Priscilla Mullins (mtDNA)

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Status summary

As of June 26, 2020

  • Page created for the wife (or wives) of William Mullins and their daughter Priscilla.
  • Alden DNA project collecting mtDNA results of matrilineal descendants of Priscilla Mullins. Results can be seen at: mtDNA results
  • Alden Kindred of America contacted.
  • recruitment of individuals who are matrilineal (all female line) descendants of Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. Folks who believe they are mtDNA descendants should Read me First

IMPORTANT:Read me First

Paper Trail

For more information see: Woodworth-Barnes, Esther Littleford (ed. by Alicia Crane Williams), Mayflower Family Through Five Generations, Vol. 16 Alden. Names in bold font have mtDNA descendants who have mtDNA tested.

First Generation

Almost nothing is known about Alice, wife of William Mullins. We are not even certain she was the mother of all/some/none of the children of William Mullins. The only mention of her (given) name was in her husband's 1621 will and she died shortly after him, in the general sickness during the winter of 1621.[1]

Noted Mayflower researcher, Caleb Johnson, published in the Mayflower Quarterly[2] his research on William Mullins and his wife or wives. While Johnson was not able to prove his findings, he developed a tantalizing hypothesis from his research. Johnson believes William Mullins may have been married twice: His first wife was possibly Elizabeth, daughter of John Wood and Joan Taylor. Elizabeth is believed to have been the mother of all of Williams' children. After her death, William possibly married Alice _____ Browne, widow of either William Browne (and therefor mother of Mayflower passenger Peter Browne) or possibly William's brother, Thomas Browne.

William had five children: William, Elizabeth, Sarah, Priscilla and Joseph. Joseph never married and while William married and had a daughter, she never had any children.

Second Generation

Elizabeth Mullins was baptized at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, Surrey on 11 Nov 1598. She likely died young as she was not mentioned in the nuncupative will of her father (1621). Her sister Sarah was called "eldest daughter" in this will.

Sarah Mullins was born about 1600. Her father's 1621 probate record calls her "Sare Blunden alias Mullins" so she was then married to _____ Blunden. No further record.

Priscilla Mullins[3] was born about 1602, likely at either Dorking or Guildford, both in co. Surrey, England. She came over on the Mayflower along with her parents and brother Joseph. All of the Mullins family died during the winter of 1621 with the exception of Priscilla. Since she was not named in the 1623 land division, she was at that time already married to John Alden.[4] The Aldens were among the first to move away from the original settlement and founded what is now Duxbury (likely before 1630).[5] Priscilla died sometime after 1651 but before her husband's death in 1687.[6] John and Priscilla had ten children, four sons & six daughters (Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary [unmarried in 1688], Priscilla [unmarried in 1688], Ruth & Rebecca).

Third Generation

Elizabeth Alden (c1623-1717) married William Pabodie[7]. They had thirteen children (two sons & eleven daughters: Elizabeth, Mary, Mercy, Martha, Priscilla (1652-1652), Priscilla, Sarah, Ruth, Rebecca, Hannah and Lydia.

Sarah Alden (aft 1628-1677) married Alexander Standish. They had eight children (three sons & five daughters: Lorah, Elizabeth, Mercy, Sarah and Lydia.

Ruth Alden (c1643-1674) married John Bass. They had eight children (four sons & four daughters: Ruth, Hannah, Mary and Sarah.

Rebecca Alden (c1649-1689) married Thomas Delano. They had nine children (five sons & four daughter: Deborah, Mary (1680-1756 not believed to have been married), Sarah and Ruth (c1684 m. Samuel Drew but no surviving children).

Fourth Generation

Elizabeth Pabodie was born Duxbury 24 Apr 1647 and died there about 4 May 1677. She married Duxbury Nov 1666 John Rogers (II) and they had five children (all born Duxbury): [1]Hannah (1668 m. Samuel Bradford), John, [2]Elizabeth (1673 m. Silvester Richmond), [3]Ruth (1675 m. James Bennett, no children) and [4]Sarah (1677 m. Nathaniel Searle).

Mary Pabodie was born Duxbury 7 Aug 1648 and died there after 11 Dec 1727. She married Duxbury 16 Nov 1669 Edward Southworth and they had eight children (all born Duxbury): [5]Mercy (c1670 m. Moses Soule[6]), Elizabeth (1672 d. young), Thomas (c1676), Constant (son) (c1678), Benjamin (c1681), John (c1687), [7]Elizabeth (c1690 m. Samuel Weston), and Priscilla (1692-1761, unm.)

