Mayflower Ancestors: Howland, Tilley, Alden, and Mullins

Shallop Elizabeth Tilley
Mayflower Replica
The Pilgrim John Howland Society

As it happens, I am a descendant of Mayflower passengers, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley, as well as fellow passengers John Alden and Pricilla Mullins. John and Elizabeth Howland are my 12^th great-grandparents while John and Priscilla Alden are my 11^th great-grandparents. Since my Mayflower ancestors knew each other, I thought it would be fun to discuss who they were and make some comparisons about the two couples.

Priscilla Mullins was born ca. 1602, probably in Dorking, England. She boarded the Mayflower with her mother Alice, father William, brother Joseph, and her fathers’ servant Richard. William Mullins was a well-to-do shoe merchant (cordwainer) and the family was likely relocating for economic reasons more than religious freedom. Everyone in the party except Priscilla died during the first winter 1620-1621 in Plymouth Colony. Although Priscilla had a brother and sister living in England, she opted to stay in the New World.

At 23 years-old John Alden, most likely from Harwich, Essex County, England was hired as cooper (barrel maker) and ships carpenter for the Mayflower voyage. He was given the option of staying in Plymouth Colony or returning to England and the New World won out.  

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins

The marriage of Priscilla Mullins to John Alden in 1622 was probably the third marriage by colonists in the New World. Since William Mullins, Priscilla’s father was deceased; custom dictated that John Alden seek permission for the marriage from the men of the colony. The Alden’s produced ten children that survived into adulthood, eight of which gave them grandchildren.

 
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a descendant of Priscilla Mullins and John Alden, wrote a poem titled, The Courtship of Miles Standish in which Priscilla is credited with one of the most witty and quotable sayings by a woman. In a story that has no proven documentation, but is kept alive by the oral history of family, Miles Standish apparently asked his good friend John Alden to propose to Priscilla Mullins for him, to which Priscilla responded “Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?” It’s really up to you how much credence you give this story. Some claim that a rift was created between John Alden and Miles Standish, however this seems unlikely considering that they continued to work together in community matters and John’s daughter Sarah married Miles’ son Alexander.
  
 Elizabeth Tilley was born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England in 1607 to separatists John Tilley and Joan Hurst. Elizabeth traveled on the Mayflower with her parents, aunt Ann and uncle Edward Tilley, and cousins Henry Samson and Humility Cooper. Edward was John Tilley’s brother. Elizabeth Tilly had four siblings that were married with families that remained back in England. As the only survivor in her family, Elizabeth was orphaned at age 13, during the first winter that resulted in the deaths of so many pilgrims. Elizabeth resided with the first governor of Plymouth Colony, John Carver and his wife Catherine until they passed away the following year after arriving in the New World, in 1621. Elizabeth married fellow Mayflower passenger John Howland about 1624.

  

John Howland Overboard
Painting by Dr. Mike Haywood

Born ca. 1599 in Fenstanton, England, John Howland was a maidservant to John Carver. He was more likely a personal assistant or butler type of servant, although no one was immune to hard work in the New World. When the Carver household died in Plymouth Colony, John no doubt benefited from inheriting their property since there were no Carver heirs. (The Carvers two children died in Leiden, Holland.) On the Mayflower voyage, John Howland narrowly escaped death when he was tossed from the ship during a storm, yet managed to grab the topsail halyard and fellow passengers pulled him back onto the ship.



Elizabeth outlived John by fifteen years when she died in December 1687. She opted not to remarry and instead lived with her children, primarily daughter Lydia. The union of Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland yielded ten children and eighty-four grandchildren, making them one of the largest Mayflower families with the most descendants. It’s estimated that over one million successors reside in the United States. Two of John Howland’s brothers, Henry and Arthur Howland, who were Quakers, moved to Massachusetts probably in the 1630s.

In 1634 John Howland and John Alden were commissioners of Kennebunkport trade post where they held an exclusive patent. This trading post was very important to the colonist’s ability to repay the investors of their voyage. A notable incident occurred when a group of about five colonists, ordered by John Howland, confronted trespasser John Hocking, who was squatting on land operated by the pilgrims. Hocking put a gun to Moses Talbot’s head and John Howland implored Hocking to aim at him instead, but Hocking killed Moses Talbot and the colonists then killed Hocking. As the highest ranking member of the commission, the Massachusetts Bay Colony arrested John Alden, who wasn’t even involved in the incident, and held him until Myles Standish and Governor William Bradford intervened.

