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{{other people|John Alden}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = John Alden
| image = Puritans going to church, G.H. Boughton '84,.jpg
| alt = A drawing of a male and female couple in 17th-century clothing standing together in snowy woods. The man has an antiquated musket held over his shoulder.
| caption = A conjectural image of John and Priscilla Alden by [[George Henry Boughton]], 1884
| order =
| office = [[List_of_colonial_governors_of_Massachusetts#Plymouth_Colony:_1620–1686,_1689–1692|Governor pro tempore of Plymouth Colony]]
| birth_date = {{circa|1598}}
| birth_place = [[England]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1687|9|12|1598|1|1}}
| death_place = [[Plymouth Colony]]
| spouse = [[Priscilla Alden|Priscilla Mullins]]
| relations =
| children = 10, including [[Elizabeth Pabodie|Elizabeth]], [[John Alden (sailor)|John Jr.]], and [[Jonathan Alden Sr.|Jonathan]]
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Magistrate, Fur Trader, Cooper
| profession =
| cabinet =
| committees =
| portfolio =
| signature = Signature of John Alden (c. 1598 – 1687).png
| footnotes =
| honorific_suffix =
| term1 = March 7, 1665
| term = October 30, 1677
| monarch = [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]
| monarch1 = Charles II
| term3 =
| office2 = Member of the [[Massachusetts_Governor's_Council#History|Governor’s Council of Assistants of Plymouth Colony]]
| term_end3 = June 2, 1640
| term_start3 = February 6, 1632
| termend2 = September 12, 1687
| termstart2 = June 4, 1650
| appointer = [[Josiah Winslow]]
| appointer1 = [[Thomas Prence]]
}}
'''John Alden''' ({{circa|1598}} – September 12, 1687){{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}} was an English magistrate, settler, and cooper, best known for being a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' which brought the English settlers, commonly known as [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]], to [[Plymouth Colony]] in [[Massachusetts]]. He was hired in [[Southampton]], England, as the ship's [[Cooper (profession)|cooper]], responsible for maintaining the ship's barrels. He was a member of the ship's crew and not initially a settler, yet he decided to remain in Plymouth Colony when the ''Mayflower'' returned to England. He was a signatory to the [[Mayflower Compact]].
He married fellow ''Mayflower'' passenger [[Priscilla Alden|Priscilla Mullins]], whose entire family perished in the first winter in Plymouth Colony. The marriage of the young couple became prominent in [[Victorian era|Victorian]] popular culture after the 1858 publication of [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]]'s fictitious narrative poem ''[[The Courtship of Miles Standish]].'' The book inspired widespread depictions of John and Priscilla Alden in art and literature during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Alden was one of Plymouth Colony's most active public servants and played a prominent role in colonial affairs. He was annually elected to the Governor's Council nearly every year from 1640 to 1686. He served as Treasurer of Plymouth Colony, Deputy to the [[General Court of Plymouth]], a member of the colony's [[Council of War]], and a member of the colony's Committee on [[Kennebec River|Kennebec]] Trade, among other posts.{{sfnp|American Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
He was the last surviving signer of the Mayflower Compact upon his death in 1687. The approximate ___location of his grave in the [[Myles Standish Burial Ground]] was marked with a memorial stone in 1930. The site of his first house in Duxbury is preserved and marked with interpretative signs. The Alden Kindred of America began as a society of John and Priscilla's descendants, and it maintains the Alden House Historic Site in [[Duxbury, Massachusetts]]—likely built by Alden's son, [[Jonathan Alden Sr.|Capt. Jonathan Alden]].