Mercy Pabodie was born Duxbury 2 Jan 1649/50 and died there 26 Sep 1728. She married Duxbury 16 Nov 1669 John Simmons and they had nine children (all born Duxbury): John (1670), William (1672), Isaac (1674), [8]Martha (1677 m. Ebenezer Delano & Samuel West), Benjamin (c1679), Moses (1680/1), Joseph (1683), [9]Rebecca (1685 m. Constant Southworth) and Joshua (1688).

Martha Pabobie was born Duxbury 24 Feb 1650/1 and died Little Compton (now RI) about 25 Jan 1711. She married twice: First Duxbury 4 Apr 1677 (Dr.) Samuel Seabury (d. 1681) and second there in 1682 William Fobes. By her first husband (Samuel Seabury) Martha had two children (born Duxbury): Joseph (1678) and Martha (1679 m. Josiah Sawyer). By her second husband (William Fobes) Martha had four additional children: Elizabeth (c1683 m. William Briggs), Constant (dau) (1686 m. John Little), Mary (c1689 m. Edward Southworth) and Mercy (1694-1711/2).

Priscilla Pabodie was born Duxbury 15 Jan 1653/4 and died Kingston 3 Jun 1724 She married Duxbury 24 Dec 1677 Rev. Ichabod Wiswall (d. 1700).[8] and they had six children: Mercy (1680 m. John Wadsworth (II)), Hannah (1682 m. John Robinson), Peleg (1683), Perez (1686), [10]Priscilla (1691 m. Gershom Bradford) and Deborah (1693 m. Samuel Seabury (III)).

Sarah Pabodie was born Duxbury 7 Aug 1656 and died Little Compton, RI 27 Aug 1740. She married Duxbury 10 Nov 1681 John Coe and they had seven children: Lydia (1683 m. John Bailey), Sarah (1686 m. Samuel Tompkins), Samuel (1692), Elizabeth (1694 m. Edward Burgess), Hannah (1696 likely never married but was the mother of one daughter), John (1699) and Joseph (1700).

Ruth Pabodie was born Duxbury 27 Jun 1658 and died there 27 Mar 1725. She married Duxbury about Dec 1678 Benjamin Bartlett and they had nine children: Robert (1679), Sarah (c1681 m. Israel Bradford), Rebecca (1684 m. John Bradford), Ruth (1690 m. John Murdock), Mercy (1694 m. John Turner), William (c1695), Priscilla (1697 m. John Samson), Deborah (c1701 m. Josiah Thomas) and Abigail (1704 m. Gamaliel Bradford, Esq.)

Rebecca Pabodie was born Duxbury 16 Oct 1660 and died Little Compton (now in RI) 23 Dec 1702. She married Duxbury about 1680 (Capt.) William Southworth and they had nine children: Benjamin (1681), Joseph (1683), Edward (1684), Elizabeth (1686 m. David Little), Alice (1688 m. John Cook), Samuel (1690), Nathaniel (1692), Thomas (1694) and Stephen (1698).

Hannah Pabodie was born Duxbury 15 Oct 1662 and died Plymouth 29 Apr 1723. She married twice: First Duxbury 2 Aug 1683 Samuel Bartlett (d. 1713), second Plymouth 4 Mar 1715 John Churchill. Hannah only had (eight) children by her first husband (Samuel Bartlett): Benjamin (1684), Joseph (1686), Hannah (c1689 m. Benjamin Arnold & Joseph Delano), Samuel (1691), Ichabod (1693), [11]Lydia (1694 m. Samuel Morton), Elizabeth (c1700 m. Joseph Bartlett (III)), and Sarah (p1700 m. Elisha Holmes).

Lydia Pabodie was born Duxbury 3 Apr 1667 and died Saybrook (now Westbrook), CT 13 Jul 1748. She married about 1683 Daniel Grinnell and they had ten children (first eight born at Little Compton, last two at Saybrook (now Westbrook)): Mary (1685 m. Robert Lay), Elizabeth (c1687 m. John Stevens), Priscilla (1698 m. Theophilus Redfield), Paybody (son)(c1691), Lydia (c1693 m. Joseph Clark), Rebecca (c1695 m. John Doud & Gideon Wellman), Sarah (c1698 m. John Booker, John Pike & poss. Joseph Nettleton), George (1702), Jemima (1704/5 m. Abraham Carter) and Daniel (1707/8) and Ruth (d. bef 1741, likely unm.)

