With the money, Bradford bought “Green Close”, a large house that was used for services. In 1611, William Bradford inherited his father’s land in England, which he sold. In Leiden, they could learn trades such as, carpentry, weaving, baking, tailoring, and others, learn Dutch and practice their Faith freely.

However, once a hundred or so finally met there, they moved to the city of Leiden. Living in Amsterdam was not ideal because the Separatists could not speak Dutch and had no trades. They sold their homes and walked fifty miles to meet the ship. However, when King James I made life too unbearable for the Separatists, they left for Amsterdam, Holland in 1607, having tried to leave several times before. One Separatist Church was located in Scrooby, England at the House of William Brewster. Some of the Puritans separated even further and were known as the Separatists, or Saints, the future Pilgrims. In that interim period, the Puritan Movement thought the Church of England to be too similar to the Catholic Church and wanted further separation. King Henry VIII established the Church of England and made it mandatory for every subject to belong to the Church some 90 years before the Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower for the New World. Pilgrim History in England Meant Hardship and Departure In 1607, one group of Separatists located in Scrooby, England led by William Brewster set sail for Amsterdam, Holland to escape religious persecution. Life for the Pilgrims meant threats of losing livelihood, home, or imprisonment while staying in England. Pilgrim History basically begins with the persecution of the Separatists by King James I. Soon-to-be Pilgrims could lose life, house, or suffer imprisonment before the Mayflower.

In 17th Century England it was a crime to be Separatists.

Separatists pilgrims