Francis Eaton (Mayflower passenger) facts for kids
Francis Eaton was born around 1596 in Bristol, England. He passed away in the autumn of 1633 in Plymouth, which was then part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Francis, along with his wife and young son, traveled on the famous Mayflower ship in 1620. He was one of the men who signed the important Mayflower Compact.
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Francis Eaton's Early Life in England
Francis Eaton was baptized on September 11, 1596, at St. Thomas' Church in Bristol, England. He was the son of John Eaton and Dorothy (Smith). Francis had younger brothers and sisters, but sadly, they all passed away when they were very young in March 1603. Francis was the only child in his family known to live until adulthood.
By the time he was about 19 years old (around 1615), Francis had become a house carpenter in Bristol. He lived in a small rented home there. Records from Bristol after 1615 don't mention Francis Eaton, which suggests he might have left England, possibly for Holland, before joining the Mayflower journey.
Around 1618 or 1619, Francis Eaton married a woman named Sarah in England. We don't know her last name. There are no records in Bristol of his first marriage or of his son Samuel's birth, which means the family might have lived somewhere else in England before they boarded the Mayflower.
The Historic Mayflower Voyage
Francis Eaton, his wife Sarah, and their newborn son Samuel traveled on the Mayflower. They sailed with William Bradford, who later became a governor of Plymouth Colony. Bradford wrote about the family, saying: "Francis Eaton, and Sarah, his wife, and Samuell, their son, a young child."
Francis Eaton was a carpenter. Many historians believe he was the Mayflowers own ship carpenter. This means he likely worked for the Merchant Adventurers, who were the people who helped pay for the Mayflowers journey.
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. This small ship, about 100 feet long, carried 102 passengers and a crew of about 30 to 40 people. Conditions on board were very crowded. After about two months at sea, the ship faced strong storms. The ship's wood was badly shaken, and water leaked in, making passengers wet and sick. Poor food and unsanitary conditions for several months led to many illnesses. Sadly, many people, especially women and children, did not survive the journey or the first winter. Two people died on the way, but nearly half the passengers passed away in the cold, harsh New England winter after they arrived.
On November 9, 1620, after about three months at sea, they finally saw land. This was Cape Cod Hook, which is now called Provincetown Harbor. They tried for several days to sail south to their planned destination in the Colony of Virginia. However, strong winter storms forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod. They anchored there on November 11.
After arriving at Cape Cod, Francis Eaton was one of the men who signed the important Mayflower Compact. This agreement helped set up the rules for their new colony.
Life in Plymouth Colony
William Bradford later wrote about Francis Eaton's family. He noted that Francis's first wife died during the first winter's sickness. Francis then married a second wife, who also passed away. He married a third time and had three more children with her. Bradford also mentioned that Francis Eaton died about 16 years after the Mayflower arrived. His son Samuel, who was a baby on the ship, also grew up, got married, and had a child.
In 1623, when land was divided among the settlers, Francis received four acres. One acre was for himself, one for his first wife Sarah (who had passed away), one for his son Samuel, and one for his second wife Dorothy.
In 1626, Francis Eaton was one of 27 "Purchasers." These were people involved in the colony's joint-stock company. This company later came under the control of important colony leaders. This group was called the "Undertakers." It included people like William Bradford, Myles Standish, and Isaac Allerton. Francis Eaton's name appears as "Franc Eaton" on the agreement dated October 26, 1626.
In 1627, when cattle were divided, Francis and his third wife Christian Eaton, along with children Samuel and Rachel, received some animals. They got a cow and two goats. Their family was listed as "ffancis Eaton, wife Christian Eaton, Samuell Eaton, Rahell Eaton."
By 1631, Francis Eaton faced serious money problems. He began selling much of his land. He sold four acres of land north of town. He also sold a cow calf to Edward Winslow and later sold two parcels of land to William Brewster. About a week later, in January 1631/2, he sold his home to relatives of Edward Winslow.
In 1633, Francis Eaton was taxed at the lowest rate. This shows that he had a very low income. His name appeared as "France Eaton" on the tax list.
Francis Eaton's Family
Francis Eaton married three times:
- Sarah Morton Day: She was his first wife, married in England around 1618-1619. Sarah died during the first winter in Plymouth from the "general sickness." Her burial place is unknown. She is remembered on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb in Plymouth.
- Dorothy: She is believed to have been a maidservant for Governor John Carver. They married around 1621-1622. Dorothy died about a year or two after their marriage, around 1624. They did not have any children. Her burial place is also unknown.
- Christian Penn: She arrived in Plymouth in the summer of 1623 on the ship Anne. Francis and Christian married around 1625 or early 1626. They had three children together. After Francis died, Christian married Francis Billington and had nine more children with him. She passed away in Middleboro around 1684.
Children of Francis and Sarah Eaton
- Samuel Eaton: Born in early 1620, Samuel was a baby when he came on the Mayflower. When he was 16, he became an apprentice to John Cooke, who was also a Mayflower passenger. After he married, Samuel moved to Duxbury around 1646 and then to Middleboro around 1670, where he died around 1684.
- Samuel married Elizabeth before March 10, 1646. They had two children. Elizabeth died sometime between 1652 and 1661.
- Samuel then married Martha Billington on January 10, 1660/1. Martha was his step-sister, as she was the daughter of his step-mother Christian from her later marriage to Francis Billington. Samuel and Martha had four children.
Children of Francis and Christian Eaton
- Rachel Eaton: Born perhaps in late 1626, Rachel died in Plymouth between June 1656 and October 1661. She married Joseph Ramsdell (or Ramsden) in 1645 and had at least one son.
- Benjamin Eaton: Born in March 1628, Benjamin died in Plympton on January 16, 1711/12. He married Sarah Hoskins on December 4, 1660, and they had at least four children.
- A third child: The name and gender of this child are unknown, but they were still alive in 1651.
Francis Eaton's Death and Burial
Francis Eaton passed away in the autumn of 1633. His death might have been caused by a sickness that spread through the colony that year. Other Mayflower passengers, Peter Browne and Samuel Fuller, also died around this time. By the time he died, Francis was a "freeman," meaning he had full rights as a citizen of the colony.
On November 26, 1633, the Plymouth Court announced that Francis Eaton, a carpenter, had died owing more money than his belongings were worth. Thomas Prence and John Doane helped with his estate. An inventory of his possessions was made, showing how little he owned due to his financial difficulties.
Before he died, Francis had sold all his land and house because he was short on money. When he passed away, all he had left were his livestock, household items, and carpentry tools. The total value of these items was only one-third of what he owed in debts. However, the Court decided that Christian, his widow, would not be responsible for his debts.
Francis Eaton was buried on Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Burial Places of Francis Eaton's Wives
The burial place of Francis's first wife, Sarah, is unknown. It is most likely that she was buried in an unmarked grave on Cole's Hill. This was the first burial site for the Pilgrims. Many others who died during the first winter of 1621 were also buried there. The graves were left unmarked so that the Native Americans would not know how many settlers had died. Sarah is remembered on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb on Cole's Hill in Plymouth.
The burial places of his second wife, Dorothy, and his third wife, Christian, are also unknown.
