Priscilla Alden facts for kids

Priscilla and John Alden shown on an old postcard

Priscilla Alden (born Mullins) lived from about 1602 to 1685. She was an important member of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. She was the wife of John Alden, another colonist. They were married in 1621 in Plymouth.

Priscilla's Life Story

Myles Standish Burial Ground, where John and Priscilla Alden are buried

Priscilla was probably born in Dorking, Surrey, England. Her father was William Mullins, and her step-mother was Alice Mullins. She was only eighteen years old when she boarded the famous ship, the Mayflower.

Sadly, Priscilla faced a very difficult time. She lost her father, step-mother, and brother Joseph during the first winter in Plymouth. This meant she was the only one of her family left in the New World. She did have another brother and a sister who stayed in England.

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins were likely the third couple to get married in Plymouth Colony. William Bradford, the governor, married Alice Carpenter in 1623. Edward Winslow and Susannah White were the first to marry in 1621.

Priscilla is last mentioned in official records in 1650. However, family stories say she died only a few years before her husband. This would have been around 1680. She is buried at the Myles Standish Burial Ground in Duxbury, Massachusetts. We don't know the exact spot of her grave, but there is a special marker honoring her.

The Famous Poem by Longfellow

A scene from Longfellow's The Courtship of Miles Standish, showing Captain Standish watching Alden and Mullins

Priscilla is well-known in stories because of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem from 1858. The poem is called The Courtship of Miles Standish. In the poem, she is the secret love of Captain Myles Standish. He was the colony's military leader and had recently lost his wife.

According to the poem, Captain Standish was too shy to ask Priscilla to marry him himself. So, he asked his good friend John Alden to propose to Priscilla for him. But when John spoke to Priscilla, she famously asked him, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?"

Longfellow was a direct descendant of John and Priscilla. He based his poem on a romantic family story. For a long time, there wasn't much historical proof for the story. But the basic tale was passed down in the Alden family. It was first published by their great-great-grandson, Rev. Timothy Alden, in 1814.

Today, historians have found that romantic love was important in Pilgrim culture. They have also found evidence of the Indian war mentioned in the poem. There is also some evidence that supports the idea of a love triangle. Miles Standish and John Alden likely lived together. Priscilla Mullins was the only single woman of marriageable age at the time. Also, the families of John, Priscilla, and Miles stayed close for many years. They even moved to Duxbury, Massachusetts, together in the late 1620s.

The Alden Children

Priscilla and John Alden had ten children. It's possible they had an eleventh child who died very young. We believe their first three children were born in Plymouth. The rest were born in Duxbury. Their children were:

• Elizabeth (1624/25–1717). She married William Pabodie (Peabody). He was a leader in Duxbury. They had thirteen children. Elizabeth and William later moved to Little Compton, Rhode Island. Elizabeth died there at about 94 years old. Her descendants helped settle parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who wrote the famous poem, was a descendant of Elizabeth.
• John (1626–1701). He moved to Boston and married Elizabeth (Phillips) Everill. They had thirteen children. John was a sailor and became a naval commander for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was a member of the Old South Meeting House in Boston. His old headstone is in the wall there. John was once accused of witchcraft during a trip to Salem, Massachusetts. He spent fifteen weeks in a Boston jail. He escaped just before nine other people were executed during the Salem Witch Trials. John Alden was later found innocent.
• Joseph (1627–1697). He moved to Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He was a farmer on land his father and Myles Standish had bought from Native Americans. He married Mary Simmons. They had seven children.
• Sarah. She married Alexander Standish, who was Myles Standish's son. This shows that there was no long-lasting fight between the Alden and Standish families. In fact, John and Myles likely remained friends for life. Sarah and Alexander lived in Duxbury. Sarah died before June 1688. They had seven or possibly eight children. Their home, the Alexander Standish House in Duxbury, is still standing today.
• Jonathan (died 1697). He married Abigail Hallett on December 10, 1672. He lived in Duxbury until his death on February 14, 1697. He was the second owner of the Alden House, which he received from his father. The house then went to his son John, one of his six children. At his funeral, Jonathan was described as a very religious person.
• Ruth (died 1674). She married John Bass of Braintree, Massachusetts. They lived there and had seven children. Two very famous descendants from this family line were Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Ruth died on October 12, 1674.
• Rebecca (died after 1688). She married Thomas Delano of Duxbury by 1667. He was the son of Philip Delanoye, one of Duxbury's first settlers. They had nine children. Rebecca died in Duxbury sometime after June 13, 1688.
• Mary (died 1688). She married Deacon Samuel Allen. They had at least one son, Joseph. Mary died in 1688. Joseph later had several children of his own.
• Priscilla. There is no record of her having children or getting married.
• David (died 1718 or 1719). He married Mary Southworth. She was the daughter of Constant Southworth of Plymouth Colony. They had six children. David was described as an important church member and a respected person who often worked in public service.