USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > The truth about the Pilgrims > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
The magistrates of Leyden said that the English had lived amongst them ten years "and yet we never had any suit or accusation against them." (M 12-13).
William Hilton, who came on the "Fortune," wrote a letter to England dated November 1621 in which he said:
"Our company are, for most part, very religious, honest people; the word of God sincerely taught us every Sabbath; so that I know not anything a contented mind can here want." (Y 251).
The historian Brown says: "The story of the Pilgrims
101
has all the elements of a fascinating romance. When it is read in the light of what they have produced and in the spirit of sympathy which appreciates and enjoys the religi- ous and civil liberty we inherit, it is fitted beyond most uninspired records, to kindle exalted ideas of citizenship and to stimulate young and old to self denying service of our country and of mankind." (BR V).
The secret of Pilgrim character may be found in the words of Bradford which give his explanation as to why they succeeded: "What could now sustaine them but the spirite of God and his grace?" (B 97). Elsewhere he said: "Such was the true piety, the humble zeal and fervent love of this people towards God and his ways, and the single heartedness and the sincere affection one towards another, that they came as near the primitive pattern of the first Churches as any other church of these later times have done according to their rank and quality" (MD IV, 11). "By God's assistance they prevailed and got the victorie" (B 38). And elsewhere he said: "May not and ought not the chil- dren of these fathers rightly say: 'Our fathers were English- men which came over this great ocean and were ready to perish in this willdernes, but they cried unto the Lord, and he heard their voyce, and looked on their adversitie, etc. Let them therefore praise the Lord, because he is good, and his mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have re- deemed of the Lord, show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressour. When they wandered in ye deserte willdernes out of ye way, and found no citie to dwell in, both hungrie, & thirstie, their sowle was over- whelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord his loving kindnes, and his wonderfull works before the sons of men'." (B 97).
There have been in the history of the world many ex- amples of persons who have placed their trust in God and were inspired by faith to attain what was apparently unat- tainable. With success seemingly impossible, these persons
102
overcame terrifying and apparently insurmountable ob- stacles by an inspiration derived from a belief that God would answer their prayers and that their efforts would therefore end in victory. They had complete confidence that God was personally helping them. If God is with them, they did not see how anything could succeed against them. The Pilgrims lived exalted lives. By reading the Bible and by prayer, they were convinced that they were in communion with God and that nothing could defeat them. Nothing did. One of the greatest arguments for the power of prayer is the example of those persons, like the Pilgrims, who with sublime faith place their complete trust in a loving God and thereafter succeed in overcoming every obstacle. If any person of a succeeding generation gets discouraged and begins to lose hope, let him read the story of the Pilgrims who trusted in the promises made in the Bible and who showed succeeding generations what faith will accomplish for those who put it to the test.
I have described at length much of what is known about the Pilgrims so that people generally may appreciate the real truth concerning them. The Pilgrim men and women left a record of which the world is justly proud. Theodore Roosevelt well summed up when he said: "The coming of the Pilgrims to these shores, three centuries ago, shaped the destinies of this Continent, and, therefore, profoundly af- fected the destiny of the whole world." Their descendants and all other Americans have a duty to carry on the Pil- grim tradition by maintaining the Pilgrim's standards in their lives and by being their worthy successors. In the words of Thomas Carlyle, "Hail to thee, poor little ship Mayflower of Delft Haven; poor, common-looking ship; hired by common charter-party for coined dollars; caulked with mere oakum and tar; provisioned with vulgarist biscuit and bacon; yet what ship argo or miraculous epic ship, built by the sea gods, was other than a foolish bumbarge in com- parison." And in the words of the Rev. Minot J. Savage, "I
103
would rather claim my descent from one of the Pilgrim group than from any other source in the world. No other great name, no nobleman, no King, could tempt me for a moment as to ancestry if I could be proud enough to point back to the Mayflower."
Let us finally remember what the late Dean LeBaron Russell Briggs said at the end of his remarkable poem de- livered at the 1920 celebration;
"The Pilgrim's faith, the Pilgrim's courage grant us; Still shines the truth that for the Pilgrims shone. We are his seed; nor life nor death shall daunt us. The port is Freedom! Pilgrim heart, sail on!"
104
APPENDIX A
This is a list of those who came over on the "Mayflower," as listed by Governor Bradford, with some additional infor- mation by me concerning their lives. All dates are in the new style. (B 407-414) (George Ernest Bowman, “Mayflower Compact and Its Signers with a List of the Mayflower Passengers," Boston, 1920).
