Soule Skimmer
Skimmer, mid-17th century, probably Plymouth Colony
Wood
Gift of Janet Eaton Macomber, 1980.005.001
This skimmer is one of the few known items we have that belonged to a Pilgrim family in Plymouth Colony, possibly owned by Mary Soule and used as a household implement.
George Soule (c. 1601-1679) came to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620 as an indentured servant. In 1627 he acquired land on Powder Point in Duxbury and by 1638 had settled here with his wife, Mary, and children. The Soule farm encompassed much of the Powder Point peninsula. A large portion of the land stayed in the Soule family, through George’s daughter, Mary (Soule) Peterson, for generations, eventually passing to Ezra Weston, II. The King Caesar House was built by Weston on a piece of his Pilgrim ancestor’s land.
In 1914, Grace Mason Weston Allen wrote on the handle of the skimmer “This skimmer belonged to my ancestor – George Soule – who came on the Mayflower, 1620.”
Digging Duxbury
The quest for archaeological evidence of the Pilgrim past began with an 1833 dig, one of the earliest in U.S. history.
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Duxbury’s Pilgrim history, combined with the town’s natural beauty, initiated a tourist boom.
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
The tourism boom brought another enterprise, the creation and sale of Pilgrim-themed souvenirs.
Lasting Legacy
Duxbury's Lasting Legacy
Duxbury never forgot its Pilgrim origins. How could it? The names continue to generate interest today.
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