Winslow Families of Worcestershire, 1400-1700 by Brandon Fradd - Fact and Fiction
Fiction 3: - EDWARD WINSLOW Senior was born on 17 October 1560. The origin of this appears to be the Winslow genealogy by David P. Holton published in 1877.[147]
Fact: - This erroneous information is not found in the chart in the Register in 1867, where the birth date of this Edward is left blank. Nor is any birth date found in a Register article on the Winslows in 1850.[148] The parish registers of Kempsey and the registers of the three parishes in Droitwich (St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. Nicholas) do not go back as far as 1560. There was an EDWARD WINSLOW baptized in Upton-upon-Severn in 1568, son of JOHN WINSLOW. He is certainly the right age to be the EDWARD WINSLOW who settled in Droitwich, but if so, we are left with no easy explanation for why EDWARD WINSLOW of Droitwich named one of his children KENELM and why Gov. EDWARD WINSLOW named his estate Careswell. The fact that EDWARD WINSLOW, Senior, married in 1594 suggests he was born about 1570.[149]
Fiction 4: - EDWARD WINSLOW Senior, of Droitwich, had two wives, and a son RICHARD by his first wife. Again, this appears for the first time in Holton, where the first wife is stated to be Eleanor, daughter of Sir [sic] Herbert Pelham of Droitwich [sic].
Fact: - The record is clear that JOSIAS, son of Gov. EDWARD WINSLOW, married Eleanor, daughter of Herbert Pelham, esq. The mysterious son RICHARD by this supposed first marriage is the one whose descendant sold Clerkenleap, according to Holton. Holton confuses the Winslows of Kerswell with the Winslows of Draycott. It is interesting, though, that even the new Dictionary of National Biography states that Gov. EDWARD WINSLOW was the eldest son of Edward Winslow by a second wife[150] The parish register of St. Peter's, Droitwich, argues strongly against a first wife, since EDWARD WINSLOW Senior made a point of having his London marriage recorded there. This is the only such entry. He also entered the birth dates of his children in the parish register along with their baptismal dates, showing a meticulous attention to detail. It is not credible that a man so focused on the details of his marriages and the births of his children would forget (or choose not) to include an earlier marriage and the offspring from it.
[147] Holton, 21.
[148] Register, Shattuck, 298.
[149] Stone, 46, indicates that the median age for marriage of men who were heirs (eldest sons) was 21 in the sixteenth century.
[150] Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, ed. The Dictionary of National Biography, 61 vols. (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1917; reprint 1921-2) 672-4, by Thomas Seccombe.
Wealthy owner of a salt boilery. m. possibly 20 Oct. 1594. His son Edward was Govenor of Massachusetts and a Mayflower passenger. His son Gilbert was also a Mayflower passenger.
THE EARLY WINSLOWS IN AMERICA
by Nedra Watkins Reese
December 1981
Edward and Magdalen Winslow of Droitwich, England, became the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters: Edward born 19 October 1722 John, April of 1595; Elynor, April of 1598; Kenelin 29 April 1599; Gilbert, October of 1600; Elizabeth, March of 1601; Magdalen 26 December 1604 and Josiah, February of 1605. (1.)
The Winslow surname is taken from the town of Winslow in Buckinghamshire, England. The original family seat was in Worchestershire. (2.)
All five of the Winslow brothers came early to America. Edward, an ancestor of Winslow Farr, and Gilbert came on the Mayflower in 1620: John came on the Fortune in 1621. Both Kenelin and Josiah came before 1655.
A brief unconfirmed family history of Lorin Farr describes Edward as a well to do Englishman, who traveled abroad after finishing his education. In Holland, he met and fell in love with a young Pilgrim girl. They were married, and he aided the little band of Pilgrims who were leaving for the New World. He gave money to help purchase the Mayflower, and he and his bride sailed on it to America. She died on the ship after arriving at Plymouth, as did many others. He later married a widow who had also been a passenger on the Mayflower.
John was married at New Plymouth to Mary Chilton, daughter of James Chilton, another passenger on the Mayflower, at some time prior to 1627. According to family tradition, Mary was the first female to set foot on the American shores. This may refer either to the landing at Cape Cod where the women went ashore to wash their clothes, or to the landing at Plymouth. John resided in the north part of Plymouth called Plain Dealing until about 1656. He was a merchant and held various municipal offices at Plymouth . (2. )
