Richard Warren facts for kids
Richard Warren (born around 1585, died around 1628) was an important passenger on the famous Pilgrim ship Mayflower. He was also one of the people who signed the Mayflower Compact, an important agreement for the new colony.
Contents
Richard Warren's Early Life
Richard Warren married Elizabeth Walker on April 14, 1610, in a place called Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England. Elizabeth's father was Augustine Walker. We know this because Augustine's will, written in 1613, mentioned his daughter Elizabeth and her children: Mary, Ann, and Sarah Warren.
Because he got married in Hertfordshire, many people think Richard Warren might have also been from that area. We don't know for sure where he was born or who his parents were.
Richard Warren was a merchant, which means he bought and sold goods. It was a bit unusual for a merchant like him to join the Mayflower voyage with the Pilgrims who came from Leiden, Netherlands. We don't know why he decided to go.
The Mayflower Journey
When the Mayflower sailed in 1620, Richard Warren and his wife Elizabeth had five daughters: Mary, Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Abigail. Richard traveled alone on the ship. He planned to bring his family over later, once things were settled in the New World. Governor William Bradford later wrote that Richard's "wife and children were lefte behind, and came afterwards."
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. The ship was about 100 feet long and carried 102 passengers plus 30 to 40 crew members. It was very crowded!
After about two months, the ship faced strong storms. Water leaked in, making everyone wet and sick. There wasn't enough good food, and conditions were unhealthy. Many people, especially women and children, became very ill. Two people died during the trip. Even more people died after they arrived, during the cold New England winter.
On November 9, 1620, after about three months at sea, they finally saw land. It was Cape Cod Hook, which is now called Provincetown Harbor. They tried to sail south to their planned destination in Colony of Virginia, but winter storms forced them back. They anchored at Cape Cod on November 11.
That same day, the Mayflower Compact was signed. This was an agreement to create a government for their new colony. Richard Warren's name was the 12th on the list of signers.
Life in the New World
Richard Warren helped explore Cape Cod to find a good place for the Pilgrims to settle.
One important exploration happened on December 6, 1620. It was freezing cold. They used a small boat called a shallop. Richard Warren was with other important Pilgrims like Governor John Carver, William Bradford, Myles Standish, and Edward Winslow. Many people were sick, so fewer joined this trip. The English explorers wore clothes that were not warm enough for the harsh New England winter.
During this trip, they had their first meeting with Native Americans. It didn't go well. The Pilgrims learned that their slow-firing muskets were not as fast as the Native Americans' arrows. This event became known as the "First Encounter."
In 1623, Richard felt it was safe for his family to join him. His wife and five daughters arrived that year on a ship called the Anne.
In 1623, when land was divided among the settlers, Richard Warren received seven acres of land. Two acres were near the town, and five acres were towards the Eel River.
Richard and Elizabeth had two more children in Plymouth. Their son Nathaniel was born in 1624, and another son, Joseph, was born in 1626.
Richard Warren was part of a group of 27 Plymouth settlers called "Purchasers." They were involved with the colony's business company. After Richard died, his wife Elizabeth took his place in this group. This shows how important she was considered.
In 1627, the colony divided animals among the families. Richard, his wife, and their seven children received several animals that had arrived on a ship called the Jacob.
William Bradford, the governor, called Richard Warren "Mr.," which meant he was a person of high status. Even though not much is written about Richard Warren, his family seemed to be quite wealthy.
After Richard died, Elizabeth Warren managed his estate. She paid taxes as the head of the household and acted as an independent person in the colony.
Richard and Elizabeth's Family
Richard Warren married Elizabeth Walker on April 14, 1610, in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire.
Richard and Elizabeth had seven children:
- Mary was born around 1610. She married Robert Bartlett around 1629 and had eight children.
- Ann was born around 1611 or 1612. She married Thomas Little in 1633 and had nine children.
- Sarah was born around 1613. She married John Cooke in 1634 and had five children.
- Elizabeth was born around 1615. She married Richard Church by 1635 or 1636 and had eleven children.
- Abigail was born around 1619. She married Anthony Snow in 1639 and had six children.
- Nathaniel was born around 1624 in Plymouth. He married Sarah Walker in 1645 and had twelve children.
- Joseph was born by 1627 in Plymouth. He married Priscilla Faunce around 1653 and had six children.
Richard Warren's Death
Richard Warren died around 1628, but the exact date and cause are not known. Nathaniel Morton, in his 1669 book New England's Memorial, wrote that Richard Warren "was an useful Instrument" and helped a lot with the first settlement of Plymouth.
Governor Bradford wrote that Richard Warren lived "some 4 or 5 years" in Plymouth. He also mentioned that Richard's wife came over, and they had two sons before he died. All five of his daughters also came over and got married, having many children.
Richard Warren was buried at Burial Hill in Plymouth.
His wife, Elizabeth Warren, lived to be over ninety years old. She died on October 2, 1673. The Plymouth Colony records said she "lived a godly life, came to her grave as a shoke of corn fully ripe." She was also buried at Burial Hill.
Famous Descendants
Because all seven of Richard and Elizabeth Warren's children survived and had their own families, they have many descendants today. Some very famous people are related to Richard Warren, including:
- Ulysses S. Grant, who was the 18th president of the United States.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the 32nd president of the United States.
- Sarah Palin, a former governor of Alaska.
- Sir Charles Tupper, a Canadian prime minister.
- Joseph Warren, an American Patriot leader during the American Revolution.
- Taylor Swift, a popular American singer-songwriter.
- Orson Welles, a famous American actor and director.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a well-known American poet.
- Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher and writer.
- Alan Shepard, an American astronaut and the fifth person to walk on the Moon.
- Richard Gere, an American actor.
- John Cena, an American professional wrestler and actor.
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, an American author who wrote the "Little House on the Prairie" books.
