John BAXTER

John married Desire GORHAM on 11 Jun 1706. Desire (daughter of Joseph GORHAM and Sarah STURGIS) was born in Apr 1685 in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts; died on 23 Jun 1749 in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: Abt 02 Jun 1713
• Will Proved: 09 Jul 1713

Thomas married Temperance GORHAM on 27 Jan 1679/80 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Temperance (daughter of Capt John GORHAM and Desire HOWLAND) was born on 05 May 1646 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts; died on 12 Mar 1715 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts . [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Between 07 Mar 1676 and 1677, Division of Estate

John married Desire HOWLAND about 1643 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. Desire (daughter of John HOWLAND and Elizabeth TILLEY) was born before 1625 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died on 13 Oct 1683 in Barnstable, Barnstaple Co.,, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 05 Mar 1683/4, Settlement of Estate

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of James Gorham and Agnes Bernington

Notes:

Name:
Ralph Gorham of Benefield, Northamptonshire, England, and his son John, were established in Plymouth colony before October 1637.

Of the former, little is known. The parish register in Benefield shows that he was born in 1575, the son of James and Agnes Bernington. he was of the Puritan faith, and apparently lived and died in Plymouth colony. An interesting entry appears in a diary of his great, great grandson, Colonel John Gorham, of Massachusetts (Shubael, John, Captain John). During the siege of Louisburg, he recorded in his "Wast Book", under the date of 1745, the following:

THE RISE OF YE FAMILY OF GORHAMS TAKEN FROM CAPTAIN GEORGE GORHAM

"My Great Great Grandfather & Family came out of Some part of England and lived att Marshfield and Had one son Nam'd after him John Gorum, alias Gorham--which Son after Having Marryed With an Howland and had Sevrall Children Went Home to England and Returnd Soone again to his family--
His Father Lived & Dyed att Marshfield and Whats Remarkable He was a Joyner and made his Coffin himself for sevrall Year before he Dyed and used to Keep apples in it as a Chest Untill he dyed & used t." (Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 5, July 1903)

His name appears again on 4 June 1639, and 5 April 1642. At the latter date he was 67 years of age. Because there are no other records concerning him, and because his name does not appear on the list of those fit for military duty in 1643, it is supposed that he died soon after the last entry, April 1642.

Ralph married Margaret STEPHENSON on 23 May 1610 in Benefield, Northamptonshire, England. Margaret was born in Bennefield, Northampton, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 03 Mar 1672, Inventory taken.
• Will: 29 May 1672

Notes:

Excerpt from Mayflower Increasing: In the Plymouth ChR 1:147, Rev. John Cotton said of him, " he was a good old disciple & had bin sometime a magistrate here, a plaine-hearted christian". Nathaniel Morton wrote, "The 23 February 1672 Mr John Howland Senr of the Towne of Plymouth Deceased hee was a Godly man and an ancient professor in the wayes of Christ hee lived untill hee attained above eighty yearaes in the world he was one of the first Comers into this land and proved a usefull Instrument of Good in his place & was the last man that was left of those that Came over in the ship Called the May Flower that lived in Pkymouth he was with honor intered at the Towne of Plymouth on the 25 February 1672."

Name:
American history legend from the voyage of the Mayflower and founding of Plymouth Rock in 1620. American children discover John Howland when they learn of the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, and the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims' leader Governor William Bradford wrote a first hand account of the Pilgrim history from 1620 to 1647. This account was first published in 1952, and is considered one of the best first hand accounts of any kind on American history. In Bradford's account of the voyage over on the Mayflower, he tells of how John Howland washed overboard in violent storm. Howland was 29 years of age at the time. Howland was able to grab some ropes from the sails and gradually pull himself back on board the ship. This event and Bradford's account of it made John Howland a legend. Howland's name and account has been published in hundreds of publications and in school history books. As myths can grow, the story had changed that he had died and was the first pilgrim to die, thus the oldest burial in the Plymouth cemetery, Burial Hill. In fact, he survived, married and had a number of children with Elizabeth Tilley Howland, and lived to 80 plus, according to his grave stone. His grave stone also states from Plymouth records that he was the last male to die from the original pilgrims of the Mayflower. (bio by: Bruce)


Inscription:
Here ended the Pilgrimage of JOHN HOWLAND who died February 23, 1672/3 aged above 80 years. He married Elizabeth daughter of JOHN TILLEY who came with him in the Mayflower Dec. 1620. From them are descended a numerous posterity. "Here was a godly man and an ancient professor in the ways of Christ. Hee was one of the first comers into this land and was the last man that was left of those that came over in the Shipp called the Mayflower that lived in Plymouth."

