A MODERN day Mayflower contract has been handed to Harwich as part of the launch of celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the historic ship's journey to America.
Representatives from Tendring Council, Harwich Town Council and the Harwich Mayflower Project joined special guests including members of Parlliament for the launch of the Mayflower 400 in Gainsborough.
The event at the Gainsborough Old Hall, famous for housing the separatists before they sailed on the Mayflower Ship in 1620, saw copies of a contract of commitment handed to locations linked with the historic ship.
It mimics the Mayflower Compact drafted on board, which was the first written framework of government established in what is now the United States.
As part of the celebrations, the Harwich Mayflower Project is building a replica of the ship and plans to sail the journey the pilgrims took to America on the anniversary in 2020.
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