Francis Eaton (bef. 1596 - bef. 1633)

Born before 11 Sep 1596 in Bristol, England

Husband of Sarah (Unknown) Eaton — married before 1621 in England

Husband of Dorothy (Unknown) Eaton — married about 1622 in Plymouth, Plymouth Colony

Husband of Christian (Penn) Billington — married about 1625 in Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 8 Nov 1633 at about age 37 in Plymouth, Plymouth Colony

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Biography

Name and Origin

Francis Eaton AKA Etton, Eaten, Eeaton^[1]

Francis Eaton was baptized on September 11, 1596, at the St. Thomas Church, Bristol, England, a son of John Eaton and Dorothy Smith.^[1] John Eaton married on 14 October 1594 at Bristol, "county Gloucester," England, to Dorothy Smith.^[2] This is new information, published since Anderson's Great Migration Begins.^[3]

Leiden?

Francis Eaton does not appear in any record at Leiden, but he is among the group of Leiden church members on Bradford's list of Mayflower passengers. If Francis was at Leiden, this would explain why his marriage to Sarah and the birth of son Samuel are not found in Bristol records.^[4]

Immigration

"Francis Eaton, and Sarah, his wife, and Samuell, their sone, a yong child." arrived at Plymouth, in 1620, aboard the Mayflower.^[5][3]

Francis Eaton signed the Mayflower Compact 11 Nov 1620.^[6]

Marriages

Francis married three times.^[7]

1. He married by 1620 to Sarah Unknown who was aboard the Mayflower. She died in early 1621.^[3][5]
2. He married about 1622, as his 2nd, to Dorothy Unknown, a maidservant of John Carver).^[1] She died soon after their marriage,^[3] and she and Francis had no children. An agreement in Dec 1626 provides her given name "Dorothy" It also implies that she was still living. She may actually have been dead, but news had not reached the agent who made the 1626 agreement.^[1]
3. He married about 1626 or early 1627, as his 3rd, and as her 1st, to Christian Penn, passenger aboard the Anne.^[3] She married (after Francis's death) in July 1634, as her 2nd, to Francis Billington, son of John Billington of the Mayflower.^[3] She apparently died about 1684.^[1]

Property and Positions

Francis was identified as "Fr. Eaton, carpenter of Plymouth" in his inventory. He was on the first recorded list of freemen in 1633.^[3][8]

In the 1623 Plymouth land division, Francis was granted four acres as a passenger aboard the Mayflower.^[9] One each for Mayflower passengers, himself, his deceased wife Sarah, his second wife and Samuel his son^[3]

An agreement, made on 4 December 1626, apprenticed John Morgan to Francis Eaton of the city of Bristol, carpenter, and his wife Dorothy of Bristol, for fourteen years in exchange for 25 acres. The agreement included a clue - a note on the back, "The M[aste]r at New England." A subsequent search of Bristol records found the Eaton family at the St. Thomas Church at Bristol.^[1]

The first four names in the tenth company in the 1627 Plymouth cattle division were: Francis Eaton, Christian Eaton, Samuel Eaton, and Rachel Eaton.^[3]

25 June 1631, Francis Eaton sold four acres in the North Field (land received in the 1623 division) to Edward Winslow. 30 December 1631, Francis Eaton sold to William Brewster "one share of land, containing twenty acres, lying at the place commonly called Nothingelse" in for £21 12s., which would "pay his purchase for four shares". In addition Francis sold an additional twelve acres from the same lot to Brewster.^[10] 8 January 1632/3, Francis Eaton sold to Kenelm and Josiah Winslow "the now dwelling house of the said Francis, with other appurtenances thereunto belonging"^[11]

25 March 1633 he was assessed 9s.^[12] This was the minimum assessment.

Death and Legacy

Francis died in the 1633 epidemic,^[1] at Plymouth, between 25 March 1633 (tax list) and 8 November 1633 (inventory date).^[3][7] The date, 25 October 1633 is sometimes given as his death date, apparently without evidence.^[3] On 1 July 1633, the land Francis had mowed the year before was given to Mr. Williams to cut, so Francis may have died by that date.^[13][3]

Francis' inventory was valued at £64 8s. 7d, and included no real estate. His debts were more than the value of his estate.^[3][14]

Children

Children of Francis and his 1st wife, Sarah:^[3]

1. Samuel Eaton b c. 1620^[15]; mar 1) Elizabeth Unknown, 2) Martha Billington (his stepsister)

Children of Francis and his 3rd wife, Christian:^[3]

1. Rachel Eaton b Plymouth c. 1625-1627^[15]; mar Joseph Ramsden
2. Benjamin Eaton, b c. 1628^[15] apprenticed on 11 Feb 1635/6 to Bridget Fuller; mar Sarah Hoskins
3. Child Eaton, b say 1630, an idiot, living 1651.^[15]

