Mrs. Chilton's given name is declared by one writer to have been Susanna,
but it is not clearly proven. Whence she came, her ancestry, and
her age, are alike unknown.
Mary Chilton was but a young girl in 1620. She married, before 1627,
John Winslow, and was probably not then over twenty, nor over
fourteen when she came with her parents in the MAY-FLOWER.
Thomas Rogers appears, from the fact that he had a son, a lad well-grown,
to have been thirty or more in 1620. His birthplace, antecedents,
and history are unknown, but he appears to have been "of the Leyden
congregation." His wife and children came later.
Joseph Rogers was only a "lad" aboard the MAY-FLOWER, but he left a
considerable posterity. Nothing is surely known of him, except that
he was Thomas's son.
Degory Priest had the distinction of being "freeman" of Leyden, having
been admitted such, November 16, 1615. He was by occupation a
"hatter," a man of some means, who left a wife and at least two
children in Holland when he embarked for America. His known age at
death gives his age at sailing but a few months previous. At his
marriage in Leyden, October 4, 1611, he was called "of London." He
was about thirty-two when he married. His wife (a widow Vincent)
was a sister of Isaac Allerton, who also was married at the same
time that he was. Goodwin ("Pilgrim Republic," p. 183) also gives
his age as "forty-one." His widow remarried and came over later.
Dexter ("Mourt's Relation," p. 69, note) states, quoting from Leyden
MS. records, that "Degory Priest in April, 1619, calling himself a
'hatter,' deposes that he 'is forty years of age.'" He must,
therefore, have been about forty-one when he sailed on the
MAY-FLOWER, and forty-two years old at his death.
John Rigdale and his wife Alice afford no data. They both died early,
and there is no record concerning either of them beyond the fact
that they were passengers.
Edward Fuller and his wife have left us little record of themselves save
that they were of Leyden, that he is reputed a brother of Dr. Samuel
Fuller (for whom they seem to have named the boy they brought over
with them, - leaving apparently another son, Matthew, behind), and
that both died the first winter. He must have been at least
twenty-five, judging from the fact that he was married and had two
children, and was perhaps somewhat older (though traditionally
represented as younger) than his brother. Neither his occupation
nor antecedents are surely known.
Samuel Fuller - the son of Edward Fuller and his wife - is called by
Bradford "a young child." He must have been some five or six years
of age, as he married in 1635, fifteen years later, and would
presumably have been of age, or nearly so.
Thomas Tinker's name, the mention of his "wife" and "son," the tradition
that they were "of the Leyden congregation" (which is not sure), the
certainty that they were MAY-FLOWER passengers, - on Brad ford's
list, - and that all died early, are all we know of the Tinker
family.
John Turner and his two sons we know little about. He seems to have been
a widower, as no mention is found of his wife, though this is not
certain. He was of the Leyden congregation, and evidently a man of
some standing with the leaders, as he was made their messenger to
Carver and Cushman in London, in June, 1620, and was apparently
accustomed to travel. He appears to have had business of his own in
England at the time, and was apparently a man of sober age. As he
had three children, - a daughter who came later to New England, and
two sons, as stated by Bradford, - it is probable that he was thirty
or over. He and both his sons died in the spring of 1621.
Francis Eaton was of Leyden, a carpenter, and, having a wife and child,
was probably a young man about twenty five, perhaps a little
younger. He married three times.
Mrs. Sarah Eaton, wife of Francis, was evidently a young woman, with an
infant, at the date of embarkation. Nothing more is known of her,
except that she died the spring following the arrival at Plymouth.
Samuel Eaton, the son of Francis and his wife, Sarah, Bradford calls "a
sucking child:" He lived to marry.
Gilbert Window was the third younger brother of Governor Edward Winslow,
and is reputed to have been a carpenter. He was born on Wednesday,
October 26, 1600, at Droitwitch, in Worcester, England. ("Winslow
Memorial," vol. i. p. 23.) He apparently did not remain long in
the colony, as he does not appear in either the "land division" of
1623 or the "cattle division" of 1627; and hence was probably not
then in the "settlement," though land was later allowed his heirs,
he having been an "original" voyager of the Plymouth colony. He was
but twenty years and fifteen days old when he signed the Compact,
but probably was - from his brother's prominence and his nearness to
his majority - counted as eligible. Bradford states that he returned
to England after "divers years" in New England, and died there. It
has been suggested that he went very early to some of the other
"plantations."
John Alden was of Southampton, England, was hired as "a cooper," was
twenty-one years old in 1620, as determined by the year of his
birth, 1599 ("Alden Memorial," p. 1), and became the most prominent
and useful of any of the English contingent of the MAY FLOWER
company. Longfellow's delightful poem, "The Courtship of Miles
Standish," has given him and his bride, Priscilla Mullens,
world-wide celebrity, though it is to be feared that its historical
accuracy would hardly stand criticism.
