Mayflower Page

The
"Mayflower"
Pages

Our family is descended from four of the passengers on the "Mayflower."

John Howland,
his wife, Elizabeth Tilley,
and her parents
John and Elizabeth Tilley

John Tilley and his wife died during that first harsh winter in Plymouth, Massachusetts, leaving 13-year-old Elizabeth to live with Gov. John Carver and his wife. After the deaths of Carver and his wife that same winter, the Carver household was left in the hands of John Howland, Carver's "manservant," also referred to as Carver's scribe or secretary. John and Elizabeth eventually married and had ten children. Below are more complete details on the life and times of John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland.

John Howland's claim to fame came when he was swept off of the Mayflower during a storm. Bradford's account tells the story:

"In sundry of these storms the winds were so fierce and the seas so high, as they could not bear a knot of sail, but were forced to hull for divers days together. And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull in a mighty storm, a lusty young man called John Howland, coming upon some occasion above the gratings was, with a seele of the ship, thrown into the sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards which hung overboard and ran out at length. Yet he held his hold (though he was sundry fathoms under water) till he was hauled up by the same rope to the brim of the water, and then with boat hook and other means got into the ship again and his life saved. And though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member both in church and commonwealth."

Mayflower Compact

Mayflower Passengers - a complete listing of all of the Mayflower passengers.

Mayflower Links:

Caleb Johnson's Mayflower Web Pages - a comprehensive guide to the Mayflower and her passengers.

The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620 - a study guide prepared for use by teachers, students, and anyone wanting to learn more about the Pilgrims.