The Foundation of the Colony
This directory is more than a collection of names and dates. It brings together unvarnished information about the families who endured the first difficult years of Plymouth Colony. While the Mayflower story is often told in broad outlines, the individual lives within it reveal a history marked by hardship, uncertainty, and survival.
Within this company were the "Saints", who sought liberty of conscience, and the "Strangers", who came for opportunity, land, or livelihood. Among them were leaders, servants, laborers, and children, each drawn into a world far harsher than any of them could have expected. From violence and loss to births in the harbor and the struggle to survive the first winter, their stories reflect the resilience required to establish the colony.
This register is intended to show direct biological lines and the spouses who joined them. It offers a closer look at the individuals and households whose lives remain at the center of descendant research today.
The Carver and Robinson Groups (Saints)
- John Carver (36): Governor and wealthy merchant.
- Katherine Carver: John's wife.
- Desire Minter: A young woman and family friend.
- John Howland (about 21): servant and assistant to John Carver. He famously fell overboard during a storm and survived by grabbing a halyard.
- Roger Wilder: Servant.
- William Latham: A young servant boy.
- Jasper More (7): An indentured child.
The Bradford and Brewster Families (Saints)
- William Bradford (30): Fustian weaver and future Governor.
- Dorothy Bradford (23): William's wife.
- William Brewster (54): The Elder and spiritual leader.
- Mary Brewster (52): William's wife.
- Love Brewster (9) and Wrestling Brewster (6): Their young sons.
- Richard More (6) and Mary More (4): Siblings indentured to the Brewsters.
The Winslow and Allerton Families (Saints)
- Edward Winslow (25): Printer and diplomat.
- Elizabeth Winslow: Edward's wife.
- George Soule (20): A teacher and servant to the Winslows.
- Isaac Allerton (34): A tailor and businessman.
- Mary Allerton: Isaac's wife.
- Bartholomew (8), Remember (5), and Mary (4) Allerton: Their children.
- John Hooke (13): Isaac's apprentice.
The Fuller and Mullins Families (Saints and Strangers)
- Samuel Fuller (40): The colony's doctor and a deacon.
- William White: A Saint and prominent member.
- Susanna White: William's wife.
- Resolved White (5): Their son.
- Peregrine White: The first English child born to the Plymouth settlers in New England (on the ship in the harbor).
- William Mullins (40): A "Stranger" and shoemaker from London.
- Alice Mullins: William's wife.
- Priscilla Mullins (18): Their daughter, who later married John Alden.
- Joseph Mullins (14): Their son.
The Hopkins and Billington Families (Strangers)
- Stephen Hopkins (39): Tanner and merchant. The only passenger with previous American experience.
- Elizabeth Hopkins: Stephen's wife.
- Giles (12), Constance (11), and Damaris (1) Hopkins: Children from Stephen's first and second marriages.
- Oceanus Hopkins: Born at sea during the crossing.
- Edward Doty and Edward Leister: Two rowdy servants to Stephen Hopkins.
- John Billington (40): Often called the "troublemaker" but a vital survivor.
- Eleanor Billington: John's wife.
- John (16) and Francis (14) Billington: Their sons.
The Tilley, Cooke and Warren Families
- John Tilley (48): Silk worker.
- Joan Tilley: John's wife.
- Elizabeth Tilley (13): Their daughter.
- Edward Tilley (32): John's brother and a cloth worker.
- Ann Tilley: Edward's wife.
- Francis Cooke (37): A wool comber.
- John Cooke (13): Francis's son.
- Richard Warren (42): A London merchant who traveled alone to scout the land.
Other Notable Passengers and Servants
- Myles Standish (36): Professional soldier and "Stranger".
- Rose Standish: Myles's wife.
- John Alden (21): The cooper hired in Southampton.
- Christopher Martin (40): The purchasing agent for the voyage.
- Mary Martin: Christopher's wife.
- Solomon Prower and Nathaniel Martin: Sons and stepsons of Christopher.
- Thomas Rogers (48): A merchant and Saint.
- Joseph Rogers (18): Thomas's son.
- Thomas Tinker: Wood and cloth worker.
- John Rigsdale and Alice Rigsdale: A couple from London.
- James Chilton (64): The oldest passenger on the ship.
- Mrs. Chilton and Mary Chilton (13): James's wife and daughter.