== English origins ==
[[File:Cooper MET DP818784.jpg|thumb|right|''Cooper'' by Anne Claude Philippe de Tubières, an 18th-century etching of a cooper holding barrel hoops|alt=Line drawing of a man in antiquated clothing holding a hammer in one hand and with many large hoops held over his shoulder. He has several tools of his trade at his feet and on his belt]]
Historians and genealogists have advanced many theories to the English origin of John Alden. According to the "American Ancestors" project of the [[New England Historic Genealogical Society]], Alden genealogical expert Alicia Crane Williams has called two of the hypothesized origins "tempting"; however, she asserts that none are definitively proven.{{sfnp|American Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
The only definite primary source evidence regarding Alden's background comes from Plymouth Colony Governor [[William Bradford (governor)|William Bradford]]'s history ''[[Of Plymouth Plantation]]''. Bradford wrote that Alden "was hired for a cooper, at [[Southampton|South-Hampton]], wher the ship victuled; and being a hopefull yong man, was much desired, but left to his owne liking to go or stay when he came here; but he stayed, and maryed here".{{sfnp|Stratton|1986|p=136}} Charles Edward Banks states that the employment of Alden "at Southampton" does not necessarily mean that he was a resident of the seaport and may have only been there to work temporarily when the ''[[Mayflower]]'' arrived.{{sfnp|Banks|1962|pp=27-28}}
Banks cited research by certain historians and genealogists who offered theories as to Alden's origin based on inconclusive but possibly relevant evidence. One such theory was proposed by historian and genealogist B. Carlyon-Hughes who found evidence of an Alden family living in [[Harwich]] in Essex, England during the 17th century. Harwich is an ancient [[North Sea]] port, northeast of [[London]], which was the home port of the ship ''Mayflower'' and home of its captain [[Christopher Jones (Mayflower Captain)|Christopher Jones]]. Carlyon-Hughes asserted that the Aldens of Harwich were related to Jones and also that a young John Alden of the Harwich Aldens was about the same age as the ''Mayflower'' passenger. A prior association with the captain of the ''Mayflower'' (although not definitively proven) could account, according to Banks, for Alden joining the crew.{{sfnp|Banks|1962|p=28}} Historian George F. Willison subscribed to the Harwich origin theory and wrote that Alden's children "remembered him as tall, blond, and very powerful in physique".{{sfnp|Willison|1945|p=131}} Willison, however, offers no specific source material for this description.
Another theory cited by Banks, which he called "a fair presumption", involves a John Alden of Southampton who "may have been the son of George Alden the [[fletcher (occupation)|fletcher]], who disappeared—probably dying in that year—leaving John, an orphan, free to take employment overseas. Jane, the widow, may have been his mother and Richard and Avys his grandparents".{{sfnp|Banks|1962|pp=27-28}} The tax list of [[Holyrood Church|Holyrood Ward]], Southampton in 1602 lists the names of George Alden and John's future father-in-law William Mullins.{{sfnp|Stratton|1986|p=233}} Banks even went so far as to postulate that, if the Alden and Mullins families both originated from Southampton, then perhaps their courtship began in Southampton.{{sfnp|Banks|1962|p=28}}
Alicia Crane Williams analyzed these and several other theories in ''The Mayflower Descendant'', a scholarly journal of Pilgrim history and genealogy. She pointed out that some genealogists have connected John Alden of the ''Mayflower'' with John Alden, "son and heir of John Alden of Swanscomb, Kent" who obtained a [[College of Arms#Granting and proving descent of arms|Patent of Arms]] in 1607. There is no evidence that John Alden of the ''Mayflower'' was connected to this family or inherited this coat of arms. Williams states, "This Alden coat of arms was published in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' and has led many unsuspecting [genealogists] astray."{{sfnp|Williams|1989}}
== Voyage of the ''Mayflower'' ==
{{main article|Mayflower}}
[[File:The Mayflower Compact 1620 cph.3g07155.jpg|right|thumb|''The Mayflower Compact 1620'': an 1899 painting by [[Jean Leon Gerome Ferris]] depicts John Alden signing the document.{{sfnp|Library of Congress}}|alt=A group of men in antiquated clothing gathered around a desk in a ship's cabin with one woman looking on. A large piece of paper is on the desk and one man is signing.]]
