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John Alden was the seventh and last surviving signer of the Mayflower Compact.
He served in Captain Myles Standish's Duxbury Company in 1643, was governor's assistant from 1632 to 1640, 1650, and 1686; was deputy to the General Court in 1641, 1642, 1644 and 1649; a member of the Council of War in 1646 et seq.; and acting deputy governor, 1644 and 1677.
His house, built in 1653, is still standing and is preserved and owned by the Alden Kindred of America.
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JOHN ALDEN
ORIGIN: Southampton
MIGRATION: 1620 on Mayflower
FIRST RESIDENCE: Plymouth
REMOVES: Duxbury 1632
OCCUPATION: Cooper
FREEMAN: In "1633" Plymouth list of freemen, among those admitted prior to 1 January 1632/3 [PCR 1:3]; also in lists dated in or near 1637, 1639 and 1658 (in the latter two listed as of Duxbury) [PCR 1:52, 8:174, 198].
EDUCATION: Although there is no direct evidence for his literary and educational attainments, his extensive public service, including especially his appointments as colony treasurer and to committees on revising the laws, certainly indicates that he must have been well-educated.
OFFICES: "Mr. John Alden Sen[ior]" is in the Duxbury section of the 1643 list of men able to bear arms [PCR 8:189].
Assistant, 6 February 1631/2 [WP 3:65], 1 January 1632/3, 1 January 1633/4, 1 January 1634/5, 5 January 1635/6, 3 January 1636/7, 6 March 1637/8, 4 March 1638/9 [PCR 1:5, 21, 32, 36, 48, 79, 116 (the assistants elected on 3 March 1639/40 were not sworn until 2 June 1640, so John Alden continued to serve as assistant at a few courts in early 1640)]. Deputy for Duxbury to Plymouth General Court 1641, 1642, 1644 and 1646 to 1649, and also at courts of 20 August 1644, 28 October 1645 and 3 March 1645/6 [PCR 2:16, 40, 72, 75, 94, 95, 104, 117, 123, 144]. Assistant each year from 1650 to 1686 [PCR 2:153, 166; 3:7, 30, 48, 77, 99, 114, 134, 162, 187, 214; 4:13, 36, 60, 90, 122, 147, 179; 5:17, 34, 55, 90, 112, 143, 163, 194, 229, 256; 6:9, 34, 58, 83, 106, 127, 164, 185]. Acted as Deputy Governor on two occasions, in absence of Governor, 7 March 1664/5, 30 October 1677 [PCR 4:81, 5:245]. Treasurer, 3 June 1656, 3 June 1657, 1 June 1658 [PCR 3:99, 115, 135]. Council of War, 27 September 1642, 10 October 1643, 2 June 1646, 6 April 1653, 12 May 1653, 1 June 1658, 2 April 1667 [PCR 2:46, 63, 100; 3:26, 28, 138; 4:145]. Committee to revise laws, 4 June 1645, 3 June 1657 [PCR 2:85, 3:117]. Committee on Kennebec trade, 3 March 1645/6, 7 June 1648, 8 June 1649, 5 March 1655/6 [PCR 2:96, 127, 144; 3:96]. Appointed to numerous other minor posts and committees by Plymouth General Court.
ESTATE: In 1623 Plymouth land division granted an unknown number of acres as a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620 [PCR 12:4]. In 1627 Plymouth cattle division, included in company of John Howland, along with wife Priscilla, daughter Elizabeth and son John [PCR 12:10]. Assessed �1 4s. in Plymouth tax lists of 25 March 1633 and 27 March 1634 [PCR 1:9, 27]. Assigned mowing ground for the year, 14 March 1635/6, 20 March 1636/7 [PCR 1:40, 56].
On 6 March 1636/7, "A parcel of land containing a knoll, or a little hill, lying over against Mr. Alden's land at Blewfish River, is granted by the Court unto the said Mr. John Alden in lieu of a parcel of land taken from him (next unto Samuel Nash's lands) for public use" [PCR 1:51].
Granted "certain lands at Green's Harbor," 5 February 1637/8 [PCR 1:76]. Granted to Miles Standish and John Alden three hundred acres "on the north side of the South River," 2 July 1638 [PCR 1:91]. Granted "a little parcel of land... lying at the southerly side of his lot," 3 September 1638 [PCR 1:95]. On 3 June 1657 "Liberty is granted unto Mr. John Alden to look out a portion of land to accommodate his sons withall, and to make report thereof unto the Court, that so it may be confirmed unto him" [PCR 3:120].
13 June 1660: "In regard that Mr. Alden is low in his estate, and occasioned to spend much time at the courts on the country's occasions, and so hath done this many years, the Court have allowed him a small gratuity, the sum of ten pounds, to be paid by the Treasurer" [PCR 3:195].
Granted "a competency of land" at Namasskett, 7 June 1665 [PCR 4:95]. Granted one hundred acres at Teticutt, 4 March 1673/4 [PCR 5:141]. On 1 April 1679 John Alden gave to his son Joseph "all that my share of land... within the township of Bridgewater" [PLR 3:194].
