New memorial to Boston Stump's puritan sailors

The Puritan Path will be installed in the grounds of St Botolph's Church

A memorial to 12 puritan men and women who sailed from Boston in Lincolnshire to found the city of the same name in America in 1630 is due to be erected.

The 13 memorial stones will be put around St Botolph's church, also known as the Boston Stump, by Easter as part of a new trail called the Puritan Path.

The stones on the special path will each have the name of the person who sailed and the date on which they left.

The 13th stone is for the Reverend John Cotton who led the puritans.

Fundraising manager at the Stump, Peter Coleman, said: "We felt this needed to be done by the church as the church is where these people worshipped.

"I don't think people really know a lot about this and one of the objectives of this memorial is to make people more aware of the importance that these people had who founded the other Boston.

"Perhaps when we have this in place, the people of this Boston will be able to learn more about it."

American interest

Mr Coleman added they had also had interest from people in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, wanting to come and visit the memorial once it had been installed.

The project will cost £15,000 to complete and has been funded by The Historic Bostons' Partnership, The Wash Fens Local Action Group, The Boston Stump Restoration Trust, The Friends of Boston Stump, The Partnership of the Historic Bostons, and Boston Borough Council.

In December 2012 it was announced the 700-year-old Stump would benefit from a £50,000 grant to help mend its leaking roof.

The Princess Royal, who is a patron of the restoration appeal, officially opened a new gift shop, cafe and toilets, as part of a £250,000 restoration project in May 2012.