DNA

Y-DNA Results R-S10591^[16] Previous Y-DNA testing Y-STR testing through the Mayflower DNA Project and the Eaton DNA Project Group 4. R1b Haplogroup -Eaton Lineage III- FranPly (administered by the Eaton Families Association) has identified a Y-STR haplotype for the Mayflower Eaton lineage, belonging to the R1b-M269 Y-DNA haplogroup, which is quite common in Western Europe. Testing involved descendants of both of Francis Eaton's known sons, Samuel and Benjamin. Y-STR results (specifically DYS390=23) provide some indication that the Eaton lineage belongs more specifically to the U106 subgroup of R1b-M269. NGS/WGS testing JZ7P3 Tested with Y Elite v2.1a; results returned September 18, 2016; previously tested as kit # 126810 / E-62. Y Elite results for kit JZ7P3 (descendant of son Benjamin) have confirmed Francis Eaton and his patrilineal descendants belong to haplogroup R1b-U106. Further, the results revealed the lineage can be classified more specifically by the haplogroup-defining marker, U198 (also known as S29). A preliminary analysis of results suggests that the lineage belongs to a relatively rare U198 subclade, Z37884 (another SNP at this clade level, S10591, is used by FTDNA). Additionally, 31 new markers (named FGC53175 through FGC53205) have been identified, which are, so far, unique to this Francis Eaton patrilineal line. The Big Y-700 result of a second individual has confirmed the S10591 clade.

The Y-Elite tester and the Big Y-700 tester both share a common Eaton ancestor for several generations. It would be very helpful if a descendant of Francis Eaton's other son, Samuel, undergoes an NGS/WGS test to better narrow down the haplogroup below S10591.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Thompson, Neil D., "The Origin and Parentage of Francis Eaton of the Mayflower. in The American Genealogist. 72 (July/October, 1997): pages 301-304. AmericanAncestors.org Link
2. ↑ Greene, David, L., "Notes on Francis Eaton of Plymouth," The American Genealogist. (Vol 72, Page 305) New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database accessed 28 January 2016. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14} Anderson, Robert Charles, "Francis Eaton," featured name The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, (Volumes I-III, Page 608) (Online database accessed 28 January 2016: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)
4. ↑ Johnson, Caleb, "New Light on the Mayflower Passengers." (Vol 80, Page 97) The American Genealogist. (Vol 72, Page 305) New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database accessed 28 January 2016. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation. Originally "Of Plymouth Plantation". Boston: Little, Brown and company, 1856. pp 449, 453
6. ↑ Morton, Nathaniel. New England's memorial. (Boston: Congregational board of publication, 1855) Originally published 1669.p. 26 Note: The original compact is gone. Morton furnished the earliest known list 1669 facsimile
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Van Antwerp, Lee Douglas and Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations : Volume 9, Francis Eaton, (Plymouth:GSMD, 1996), Vol. 9, p. 3 #1
   "FRANCIS¹ EATON b. England; d. Plymouth bef. 8 Nov. 1633 (inv.).
   He m. (1) England SARAH -----, b. England; d. Plymouth early in 1621.
   He m. (2) Plymouth prob. 1622 or 1623, the woman known only as Mrs. Carver's maid. She d. Plymouth a year or two after the marriage probably in 1624.*
   He m. (3) Plymouth in Plymouth in 1624 or 1625 CHRISTIAN PENN, b. England ca. 1606; d. Middleboro ca. 1684...."
8. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England Court Orders Vol. I 1633-1640. (Boston: Press of William White, 1855) PCR1:3
9. ↑ Pulsifer, David (ed.) Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England. Deeds, &c. Vol. I. 1620-1651. (Boston: Press of William White, 1861) 12:12
10. ↑ Pulsifer, David (ed.) Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England. Deeds, &c. Vol. I. 1620-1651. (Boston: Press of William White, 1861) pp 16, 17
11. ↑ Shurtleff: Records ... New Plymouth 1:8.
12. ↑ Shurtleff: Records ... New Plymouth 1:10
13. ↑ Shurtleff: Records ... New Plymouth. 1:15
14. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-VS1J  : 5 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 27 of 616; State Archives, Boston. Pages 17-18
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3} Van Antwerp, Lee Douglas and Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations : Volume 9, Francis Eaton, (Plymouth:GSMD, 1996), Vol. 9, pp. 3-4 #1
    "FRANCIS¹ EATON ...
    Children (EATON) one by first wife; 3 by third wife:
    

    i SAMUEL² b. England ca. 1620
    

    ii RACHEL b. Plymouth ca. 1625 (deposition)
    

    iii BENJAMIN b. Plymouth March 1627/8
    

    iv child b. Plymouth after 22 May 1627; an idiot living 1651; n.f.r. ..."

16. ↑ MayflowerDNA.org wiki profile for Eaton family

• Anderson, Robert Charles. The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004). Link at AmericanAncestors (Free). This is a slightly updated version of the Great Migration sketch and includes the information on his parents.

• “Francis Eaton” at Mayflower.AmericanAncestors.org website. (NEHGS, accessed 6/14/2019, free).
• MayflowerHistory.com - Francis Eaton
• Wikipedia article on Francis Eaton
• Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Marriages: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1990) p. 162 Accessed at Ancestry ($) Text: "Francis Eaton and 3rd Christian ( ), c 1624/25. Christian ( ) Eaton and 2nd Francis Billington, July 1634 (PCR 1:31)" Footnotes: Text His third wife has been identified as Christian Penn.
• New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/494/426922051
• Bradford, William, 1590-1657. Of Plimoth Plantation: manuscript, 1630-1650. State Library of Massachusetts "List of Mayflower Passengers." In Bradford's Hand.
• MayflowerDNA.org wiki and profile for Eaton family

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