Master Edward Tilley (sometimes spelled Tillie) and
his wife Ann seem to
have been without children
of their own, and as they took with them
to New England two children
who were their kindred, it may be
inferred that they had
been married some little time. It is hence
probable that Mr. Tilley
was in the neighborhood of thirty. His
wife’s age is
purely conjectural. They were, Bradford states,
“of
the Leyden congregation.”
Henry Sampson was apparently but a young English lad
when he came over in
the may-Flower
with his cousins the Tilleys. As he married in
1636,
he was probably then
about twenty-one, which would make him five or
six when he came over.
Goodwin ("Pilgrim Republic,” p. 184) says he
was “six.”
Humility Cooper is said by Bradford to have been a
“cosen” of the
Tilleys, but no light
is given as to her age or antecedents. She
was but a child, apparently.
She returned to England very soon
after the death of Mr.
and Mrs. Tilley, and “died young.”
Master John Tilley, having twice married, and having
a daughter some
fourteen years old,
must have been over thirty-five years old when
he sailed on the Pilgrim
ship. His birthplace and antecedents are
not known, but he was
“of the Leyden congregation.”
Mrs. Bridget (Van der Velde) Tilley was just possibly
a second wife.
Nothing is known concerning
her except that she was of Holland, and
that she had, apparently,
no child.
Elizabeth Tilley is said by Goodwin (op. cit. p.
298) and others to have
been fourteen years
old at her parents’ death in 1621, soon after
the arrival in New England.
She was the child of her father’s first
wife. She married
John Howland before 1624. Historians for many
years called her the
“daughter of Governor Carver,” but the
recovery
of Bradford’s
Ms. “historie” corrected this, with
many other
misconceptions, though
to some the error had become apparent before.
Her will also suggests
her age.
Francis Cooke’s age in 1620 is fixed by his
known age at his death
("about 81”) in
1663. He was from the north of England, and long
a
member of Robinson’s
congregation, both in England and in
Holland(?).
John Cooke, son of Francis, is known to have been
about ten years old
when he sailed with
his father for America, as his parents did not
marry before 1609.
He was undoubtedly born at Leyden. He was long
supposed to have been
the last male survivor of the original
passengers (dying at
Dartmouth in 1695.)
James Chilton’s antecedents and his age are
quite unknown. He must have
been at least fifty,
as he had a married daughter in Leyden,
according to Bradford.
He died among the first, and there is
nothing of record to
inform us concerning him, except Bradford’s
meagre mention.
He may have lived at Leyden.