In some instances Bradford has spelled the name of the person differently from the spelling which appears in Mor- ton's list of signers and which is believed to be correct by the historians. In such cases I have used when possible, the spelling which is considered to be a copy of an original signature.
Bradford gave to certain of the men the designation of "Mr." I have done the same. This should be pronounced master.
In referring to the employees, called servants by Brad- ford, I have not used the word "indentured." Bradford did not use it when describing any passengers on the "May- flower." No other source record has it. "Indentured" means a written document whereby a contract is made, and an indentured servant might be bound for any time, even for a term of years. There is no evidence which indicates whether the employees on the ship were employed orally or in writing, and if in writing, whether informally by memo- randum or by the more formal indenture. I have, therefore, not referred to the employees on the "Mayflower" as being indentured because it would be an unwarranted conclusion which has no factual basis.
1-John Alden was born about 1599 (MD II 114) (MD III 121). According to Bradford, he was "hired for a cooper at South-Hampton, wher the ship victuled; and being a hop-
105
full yong, man, was much desired, but left to his owne lik- ing to go or stay when he came here; but he stayed, and maryed here." (B 409). His duties as cooper were to care for the casks of salt meat, beer and water. He was the seventh signer of the Mayflower Compact. Bradford continues:" Mr. Molines, and his wife, his sone, and his servant dyed the first winter. Only his daughter Priscila survied, and maried with John Alden, who are both living, and have 11 chil- dren." (B 411). His marriage to Priscilla Mullins at Ply- mouth must have been before 1624. It is poetically de- scribed in Longfellow's "The Courtship of Myles Standish." In "Early American Furniture Makers" by Thomas H. Ormsbee, it is alleged that Alden was the first trained wood- worker in any English speaking colony on the American continent. The author says that Alden was sometimes re- ferred to as a "joyner," which means that he did cabinet work and furniture making in addition to his office hold- ing, farming and trading with the Indians. None of the furniture made by him is extant. He resided at first in Plymouth where he owned a considerable tract of land. About 1632, or perhaps earlier he moved to Duxbury, where he had 169 acres of land in one parcel, and there he passed the rest of his life. He was in Captain Myles Standish's Duxbury Company in 1643. In 1653, he built there the house that is still standing. He was always active in the affairs of the Colony. In July, 1627, he was one of the undertakers who became responsible for the debt of the Colony. (B 227-229). In 1634, he had gone to carry supplies to the trading post on the Kennebec River in Maine. He did not even witness the justifiable killing in self-defense of John Hocking there by one of John Howland's men, yet he was arrested and imprisoned when he later stopped in Boston. (NE IX 80) (Maine Hist. Coll. 3, 2, 322) Standish procured his release. (B 306). On October 15, 1641, he entered into contract with James Sherley and the other Merchant Adventurers, on behalf of the Colony (B 359-362).
106
The business with Sherley was finally settled on June 14, 1642 (B 368-371). He was an Assistant from 1632 to 1640, 1650, 1686. He was a Deputy to the General Court, 1641, 1642, 1644, 1649. He was a Member of the Council of War, 1646, et seq. He was Acting Deputy Governor, 1644, 1677. After the death of Captain Standish, he was for some time Treasurer of the Colony. Thacher describes him as follows: "He possessed much native talent, was decided, ardent, reso- lute, and persevering, indifferent to danger, a bold and hardy man, stern, austere and unyielding, of exemplary piety, and of incorruptible integrity" (T 156). "He hated innovations and changes, steadily walked in the ways of his youth, and adhered to the principles and habits of those whom he had been taught to honor." His wife died after 1650 (MD II 114). When he died at Duxbury on September 22, 1687, (MD II 114) he was the last surviving signer of the Compact. He left no will (Plymouth County Probate Records, Vol. I, pp. 10, 16). John Alden has had many de- scendants who, in addition to Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, include Henry Adams, Charles Fran- cis Adams, Arthur Adams, and other members of this very distinguished Adams family. Other descendants have been Samuel Seabury, first Episcopal Bishop in America; Judge Joshua Thomas, first President of the Pilgrim Society; Gov- ernor Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut; William Cullen Bryant, the poet; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, author of "The Courtship of Myles Standish"; Charles Stratton, bet- ter known as General Tom Thumb; Ambassador Charle- magne Tower; Artemas Ward, benefactor of Harvard; James Bryant Conant, President of Harvard; Charles H. Stone, the engineer; Congressman Robert Low Bacon; Mrs. Henry L. Stimson; Actress Betty Field; Theatrical Producer Vinton Freedley; George Albert Smith, late head of the Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church; and many more who are equally distinguished.
