I chose John Howland as one of our important and interesting ancestors so he can represent our five ancestors, who came to America in 1620 on the “Mayflower”. Those five are John Tilley, his wife, Joan, and their daughter, Elizabeth, who became John Howland’s wife, and Thomas Rogers. Those first four are ancestors of both of my parents. All five of them were Puritans, born in England. So firm where the Puritans in there belief, that they chose to risk the wilderness of the unknown land in America rather than to stay in their native land. For their own safety and to be true to their religion they had to find some better place to call home.

A very brief account of John Howland was written by John Carver, another passenger on the “Mayflower” shortly after their arrival. Carver, who was chosen Governor of “The Pilgrim Colony” wrote, “In sundre of these storms the winds were so fierce and ye sea so high as they could note beare a knote of saile, but were forced to hull for diverce days togither. And in one of them, as they thusat full in a mighty storm, a lustie yonge man, called John Holland, Coming upon some occasion above ye grattings, was with ascale of ye shippe, Throwne into ye sea; but it pleased Got yt he caught hold of ye same tope-sailehallards which hung overboard and rane out of length: yet he held his hould (yet he was sundre fadomes under water) till he was hould up by ye same rope to ye brime of we water, and then with boat-hooke & other means got into ye shippe again & his life was saved; and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after, and became a profitable member both in chursc and common wealthe.”

John Howland was one of the group who first went ashore to search a place to start the colony. When back on board the ship at anchor, he placed his signature on “The Mayflower Compact” now considered the first constitution of the United States of America. From that time, when he was age 28, John shows he was possessed of sound judgement and good business capacity and took active part in getting the colony established.

It was December 6th when those 102 pilgrims went ashore. It was a cold winter and them with no shelter, little food or knowledge of how to survive in that strange environment. Almost half of them perished during that first winter; and likely more would have died had not some friendly natives come to their rescue.

Elizabeth Tilley’s parents were two of those who perished that first winter so at age 14 she became an orphan in that strange land and in a colony hardly established. John Carver adopted her and raised her, until she was old enough to become John Howland’s wife. By that time Howland had proved himself as a very dependable, trusted member of the colony. Elisabeth Tilley became the wife of John Howland on March 25, 1623. They did well for the welfare of the colony and did their part in the growth of the population with their ten children.

While the Native people helped the colonists survive that first winter, some eventually decided they didn’t want these foreigners claiming so much of their territory and that they had to get rid of them. During the conflict that followed, called “The King Philip War”, John Howland was chosen Lieutenant and took part in the defence of the colony.

By the time of his death in 1672 John had built a large house and a productive farm to give his large family a comfortable life and left them well prepared. Unfortunately, the house was later destroyed by fire and Elizabeth went to live the rest of her life with her daughter, Lydia, and family. Of Elizabeth Howland, it was said, “She was a woman of superior ability and Christian faith and was a helpmate for her sturdy husband”. John Howland was 15 years older than Elizabeth, but that difference of age did not reduce how much John appreciated his wife, nor the respect Elizabeth had for her capable husband. Testimony to which is well preserved in the abundant documentation about them.

Thomas Rogers, with his son Joseph, was also on the Mayflower. Thomas signed the “The Mayflower Compact” but died during that first terrible winter. Sometime between 1630 – 1651 William Bradford who succeeded Governor Carver, wrote of him, “Thomas dyed in the first sickness and his other children came [to North America] afterwards and have many children and his son Joseph is still living and is married and hath 6 children.” Joseph married Hannah in about 1632. Their child, Mary, is our ancestor through Octavo Barker.