BORN: 18 October 1595, Droitwich, Worcester, England, son of Edward Winslow and Magdalene Oliver
BAPTIZED: 20 October 1595, St. Peters, Droitwich, Worcester, England DIED: 8 May 1655, at sea between Hispaniola and Jamaica, in the West Indies MARRIED: Elizabeth Barker, 16 May 1618, Leyden, Holland; she died 24 March 1620/1 at Plymouth.
Susanna (---) White, the widow of William White, 12 May 1621, Plymouth.
NOTE: Numerous sources have incorrectly given Edward Winslow's birth and baptism date (including Mayflower Families for Five Generations [Volume 5], Eugene Stratton's Plymouth Colony: Its History and Its People, and James Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England). I have checked the original parish register for the year 1595, and the entry reads exactly as follows:
October .20. Edward Wynsloe sonne of Edward Wynsloe was Baptized & Born the xviii th of October being Saterday
Govenor of Massachusetts and a Mayflower passenger. Edward Winslow was the son of Edward Winslow, a wealthy owner of a salt boilery, and Magdalene Oliver. Edward Winslow was baptized at Droitwich, Worcester, England on 28 October 1595.
Winslow soon joined with the Separatists, and moved to Leyden where he became a printer along with William Brewster, publishing illegal religious pamphlets. His first wife, Elizabeth Barker, was from Chattisham, Suffolk, England.
His second wife was the widow of William White of the Mayflower.
For a description of what is known about her (she is not a Fuller) see William White.
Winslow also made trips to England in the early years of the Colony to conduct business agreements and make legal arrangements, including trips in 1623-4, 1630, and 1635. In 1646 he returned to live in England and served in the English army under Oliver Cromwell . In 1655 he died of a fever on a military expedition to capture the island of Hispaniola. Upon his death, one of the ship's chroniclers wrote this poem:
The Eighth of May, west from 'Spaniola shore,
God took from us our Grand Commissioner,
Winslow by Name, a man in Chiefest Trust,
Whose Life was sweet, and Conversation just;
Whose Parts and wisdome most men did excell:
An honour to his Place, as all can tell.
Edward Winslow authored several books. He wrote Good News From New England first published in 1624. He authored a good portion of Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth first published in 1622. Winslow also wrote Hypocricie Unmasked (1646), and New England's Salamander (1647), which are both for the most part religious discourses. He also edited several pamphlets.
ANCESTRAL SUMMARY:
Edward Winslow was the son of Edward Winslow, a wealthy owner of a salt boilery, and Magdalene Oliver. Edward Winslow was baptized at Droitwich, Worcester, England on 20 October 1595. Winslow soon joined with the Separatists, and moved to Leyden where he became a printer along with William Brewster, publishing illegal religious pamphlets. His first wife, Elizabeth Barker, was from Chattisham, Suffolk, England.
His second wife was the widow of William White of the Mayflower. For a description
of what is known about her (she is not a Fuller) see William White.
The ancestry of Edward Winslow is as follows:
(1) Kenelm Winslow of Kempsey (it has been suggested, but not proved, that he married Elizabet Foliot, daughter of John Foliot--see NEHGR 122:175-178)
(2) Edward Winslow, m. Magdalene Oliver
(3) Edward Winslow of the Mayflower
Edward Winslow had four other siblings which came to America, namely Gilbert Winslow (Mayflower, 1620), John Winslow (Fortune, 1621), Josias Winslow (White Angel, 1631), and Kenelm Winslow, who married Eleanor (Newton) Adams, who came in the Anne, 1623. Edward Winslow also had several sisters, including Magdalen who married Rev. William Wake on 25 April 1627, in Wareham, Dorset, England.
GOVERNOR EDWARD WINSLOW'S WILL.
THE will of Governor Edward Winslow, which is preserved at Somerset House, London, is one of the three existing original wills of Mayflower passengers. The others are Mary (Chilton) Winslow's and Peregrine White's, both of which we have already reproduced. The illustration of Governor winslow's will facing this page is from a photograph made at the expense of the Foreign Research Fund and secured by the Hon. Winslow Warren, of our Committee on Publication, with the courteous assistance of the Rev. Stopford W. Brooke, of London.
No mention of Governor Winslow's death is found on the Plymouth Colony records, and we learn the date from Nathaniel Morton's New England's Memorial, under the year 1655. We reprint his account in lid], from the Rev. Thomas Prince's copy of the first edition (1669), now in the Boston Public Library.
This year that Worthy and Honourable Gentleman Mr. Edward Winslow deceased; of whom I have had occasion to make honourable mention formerly in this Discourse. He was the Son of Edward Winslow Esq; of the Town of Draughtwich* in the County of Worcester: He travelling into the Low-Countreys, in his Journeys fell into acquaintance with the Church of Leyden in Holland, unto whom he joyned, and with whom he continued until they parted to come into New-England, he coming with that part that came first over, and became a very worthy and useful Instrument amongst them, both in the place of Government and otherwise, until his last Voyage for England, being sent on special Imployment for the Government of the Massachusets, as is forementioned in this Book; and afterwards was imployed as one of the grand Commissioners in that unhappy Design against 1)omingo in Hispaniola, who taking grief for the ill success of that Enterprize; on which, together with some other Infirmities that were upon him, he fell sick at Sea betwixt Domingo and Jamaica, and died the eighth day of May, which was about the Sixty first year of his life, and his Body was honourably committed to the Sea, with the usual Solemnity of the Discharge of Fourty two Piece of Ordnance.