2-Mr. Isaac Allerton came with his wife, three children
107
and one servant (B 407). He is credited to the Leyden group and was the fifth signer of the Mayflower Compact. He was born about 1586 (MD IV 128) (BK 29). He married, first at Leyden on November 4, 1611, Mary Norris of Newbury, County Berkshire, England (NE 15, 30-31). His sister mar- ried Degory Priest also on November 4, 1611. In 1614, he was admitted as a burgess of Leyden. When the "May- flower" sailed, he had four possibly five children, all born in Holland, three of whom came over with their parents on the "Mayflower." His daughter, Sarah, remained behind and came over with her aunt Sarah Priest. He was awarded a garden plot in Plymouth, but in 1635 he was living at Rockynook, on Jones River, Kingston.
In April, 1621, after Governor Carver died, William Bradford was chosen governor and Isaac Allerton was chosen sole Assistant to the Governor or Deputy Governor, a position he held until 1624. In September, 1621, he was one of a party of ten which explored the harbor of Boston at which time the first headland at Nantasket was named Point Allerton. His wife having died at Plymouth on March 7, 1621, in the first general sickness, he married, second, at Plymouth, between July 1623 and June 1, 1627, Fear Brew- ster, daughter of the Elder, who had come in the ship "Ann" in 1623 with her sister Patience. She died at: Ply- mouth on December 12, 1634.
He was an Assistant from 1624 to 1631, and also in 1633. In the fall of 1626, Isaac Allerton was sent by the colonists to England. In the spring of 1627 he returned with a pro- posed contract by which a group of persons composed of William Bradford, and several others including himself, assumed the entire indebtedness of the colony. He was at once sent back to England to close it. He returned to Ply- mouth, and during the next few years he crossed the ocean seven times. James Sherley wrote of him on March 8, 1629, "He hath been a truly honest friend to you all, either there or here. And if any do, as I know some of them are: apt to
108
speak ill of him, believe them not." And again on March 19, 1629, he wrote, in a letter signed also by Timothy Heatherly, a friend of the colonists in London, "But the Lord so blessed his labours (even beyond expectation in these evil days), as he obtained the love and favor of great men in repute and place, he got granted all Mr. Winslow desired in his letters to me and more also." It was soon after this that he had controversies with Bradford who claimed that Allerton sometimes endeavored to favor his own inter- est rather than those of the colony. In 1629, Allerton em- ployed the notorious Thomas Morton, as his secretary, which gave so great offense that he was obliged to dismiss him (T 71). He was admittedly the first merchant of New England, and the founder of the coasting trade and fishing industry. He accompanied Governor Bradford and Dr. Fuller to Salem in July, 1629, to assist in the ordination of Mr. Skelton and Mr. Higginson. He then ranked first in wealth among the colonists (T 71). He was the first to wel- come Winthrop and his company on June 12, 1630, when they arrived in America at Charlestown. In 1632, he tried to set up a rival trading station on the Kennebec, also on the Penobscot, but they were unsuccessful. In 1633, he had a fishing fleet off Marblehead where he was staying with his son-in-law. His character may be inferred from the follow- ing passage quoted from the Old Colony Records "1633 desb'r 2d. Whereas Mr. Will. Bradford was appointed in the behalfe of the Court to enter upon the estate of Godbert Godbertson and Zarah his wife, and to discharge the debts of the said Godbert so far as his estate will make good. And whereas the greatest part of his debts are owing to Mr., Isaack Allerton of Plymouth merchant late brother of said Zarah, the said Isaak hath given free leave to all other his creditors to be fully discharged before he receive any thing of his particular debts to himself desiring rather to lose all than other men should lose any" (T 71-72) (OCR I 20).
In '1634, many misfortunes came to him, including the
109
death of his wife on December 12th. His misfortunes still continued, and he eventually was notified to leave Marble- head. From 1636 to 1646 he resided most of the time at New Amsterdam where he was engaged in the coasting and tobacco trades. He went into partnership with Governor Loockermans, and in 1643 was one of the eight men of New Netherland. In 1647, he purchased a tract of land and built a warehouse and residence where Peck Slip now is. He married, third, before 1644, Joanna who survived him (MD II 114). He was often in New Haven after leaving Plymouth and became a resident there as early as 1646, although retaining his business and residence at New Am- sterdam. He died at New Haven between the 10th and 22nd of February, 1659, and is supposed to have been buried on the New Haven "Green." His New Haven residence from 1646 to 1659 was on Fair Street and is marked by a tablet (HS II 175). His will has been published (MD II 155) (New Haven Probate Records, Vol. I, part 1, pgs. 82, 83). He has had many descendants (AH) (I) (MI) (HS 173-182, 183-187), only a few of whom can be mentioned.
