GENEALOGY

The Voyage From the Old World Was Frightening

John Howland survived falling overboard into icy waters

John Howland was born around 1599. He was the son of Henry and Margaret Howland of Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire. Some accounts say Howland was born in 1592.

According to Caleb Johnson’s Mayflower History, Howland boarded the Mayflower as an indentured servant for Governor John Carver and his wife, Katherine, in 1620.

While crossing the ocean to come to the new world, Howland nearly lost his life when he fell overboard during a storm.

Nathaniel Philbrik, the author of Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, wrote about the moment.

“As the Mayflower lay ahull, Howland apparently grew restless down below. He quickly discovered that the deck of a tempest tossed ship was no place for a landsman. The shriek of the wind through the rope rigging was terrifying, as was the sight of those towering spume-flecked waves. The Mayflower lurched suddenly to leeward. Howland staggered to the ship’s rail and tumbled into the sea.”

As luck would have it, Howland managed to grab onto a halyard and was pulled back to the ship by crew members.

Several years later, William Bradford, governor of Plymouth Colony, wrote in his book, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647: “It pleased God that he [John Howland] 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 a 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.”

In November 1620, Howland’s signature was the 13th on the Mayflower Compact, signed before the Pilgrims set foot on Cape Cod, which suggests that Howland was at least 21 but not much older, as some records claim.

Carver died in April 1621, and his wife, Katherine, died a few weeks later. It’s believed that Howland inherited Carver’s property, as the couple’s only child died in 1617. The child’s name and sex are not recorded.

Of the 102 original passengers of the Mayflower, Carver and his wife were among the many Pilgrims who did not survive the first year. Records indicate approximately 50 of the original Pilgrims survived.

If you’re wondering about my obsession with Howland, he’s my 10th great-granduncle.

All told, there are approximately 35 million descendants of the Pilgrims worldwide. In the US, 10 million people can claim to be Mayflower descendants.

John would eventually marry Elizabeth Tilley, who boarded the Mayflower when she was 13 with her parents, John Tilley and Joan Tilley, and her uncle and aunt, Edward and Agnes (or Anne) Tilley.

When I discovered Howland married a woman named Tilley, I was intrigued. Agnes (Cooper) Tilley is my 11 great-grandaunt and was a passenger on board the Mayflower. Agnes is Elizabeth’s aunt.

The name Henry Samson (or Sampson) is also relevant to my family tree. Henry is my 10th great-granduncle.

Samson was born around 15 January 1604, in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England. He married Ann Plummer on 6 February 1636, in Plymouth, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 5 daughters. He died around 24 December 1684, in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America, and was buried in Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.

I’ve learned on Family Search that the more information added to a family tree, the odds of finding a famous relative grows. As I’ve written, it falls into the neat or nerd category.

While I might be eligible for membership in the Mayflower Society, I won’t be banging on its door.

John Howland died in Plymouth, MA on February 23, 1672 or 1673. Elizabeth died in Swansea, MA on December 21, 1687 or 1688. Together, they had ten children, who, in turn, gave the world 88 children. Today, there are an estimated two million descendants of the Howland family.

Are you a Mayflower descendant? There’s only one way to learn: Find your past.

Thanks for reading.