Alden was hired by Capt. Christopher Jones in Southampton when he was about 21 years old to work as the ship's cooper during the ''Mayflower's'' voyage to America.<ref name="BDA1906p70"/> According to historian [[Nathaniel Philbrick]], the colonists encouraged him during the voyage to remain with them in America due to his useful skills as a barrel-maker and carpenter.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=25}}
The ''Mayflower'' departed [[Plymouth]], England, on September 6, 1620. The 100-foot ship had aboard 102 passengers and a crew of about 20 to 30 in extremely cramped conditions.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=25}} A lack of proper rations and unsanitary conditions for months caused illnesses that eventually proved fatal for many, particularly to women and children. There were two deaths during the ocean crossing, a crew member and a passenger.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=25}}
The ship spotted [[Cape Cod]] on November 9, 1620, after about two months at sea. Their original destination had been the mouth of the [[Hudson River]], which was then part of the [[Colony of Virginia]]. Capt. Jones made an attempt to round the southern end of Cape Cod, but he lacked an adequate chart of the area known as [[Pollock Rip Shoal|Pollock's Rip]], and the strong currents and dangerous shoals there forced him to turn back. Jones determined that the colonists would have to disembark and settle in [[New England]] rather than the Hudson River due to widespread illness aboard ship and dwindling supplies. The ''Mayflower'' eventually came to anchor on November 11 in [[Provincetown Harbor]] at the northern tip of Cape Cod.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|pp=36-39}}
The decision to settle outside of Virginia Colony raised some problems. The group carried a [[land patent|patent]] which granted authority to their elected leaders and entitled them to establish their own plantation within the bounds of Virginia Colony. They were settling in New England, however, so the patent became irrelevant and some members began to question the authority of their leaders. To settle these questions, the colony's leadership drew up the [[Mayflower Compact]], an agreement that they would work together, acting as "a civil body politic" in obedience to such laws as the colony might enact.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|pp=39-40}} The Mayflower Compact was signed by all free male settlers on November 11, the same day that they set anchor at Provincetown. John Alden signed the document, which is an indication that he had already made the decision to remain with the settlers. He was the youngest of the signers and the last survivor.<ref name="BDA1906p70"/>
== Establishing Plymouth Colony ==
[[File:Houses of the Plimoth Plantation at Plymouth, Massachusetts.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the recreated Plimoth Patuxet, which includes a replica of John Alden's house seen second from the left|alt=A modern-day photograph of a village consisting of small, primitive wooden houses. Most of the houses have thatched roofs. In the distance is a large expanse of ocean and a clear blue sky.]]
After exploring the inner shoreline of Cape Cod, the colonists chose to settle in [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]]. The site offered a good harbor, several fresh water springs, and a large hill overlooking the harbor (which they would later name [[Burial Hill]]) suitable for a [[Fortification|fort]]. A tribe known as the [[Patuxet]] (part of the [[Wampanoag]] peoples) had settled the site and cleared a large area of land for planting [[maize|corn]]. By the time the ''Mayflower'' arrived, the Patuxet tribe had been wiped out by plagues, likely as a result of contact with English fishermen.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|pp=79-80}}
During their first winter in Plymouth, most of the settlers fell ill and half died of disease. Priscilla Mullins (John Alden's future wife) lost her entire family—her father William, her mother Alice, and her brother Joseph.{{sfnp|Goodwin|1920|pp=183-184}} The fifty colonists who survived began building a fort atop Burial Hill and small wooden houses on either side of a "street" now known as [[Leyden Street]], named in 1823 after the town in [[Holland]] where the Pilgrims lived for several years. A small plot of land at the foot of Burial Hill near the top of the street was designated for John Alden. He built a primitive house in this ___location and lived there for about seven years with his wife Priscilla and his growing family. The site of Alden's first house in Plymouth was marked in 1930 with a boulder and bronze plaque placed by the Alden Kindred of America.{{sfnp|Historical Marker Database}} A recreation of this house stands today at [[Plimoth Patuxet]], a [[living museum|living history museum]] which replicates the original Pilgrim settlement.{{sfnp|Baker|2015|p=1}}
== Marriage to Priscilla Mullins ==
[[File:Priscilla and John Alden (70453).jpg|thumb|right|A romanticized, early-20th-century depiction of John and Priscilla Alden's courtship|alt=A drawing of a couple in inaccurate, stereotypical "Pilgrim" costume. The man holds one of the woman's hands in both of his. A ship is on the horizon, presumably the ''Mayflower''.]]
