The Plymouth Colony Archive Project

© 2000 Copyright and All Rights Reserved
by Patricia Scott Deetz and James Deetz

William Bradford's Register of Some of the First Deaths at Plymouth

The information given below concerning the deaths of passengers on the Mayflower has been extracted from Thomas Prince's A Chronological History of New-England, in the Form of Annals (Boston, N.E., 1736; Edinburgh Private printing, 1887-1888), 5 vols. In volume 3, Prince lists at intervals extracts from "A Register of Governor Bradford's in his own hand, recording some of the first deaths, marriages and punishments at Plymouth." According to Robert Charles Anderson's three volume The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), p. 1809, this register has subsequently been lost.

During the voyage
William Butten: November 6, 1620 "the only passenger who dies on the voyage," Bradford (Prince), vol. 3, p. 8.

While at anchor off Cape Cod between November 9 and December 8, 1620
Edward Thompson: December 4, "servant to Master White, the first that dies since their arrival," Ibid., p. 12.
Jasper More: December 6, "a boy of Master Carver's," Ibid.
Dorothy Bradford: December 7, "wife to Master William Bradford," Ibid.
James Chilton: December 8, Ibid.

After dropping anchor in Plymouth Harbor, 16 December, 1620 and through the departure of the Mayflower on April 5, 1621
Richard Britteridge: December 21, "the first who dies in this harbour," Ibid., p. 17.
Solomon Martin (Prower): December 24, "the sixth and last who dies this month," Ibid.

Digory Priest: January 1, "the year begins with the death of Degory Priest," Ibid., p. 29.
Christopher Martin: January 8, "this day dies Master Christopher Martin," Ibid., p. 30.
Rose Standish: January 29 "Dies Rose, the wife of Captain Standish," Ibid., p. 31. N.B. This month, Eight of our number die.

William White, William Mullins, "with two more": February 21, Ibid., p. 32.
Mary Allerton: February 25, "Dies Mary, the wife of Master Isaac Allerton," Ibid. N.B. This month, Seventeen of our number die.

Elizabeth Winslow: March 24, "Dies Elizabeth, the wife of Master Edward Winslow," Ibid., p. 38. N.B. This month, Thirteen of our number die.

And in three months past, die Half our Company. The greatest part in the depth of winter, wanting houses and other comforts; being infected with the scurvy and other diseases which their long voyage and unaccommodate condition bring upon them. So as there die sometimes two or three a day. Of one hundred persons, scarce 50 remain. The living scarce able to bury the dead; the well not sufficient to tend the sick: there being in their time of greatest distress but six or seven who spare no pains to help them. Two of the seven were Master Brewster, their reverend Elder, and Master Standish the Captain.

The like disease fell also among the sailors; so as almost Half their company also die, before they sail. (Ibid., pp. 38-39.)

William Bradford's list of "Decreasings and Increasings," 1650

William Bradford's list of passengers on the Mayflower follows the final entries of his original manuscript on the history of Plymouth Plantation. Immediately after the list, he writes:

I have thought it not unworthy my pains to take a view of the decreasings and increasings of these persons and such changes as hath passed over them and theirs in this thirty years [Bradford evidently wrote this in 1650]. (Bradford, p. 443)

"Of these hundred persons which came first over in this first ship together, the greater half died in the general mortality, and most of them in two or three months' time." (Bradford, p. 447)

The list of passengers on the Mayflower and the "Decreasings and Increasings" form Appendix XIII of Samuel Eliot Morison's edition of William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 (New York: Knopf, 1952), pp. 441-448.

The entries given below are supplemented by those in Bradford's Register (Prince, 1736) as they often provide a specific date of death.

Allerton, Mary (Norris): Mr. Allerton his wife died with the first, and his servant John Hooke," Bradford, p. 444. Register: Dies Mary, the wife of Master Isaac Allerton," Feb. 25, 1621.

Allerton, John: "Died in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447.

Bradford, Dorothy (May): "William Bradford his wife died soon after their arrival," Bradford, p. 444. Register: "wife to Master William Bradford" died Dec. 7, 1620.

Richard Britteridge: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447. Register: He died on Dec. 21, "the first to die in this harbour."

Butten, William: "Mr. Fuller, his servant died at sea," Bradford, p. 445. Register: "the only passenger who dies on the voyage," Nov. 6, 1620.

Carter, Robert (servant to William Mullins): "Died the first winter," Bradford, p. 445.

Carver, John and Carver, Katherine (White) (Leggatt) (wife): Mr. Carver and his wife died the first year, he in the spring, she in the summer," Bradford, p. 443.

Chilton, James and Chilton, Susanna (Furner): "James Chilton and his wife also died in the first infection," Bradford, p. 446. Register: James Chilton died on Dec. 8, 1620, on board the Mayflower.

Clarke, Richard: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447

Crackstone, John: "Died in the first mortality," Ibid., p. 445.

Eaton, Sarah: "Francis Eaton his first wife died in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 446.

English, Thomas: "Died in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447.

Fletcher, Moses: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447.

Fuller, Edward and Wife: "Edward Fuller and his wife died soon after they came ashore," Bradford, p. 446.

Goodman, John: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447. Goodman was still alive in mid-January 1621 (Mourt's Relation, pp. 45-48), although not in good physical shape. He is listed as one of those who received land in 1623 (PCR 12: 4). He is not listed among those who were part of the cattle division of 1627, so he must have died by then.

Holbeck, William (servant to William White): "Mr. White and his two servants died soon after their landing," Bradford, p. 445.

Hooke, John: Servant to Isaac Allerton, "died with the first," Bradford, p. 444.

Langmore , John (servant to Christopher Martin): "Mr. Martin, he and all his died in the first infection, not long after the arrival," Bradford, p. 445.

