Christopher Martin, a Londoner, was appointed by the leaders of the Leiden congregation as an agent for their upcoming voyage. According to later writings by Governor John Bradford, the appointment may have come with the rationale that it might lessen perceptions of impropriety from non-church members slated to make the voyage. The result was fairly disastrous, as Martin proved financially irresponsible, unwilling to give accounts for his spending, and so personally abrasive that Robert Cushman wrote "He insulteth our poor people, with such scorn and contempt, as if they were not good enough to wipe his shoes." Originally appointed governor of the ill-fated Speedwell voyage, he may have very briefly held that role on the Mayflower before being replaced by John Carver. Martin and his family would die while the ship was still in the harbor, saving the colonists – some historians contend – from future trouble.