The exact date of John Alden's marriage to Priscilla Mullins was not noted in colonial records. According to the Pilgrim Society, it was likely in 1622 as Priscilla Mullins is not listed separately in the 1623 Division of Land.{{sfnp|Goodwin|1920|p=566}} It was either the second or third marriage to take place in the colony.{{sfnp|Goodwin|1920|p=247}}
The marriage of the two young colonists has been widely depicted in art and literature primarily due to the extraordinary popularity of [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]]'s narrative poem ''[[The Courtship of Miles Standish]],'' published in 1858. The fictionalized story tells of a [[love triangle]] involving John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and [[Myles Standish]] (the captain of the colony's [[Militia (United States)|militia]]). In the story, Standish is too timid to express his feelings to Priscilla Mullins and therefore asks Alden to speak for him. Alden's words of courtship on Standish's behalf prompt Mullins to offer an often-quoted quip, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?" The book sold 10,000 copies in London in a single day.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=354}} In the United States, the story brought the Pilgrims to the forefront of American culture, contributing to the establishment of a national [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving holiday]] in 1863.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=354}} The book made John and Priscilla Alden celebrated figures in American popular culture.{{sfnp|Baker|2015|p=1}}
While some historians state that the courtship story is "loosely based"{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=354}} on Alden family [[oral history]], others dismiss it as complete fiction. A brief account of a rivalry between John Alden and Myles Standish for Priscilla's hand was first published in ''A Collection of American Epitaphs and Inscriptions'' by Timothy Alden in 1814.{{sfnp|Pilgrim Society, "John Alden"}} Longfellow, therefore, was not the originator of the story but he greatly embellished it. No part of the tale is supported by 17th century documentation.{{sfnp|Pilgrim Society, "John Alden"}} Historian John Goodwin pointed out several [[anachronism]]s and inconsistencies, asserting, there was no "reason for believing any part of it."{{sfnp|Goodwin|1920|p=566}}
== Service to Plymouth Colony ==
In 1626, the colony's financial backers in London, known as the Merchant Adventurers, disbanded. This left the colonists with no means of settling their significant debts to those who had funded the effort. Eight of the Plymouth colonists, including John Alden, agreed to collectively assume, or undertake, the debt in exchange for a monopoly on the [[fur trade]] from the colony.{{sfnp|Philbrick|2006|p=168}} These men who averted financial ruin for the colony became known as the "Undertakers". This agreement to grant the Undertakers a monopoly was signed by the 37 [[Freeman (Colonial)|freemen]] of Plymouth Colony.{{sfnp|Stratton|1986|p=37}} The fact that Alden was among the Undertakers is indicative of his growing stature in the colony.{{sfnp|Turner|2020|p=181}}
Alden was elected Governor's Assistant (one of a small council of advisors to the Governor) in 1632 and was regularly reelected to that office until 1640 and then again from 1650 to 1686, because he was deputy from Duxbury from 1641 to 1642, and from 1645 to 1649, and a member of Captain [[Miles Standish]]'s militia company from 1643.<ref name="BDA1906p70"/> He also served as Deputy Governor on two occasions in the absence of the Governor in 1665 and 1677. The colonists elected him Treasurer annually from 1656 to 1658. Alden served on the colony's Council of War, an important committee to decide on matters pertaining to the defense of the colony, in 1642, 1643, 1646, 1653, 1658 and 1667. The [[Plymouth General Court]] appointed Alden to a number of important committees including the Committee to Revise Laws, the Committee on the Kennebec Trade, and a number of additional minor posts.{{sfnp|American Ancestors, "John Alden"}} He then served for several years as magistrate.<ref name="BDA1906p71"/>
Plymouth Colony held a patent entitling them to a monopoly on the fur trade at the [[Kennebec River]] in what would later become [[Maine]]. In 1634, a man named John Hocking from Piscataqua Plantation in [[New Hampshire]] interloped in the trade provoking a confrontation between him and traders from Plymouth Colony at Kennebec. Hocking shot a Plymouth colonist named Moses Talbot and, in turn, a Plymouth man shot Hocking. When the Plymouth traders arrived by boat at [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], authorities there decided to imprison John Alden who was aboard the Plymouth vessel, even though he had not been present during the violence. It was only through the intervention of William Bradford that Alden was eventually released.{{sfnp|Pilgrim Society, "John Alden, 17th Century Documents"|p=4}}
