Pilgrim; born in
England about 1600.
In 1623 the Pilgrims, regarding
Robinson, in
Holland, as their pastor, and expecting him over, had no other spiritual guide than Elder
Brewster.
Because of this state of things at
Plymouth, the
London partners were taunted with fostering religious schism.
To relieve themselves of this stigma, they sent a minister named
Lyford to be pastor.
He was kindly received, and, with
John Oldham, who went to
Plymouth at about the same time, was invited to the consultations of the governor with his council.
It was soon discovered that
Lyford and
Oldham were plotting treason against the
Church and State.
Several letters written by
Lyford to the
London partners, breathing sedition, were discovered by
Bradford as they were about to be sent abroad.
The governor kept quiet for a while, but when
Lyford set up a separate congregation, with a few of the colonists whom he had seduced, and held meetings on the Sabbath,
Bradford summoned a General Court (1624), before whom the offending clergyman and his companions were arraigned on a charge of seditious correspondence.
They denied the accusation, when they were confronted by
Lyford's letters, in which he defamed the settlers, advised the
London partners to prevent
Robinson and the rest of his congregation coming to
America, as they would interfere with his church schemes, and avowed his intention of removing the stigma of schism by a regularly organized church.
A third conspirator had written that
Lyford and
Oldham “intended a reformation in church and commonwealth.”
Before these disclosures
Oldham had behaved with much insolence, abusing the governor and
Captain Standish, calling them “rebels and traitors,” and, when proved guilty, he attempted to excite a mutiny on the spot.
Lyford burst into tears and confessed that he “feared he was a reprobate.”
Both were ordered to leave the colony, but
Lyford, humbly begging to stay, asking forgiveness and promising good behavior, was reinstated.
Oldham went to
Nantasket, with some of his adherents, and engaged in traffic with the Indians.
Lyford was soon detected again in seditious work and expelled from the colony.
He joined
Oldham.
They afterwards lived at
Hull and Cape Anne, and
Oldham represented
Watertown in the popular branch of the
Massachusetts government in 1634.
He made an exploring journey to the site of
Windsor, on the
Connecticut River, the next year, which was followed by the emigration to that region in 1635.
While in a vessel at
Block Island, in July, 1636,
Oldham was murdered by some
Indians, who fled to the Pequods, on the mainland, and were protected by them.
This led to the war with the
Pequod Indians (q. v.).