- Edward Fuller and Mrs. Fuller: A family from the Redenhall group.
- Samuel Fuller (12): Edward's son.
- John Turner: A merchant with two sons.
- Francis Eaton: A carpenter and "Stranger".
- Sarah Eaton and Samuel Eaton (infant): Francis's wife and son.
- Peter Browne: A weaver and "Stranger".
- Degory Priest (41): A hatter from Leiden.
- Thomas Williams: A Saint from Leiden.
- Gilbert Winslow (20): Edward's younger brother.
- Edmund Margesson: A "Stranger".
- Richard Britteridge: A "Stranger".
- Richard Clarke: A "Stranger".
- Richard Gardiner: A "Stranger".
- John Allerton and Thomas English: Two sailors hired to stay with the colony.
The Hired Crew and Others
John Alden and the two sailors mentioned above were officially part of the 102. About 25 to 30 other crew members, including Captain Christopher Jones, stayed on the ship during the first winter but returned to England in the spring of 1621.
The House of Doty
All nine of Edward and Faith's children survived to adulthood, though three grandchildren through their daughter Elizabeth died young.
The Parents: Edward Doty (born about 1599 and died in 1655) arrived as an indentured servant to Stephen Hopkins and was a "Stranger" seeking economic gain. He married his second wife, Faith Clarke (1619 to 1675), in 1635. Faith was the daughter of Thurston and Faith Clarke.
The Surviving Lineage: All nine children survived: Edward, John, Thomas, Samuel, Desire, Elizabeth, Isaac, Joseph, and Mary.
Position and Land: Doty was a "Purchaser" and shareholder in the colony. By his death, his estate was worth over £137, including sixty acres of upland.
Human Moment: Doty was a firebrand who fought the first duel in New England with a sword and dagger. He appeared in court at least 23 times for everything from slander to "drawing blood".
The House of Hopkins
Those Who Did Not Survive: Oceanus Hopkins, born on the open Atlantic, died in early childhood.
The Parents: Stephen Hopkins (39) was a tanner and merchant who had previously survived a shipwreck in Bermuda. He and his second wife, Elizabeth, both survived the "Starving Time".
The Surviving Lineage: Children from both of Stephen's marriages, Giles (12), Constance (11), and Damaris (1), all survived the first year.
Human Moment: Hopkins was once sentenced to death for mutiny in Bermuda after arguing that a governor's authority didn't apply on land.
The House of Brewster
Those Who Did Not Survive: Mary More (4), an indentured child in the home, died during the first winter.
The Parents: William Brewster (54) was the spiritual leader and "Elder". Both he and his wife, Mary (52), survived the "Starving Time".
Human Moment: As sickness and death swept through Plymouth, William and Mary Brewster endured while much of the colony seemed to come apart around them. Their household survived to become one of the great enduring lines of Mayflower descent. During the colony's worst illness, Brewster was remembered as one of the few still strong enough to care for the sick and perform even the humblest tasks for those too weak to help themselves.
The House of Tilley
Those Who Did Not Survive: John Tilley and Joan both died in the "Starving Time". His brother Edward and Ann also died that winter.
The Surviving Lineage: Elizabeth Tilley (13) was the only survivor of her family and eventually married John Howland.
Mayflower Drowning Man Shapes the Course of American History
In 1620, at this time, another disaster struck the storm tossed Mayflower in mid Atlantic. One of the passengers, a servant called John Howland, was swept overboard by a mountainous wave and then miraculously rescued. John Howland went on to be the thirteenth signatory of the Mayflower Compact and was present at the first Thanksgiving. He sired 10 children and had 82 grandchildren. Had he lost his hold and drowned on that fateful day, the two Presidents Bush and President Roosevelt would not have existed as they are all descendants of John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley.
Human Moment: At thirteen, Elizabeth lost her parents, her uncle, and her aunt in the same deadly season, a child left alone in the aftermath of the colony's first great wave of loss. During a violent storm, John Howland was thrown into the sea. Bradford wrote that he managed to grab a trailing rope and, though dragged deep beneath the water, held on until the crew pulled him back aboard. That one desperate moment changed the course of his life. Howland survived, married fellow passenger Elizabeth Tilley, and became the forefather of one of the largest Mayflower lines in America.