Connecting Past and Present monthly column by Sylvia White connecting Pilgrim's past with Pilgrim in the 21st century Elizabeth Pole We begin in Taunton, England, where Elizabeth Pole, the founder of our city and church lived. She lived in a great manor; her father was Chancellor of the Exchequer under King James and as a member of the ruling class, she was expected to conform to certain accepted customs. But she was a rebel...She refused to marry the man chosen for her and she believed with others, that she should be free to worship in freedom of conscience without the dictates of priests or bishops. Harassment and persecution of this Separatist movement became so severe that every ship to the New World was filled with those who had lost everything in the battle for freedom to worship outside the state religion. Elizabeth Pole, called "an ancient maid" was the leader of such a group searching for a place to worship in freedom. (I am in awe of the courage and dedication of Elizabeth who was leaving position, privilege, and hundreds of years of respected ancestry for the unknown wilderness taking with her only a few possessions.) They landed in Dorchester in The Bay Colony where to their disappointment, they found more of what they were fleeing from... The Puritan oligarchy controlled everything: government, morals, education, and business. This was not the freedom Elizabeth hoped to find. A small group of likeminded believers, led by this daring and courageous woman traveled southward through the wilderness toward Plimoth Plantation where they hoped for real freedom. (Incidently the women of Plimoth may have been the most emancipated of the time. They could own property in their own right. They could divorce for just cause.) I try to picture these travelers. Were they all afoot? How long did it take them? How were they dressed? I don't think they had planned to establish a town when they left England, but as things turned out if they wanted to worship in freedom they would have to find a place to build their church. The perfect spot, part of Plimoth, was found between two rivers. The larger river flowed from Plimoth to the sea providing transportation and the smaller, fast flowing stream, draining from a great swamp, would provide water power for grist mill and saw mill. Close to the larger river, where it started its great loop to the sea, was built a meeting house for worship, government and protection. Near the smaller stream, common land was set aside as pasture for livestock. Between these two points ran the main street on which the founders built homes. Elizabeth Pole's home was halfway down Main Street on the south side. So here we are today. Our church and our city founded by a determined woman on the faith, freedom of worship and fellowship of kindred minds, after 330 years is still growing and adapting to change, but is still the same.