== Settlement of Duxbury ==
{{main article|John and Priscilla Alden Family Sites}}
[[File:John Alden House in Duxbury, Massachusetts.jpg|thumb|right|Alden House Historic Site, likely built by John and Priscilla's son Jonathan Alden, c. 1700|alt=A modern photograph of an old, unadorned two story house clad in weathered shingles]]
In January 1628, the land along [[Plymouth Bay]] was divided up into farm lots with each individual receiving 20 acres plus an additional 20 acres for each family member. John and Priscilla Alden, who had three children at that time, received 100 acres along the [[Bluefish River (Massachusetts)|Bluefish River]] in the area known as [[Duxbury, Massachusetts|Duxbury]] (sometimes spelled Duxburough or Duxborrow at that time). Grants were drawn by lot, so the ___location of Alden's farm was not his selection. By chance, as historian Dorothy Wentworth observed, the ___location was ideal as it included upland that had been partially cleared by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], woodland, and [[salt marsh]]es (a good source of hay).{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=4}} Alden built their first small house in 1628. As they were required to travel to Plymouth every Sunday for Sabbath services (10 miles away), they lived seasonally on their Duxbury farm for the first few years, staying in Plymouth during the winter to avoid long travels in harsh weather.{{sfnp|Baker|2015|p=2}} The site was professionally excavated by Roland Wells Robbins in 1960, unearthing many artifacts including a [[halberd]] blade which is now exhibited at [[Pilgrim Hall Museum]] in Plymouth. The site is now part of the Duxbury school campus and is located next to a playing field. The footprint of the house is evident as a depression in the ground and is marked by a boulder, plaque, and other interpretive signage.{{sfnp|McCarthy|2007|p=15}}
[[File:John Alden House historic marker.jpg|thumb|right|The historic marker at John Alden House]]
In 1632, Alden was one of several men who petitioned the colony to have Duxbury set off as a separate church congregation with their own minister. This would allow those with Duxbury grants to reside on their farms year-round. William Bradford and other colonial officials were reluctant to break apart the "mother" church congregation in Plymouth but nonetheless gave permission. Duxbury was incorporated as a separate town in 1637.{{sfnp|Winsor|1849|p=171}} John Alden became one of the leading men of the new town of Duxbury and a key figure in the colony.{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=17}} He served as Deputy from Duxbury to the General Court for most of the 1640s.{{sfnp|American Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
Local historians of the 19th and 20th centuries asserted that a later Alden house in Duxbury was the second home of John and Priscilla Alden and was constructed in 1653. As local historian Dorothy Wentworth wrote, the tradition "has been accepted for so long that there seems no point in doubting it."{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=17}} This house is now owned by the Alden Kindred of America and maintained as a museum known as the Alden House Historic Site. Long-standing assumptions about the house turned out to be incorrect as [[Dendrochronological]] and architectural analysis conducted in 2003 suggest that the house was likely built about 1700 and therefore was not the home of John and Priscilla Alden. It was likely built by one of their children (possibly [[Jonathan Alden Sr.|Jonathan Alden]]) or grandchildren.{{sfnp|McCarthy|2007|pp=8-9}}
The Alden's first Duxbury home site and the Alden House Historic Site were together granted [[National Historic Landmark]] status in 2008.{{sfnp|''Patriot Ledger'', October 29|2008}}
== Family ==
[[File:Priscilla and John Alden (71565).jpg|thumb|right|Early-20th-century depiction of Priscilla and John Alden]]
John and Priscilla Alden had ten children:
#[[Elizabeth Pabodie|Elizabeth]] was born in 1623 in Plymouth and died in [[Little Compton, Rhode Island]], on May 31, 1717. She married William Pabodie on December 26, 1644 in Duxbury and had thirteen children. Her grave and that of her husband are in the Old Commons Cemetery in Little Compton.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