John married Elizabeth TILLEY on 25 Mar 1623 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of John TILLEY and Joan HURST) was born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England; was christened on 30 Aug 1607 in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England; died on 22 Dec 1687 in Swansea, Bristol Co., Massachusetts; was buried in Brown Lot, Little Neck Cemetery, Riverside, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 17 Dec 1686
• Will Proved: Between 10 Jan 1687 and 1688

Notes:

Name:
When the Mayflower set sail for the new world in 120, one of the passengers was a thirteen-year-old teenager, Elizabeth Tilley. The daughter of John and Joan (Hurst) (Rogers) Tilley, Elizabeth was baptized at Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, on 30 August 1607. She died at Swansea, Massachusetts 22 December 1687, at the age of 80. Throughout the seasons of her life, Elizabeth tilley was a first person witness and participant in the settlement of what came to become known as New England and the United States of America...

Sadly Elizabeth Tilley's parents did not survive the first winter. Historians believe that she subsequently went to live with John Carver and his wife, and it is with this family that John Howland was employed as a servant. However, John Carver died the first spring and his wife, Katherine, died the first summer and so this apparently left John Howland in charge of the Carver household. the Carvers' children died in Leiden and "Howland may have inherited at least a portion of Carver's estate. In 1624 he was considered the head of what was once the Carver household when he was granted an acre for each member of the household including himself, Elizabeth Tilley, Desire Minter and a boy named William Latham."

The exact marriage date of Elizabeth Tilley to John Howland is unknown. However, the Pilgrim John Howland Society states that,"...in the Division of Cattle in 1627 they were married with two children, Desire and John. If Desire was born in 1624 or 1625 it seems John and Elizabeth were married in March 1623 when Elizabeth was almost 16." John Howland was approximately 15 years her senior based on his date of death at age 80. Their ten children included six daughters and four sons: Desire, John, Jabez, Hope, Elizabeth, Lydia, Ruth, Hannah, Joseph and Isaac. Using an estimated marriage date of 1623, John Howland cared and provided for his then "teenage wife" for approximately 49 years.

With so little written about Elizabeth Tilley, a review of John Howland's record adds to what can be surmised about her --Elizabeth was John's able partner for life. He took an active role in Plymouth's affairs and became a prominent society member. Also, John Howland was one of the "Undertakers" who assumed the debt of the colony and was in charge of the Plymouth Colony trading post at Cushnoc on the Kennebec River, and he also served as Assistant to the Governor and participated in the founding of the First Parish Church in Plymouth.

The first house of Elizabeth and John Howland was located on the north side of Leiden Street in Plymouth. A reproduction of this first dwelling can be found at Plimoth Plantation....

The place that was to become their home for many years was the farm known as Rocky Nook. "This place" (now in the village of Kingston) 'we had a great liking to plant in, but it was so far from our fishing our principal profit and so encompassed with woods that we should be in much danger of the savages, and our number being so little and so much ground to clear,' that they wisely decided to settle on the high cleared lands of the present town of Plymouth, 'so near the sea, so well provided with fresh water, and so fortunately protected against Indian attacks.'" In 1637/8 John Howland acquired three acres of land, a house, barn, out buildings and five acres of adjoining meadow, Rocky Nook Farm. It appears that three of their ten children were born there...

Information varies with regard to the widow Elizabeth Howland leaving Rocky Nook. However, it is known that she never remarried and went on to live with two of her children. It appears she was in residence with her son, Jabez Howland, in Plymouth from 1674 until his house was sold in 1680. It was then that Elizabeth went to Swansea to live with her daughter, Lydia (Howland) Brown. Sadly the Howlands beloved Rocky Nook Homestead was burned in 1675 during the King Philip's War.....

While it isn't known how Elizabeth Tilley Howland occupied herself following the death of her husband, there are several interesting articles on the website of the Pilgrim John Howland Society. One article indicates that she kept busy with her numerous grandchildren. Elizabeth's admonition to her children in her Last Will and testament reveals her love of God and family: "I give & commit my soule unto Almighty God my Savior & Redeemer....It is my Will & Charge to all my Children that they walke in ye Feare of ye Lord, and in Love and peace toward each other."

Article written by Kathleen M. (Kathy) Myers