Note* |
|
Cause of Death: Fever
Edward Winslow was the third signer of the Mayflower Compact. He was one of the company which, in the shallop, first explored the shores of Cape Cod, engaged in the First Encounter with the native Indians at Eastham and which proceeded thence to Plymouth harbor and reached Clark's Island in great distress. He was one of those who first landed and selected Plymouth as the place of settlement.
Edward's last public service was when in 1655 he received from Cromwell the appointment of commissioner, with Admiral Penn and General Venable, to capture the Spanish West Indies and to govern Hispaniola. On the passage to the attack Jamaica, he became ill of fever and died. Hisremains were buried at sea with the honors of war and a 42-gun salute.
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Caleb Johnson wrote:
Edward Winslow is the only MAYFLOWER passenger to have a known portrait in existence -- although a questionable sketch of Myles Standish exists. The portraitwas painted by Robert Walker in 1651, so Winslow is here 31 years older than he was when he came on the MAYFLOWER at the age of 25. The original portrait isin the possession of the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Nathaniel Morton in 'New England's Memorial' (1669) writes of Edward Winslow:
'He was the son of Edward Winslow, Esq., of the town of Droitwich, in the county of Worcester. He, travelling into the low countries, in his journeys fell into acquaintance with the church of Leyden, in Holland, unto whom he joined, and with whom he continued until they parted to come into New-England, he comingwith that part that came first over, and became a very worthy and useful instrument amongst them, both in place of government and othrwise, until his last voyage for England, being sent on special employment for the government of the Massachusetts, as is aforementioned in this book; and afterwards was employed as one of the grand commissioners in that unhappy design against Domingo in Hispaniola, who taking grief for all 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 pieces of ordinance.'
Cotton Mather, essentially copying from Morton in his 'Magnalia Christi Americana' (1702) writes:
'Mr. Edward Winslow, the Son of Edward Winslow, Esq; of Draughtwich, in the Country of Worcester, . . . Travelling into the Low-Countries, he fell into Acquaintance with the Church at Leyden, and joining himselfto them, he Shipped himself with that part of them which first came over into America; from which time he was continually engaged in such extraordinary Actions, as the assistance of that People to encounter their more than ordinary Diffculties, called for.'
Edward Winslow of the Mayflower was a printer, and assisted William Brewster in
running the printing press at Leyden which publishedillegal pamphlets of a religious
nature which were distributed in England. Hewas one of the more prominent and
influential men in the Plymouth Colony, andwas the colony's third governor. In the
early years of Plymouth, Edward played a prominent role in Indian-Pilgrim relations,
and made many diplomatic visits to the Wampanoag sachem Massasoit. One occasion in 1622 he even managed to 'cure' Massasoit of a dreadful sickness -- an
event which greatly helped Indian-Pilgrim relations.
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 Englandand served in the English army under Oliver Cromwell. In 1655 he died of a fever on a military expedition to capture the island |
Birth* |
Oct 18, 1595 |
Droitwich, Worcestershire, England1 |
Christening |
Oct 20, 1595 |
Droitwich, Worcestershire, England2,1 |
Event-Misc* |
1617 |
Leiden, Holland, Travel Type: Unknown |
Marriage* |
May 16, 1618 |
Leiden, Holland2,3 |
Occupation* |
before 1620 |
Leiden, Holland, Merchant4 |
Immigration* |
Nov 21, 1620 |
Cape Cod Harbor, MA5,3,4 |
Marriage* |
May 12, 1621 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Principal=Susanna FULLER2,3,1,4,6 |
Event-Misc |
1623 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Division Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
Sep, 1623 |
England, Travel Type: Unknown3 |
Event-Misc |
Apr, 1624 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Travel Type: Unknown5,3 |
Occupation |
before 1625 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA |
Event-Misc |
1625 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Travel Type: Unknown5 |
Occupation |
between 1625 and 1633 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA3 |
Event-Misc |
1627 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Cattle Division Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
between 1628 and 1633 |
Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA, Resided Type: Unknown3 |
Event-Misc |
Jun 5, 1632 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Travel Type: Unknown5 |
Event-Misc |
Oct, 1632 |
Connecticut River Valley, Travel Type: Unknown |
Occupation |
1633 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA3 |
Event-Misc |
Jan 1, 1632/33 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Freeman Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
Mar 25, 1633 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, £2 5s. Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
Mar 27, 1634 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, £2 5s. Type: Unknown4 |
Occupation |
1635 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA |
Event-Misc |
Mar 7, 1636/37 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Freeman Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
1639 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA, Freeman Type: Unknown4 |
Event-Misc |
1640 |
Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA, Established the town of Marshfield Type: Unknown |
Event-Misc |
Sep 27, 1642 |
Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA, Land Type: Unknown7 |
Event-Misc |
1643 |
Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA, List of men able to bear arms Type: Unknown4 |
Occupation |
1644 |
Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA |
Event-Misc |
1646 |
England, Travel Type: Unknown3 |
Occupation |
1654 |
England3 |
Will* |
Dec 18, 1654 |
At Sea4 |
Death* |
May 8, 1655 |
At Sea1 |
Burial* |
May 8, 1655 |
At Sea2 |