Mary Chilton
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Mary Chilton was born on May 31, 1607 in Sandwich, Kent, England and was the daughter of Mayflower passenger James Chilton. At the age of thirteen, she accompanied her parents on the voyage to Plymouth. Her father, at age sixty-four, was the oldest passenger on the Mayflower.
It was once believed that Susannah Furner was her mother, but this was conclusively disproved in 1999 by researcher Michael Paulick. Susannah Furner was in fact James Chilton's step-sister.
By legend, Mary Chilton was the first female passenger to step ashore at Plymouth, reportedly so excited that she jumped out of the small boat and waded ashore onto "Plymouth Rock." [1]
Her father died on December 8, 1620 aboard the Mayflower and her mother died six weeks later on January 21, 1621,also aboard ship, both on the first infection of the disease. This was proclaimed by the Governor of Plymouth, William Bradford in 1650. Once orphaned, it is believed she became the ward of Myles Standish. Chilton was given three shares in the land division of 1623, one for each of her family members that died. Her property was situated between those of Standish and John Howland.
She was one of eleven under-age girls on the Mayflower. Of these, she was one of the nine to survive the first year at Plymouth. In contrast, only four of the fourteen adult women survived the first year.
She married John Winslow (possibly on October 12, 1624) and thus became the sister-in-law of Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow. They had ten children: John, Susannah, Mary, Edward, Sarah, Samuel, Joseph, Isaac, an un-named child who probably died in infancy, and Benjamin. All but Benjamin married, and Benjamin's birth is the only one listed in the records of Plymouth colony.
The family moved to Boston some time after the birth of Benjamin in 1653. There John Winslow is said to have prospered as a merchant.
She made out a will on July 31, 1676 (the only female passenger on the Mayflower to do so) and died before May 1, 1679 in Boston.
[edit] Notable Descendants
Notable descendants of Mary Chilton include First Lady Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, singer Pete Seeger, Ambassador Pamela Harriman, poet Robert Lowell, actress Jane Wyatt, Marjorie "Betty Crocker" Child, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, actor Vincent Price, and former governor Howard Dean. Another descendant, Marcus Winslow, was the uncle by marriage of actor James Dean. It has also been alleged, though not proven, the former Vice President Dan Quayle was also a descendant.
Mary had a great-grandson, born on June 26,1702, named Philip Doddridge .He was an English Nonconformist Leader.
In 1858, rumors were spread that Abraham Lincoln was a descendant of Mary Chilton's daughter. The name Lincoln has still not shown any resemblance to Mary's descendants. A clue that Mary's daughter could've married Abraham Lincoln's ancestor, Samuel Lincoln.