His son Isaac moved to Virginia, married and had a daughter Sarah who became the second wife of Hancock Lee, son of Col. Richard Lee, founder of the very distin- guished Lee family. Their daughter Elizabeth Lee married Zachary Taylor, and they were the parents of Lt. Colonel Richard Taylor of Revolutionary fame. The last had a son Zachary Taylor who became President of the United States. The last was the father of Lt. General Richard Taylor, C.S.A. in the Civil War and Sarah Knox Taylor, first wife . of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. Hancock Lee and his wife Sarah Allerton had a son Hancock Lee, who was father of Willis Lee and Captain Hancock Lee, who were among the first explorers of Kentucky with their cousin Hancock Taylor, killed there by the Indians in 1774. Other distinguished descendants of this line include Col. Francis Taylor of the Virginia Line in the Continental
110
Army; Brig. General Joseph Pannell Taylor, U. S. Army in the Civil War; Major General George Bibb, C. S. Army, Civil War; Major General Thomas Leonidas Crittenden, U. S. Army, Civil War, whose son Lieutenant John Critten- den, 20th U. S. Infantry, was killed by Indians at the Battle of Little Big Horn; also the Rev. William C. Young, Presi- dent of Centre College. Isaac Allerton's blood is in many of the most outstanding families in Virginia, as well as else- where. As already shown herein, another descendant is the late Franklin Delano Roosevelt, four times President of the United States.
3-Mary (Norris) Allerton was from Newbury, County Berks, England. She came with her husband and three chil- dren (B 407) and died in the general sickness on March 7, 1621 (MD VII 129-130) (R 210) BK 29).
4-Bartholomew Allerton, son of Isaac by his first wife Mary Norris, was born at Leyden, Holland, about 1612. (HX 16). He came with his parents on the "Mayflower." He was too young to sign the Mayflower Compact. He was a resident of Plymouth in 1627, but shortly afterwards he accompanied his father to London where he became a minister, married and had children. He never returned to America and, so far as is known, no descendant of his has ever been found in this country. A chancery suit of 1657, in which Bartholomew Allerton was a defendant, relates to property in Suffolk, the parties being residents of Norfolk. He was mentioned as clerk of "Bamfield" (probably Bram- field), County Suffolk, when his will was proved in 1659. He mentions late wife Margaret, present wife Sarah and his children without naming them (BK 30) (MD II 114).
5-Remember Allerton, daughter of Isaac Allerton, by his first wife Mary Norris, was born at Leyden, Holland, about 1614. She came with her parents on the "Mayflower" and was living at first in Plymouth. Later she married about 1633, and certainly before May 6, 1635, Moses Maverick, Pastor, (MD V 129) (HS II 178-179) and lived in Marble-
111
-
head, which was originally a part of Salem. She died at Salem between September 12, 1652, and October 22, 1656. Her husband, Moses Maverick, married, second, at Boston on October 22, 1656, Eunice (Cole) Roberts, widow of Thomas Roberts (HS II 179). He died at Marblehead, February 7, 1686 (MD II 114-115).
Many have been misled by an article in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (VII 265) in which the author stated without quoting any authority that Moses Maverick married Sarah Allerton and that Remember prob- ably died unmarried and without issue. This was published before Bradford's History was discovered (B 411) (MD V 130). "The Allerton Family, 1585-1885," page 49, copied the mistake. In the Essex County Registry of Probate at Salem is a record that the Maverick children are from "Moses and Rember Maverick."
6-Mary Allerton, daughter of Isaac and Mary (Norris) Allerton, came with her parents and with her brother and sister. She was born in Leyden, Holland, in June, 1616. She married at Plymouth about 1636, Thomas Cushman, son of Robert Cushman, who was born in February, 1608, and who had come with his father in the "Fortune" in 1621. In Plymouth he had been brought up in the family of Gov- ernor Bradford. He was chosen Ruling Elder of the Church in 1649, after the death of Elder Brewster. He died at Plymouth, December 21, 1691. A tombstone was erected to his memory in 1715, by the Church and congregation at Plymouth (T 67). She died at Plymouth, December 8, 1699, and was the last survivor of the "Mayflower" passengers (MD II 115). She has left descendants (MI).
