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Devon's connection to the Boston Tea Party

31st March 2020

Categories: Visitor News

2020 marks the 400^th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth, UK to Massachusetts, USA, but did you know that that isn’t the only connection Devon has to America’s history? Sadly, many of the events for the Mayflower 400 anniversary have been postponed or cancelled for now and we’re urging visitors to wait until we get the all clear before heading to Plymouth or the other maritime heritage sites in Devon.

While you’re at home planning your future trips to the area to find out more about the Mayflower, why not consider adding Exeter to your list of places to visit once this is all over, because that is the birth place of John Rowe, who took part in the Boston Tea Party. Yes, Devon’s connections to the states run that deep!

John Rowe was born in 1715 in Exeter, once he reached adulthood, he and three of his brothers set sail for the ‘new world’ taking the boat across the Massachusetts where there was an English colony full of young men and women who were hoping to make their fortunes. John made his way to Boston where he joined the Freemasons and found a wife, Hannah. He became a merchant and property owner, Chauncy Street in Boston was originally named Rowe Street after him, he also named another residential area Exeter Place. Coincidently, fellow Brit, Alexander Graham Bell lived there for a time too.

During John’s time in America, there was civil unrest and the American War for Independence took place during this time. He was one of many that objected to the taxes that the English imposed on the Americans and would flout their rules at every opportunity. From about 1760 onwards, he was heavily involved in colonial politics and worked to try and limit the powers of the crown over the colonial merchants. This was why, in 1773, he bought a share in a ship called Eleanor. That year, the vessel had brought a shipment of tea over from England, which upset John Rowe because he didn’t want to have to pay the tax on the import. To get around this, he decided to try and prevent the ship from unloading the tea, but this was refused by the region’s Governor. This led to John Rowe to declare “Who knows how tea will mingle with salt water?” before continually demanding that his ship be allowed to set sail without unloading the tea.

If you know your history, you’ll know that several men in disguises boarded several ships that were docked in the harbour, including the Eleanor, taking the tea and pouring it into the water. Now, we’re not accusing John Rowe of being personally involved, but considering he is attributed to the quote that seemingly inspired the action, who knows? This event became known as the Boston Tea Party, one of the most famous incidents of the American Revolution.

So there you have it, it isn’t just Plymouth that has connections to America and if it weren’t for a man from Exeter, America wouldn’t be what we know today!