#[[John Alden (sailor)|John Jr.]] was born about 1626 in Plymouth and died in Boston on March 14, 1701/2. He married Elizabeth (Phillips) Everill on April 1, 1660, and had fourteen children.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}} He became a prosperous maritime merchant. He also played a controversial role in dealings with Native Americans in [[New Brunswick, Canada|New Brunswick]] and [[Nova Scotia, Canada|Nova Scotia]] during [[King William's War]].{{sfnp|Breen|2000|p=235}} In 1692, he was accused of being a witch during the [[Salem witch trials]] and jailed, though he later escaped and fled to Duxbury.{{sfnp|Hill|2000|p=71}}
#Joseph was born about 1628 and died in [[Bridgewater, Massachusetts]] on February 8, 1696/7. He married Mary Simmons about 1660 and had seven children.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
#Priscilla was born about 1630. Little is known about her life except for a record which indicates she was alive and unmarried in 1688.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
#[[Jonathan Alden Sr.|Jonathan]] was born about 1632 and died in Duxbury on February 14, 1697. He married Abigail Hallett on December 10, 1672, and had six children. Jonathan was buried in the [[Myles Standish Burial Ground|Old Burying Ground]] in Duxbury. He was captain of the Plymouth Colony militia and documentation indicates that at his burial, the militia company attended in formation. During his burial, Rev. [[Ichabod Wiswall]] of Duxbury delivered a sermon. It is the first known instance of a sermon being delivered at a Plymouth Colony burial indicated changing religious customs. Prior to this, burials were simple affairs without religious ritual.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=30}}
#Sarah was born about 1634 and died before the settlement of her father's estate in 1688. She married Alexander Standish, son of Myles Standish, about 1660 and had eight children.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
#Ruth was born about 1636 and died in [[Braintree, Massachusetts]] on October 12, 1674. She married John Bass in Braintree on February 3, 1658, and had seven children.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}} Among her children was Hannah Bass, paternal grandmother of future United States President [[John Adams]].{{sfnp|Nagel|2002|p=297}}
#Mary was born about 1638. She was alive and unmarried in 1688.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
#Rebecca was born about 1640. She married Thomas Delano in 1677 and had nine children. She died between June 12, 1696 and October 5, 1722.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}} She is buried in Old Burying Ground in Duxbury.
#David was born about 1642 and died in Duxbury between July 2, 1718, and April 1, 1719. He married Mary Southworth by 1674 and had six children.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}
== Final days and legacy ==
[[File:John Alden and Priscilla Alden grave in Miles Standish Burial Ground in Duxbury MA.JPG|thumb|right|Commemorative headstones placed in 1930 to honor John and Priscilla Alden|alt=Two gravestones partly covered with moss and a small sign which reads "John Alden Burial Place"]]
John Alden was the last survivor of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=20}} He died in Duxbury on September 12, 1687.{{sfnp|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}<ref name="BDA1906p71"/> Both he and his wife Priscilla were buried in the Old Burying Ground in South Duxbury.{{sfnp|Wentworth|1980|p=23}} The precise ___location of their graves is not known as markers either were not placed or have crumbled away. In 1930, the Alden Kindred of America placed commemorative slate stones at the estimated ___location of their graves near the headstone of their son, Capt. Jonathan Alden.{{sfnp|''New England Today'', October 8|2019}}
Several artifacts attributed to John Alden are exhibited at major museums. These include the halberd blade discovered in the 1960 archaeological dig at the Alden first house site in Duxbury, the Alden family bible, and a mortar and pestle attributed to John and Priscilla Alden, all of which are displayed at Pilgrim Hall Museum.{{sfnp|Pilgrim Society, "Arms and Armor"}}{{sfnp|Pilgrim Society, "Religion}} A [[wheel-lock]] [[carbine]] attributed to John Alden is housed at the [[National Firearms Museum]]. Of early-17th-century Italian make, the carbine was found in the Alden House during a 1924 restoration.{{sfnp|NRA Museums}}
The Alden Kindred of America, initially a society composed strictly of Alden descendants, was established in 1906. It is now an incorporated non-profit organization welcoming both Alden descendants and non-descendants to its membership. The organization manages the Alden House Historic Site in Duxbury, Massachusetts.{{sfnp|Alden Kindred}}