Margesson, Edmund: Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447.

Martin, Christopher: "Mr. Martin, he and all his died in the first infection, not long after the arrival," Bradford, p. 445.

Martin, Marie (Prower) (wife): "Mr. Martin, he and all his died in the first infection, not long after the arrival," Bradford, p. 445.

More, Ellen: "One of his [Edward Winslow's] servants died, as also the little girl [Ellen More] soon after the ship's arrival," Bradford, p. 444.

More, Jasper: "Died of the common infection," Bradford, p. 443. Register: "a boy of Master Carver's" died Dec. 6, 1620.

More, Mary: "Richard More's brother [sic] died the first winter," Bradford p. 444. Probably "brother" is an error, and Bradford, writing thirty years later, had forgotten that Richard had a second sister who died. Jasper, his older brother, had already been mentioned by Bradford under his accounting for the Carvers. See Anderson, p. 1283.

Mullins, William: "Mr. Mullins and his wife, his son and his servant died the first winter," Bradford, p. 445. Register: died Feb. 21, 1621.

Mullins, Alice (wife of William Mullins).

Mullins, Joseph (son of William Mullins).

Alice Mullins left a nuncupative will, which was taken back to England on the Mayflower, on her return voyage. She sailed from Plymouth on 5 April 1621. At that date Alice and Joseph Mullins must have been alive, as they were beneficiaries under the will and there was no official notification of their death attached to it. They presumably died in the spring or summer of 1621.

Priest, Digory: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447. Register: Priest died on Jan. 1, 1621.

Prower, Samuel (stepson of Christopher Martin): "Mr. Martin, he and all his died in the first infection, not long after the arrival," Bradford, p. 445. Register: died Dec. 24, 1620.

Rigsdale, John and Wife: "So did John Rigsdale and his wife, [die in the first sickness]," Bradford, p. 446.

Rogers, Thomas: "Thomas Rogers died in the first sickness," Bradford, p. 446.

Standish, Rose: "Captain Standish his wife died in the first sickness," Bradford, p. 445. Register: died Jan. 29, 1621.

Story, Elias: "One of his [Edward Winslow's] servants died . . . soon after the ship's arrival," Bradford, p. 444.

Thompson, Edward(servant to William White): "Mr. White and his two servants died soon after their landing," Bradford, p. 445

Tilley, Edward and Tilley, Agnes (Ann) (Cooper): "Edward Tilley and his wife both died soon after their arrival," Bradford, p. 446.

Tilley, John and Tilley, Joan (Hurst) (Rogers): "John Tilley and his wife both died a little after they came ashore," Bradford, p. 446.

Tinker, Thomas, Wife and Son: "Thomas Tinker and his wife and son all died in the first sickness," Bradford, p. 446.

Turner, John and two Sons: "John Turner and his two sons all died in the first sickness," Bradford, p. 446.

White, William: "Mr. White and his two servants died soon after their landing," Bradford, p. 445. Register: William White died the same date as William Mullins, Feb. 21, 1621, "with two more." His servants were William Holbeck and Edward Thompson.

Wilder, Roger (servant to John Carver): "Died of the common infection," Bradford, p. 443.

Williams, Thomas: "Died soon after arrival in the general sickness," Bradford, p. 447. In Mourt's Relation, p. 56, reference is made to a "Mr. Williamson," who with Captain Standish on March 22, 1621, met Massasoit at the brook. As there was no Williamson among the passengers, the editor, Dwight Heath, suggests that this was in fact Thomas Williams.

Winslow, Elizabeth (Barker): "Mr. Edward Winslow his wife died the first winter," Bradford, p. 444. Register: Elizabeth Winslow died on March 24, 1621.

Comment

It seems clear that when Bradford compiled his record of "decreasings and increasings," he did not consult his Register, apparently kept as a log while at sea and after landing, to which Thomas Prince later had access. There are too many inconsistencies. What is clear is that Bradford notes in his Register that there were 44 deaths between December 1620 and the end of March 1621. After this he adds that Governor John Carver died in the spring, and his wife Katherine (White) (Leggatt) Carver some five or six weeks later in the summer. As the Register has all the appearance of being the earliest record it should be preferred to the later list of decreasings. Just when Alice and Joseph Mullins died is not clear, except that it appears to have been after April 5, 1621. Thomas Williams must have died after March 22, 1621, and John Goodman sometime between 1623 and 1627.

According to Bradford's Register in Prince, the deaths were as follows:

November, 1620	1	Butten, at sea.
Winter
December	6
January, 1621	8
February, 1621	17
March, 1621	13
	subtotal: 44
Spring	1	John Carver
Summer	1	Katherine Carver
	Total: 47

According to Bradford's "Decreasings and Increasings," there were 47 deaths between December 1620 and the end of the winter, followed by those of John and Katherine Carver in the spring and summer, a total of 49. Adding William Butten brings the list of Mayflower passenger deaths to 50.

According to the additional facts known since Bradford compiled his "Decreasings," it is probable that Alice and Joseph Mullins also died in the spring or summer, so there would have been 45 deaths in the winter. If John Goodman survived the winter, as seems possible, it reduces the number to 44, which confirms Bradford's Register. John Williams should be included in the winter deaths, as he could well have died after March 22, 1621 before the spring, as this confirms Bradford's Register total.

On the basis of the information available in both sets of records, it seems that the following is correct: 44 deaths in the winter, and an overall total of 50, as follows: 1 voyage (Butten); 44 winter deaths, including 4 while at anchor off Cape Cod (Edward Thompson, Jasper More, Dorothy Bradford, and James Chilton): 5 spring & summer deaths (John Carver, Katherine Carver, John Goodman, Alice Mullins, Joseph Mullins).

Created and maintained by Chris Fennell
Last Modified: December 14, 2007