Footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers in Leiden
Between 1609 and 1620, religious refugees from England found a safe haven in tolerant Leiden. Now known as the Pilgrim Fathers, these Calvinist Protestants later sailed to the New World to seek permanent religious freedom. The tourist office provides a brochure called A Pilgrimage Through Leiden: A Walk in the Footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers, which leads past a variety of sites associated with the Pilgrims.
The Pilgrim Fathers Walk starts at the Lodewijkskerk (Louis Church), which was used as a meeting-place by the cloth guild. One of the guild members was William Bradford, who became the governor of New Plymouth in America.
Another point of interest is the Groenehuis (Green House) on William Brewstersteeg, which had an attached printing shop. Here the Pilgrim Press, run by William Brewster and Thomas Brewer, published religious views that angered King James and the Church of England.
The imposing brick Sint-Pieterskerk (St. Peter's Church) was a house of worship for the Pilgrims and many of them lived in its shadow. Plaques in a small square off Kloksteeg and special Thanksgiving Day services honor the little band of refugees that would play a significant role in American history.
An almshouse called the Jean Pesijnhofje now occupies the restored Groene Port (Green Door) house in Kloksteeg. Here the Reverend John Robinson and 21 Pilgrim families lived. Robinson never made it to the New World - he was forced to stay behind because of illness and was buried in St. Peter's Church. The almshouse is named for Jean Pesijn, a Belgian who joined the Leiden community along with his wife Marie de la Noye. Their son Philip Delano sailed for America in 1621.
On July 21, 1620, 66 Pilgrims who were leaving boarded barges at Rapenburg Quay. They journeyed by canal from Leiden to Delfshaven in Rotterdam, then sailed on the Speedwell for England, where the Mayflower awaited.
