James Chilton facts for kids
James Chilton (born around 1556, died 1620) was an English Separatist who sailed on the famous 1620 voyage of the ship Mayflower. He was the oldest person on board the ship. When they arrived in the New World, he signed the important document called the Mayflower Compact. James Chilton was one of the first passengers to die that winter, passing away within a month of their arrival.
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Early Life in England
James Chilton was born around 1556, probably in Canterbury, Kent, England. The Chilton family name is very old. Records show it goes back to at least 1339. James's father was Lyonel Chilton.
In 1583, James became a "freeman" in Canterbury. This meant he had full rights as a citizen. Records from the next year show he worked as a tailor, making clothes.
James Chilton got married around 1586. We don't know his wife's name for sure. Some people thought her name was Susanna, but there's no clear proof.
James and his wife had seven children. They were baptized in Canterbury between 1587 and 1589. Around 1600, the family moved to Sandwich, also in Kent. Three more children were baptized there.
It's thought that James met Moses Fletcher in Sandwich. Moses Fletcher was also a Mayflower passenger. Sandwich was a place where many Separatists gathered. These were people who wanted to separate from the official Church of England.
The Chilton family's Separatist beliefs became clear in 1609. James's wife was one of four people who secretly buried a child. They did this without using the Church of England's required burial service.
Life in Leiden, Holland
After this event, sometime between 1609 and 1615, James Chilton and his family left England. They joined a group of Separatists led by John Robinson in Leiden, Holland. This group was looking for religious freedom.
The first time the family is mentioned in Leiden records is July 2, 1615. Their oldest daughter, Isabella, got married there. She was listed as "Ysabel Tgiltron spinster from Canterbury." James Chilton's name first appeared in Leiden records on April 30, 1619. He made a statement about his religious beliefs.
An interesting event happened to James and his daughter in Leiden. On April 28, 1619, they were walking home. About twenty boys started throwing rocks at them. When Chilton tried to stop them, a large cobblestone hit him on the head. He was knocked unconscious.
The Mayflower Voyage
Not all of James Chilton's family sailed on the Mayflower. The Chilton family on the ship included James, who was about sixty-four years old. He was the oldest passenger on the Mayflower. His wife and their daughter Mary, who was about thirteen, also came.
Their older daughters, Isabella and Ingle (Angel), stayed in Leiden. Isabella later came to Plymouth. Ingle stayed in Leiden and got married there in 1622. She was still in Leiden in 1636 when she married again. Records for their other children are not complete. Some of them died when they were very young.
James Chilton and his family left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. The Mayflower was a small ship, about 100 feet long. It carried 102 passengers and about 30-40 crew members. Conditions on board were very crowded.
After two months at sea, strong westerly winds hit the ship. The ship's wooden parts shook badly. Water leaked in, making passengers wet and sick even in their beds. This, along with not enough food and dirty conditions, caused many people to get sick. Many, especially women and children, later died. Two people died on the way. But the worst was after they arrived. Almost half the passengers died during the cold, harsh winter in New England.
On November 9, 1620, after about three months at sea, they saw land. It was Cape Cod Hook, now called Provincetown Harbor. They tried for several days to sail south to their planned destination in the Colony of Virginia. But strong winter seas and a damaged ship forced them back. They anchored at Cape Cod Hook on November 11.
Since there were no laws where they landed, they wrote the Mayflower Compact. This document set rules for how they would live and treat each other. James Chilton was one of the people who signed it.
William Bradford, a leader of the Plymouth Colony, wrote about the Chilton family: "James Chilton, and his wife, and Mary, their daughter. They had another daughter, that was married, came afterward."
Bradford also wrote about the Chilton family in later years: "James Chilton and his wife also died in the first sickness. But their daughter Mary is still living, and has 9 children. One daughter is married, and has a child; so their increase is 10."
James Chilton's Family
James Chilton married by 1586 and had ten children. Only three of his daughters lived to be adults and got married: Isabella, Ingel (Angel), and Mary. Both Isabella, who came to Plymouth later, and Mary, who was a Mayflower passenger, are known to have many descendants today.
Children of James Chilton
All of James Chilton's children were born in Canterbury or Sandwich, England. Only three daughters, Isabella, Ingel, and Mary, lived to adulthood.
- Isabella Chilton was baptized in 1586 or 1587. She married Roger Chandler in Leiden, Holland, on July 21, 1615. They had four children. There is no record of Isabella's death. Bradford's writings suggest Isabella came to Plymouth later. Her family likely arrived in Plymouth in 1629 or 1630. Roger Chandler is mentioned in Plymouth records from 1633 to 1648. He died in Duxbury between 1658 and 1665.
- Jane Chilton was baptized on June 8, 1589.
- Joel Chilton was born around 1591 and died in 1593.
- Mary Chilton (the first with this name) was born and died in 1593.
- Elizabeth Chilton was baptized on July 14, 1594.
- James Chilton (the first with this name) was baptized on August 22, 1596.
- Ingel (Angel) Chilton was baptized on April 29, 1599. She married Robert Nelson in Leiden, Holland, on August 27, 1622. She also married Daniel Pietersz in Leiden in 1636 and Matthijs Tilligem in 1637.
- Christian Chilton was baptized on July 26, 1601. She married Joris Abrahamsz in Leiden in 1635. After he died, she married Dionys van Steenstraten in Leiden in 1636.
- James Chilton (the second with this name) was baptized on September 11, 1603.
- Mary (the second with this name) was baptized on May 30, 1607. Her parents died soon after arriving at Plymouth Colony. She became an orphan at age 13. In 1623, Mary received land shares for her parents' land. It's thought she might have lived with the families of John Alden or Myles Standish. Between 1623 and 1627, she married John Winslow in Plymouth. They had ten children. John arrived in Plymouth in 1621 on the ship Fortune. John died before May 21, 1674. Mary died before July 11, 1679.
Death and Memorials
James Chilton died on December 8, 1620. He was the only person who signed the Mayflower Compact to die while the Mayflower was still anchored at Cape Cod. There are three memorials for him in Provincetown, Massachusetts. One is a small plaque at Winthrop Street Cemetery. Another is in Pilgrims' First Landing Park. The third is a larger plaque at Bas Relief Park, honoring "Mayflower Passengers Who Died At Sea."
Chilton's wife died about a month after him. She passed away in early 1621 from what was called "the first sickness." James was buried on Cape Cod. Both Chilton and his wife are remembered at Cole's Hill Burial Ground in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Like others buried then, their graves are unmarked. Her name appears on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb in Plymouth as "James Chilton's wife."
See also
- List of Mayflower passengers who died at sea November/December 1620