John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley all very likely could have returned to England if they wanted to, but they choose to remain in the New World. Both John’s were working members of the Mayflower voyage, their presence based on skills that they possessed, and their new lives in the New World included important positions within the community, such as serving as deputy to the court. As teenage young women, Priscilla and Elizabeth accompanied, and were orphaned by their families in the New World yet went on to raise two of the largest Mayflower families.

John Howland m. Elizabeth Tilley                 John Alden m. Priscilla Mullins

Desire Howland m. John Gorham                  Ruth Alden m. John Bass
Temperance Gorham m. Edward Sturgis       Joseph Bass m. Mary Belcher
Fear Sturgis m. Joshua Holmes                      Elizabeth Bass m. Daniel Henshaw
Mary Holmes m. John Randall                       Elizabeth Bass Henshaw m. Samuel Denny
John Randall m. Lucy Brown                         Joseph Denny m. Phebe Henshaw
Lucy Randall m. Amos Breed Sr.                   Lucinda Henshaw Denny m. Lucius Botsford Jr.
Amos Breed Jr. m. Eliphael Phally Weaver  John Sherman Botsford m. Rhoda Bond Look
Amos Breed II m. Elisa Dye                           Clarissa Botsford m. Amos Allen
Abigail Jane Breed m. James B. Chapin       Flora Allen m. George Chapin
George Chapin m. Flora Allen                     Roy Chapin m. Madeline Wilson
Roy E. Chapin  m. Madeline Wilson            Chapin m. Mutch
Chapin m. Mutch                                             Dad m. Mom
Dad m. Mom                                                     Me
Me

  *Notice that Mayflower descent is through two of my dad’s great-grandparents. Flora Allen was the 7^th great-granddaughter of the Alden’s, while George Chapin was the 8^th great-grandson of the Howland’s.

Jamestown Ancestor Cicely Reynolds Bailey Jordan Farrar

December 4, 1619 the first Thanksgiving celebration occurred at Berkeley Hundred, near Jamestown Virginia. The town charter actually required an annual Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, details of who was present or the food consumed at this event has been lost to history.
 
Very likely in attendance at the first Thanksgiving in the New World was my 10^th great grandmother Cicely likely Reynolds (Bailey, Jordan, Farrar). Cicely arrived in Virginia Colony aboard the Swan in 1610 with Captain William Pierce and his wife Jane, who may have been her uncle and aunt or some other relation, at about the age of 10. (Some sources claim that Cicely’s mother and brother Christopher also came to the New World. It’s also possible that Cicely’s mother had died.) Cicely’s first husband probably Thomas Bailey died, probably from malaria, about 1620 and she quickly married her neighbor Samuel Jordan who was himself a widower and twice her age. The evidence of Thomas Bailey is in the existence of temperance Bailey and her inheritance at Bailey’s Point. Samuel died in 1623 and Cicely married for a third time, to William Farrar, in 1625. (Some claim that Cicely was married five times, including Peter Montague and Thomas Parker, however there are no records proving this claim and it seems more likely that these men married other women named Cicely. A major clue is the fact that Peter Montague married a Cicely when our Cicely would have been married to William Farrar.) Cicely had six children, Temperance Bailey, Mary Jordan, Margaret Jordan, Cicely Farrar, William Farrar and John Farrar. I descend from daughters Temperance Bailey and Mary Jordan. It is believed that Margaret died young. John had important occupations in the community, but never married and produced no heirs. Cicely Farrar is believed to have married Isaac Hutchins and then Henry Sherman, but there is confusion regarding some dates and this connection remains uncertain. William Farrar II and Temperance Bailey Cocke are known to have numerous descendants.   
 
On March 22, 1622 the Powhatan Indians massacred about one third of the residents of Jamestown and the story goes that Cicely survived by standing in the doorway of her home and refusing to move. The Powhatan Indians, impressed by her courage and beauty determined to let her live. While this story may sound far-fetched, there is a part of me that believes it. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you think it’s plausible. Their property, called “Jordan’s Journey,” was fortified and many local residents, including William Farrar, survived the attack by seeking refuge there. After the massacre many people fled to more inhabited areas, but Cicely, Samuel, William Farrar and others remained at Jordan’s Journey.   

