William Pabodie (1620-1707)

Vital Statistics

 * 1644-Dec-26 : Marriage to William Pabodie (1620-1707) (Peabody) in Duxbury, MA
 * 1707-Dec-3 : Death at Little Compton, Newport, RI.

Elizabeth married William Pabodie on 26 Dec 1644 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., MA. William was born about 1620 in probably England. He died on 13 Dec 1707 in Little Compton, Newport Co., RI. He was buried in Old Commons Cemetery, Little Compton, Newport Co., RI.

Biography
William and Elizabeth settled in Duxburough (later Duxbury, Massachusetts), close to other Mayflower families, including the Brewsters and Standishes. William served as town clerk there, succeeding Alexander Standish, and held other jobs at various times as well, including yeoman, boatman, planter, and surveyor. When he became Duxbury town clerk, the town records having been destroyed in a fire, he very carefully recorded his own marriage and the births and marriages of his thirteen children. Interestingly, one of the thirteen, Priscilla, died at only three months old and the next girl child was given the same name.

William was one of the original purchasers in 1673 of portions of "Saconett," lands that would become Little Compton, and he also, along with Constant Southworth, performed the surveying work behind the purchases.

Around 1684 William and Elizabeth moved to Little Compton (then still part of Plymouth Colony), and several of their children and grandchildren followed and established their own families there. William traded on his employment experience in Duxbury to become Little Compton's first town clerk, a position that he held well into his old age. He also served as a school teacher. Around 1690, William and Elizabeth built a home on West Main Road. Much changed and expanded, it's now known as the Peabody-Wilbour Farm. (The "Wilbour" was Isaac C. Wilbour, who lived there in the 1890s, and the appearance of the house today reflects the tastes of his day. It originally was a simple two-story building consisting of four rooms).

William died on December 13, 1707, and Elizabeth followed him ten years later, on May 31, 1717, at the ripe age of ninety-three or ninety-four. Her obituary in the Boston Newsletter said in part, "She was exemplary, virtuous and pious, and her memory is blessed. She left a numerous posterity. Her granddaughter Bradford is a grandmother." In fact, it's estimated that at the time of her death she had eighty-two grandchildren and 556 great-grandchildren!

Children of William Pabodie and Elizabeth Alden
All thirteen of their children were born in Duxbury before Elizabeth eventually moved to Little Compton, Rhode Island in the 1680s. Interestingly, one of the thirteen, Priscilla, died at only three months old and the next girl child was given the same name. They had the following children (13):

He died on 17 Nov 1669 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., MA. No known marriage or descendants? She died on 2 Mar 1652/1653 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., MA. Died as infant, age 3 months.
 * 1) John Pabodie (1645-1669) (M) was born on 4 Oct 1645 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., MA.
 * 2) Elizabeth Pabodie (F)
 * 3) Mary Pabodie (F)
 * 4) Mercy Pabodie (F)
 * 5) Martha Pabodie (F)
 * 6) Priscilla Pabodie (1652-1653)(F) was born on 16 Nov 1652 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., MA.
 * 7) Priscilla Pabodie (F)
 * 8) Sarah Pabodie (F)
 * 9) Ruth Pabodie (F)
 * 10) Rebecca Pabodie (F)
 * 11) Hannah Pabodie (F)
 * 12) William Pabodie (M)
 * 13) Lydia Pabodie (F)

Famous Descendants

 * Henrys Wadsworth Longfellow - who wrote a poem about Elizabeth parents in the The Courtship of Miles Standish