Lorah Standish was born Duxbury about 1661 and died there after 2 Aug 1725. She married Duxbury about 1680 Abraham Sampson (II) and they had seven children: Nathaniel (c1682), Abraham (c1686), Miles (c1692), Ebenezer (c1696), Sarah (1697 m. Joseph Samson & John Rouse), Grace (c1701 never married) and Rebecca (c1703 unmarried in 1725 will of father).

Elizabeth Standish was born Duxbury about 1663 and died after 1731. She married Duxbury about 1683 Samuel Delano and they had nine children: Jane (1686), Samuel (1688), Mary (1691), Hasadiah (son)(1691), Rebecca (1693 m. Benjamin Southworth), Elizabeth (c1694 m. Joseph Chandler), Priscilla (c1696 m. Benjamin Simmons), Jesse (c1704) and Sarah (c1708 m. Joshua Simmons).

Mercy Standish was born Duxbury about 1665 and died there before 30 Jan 1729. She married Duxbury before 1686 Caleb Sampson and they had nine children: Caleb (c1686), Lora (c1688 m. Benjamin Simmons), Rachel (c1695 m. Moses Simmons), Priscilla (c1697 never married), Caleb (c1699), Joshua (c1700), Ruth (c1702 m. John Fullerton), Jerusha (1704/5 m. Ebenezer Bartlett) and Sarah (c1707 unmarried in 1721).

Sarah Standish was born Duxbury about 1666 and died Plympton 4 Mar 1739/40 in her 74th year. She married about 1693 Benjamin Soule and they had six children (first five recorded Plymouth, last at Plympton): Zachariah (1694), Hannah (1696/7 m. George Sampson (II)), Sarah (1699-1716 unm.), Deborah (1702 m. Jabez Fuller Nov 1724 and she died two months later), Benjamin (1704) and Ebenezer (1710/1).

Lydia Standish was born Duxbury about 1662 and died Middleborough 1748,[9] age 76. She married Duxbury after 26 Oct 1686 Isaac Sampson and they had nine children: son (c1687), Isaac (1688), Jonathan (1690), Josiah (1692), Lydia (1694 unm. in 1734), Ephraim (1698), Priscilla (1700 m. Jabez Fuller), Peleg (1700) and Barnabas (1705).

Ruth Bass was born Braintree 28 Jan 1662 and died there 5 Jun 1699. She married Braintree before 7 May 1684 Peter Webb and they had ten children: Ruth (1684 m. Thomas Faxon), Peter (1685), David (1687), Christopher (1689), Hannah (1692 d.y.), John (1693), Hannah (1694 m. John Allen & Robert Griffin), Joseph (1696), Priscilla (1697 m. Samuel Hayden) and Mary (1698 m. Henry Allen).

Hannah Bass was born Braintree 22 Jun 1667 and died there 24 Oct 1705. She married Braintree 20 Feb 1687/8 Joseph Adams (II) and they had eight children: Joseph (1688/9), John (1690/1), Samuel (1693/4), Josiah (1695/6), Hannah (1697/8 m. Benjamin Owen), Ruth (1700 m. (Rev.) Nathan Webb), Bethiah (1702 m. Ebenezer Hunt, Benjamin Bicknell & Joshua Hayward) and Ebenezer (1704).

Mary Bass was born Braintree 11 Feb 1669 and died Randolph 10 Apr 1725. She married three times: First Braintree 24 May 1686 Christopher Webb (d. 1689), second Braintree 13 Apr 1694 William Copeland (d. 1716) and third 1718 Ebenezer Spear (d. 1719). By her first husband (Christopher Webb) Mary had three children: Hannah (1686 unm.), Sarah (1688 m. Samuel Arnold) and Christopher (1690). By her second husband (William Copeland), Mary had nine more children: William (1694/5), Ephraim (1697), Ebenezer (1698/9), Jonathan (1701), David (1704), Joseph (1706), Benjamin (1708), Moses (1710) and Mary (1713 m. Ephraim Jones). Mary had no children by her third husband (Ebenezer Spear).

Sarah Bass was born Braintree 29 Mar 1672 and died there 19 Aug 1751. She married Braintree 7 Jan 1692 Ephraim Thayer and they had fourteen children: Sarah (1691/2 m. Seth Dorman), Ephraim (1694), Philip (1696), Hannah (1697/8 m. Nathaniel Blanchard & William Noyes), Joseph (1699), Shadrack (1701), Christopher (1702/3), Ruth (1704 m. John Capen), Esther (1705 m. Moses French), Napthali (son) (1706/7), Peter (1708), Priscilla (1709/10 m. Elijah Hayden, Joseph Ford, & William Spear), James (1711/2) and Abigail (1713 m. Benjamin Richards).