Cicely evidently proved quite the catch in the New World, because within four days of second husband Samuel’s death, Rev. Greville Pooley sought her hand in marriage and she apparently agreed. However, Cicely was pregnant with Margaret, the child of her late husband, and wanted Rev. Pooley to remain quiet about the planned marriage for the time being. In his excitement of securing the hand in marriage of Cicely, Rev. Pooley blabbed all over town, causing Cicely to determine that she would not marry him. She supposedly remarked, “Mr. Pooley maught thank himself for he might fared the better but for his own words." Thus, began the first breach of contract lawsuit in the New World as Rev. Pooley sued my 10^th great-grandmother Cicely Reynolds Bailey Jordan for refusing to marry him. William Farrar, London trained attorney and administrator of her late husband’s estate served as her attorney. The court did not know how to resolve the matter so the case was sent to London, where they also didn’t know how to settle the matter and returned it to Virginia. Finally in 1624, Rev. Pooley, persuaded by a fellow reverend withdrew his suit and Cicely married William Farrar in 1625. This case actually resulted in a Virginia law forbidding a woman from contracting herself to more than one man at the same time. 

Cecily Reynolds Bailey Jordan Farrar is credited with the “invention of flirting in America” as well as "number one wife and mother of America." (Ray, Index and Digest to Hathaway's North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, page 135.)

Cicely Reynolds m. Thomas Bailey                       Cicely Reynolds m. Samuel Jordan

Temperance Bailey m. Richard Cocke                   Mary Jordan m. Arthur Bailey

Thomas Cocke m. Margaret "Agnes" Powell      Abraham Bailey m. Mary Rogers

William Cocke m. Sarah Perrin                               Abraham Bailey m. Temperance Cocke

Temperance Cocke m. Abraham Bailey              Richard Cocke Bailey m. Mary Renard

Richard Cocke Bailey m. Mary Renard                 Mary Bailey m. Stephen E. Winfree

Mary Bailey m. Stephen E. Winfree                      Mary Frances Winfree m. John Bennett Willis

Mary Frances Winfree m. John Bennett Willis   Catherine Willis m. William Maddox

Catherine Willis m. William Maddox                     Francis Maddox m. Mary Jane Devenny

Francis Maddox m. Mary Jane Devenny              Charles Henry Maddox m. Lydia D Janke

Charles Henry Maddox m. Lydia D Janke             Maddox m. Rhoads

Maddox m. Rhoads                                                   Mom m. Dad

Mom m. Dad                                                               Me

Me

*If the Thomas Bailey that married Cicely Reynolds is related to the Arthur Bailey that married her daughter Mary, I am unaware of the connection.

** Temperance Cocke is Cicely Reynolds great-great granddaughter through her daughter Temperance Bailey and Abraham Bailey is Cicely Reynolds great-grandson through her daughter Mary Jordan. Thus, besides being husband and wife, Temperance Cocke and Abraham Bailey were second half cousins once removed.

Thanksgiving: A Short and Simple History

Celebrations regarded as “Thanksgivings” took place in Texas, Florida, and Canada in the late 16^th century. A 1619 charter in Jamestown, Virginia declared the necessity for an annual Thanksgiving. Although there were prior Thanksgivings, the pilgrims in Plymouth Colony celebrated what is considered the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621. This was more like the fifth Thanksgiving. The reason this Thanksgiving receives the attention is probably because two primary sources survived, thinks to William Bradford and Edward Winslow, so we actually know some details, while we know very little about the other Thanksgivings.    
 
Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony involved 53 pilgrims, about 100 Native Americans and three days of feasting. The ingredients consisted of deer, various birds including wild turkeys, fish, eel, corn, pumpkin, cranberries, and whatever fruits and vegetables they acquired from the harvest.
 
In some ways, today’s version of Thanksgiving remained quite similar to the “First Thanksgiving.” The men helped with the hunting and gathering, while the women prepared the food for consumption. The menu included turkey as well as local, seasonal, and traditional dishes. Besides celebrating the harvest and giving thanks, the feasts purpose included soothing rocky diplomatic relationships between the colonists and the Native Americans, similar to spending time with in-laws and extended family today.     
 
Thanksgivings were not celebrated annually, but rather religious leaders and early American presidents declared a Thanksgiving when they felt it necessary. George Washington became the first American president to declare a Thanksgiving to be held November 26, 1789.  In 1863 Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated the last Thursday in November. In an effort to extend the holiday shopping season and boost the economy, Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, Liberia celebrates on the first Thursday in November, the Norfolk Islands celebrate the last Wednesday in November, and Japan celebrates annually on November 23. Having a harvest feast, or dinner to celebrate being grateful for abundance probably happened long before people colonized the United States of America, but the spanning influence concerning how the holiday is celebrated internationally cannot be denied.