Stay in Leiden

The Pilgrims in Leiden

A group of refugees led by John Robinson escaped England in 1608, where they were persecuted because they did not conform to the rules of the Anglican state church. Robinson and about one hundred others petitioned the city authorities of Leiden for leave to settle in the city. Although they did not need permission to stay, the request was answered on the 12th of February 1609 in the following, telling phrases: "Geen eerlicke persoonen weygeren vrije ende lybre incompst omme binnen deze stede...haer woonplaets te nemen". In modern English: "No honest persons will be refused free and unconstrained entry to the city to take up residence".

Leiden was the second largest city in van Holland, home to the famous university.

Robinson and his flock bought a piece of land near St. Peter's Church, called the Groene Poort (Green Alley). They built 21 little houses, so that people also called it the Engelse poort (English Alley). Later the houses were demolished and the Jean Pesijn almshouses were built in the same spot (1683).

Famous Pilgrims are William Brewster and his adopted son William Bradford. Brewster was an elder of Robinson's congregation and the most important person behind the publications of the printing Works the Pilgrim Press (1617-1619). He lived in a side alley of the Pieterskerkkoorsteeg, now the William Brewster Alley. Bradford was governor of the Pilgrim colony in America. His manuscript Of Plimoth Plantation is still our most important source on the life of the Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims left, because they lived, worked, studied and died here, many traces in the Leiden archives.