7-John Allerton was a seaman hired to be one of the company that was to go back for help of others behind (B 409). He was the thirty-eighth signer of the Mayflower Compact. He took part in the third expedition which left the "Mayflower" on December 16, 1620, in the shallop to find a suitable place for a permanent settlement. He there-
112
after took part in the First Encounter with the Indians and later landed and assisted in selecting Plymouth as the place for the permanent settlement (MR 43) (B 9). He died at Plymouth during the general sickness between January 11 and Apirl 10, 1621 (MD II 115). He is not known to be related to Isaac Allerton. He left no descendants.
8-John Billington came with his wife and two sons from London (B 408). He was the twenty-sixth signer of the Mayflower Compact. He was the first offender to be pun- ished. In 1621, John Billington was charged with contempt of the captain's lawful command and of opprobrious speeches. He was tried by the whole company and sentenced to have his neck and heels tied together; but, on humbling himself. and craving pardon, and it being his first offense, he was released from his painful situation before the time - had expired (T 37). In 1625, Governor Bradford said to Robert Cushman in a letter, "Billington still rails against you, and threatens to arrest you, I know not wherefore. He is a knave and so will live and die (T 72). He even- tually was executed for murder at Plymouth in September, 1630. Bradford describes his passing as follows: "This year John Billington the elder (one who came over with the first) was arrained, and both by grand and petie jurie found guilty of willful murder, by plaine and notorious evidence. And was for the same accordingly executed. This, as it was the first execution amongs them, so was it a mater of great sadnes unto them. They used all due means about his triall, and tooke the advice of Mr. Winthrop and other the ablest gentlemen in the Bay of Massachusetts, that were then newly come over, who concured with them that he ought to dye, and the land be purged from blood. He and some of his had been often punished for miscariags before, being one of the profanest families amongst them. They came from London, and I know not by what freinds shufled . into their company. His facte was, that he way-laid a yongman, one John New-comin (about a former quarell)
113
and shote him with a gune, whereof he dyed" (B 270-271). He has had many descendants.
9-Eleanor Billington, wife of John came with him and their two sons (B 408). They were married before 1605. She was accused of slandering Deacon John Doane and sentenced to a fine of five pounds and "to sit in the stocks and be publickly whipt" (HS I 57). She survived her hus- band, married, second, at Plymouth in September, 1638, Gregory Armstrong. Eleanor died after March 12, 1643. Her second husband died at Plymouth, November 15, 1650 (MD II 115).
10-John Billington, eldest son of John and Eleanor, came with his parents and brother Francis (B 408). He was born before 1605 but was too young to sign the Mayflower Compact. In July of 1621 he was lost in the woods. Inquiry was made, and Massasoit sent word that he was at Nauset. He had wandered about five days, subsisting on berries. The governor sent ten men in a shallop, with the Indians Squanto and Tockamahamon, to recover him (B 118-119). The party was obliged to take shelter from a storm in Commaquid (Barnstable) harbor. They sent Squanto to the Sachem Aspinet who was accompanied by not less than one hundred warriors when he brought John back. Half of these warriors went to the shallop unarmed, carrying John through the water, while the rest remained at a dis- tance carrying their bows and arrows. John returned to Plymouth with the Plymouth men (T 40-41)). John Billing- ton, Jr., died at Plymouth between June 1, 1627, and September, 1630 (MD II 115). He never married.
11-Francis Billington came with his parents and brother John (B 408). He was born about 1606 and was too young to sign the Mayflower Compact. He nearly blew up the "Mayflower" (MR 42-43). About January 1, 1621, he mounted the top of a tree on a high hill and announced that he had discovered in the distance another great sea. A week later he went with one of the master's mates to
114
have a view of the place. They found the water divided into two lakes; the large one had five or six miles compass, the smaller one had three miles (T 31). Thereafter the larger was known as Billington Sea. He married at Ply- mouth in July, 1634, Christian (Penn) Eaton, widow of Francis Eaton. She died at Middleborough about 1684. They seemed to have ill fortune because they were forced to bind out most of their children to secure means for their existence. Francis was occasionally sued and fined and once had the choice of a whipping or paying twenty pounds. In later life he did better and served on commit- tees, etc. (HX II 26). He died at Middleborough, December 13, 1684 (MD II 115). He has had many descendants.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.