The romantic story of the Mayflower pilgrims, and its place in the life of to-dayAddison, A. C. (Albert Christopher)
History
The romantic story of the Mayflower pilgrims, and its place in the life of to-day
Addison, A. C. (Albert Christopher)
Mayflower (Ship); Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony)
So sings Mrs. Hemans in her famous poem "The Landing of the Pilgrim
Fathers in New England." That devoted little Pilgrim band comprised,
indeed, the Fathers and their families together, members of both sexes
of all ages. When the compact was signed in the Mayflowers cabin on
November 21, 1620, while the vessel lay off Cape Cod, each man
subscribing to it indicated those who accompanied him. There were
forty-one signatories, and the total number of passengers was shown to
be one hundred and two. What became of them? What was their individual
lot and fate subsequent to the landing on Plymouth Rock on December 26?
For long, long years the record as regards the majority of them was
lost to the world. Now, after much painstaking search, it has been
found, bit by bit, and pieced together. And we have it here. It is a
document full of human interest.
John Alden, the youngest man of the party, was hired as a cooper at
Southampton, with right to return to England or stay in New Plymouth. He
preferred to stay, and married, in 1623, Priscilla Mullins, the
"May-flower of Plymouth," the maiden who, as the legend goes, when he
first went to plead Miles Standish's suit, witchingly asked, "Prithee,
why don't you speak for yourself, John?" Alden was chosen as assistant
in 1633, and served from 1634 to 1639 and from 1650 to 1686. He was
treasurer of the Colony from 1656 to 1659; was Deputy from Duxbury in
1641-42, and from 1645 to 1649; a member of the Council of War from 1653
to 1660 and 1675-76; a soldier in Captain Miles Standish's company 1643.
He was the last survivor of the signers of the compact of November,
1620, dying September 12, 1687, aged eighty-four years.
Bartholomew Allerton, born in Holland in 1612, was in Plymouth in 1627,
when he returned to England. He was son of Isaac Allerton.
[Illustration: _Copyright, 1904, by A. S. Burbank, Plymouth_
JOHN ALDEN]
[Illustration: _Copyright, 1904, by A. S. Burbank, Plymouth_
PRISCILLA MULLINS]
Isaac Allerton, a tailor of London, married at Leyden, November 4, 1611,
Mary Norris from Newbury, Berkshire, England. He was a freeman of
Leyden. His wife died February 25, 1621, at Plymouth. Allerton
married Fear Brewster (his second wife), who died at Plymouth, December
12, 1634. In 1644 he had married Joanna (his third wife). He was an
assistant in 1621 and 1634, and Deputy Governor. He was living in New
Haven in 1642, later in New York, then returned to New Haven. He died in
1659.
John Allerton, a sailor, died before the Mayflower made her return
voyage. Mary Allerton, a daughter of Isaac, was born in 1616. She
married Elder Thomas Cushman. She died in 1699, the last survivor of the
Mayflower passengers. Remember Allerton was another daughter living in
Plymouth in 1627. Sarah Allerton, yet another daughter, married Moses
Maverick of Salem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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