mourning of our people; they complain to me, and alas! I can do nothing for them."

The Pilgrims had intended to land in Northern Virginia, which at the time included the region as far north as the Hudson River, in today's New York state.

But in stormy weather they drifted off course, finally dropping anchor at Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, on November 11.

Horrendous conditions aboard the Mayflower, which included outbreaks of scurvy, pneumonia and tuberculosis, took its toll.

Passengers stayed on board the Mayflower during the winter, and by the time they began to settle on the land in a colony they named "Plymouth", almost half had died.

Christopher Martin and his family survived the crossing, but they all perished during that first winter.

Thanks to the Pilgrims, however, Essex has left it mark on modern day Massachusetts. Not only within the state is there an Essex County and a town called Essex, there is also a Chelmsford, a Braintree, a Harwich and a Billerica.

Billerica, without the Y, is how the town was originally spelt. New research indicates there may have been up to six people from Billericay on board the Mayflower.

Apart from the Martins and their servant, also taking passage on the voyage were Peter Browne and Richard Britteridge, both young, single men. What happened to them remains unclear.

Their fates, and those of the Martins, may have been confined to the history books, but their perilous pilgrim adventure is still remembered today.

The front door of Christopher Martin's 17th century home, in Billericay, is on display at the Cater Museum, in High Street, Billericay.

South Essex historians Andrew Summers, from Hadleigh, and John Debenham, from Leigh, have also carried out extensive research into the historic voyage.

The pair have penned a poem about the Martin family in their book, the Essex Hundred, which charts 2,000 years of the county's history.

For more information about the book visit www.essex100.com