Deborah Delano was born Duxbury 1672 and died there before 23 Mar 1715. She married Duxbury 1696 John Weston and they had seven children: Rebecca (1698 m. Samuel Spooner), Desire (c1700), Deborah (1702 m. Benjamin Prior), Isaac, Jonathan, Abner and Eliphas

Sarah Delano was born Duxbury about 1682 and died Middleborough after 15 May 1746. She married about 1702 John Drew and they had six children: John (c1703), Thomas (c1706), Mary (c1707 m. Isaac Bennett), Elizabeth (1709), Jemima (c1716 m. Peter Reed) and Abigail (c1716-1726).


  1. ↑ Mayflower passenger deaths 1620-1621.
  2. ↑ MQ 78(Mar 2012):41-57
  3. ↑ Only two contemporary records give Priscilla's name. The first was her father's will (where she was named) and the second was the list of Mayflower passengers made by Gov. William Bradford in 1651.
  4. ↑ It is said they were the third couple married in Plymouth Colony. The first couple was the widow Edward Winslow to the widower Susanna (Jackson) White. Francis Eaton married his second wife, Dorothy about the same time as the marriage of Priscilla Mullins to John Alden. It is currently unknown which couple was married first, or if they were possibly married at the same time.
  5. ↑ It has been said this new settlement came in stages with folks living out in the new location (where they had more land to farm) during the planting and harvest seasons, then moving back to the main settlement after the harvest. Gradually, folks began to stay at the new settlement year-long.
  6. ↑ Tradition states she attended the funeral of Josiah Winslow in 1680, but no contemporary record of her attending this funeral exists.
  7. ↑ later male line descendants changed the surname to Peabody
  8. ↑ Some sources state she had two more husbands: second Isaac Averill and third Michael Sprague, but her death record was under Priscilla Wiswall.
  9. ↑ Other sources state she died 1734

mtDNA Results H6a1a9 +204C 6182A

The Mayflower DNA Project lists three matrilineal (all female line) descendants of Priscilla (and her mother Alice). All three have taken the full mtDNA test, which tests every single base pair of the mitochondrial DNA. All three fall under the H6a1a9 haplogroup. In addition, one individual (who has not joined the Mayflower DNA Project) has joined the Alden surname DNA Project has taken a full mtDNA test and has also given the project administrator private access to their Coding region results. Plugging in their differences from the rCRS (NOT the RSRS differences) into James Lick's mtDNA haplogroup tool documents the following additional mutations from the H6a1a9 haplogroup: 204C and 6182A. It is likely a future update of the mtDNA Haplogroup tree will create a subclade with these mutations.[1]

Lineage of descendants

The Mayflower Descendant 66[2018]:23-30 has an article documenting seven mtDNA lines of descent from Priscilla Mullins. 