According to the Alden Kindred of America, John Alden had more than one million living descendants as of 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Sydney |title=It's all relative to the 1 million strong Alden clan |url=https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2008/11/27/it-s-all-relative-to/40195684007/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=The Patriot Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References ==
;Citations
{{Reflist|3|refs=
<ref name="BDA1906p70">{{harvnb|Johnson|1906|p=70}}</ref>
<ref name="BDA1906p71">{{harvnb|Johnson|1906|p=71}}</ref>
}}
;Sources
{{refbegin|60em}}
*{{Cite web|title=About|publisher=Alden Kindred of America|access-date=May 26, 2020|url=http://alden.org/index.cfm?p=about|ref={{harvid|Alden Kindred}}|archive-date=February 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221025216/http://alden.org/index.cfm?p=about|url-status=dead}}
*{{Cite web|title=John Alden|publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society|via=americanancestors.org|url=http://mayflower.americanancestors.org/john-alden-biography|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|American Ancestors, "John Alden"}}}}
* {{cite web|title=A Short History of the Alden Property|last=Baker|first=James W.|year=2015|publisher=Alden Kindred of America|url=http://alden.org/content/aldenhistory1.pdf|access-date=May 26, 2020}}
* {{cite book |title=The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers: Who Came to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620, the Fortune in 1621, and the Anne and the Little James In 1623 |last=Banks |first=Charles Edward |year=1962 |orig-year=1929 |place=Baltimore |publisher=Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co. |isbn=978-0-8063-0017-7 |oclc=2058367 |url=http://archive.org/details/englishancestryh00bank/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book |last=Breen |first=Louise |title=Transgressing the Bounds: Subversive Enterprises Among the Puritan Elite in Massachusetts, 1630-1692 |year=2000 |place=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195138009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAUUzIOwutwC }}
*{{cite book |title=The Pilgrim Republic: An Historical Review of the Colony of New Plymouth |last=Goodwin |first=John A. |year=1920 |orig-year=1879 |place=Boston |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co |oclc=316126717 |url=http://archive.org/details/pilgrimrepublic01goodgoog }}
*{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Frances |title=The Salem witch trials reader |year=2000 |place=Cambridge, Massachusetts |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=9780306809460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1_E3VD4kuTgC }}
*{{Cite web|title=John Alden|publisher=Historical Marker Database|url=http://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=107378|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|Historical Marker Database}}|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018232814/https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=107378|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite news | last =Horrocks | first =Alyson | title =America's Oldest Cemetery: Miles Standish Cemetery in Duxbury, MA | newspaper =New England Today | ___location =Dublin, NH | publisher =Yankee Publishing, Inc. | date =October 8, 2019 | url =http://newengland.com/today/travel/massachusetts/duxbury/ | access-date =May 23, 2020 | ref ={{harvid|''New England Today'', October 8|2019}} }}
*{{Cite web|title=The Mayflower Compact|via=Library of Congress|url=http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/99471902/|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|Library of Congress}}}}
*{{Cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Tom|title=John and Priscilla Alden Family Sites, National Historic Landmark Nomination Form|publisher=National Park Service|year=2007|url=http://home1.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/ma/JohnandPriscillaAldenFamilySites.pdf|access-date=May 26, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220160254/https://home1.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/ma/JohnandPriscillaAldenFamilySites.pdf|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite book |title=The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters |last=Nagel |first=Paul C. |author-link=Paul C. Nagel |year=2002 |place=Cambridge, Massachusetts |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=9780674004108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lh48WrJPWVsC }}
*{{Cite web|via=NRA Museums|title=Mayflower Wheelock Carbine|publisher=National Firearms Museum|url=http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/ancient-firearms/case-12-the-mayflower-gun/mayflower-wheellock-carbine.aspx|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|NRA Museums}}}}
