He arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 as a manservant to John Carver, first governor of Plymouth. John Howland was washed overboard during the voyage but grabbed the topsail halyards and was able to hold on until the crew pulled him back on board. He had married the orphaned Elizabeth Tilley by 1623. With the Tilleys’ shares in the venture---and possibly with their inheritance---he rose rapidly in the affairs of Plymouth and died a highly respected member of the community.

Probably, either John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley on one hand, or John Alden and Priscilla Mullins on the other, have the most descendants of all the Pilgrims.

A wealth of information on all the Mayflower passengers is available at http://www.mayflowerhistory.com .