* Droitwich.
One of the Company who was imployed in taking notice of the Particulars of that Tragedy, gave such Testimony of the said Mr. Winslow, as followeth in this Poem:
The Eighth qf May, west from ‘Spaniola shore,
God took from us our Grand Commissioner,
Winslow by Name, a man in Chiefest Trust,
Whose Life was sweet, and Conversation just
Whose Parts and wisdome most men did excell:
An honour to his Place, as all can tell.
While examining the Marshfield town records some time since, the Editor discovered a vote
regarding the disposition of the ten pounds bequeathed by Governor Winslow to the poor of that town. A literal transcript of this record follows the copy of the will.
I Edward Winslowe of London. Esquior. being now bound in a voyage to sea in the service of the comon welth do make publish & declare this to be my last will & testamt touching the disposing of my estate. ffirst I doe give will devise & bequeath all my lands & stock. in New England & all my possibilities & porcons in future allotm'S & divicons to Josia my. onely sonne & his heires, hee allowing to my wife, a fill third parte thereof for her life Also. I give to the poore of the Church of Plymouth in new England Tenn pounds. & to the poore of marshfielde where the chiefest of my estate lyes Tenn pounds., Also I give my lynnen wch I carry wth me to sea. to my daughter Elizabeth & the rest of my goods wch I carry wth mee I give to my sonn Josias. hee giving to. each of my brothers a suite of apparell. & I make my said son. Josias my executor of this my will, and Colonell venables my overseer of my goods in the voyage. & my fower frends Dr Edmond wilson; mr John Arthur. mr James Shirley & mr Richard ffloyde overseers for the rest of my prsonall estate in England
witness my hand & Seale the Eighteenth day of December In the yeare of our Lord God one
Thousand Six hundred fifty & ffower.
Sealed & subscribed pr me Edw: Winslow (seal)
in the presence of
Jon' Hooper
Gerard Usher servant to Hen: Colbron
Att ye same Townes meeting it was ordered That nr Thomas Bourne and Joseph Beedell should Receave The Ten pounds which mr Edward Winslow gave To The poore of This Towne by will and f sayd prttyes so betrusted To Rec: & dispose of The stocke in The Townes behalfe have disposed one Cow To Edward Bumpus & John Branch one Cow & John Thomas The Remainder & These prtyes That is Edward & both The Johns To keepe These Cowes & To Returne at ye end of The Tearme (as The Towne hath formerly lett out ye poore stocke) The principal being living To ye Towne & The Third of The Increase The having Two Thirds off Increase Themselves.
Souce: [Marshfield Records, I: 60, under date 3 Nov., 1656.]
Governor Josiah2 Winslow, son of Governor Edward1 Winslow, the Mayflower Passenger, by his second wife, Susanna (Fuller) White, widow of William1 White. Josiah2 Winslow was the first native born Governor of Plymouth Colony, and the only child of a Mayflower Passenger to hold that office. He was a half-brother of Resolved White who witnessed this document.
Source: The Mayflower Genealogies
THE MAYFLOWER MARRIAGE RECORDS AT LEYDEN AND AMSTERDAM
(Continued from page 50)
EDWARD WINSLOW'S FIRST MARRIAGE
THE illustration facing this page shows the record at Leyden of the three publications of the banns of Edward Winslow and Elizabeth Barker, on 28 April, 5 May and 12 May, 1618, but the date of the marriage was not added to this record and has not been found. The ceremony doubtless took place not long after the third publication of the banns. This record of the banns is found in Echt Book B, folio 75.
[THE DUTCH RECORD]
.t je De 28-4--1628 Eduwsert Winsloo Drucher Jongman t ije de 5 .5-1628 van Londe In Engelant vergeselschapt tiije--de 12-5.1618 met Jonathan Willemson & Isaack Alarton zyn bekende met Elysabeth Berkar Jonge Dochter van Chatsum In Engelant vergeselechapt
met Janneke phesel * Haer nichte & Mana allerton Haer bekende
[THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Edward Winslow, printer, unmarried man, from London in England, accompanied by Jonathan William's son and Isaac Allerton, his acquaintances, with Elizabeth Barker, single woman, from Chatsum, in England, accompanied by Jane Phesel * and Mary Allerton her acquaintances.
* Apparently an attempt was made to cross out one or two letters of this name, therefore the reading is not certain.
Jonathan, son of William Brewster.
Source: The Mayflower Descendant, Vol.8 Plate 5 THE MARRIAGE RECORD OF EDWARD WINSLOW
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