 1599 - 1687 (~ 89 years)
-
| Name |
John Alden |
| Born |
Between 1598 and 1599 [1] |
|
|
| Gender |
Male |
| _AMTID |
190111216409:1030:113173531
|
| Died |
12 Sep 1687 |
Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
 [1, 2] |
|
|
| Notes |
- Ancestral Summary:
Extensive research has been done into the ancestry of John Alden, but n
othing has conclusively been found. There are two major theories that h
ave been presented over the years:
Charles Edward Banks, in his book The English Ancestry and Homes of the P
ilgrim Fathers, 1929, puts forward a theory that John is the son of Geo
ge Alden and Jane (---) and grandson of Richard and Avys Alden of Sout
hampton, England. Since Bradford says John Alden was hired in Southampt
on, this would be a logical place to start looking for Aldens. No other s
upporting evidence has been found, and it has been noted by many resear
chers that the names George, Richard, and Avys do not occur anywhere in J
ohn Alden's family. Naming children after parents and grandparents was a
extremely common practice in the seventeenth century, and the absence o
f such a name is nearly enough evidence to disprove this theory.
The currently popular theory is that John Alden came from Harwich, Esse
x, England. There was a sea-faring Alden family living there, who were r
elated by marriage to Christopher Jones, captain of the Mayflower. It h
as been suggested John Alden may be the son of John Alden and Elizabeth D
aye, but this is not fully proven either.
Two commemorative broadsides (elegy poems) survive from John Alden's 16
87 death. The first broadside is by an unknown author, and the second b
oadside was written by John Cotton.
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--- ------
Biographical Summary:
William Bradford wrote, in his history Of Plymouth Plantation: "John Al
den was hired for a cooper [barrel maker] at Southampton where the ship [
Mayflower] victualed, and being a hopeful young man was much desired bu
t left to his own liking to go or stay when he came here; but he stayed a
d married here." and later wrote "John Alden married Priscilla, Mr. Mu
llin's daughter, and had issue by her as is before related."
John Alden was an assistant for the Plymouth colony for many years, and w
as deputy governor for two years. His marriage to Priscilla Mullins wa
s the subject of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, "The Courtship of M
yles Standish", which although a classic has little factual basis. Joh
and Priscilla were among the founders of the town of Duxbury.
In 1634, John Alden was on the Kennebec River assisting in the forceful r
emoval of John Hocking who was illegally fishing and trading on land th
at had been granted to the Pilgrims. Hockings refused to leave, and wh
en the party arrived at his ship by canoe to board and remove him, he s
hot and killed Moses Talbot. In return, Hockings was shot and killed. T
he Massachusetts Bay Colony took matters into its own hands, and arrest
ed John Alden (even though he was not the one who fired the shot). Myle
s Standish was sent by Governor Bradford to obtain Alden's release, whi
ch he successfully did.
In his later years, John Alden was on many juries, including even a wit
ch trial--though in Plymouth's case, the jury found the accuser guilty o
f libel and the alleged witch was allowed to go free. Plymouth Colony o
ly had two witch trials during its history, and in both cases the accu
ser was found guilty and punished.
John and Priscilla Alden probably have the largest number of descendant
s of any Mayflower passenger, but with stiff competition from Richard W
arren and John Howland. They are ancestors to Presidents John Adams an
d John Quincy Adams, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Vice Presiden
t Dan Quayle.
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--- ------
John Alden's House built in 1653 still stands, and tours are given by t
he Alden Kindred of America. For more information, click on the pictur
e of the house and you will go to the Alden Kindred web page.
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--- ------
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:
Zachariah Alden and Henry Alden have both been incorrectly identified a
s sons of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins in various publications. For i
formation on the genealogy of Henry Alden, see Mayflower Descendant 43
:21-29,133-138; 44:27-30,181-184.
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--- ------
Sources:
Alicia Crane Williams, ""John Alden: Theories on English Ancestry", May
flower Descendant 39:111-122; 40:133-136
Alicia Crane Williams, Families of Pilgrims: John Alden and William Mul
lins (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1986).
Robert C. Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1:21-26 (Boston: New En
gland Historical and Genealogical Society, 1995).
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, ed. Samuel Morison (New York: R
andom House, 1952).
Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and Its People, 16
20-1691 (Ancestor Publishers: Salt Lake City, 1986).
Harry Hollingsworth, "John Alden--Beer Brewer of Windsor?", The America
Genealogist 53(1977):235-240.
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--- ------
Mayflower Web Pages. Caleb Johnson © 1998
|
| Person ID |
I34262 |
Megan's Big Tree |
| Last Modified |
31 Dec 1969 |
| Family |
Priscilla Mullins, b. Abt 1602, Dorking, Surrey, England
, d. Between 1650 and 1687 (Age ~ 48 years) |
| Married |
Abt 1623 |
Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
[1] |
|
|
| Children |
| | 1. Elizabeth Alden, b. Between 1623 and 1625, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
, d. 31 May 1717, Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, United States
(Age ~ 94 years) |
| | 2. Mary Alden, d. Aft 13 Jun 1688 |
| | 3. John Alden, b. Abt 1626, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
, d. 14 Mar 1702, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
(Age ~ 76 years) |
| | 4. Joseph Alden, b. Aft 22 May 1627, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
, d. 8 Feb 1697, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
(Age < 69 years) |
| | 5. Sarah Alden, b. Aft 22 May 1627, d. Bef 13 Jun 1688 (Age < 60 years) |
| | 6. Priscilla Alden, d. Aft 13 Jun 1688 |
| | 7. Jonathan Alden, b. Abt 1632, d. 14 Feb 1697, Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
(Age ~ 65 years) |
| | 8. Ruth Alden, b. Between 1632 and 1649, d. 12 Oct 1674, Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
(Age ~ 42 years) |
| | 9. David Alden, b. Abt 1646, d. Between 5 Jun 1718 and 1 Apr 1719 (Age ~ 72 years) |
| | 10. Rebecca Alden, b. Bef 1649, d. Aft 13 Jun 1688 (Age > 40 years) |
|
| Last Modified |
30 Aug 2021 |
| Family ID |
F14179 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
-
| Sources |
- [S730] The Mayflower Passengers Website
.
- [S726] The Langworthy Families in America
.
|
|