 1 Priscilla MULLINS Alden (c1602-p1651)
 2  Elizabeth ALDEN Pabodie (c1623-1717)
 3    Elizabeth PABODIE Rogers (1647-1677)
 4      Hannah ROGERS Bradford (1668-1754)
 5        Hannah BRADFORD Gilbert (1690-1772)
 6          Mary GILBERT Godfrey (1717-1811)
 7            Mary GODFREY Cooke (1740-1795)
 8              Mary COOKE Hatch (1766-1844)
 9                Nancy HATCH Stevens (1785-1865)
 10                Fanny Aletha STEVENS Upham (1812-1896)
 11                  Mary Frances UPHAM Beckley (1837-1904)
 12                    Fannie Lucretia BECKLEY Seems (1874-1937)
 13                      mother of tester  
 14                        tester  
 3    Hannah PABODIE Bartlett (1662-1723)
 4      Elizabeth BARTLETT Bartlett (c1700-    )
 5        Betty BARTLETT Rider (c1726-1791)
 6          Elizabeth "Betsy" RIDER Churchill (1752-1794)
 7            Lydia CHURCHILL Cook  (1778-1842)
 8              Mary Elizabeth COOK Mann (1808-1887)
 9                Lydia Catherine MANN Adams (1830-1912)
 10                Elizabeth ADAMS Covington (1854-1927)
 11                  mother of tester  
 12                    tester 
 10                Lydia Catherine ADAMS Allen (1861-1911)
 11                  mother of tester 
 12                    tester 
 3    Lydia PABODIE Grinnell (1667-1748)
 4      Priscilla GRINNELL Redfield (c1689-1770)
 5        Priscilla REDFIELD Bradley (1720-1770)
 6          Priscilla BRADLEY Abernathy (1743-1784)
 7            Pamela ABERNATHY Beach (1782-1849)
 8              Ursula BEACH Beach (1813-    )
 9                Viola BEACH McMoran (1848-    )
 10                Ellen Viola McMORAN Gallinger (1867-1940)
 11                  Amelia May GALLINGER Sanford (1894-1975)
 12                    Virginia May SANFORD Sielenski (1917-2007)
 13                      grandmother of tester
 14                        mother of tester
 15                          tester 
 4      Sarah GRINNELL Brooker Pike Nettleton (1694-1775)
 5        Patience BROOKER Allen (1732-1765)
 6          Sarah ALLEN Kelsey (1761-1814)
 7            Martha Rebecca KELSEY Holt (1793-1855)
 8              Marion Bradford HOLT Derby (1819-1909)
 9                Martha Eliza DERBY Willett (1864-1961)
 10                Edith Grace WILLETT Barnes (1897-1943)
 11                  mother of tester
 12                    tester  
 2  Sarah ALDEN Standish (p1628-1677)
 3    Elizabeth STANDISH Delano (c1663-p1731)
 4      Priscilla DELANO Simmons (c1696-    )
 5        Betty SIMMONS Walker
 6          Elizabeth WALKER Kent
 7            Abigail KENT Morse
 8              Irene MORSE Griswold
 9                Harriet Talcott GRISWOLD Lane
 10                mother of tester  
 11                  tester (GD of 1 from modal value)
 3    Mercy STANDISH Samson (c1665-b1729)
 4      Rachel SAMSON Simmons (1701-p1761)
 5        Deborah SIMMONS Weston (1732-1831)
 6          Abigail Weston Kent (1765-1855)
 7            Sarah Smith KENT Hunt (1786-1870)
 8              Marcia HUNT Brewster (1825-1898)
 9                Zilpha Ellis BREWSTER Turner (1859-1930)
 10                 mother of tester  
 11                   tester  
 2  Ruth ALDEN Bass (c1643-1674)
 3    Mary BASS Webb Copeland (1669-1725)
 4      Mary COPELAND Jones (1713-    )
 5        Mary "Molly" JONES Dyer
 6          Mary DYER Spear
 7            Charlotte SPEAR Hunt (1792-1863)
 8              Sarah "Sally" HUNT Fitts (1817-1901)
 9                Malona Frances FITTS Howe (1842-1869)
 10                Bertha Malona HOWE Mason (1867-1940)
 11                  Frances Malona MASON Hall (1907-1967)
 12                    mother of tester
 13                      tester 
 2  Rebecca ALDEN Delano (c1649-1689)
 3    Deborah DELANO Weston (1672-b1715)
 4      Deborah WESTON Prior (1702-1775)
 5        Eunice PRIOR Lowden (1736-1802)
 6          Lucy LOWDEN Josselyn (c1761-1838)
 7            Eunice JOSSELYN Martin (1789-1878)
 8              Abigail Ann MARTIN Moore (1812-1894)
 9                Charlotte M. MOORE Ferguson (1841-1918)
 10                Nettie Maude FERGUSON Merrill (1864-1929)
 11                  Lottie Esther MERRILL Grows (1885-1965)
 12                    mother of tester
 13                      tester

Other mtDNA matches

Family Tree DNA documents a small number of exact mtDNA matches with folks who list their Most Distant Known Matrilineal ancestor as someone other than Priscilla MULLINS Alden. It is possible some of them may descend from Priscilla, but it is likely most of them descend from some currently unknown matrilineal ancestor of Priscilla. Further research in these mtDNA matches may help in identifying the mother of Priscilla.

In this regard, the possible identification (by noted Mayflower researcher Caleb Johnson) of William Mullins possibly marrying twice, with his first wife possibly being a daughter of John Wood and Joan Taylor may be a key. John and Joan Wood also had a daughter Mary Wood, who married John Hussey. John and Mary Hussey were the parents of Christopher Hussey (an early emigrant to New Hampshire). It is possible a sister (or female cousin) of Christopher Hussey may also have emigrated to New England.

  1. ↑ One of them has two additional mutations (309.2C & C16234T) which must have occurred somewhere in this individual's maternal line of descent.

References and External Links


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