Two ships were to carry the pilgrims to the New World, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. Two ships would carry the Pilgrims to the New World, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. If you’ve never heard of the Speedwell, that’s because the ill-fated vessel was abandoned after two attempts heading to sea. The Speedwell was a pine-hulled, square-sterner built in England in 1577 as the light warship, Swiftsure. She participated in the battle of the Spanish Armada, and later sailed as an exploration vessel to the Azores. After her decommissioning, she was renamed Speedwell.