*{{cite book |title=Mayflower: A Story of Community, Courage and War |last=Philbrick |first=Nathaniel |author-link=Nathaniel Philbrick |year=2006 |place=New York |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=9780143111979 |url=http://archive.org/details/mayflower00nath |access-date=May 26, 2020 }}
*{{Cite web|title=Arms and Armor|publisher=Pilgrim Society|access-date=May 26, 2020|url=http://pilgrimhall.org/ce_arms_armor.htm|ref={{harvid|Pilgrim Society, "Arms and Armor"}}}}
*{{Cite web |title=John Alden |publisher=Pilgrim Society |url=http://pilgrimhall.org/john_alden.htm |access-date=May 26, 2020 |ref={{harvid|Pilgrim Society, "John Alden"}} }}
*{{Cite web|title=Religion|publisher=Pilgrim Society|url=http://pilgrimhall.org/ap_religion.htm|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|Pilgrim Society, "Religion}}}}
*{{Cite web|title=John Alden, 17th Century Documents|publisher=Pilgrim Society|url=http://pilgrimhall.org/pdf/John_Alden_17th_Century_Documents.pdf|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|Pilgrim Society, "John Alden, 17th Century Documents"}}}}
*{{Cite web|title=A Genealogical Profile of John Alden|publisher=Plimoth Plantation and the New England Historic Genealogical Society|via=Plymouth Ancestors|url=http://www.plimoth.org/sites/default/files/media/pdf/alden_john.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905063347/http://www.plimoth.org/sites/default/files/media/pdf/alden_john.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2020|ref={{harvid|Plymouth Ancestors, "John Alden"}}}}
* {{cite book |title=Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620–1691 |last=Stratton |first=Eugene A. |year=1986 |place=Salt Lake City |publisher=Ancestry Incorporated |isbn=0-916489-13-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=17zCU76ZtH0C }}
*{{cite news | last =Schwartz | first =Sydney | title =Alden home in Duxbury named national landmark | newspaper =Patriot Ledger | ___location =Quincy, MA | publisher =Gannett Co., Inc. | date =October 29, 2008 | url =http://www.patriotledger.com/x221225576/Alden-home-in-Duxbury-named-national-landmark | access-date =May 23, 2020 | ref ={{harvid|''Patriot Ledger'', October 29|2008}} }}
* {{cite book |title=They Knew They Were Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty |last=Turner |first=John G. |year=2020 |place=New Haven |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300225501 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UVLaDwAAQBAJ }}
*{{cite book |title=The Alden Family in the Alden House |last=Wentworth |first=Dorothy |year=2000 |orig-year=1980 |place=Duxbury, Massachusetts |publisher=Duxbury Rural and Historical Society |isbn=0941859061 |ref={{harvid|Wentworth|1980}}}}
*{{cite journal | last =Williams| first = Alicia Crane | title =John Alden: Theories on English Ancestry| journal = The Mayflower Descendant| volume = 39| pages =111–122 | publisher = Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants| ___location =Boston | date =1989 | oclc=40438896 }}
*{{cite book |title=Saints and Strangers; Being the Lives of the Pilgrim Fathers & their Families, etc. |last=Willison |first=George Findlay |year=1945 |place=New York |publisher=Reynal & Hitchcock |oclc=1087890875 |url=https://archive.org/details/saintsstrangersb00will |url-access=registration }}
*{{cite book |title=History of the Town of Duxbury |last=Winsor |first=Justin |author-link=Justin Winsor |year=1849 |place=Boston |publisher=Crosby & Nichols |oclc=32063251 |url=http://archive.org/details/historyoftownofd00wins_0 }}
'''Attribution:'''
* {{BDA1906 |wstitle= Alden, John |volume= 1 |pages=70-71 |short= }}
{{Refend}}
== External links ==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Alden, John}}
*[http://mayflowerhistory.com/sources-john-alden John Alden] at MayflowerHistory.com page with vital facts and references.
*[http://www.alden.org Alden House Historic Site & Alden Kindred of America]
{{Mayflower passengers and related topics}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Politics|England|United States}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alden, John}}
[[Category:1590s births]]
[[Category:1687 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:17th-century English politicians]]
[[Category:Burials at Myles Standish Burial Ground]]
[[Category:17th-century American people]]
[[Category:Mayflower passengers]]
[[Category:People from Duxbury, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:English emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies]]
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