Priscilla Mullins (mtDNA)

Status summary

As of June 26, 2020

Page created for Alice, wife of Elder William Mullins and their daughter Priscilla
recruitment of individuals who are mtDNA descendants of Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. Folks who are mtDNA descendants are encouraged to contact Raymond T. Wing (email: wing.genealogist AT gmail DOT com)

Background

Biography

Almost nothing is known about Alice, wife of William Mullins. She was named in her husbands 1621 will and died shortly after him, in the general sickness during the winter of 1621.

Priscilla Mullins 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.^[1] The Aldens were among the first families to move away from the original colony and helped found what is now Duxbury (likely before 1630). She died sometime after 1651 but before her husband's death in 1687.^[2]

↑ 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.
↑ Tradition states she attended the funeral of Josiah Winslow in 1680, but no contemporary record of her attending this funeral exists.

mtDNA Results

The Mayflower DNA Project currently lists one mtDNA descendant of Mary and states this individual falls under Haplogroup I4a. This is a relatively rare haplogroup and has been found in England & Scotland and occasionally in Finnisterre, France. It also supports the belief that Mary was likely from either Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire (both in northern England).

This individual's line is as follows:

 Mary ______ (1569-1627)
   Patience Brewster (c1600-1634)
     Rebecca Prence (c1625-1647/8)
       Patience Freeman (c1646-1725/6)
         Dorothy Burge(ss) (1670-c1726)
           Jane/Jean Clifton (1697/8-1751)
             Sarah Bowerman (1724/5-1802)
               Elizabeth Gifford (1744-1816)
                 Abigail Gifford (1767-1846)
                   Martha Bowerman (1795-1863)
                     Eleanor/Elnore Hathaway (1832-1908)
                       Anna Frances McTigue (1868-1926)
                         (mother)
                           (tester)

mtDNA Descendants

Mary & William had two daughters (Patience & Fear). Fear married Isaac Allerton and died before 12 Dec 1634. Fear had one daughter, Sarah, born before the land division at the end of April 1627. It is believed Sarah died, presumably unmarried, before 1651 so the matrilineal descendants of Mary are limited to descendants of Patience.

SECOND GENERATION Patience Brewster was born, presumably at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire about 1600. She married Thomas Prence on 5 Aug 1624, being called the "ninth marriage at New Plymouth". They had one son, Thomas (III) (1627-1672) and three daughters (Rebecca, Hannah, & Mercy).

THIRD GENERATION Rebecca Prence was born about 1625. She married Edmund Freeman (III) at Sandwich 22 Apr 1646 and she was buried there on 23 Mar 1647/8. In this short time span, Rebecca had two daughters (Patience & Rebecca).

Hannah Prence was born in Plymouth about 1629. She married twice, first to Nathaniel Mayo at Nauset (now Eastham) on 13 Feb 1649/50. They had six children (4 boys & 2 girls [Hannah & Bathsheba]) before his death which occurred circa Feb 1662. The widow then married (Capt) Jonathan Sparrow at Eastham about 1668 and they had two sons & a daughter (Patience).

Mercy Prence was born in Plymouth about 1631. She married (Maj.) John Freeman (brother to Edmund who married her sister, Patience) at Eastham on 13 Feb 1649/50. They had seven sons and four daughters (Patience, Mercy, Hannah & Bennett)