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Richard Warren was born circa 1578 in Hertford, England, United Kingdom and died 20 October 1628 Nomen nescio of unspecified causes. He married Elizabeth Walker (1583-1673) 14 April 1610 in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.

Passenger on the Mayflower and settled in Plymouth Colony. He was among ten passengers of the Mayflower landing party with Myles Standish at Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. Warren co-signed the Mayflower Compact and was one of nineteen (among forty-one) signers who survived the first winter.

Although most sources agree that his wife's name was Elizabeth, there is some dispute as to what her maiden surname was. One reference indicates her maiden name was Elizabeth Walker, and that she was baptised 1583 in Baldock, Hertfordshire, England, died October 2, 1673. She and his first five children, all daughters, came to America in the ship Anne in 1623. Once in America, they then had two sons before Richard's untimely death in 1628.


Vital Statistics

Biography

Clearly a man of rank, Warren was accorded by Governor William Bradford the prefix "Mr.", pronounced Master, used in those times to distinguish someone because of birth or achievement. From his widow's subsequent land transactions, we can assume that he was among the wealthier of the original Plymouth Settlers." And yet, Bradford did not mention him in his History of the Plimouth Plantation except in the List of Passengers.

Voyage of the Mayflower

Mayflower2016

Mayflower at Provincetown Harbor

The Mayflower, originating from London with a group of Adventurers bound for the New World rendezvoused on 22 July with the Speedwell just arriving from Holland with a group of religious refugees from Leiden. Originally intended to sail jointly to the English Colony in Virginia it soon became evident that Speedwell was not seaworthy. Passengers and cargo were combined onto Mayflower (with many left behind) for the journey, finally departing on September 9.

During the voyage fierce storms blew the ship off course, arriving at Cape Cod on the Eastern Massachusetts coastline on November 9th. For two days they attempted to sail south to Virginia but exhausting supplies and fierce storms caused them to abort this effort and drop anchor at what is now Provincetown Harbor. On November 11th, the group decided to settle here and start their own colony. They wrote a governmental contract called the Mayflower Compact, Richard was the 12th of the 41 signers on this document.

Mayflower compact 2016

Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris 1899

About the middle of December 1620, the ship moved and dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor. All the while the pilgrims were conducting several exploring missions of the area and negotiations with the local natives. Almost half of the passengers died, suffering from an outbreak of a contagious disease described as a mixture of scurvy, pneumonia and tuberculosis. In the spring, they built huts ashore, and on March 21, 1621, the surviving passengers disembarked from the Mayflower into their new settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts.


Plymouth Colony Affairs

In Mourt's Relation, published in 1622, we learn that Warren was chosen, when the Mayflower stopped at Cape Cod before reaching Plymouth, to be a member of the exploring party among 10 passengers (and 8 crew), and he was described as being "of London" among 3 men. Charles Edward Banks, in Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers writes: "Richard Warren came from London and was called a merchand of that city (by Mourt) Extensive research in every available source of information -- registers, chancery, and probate, in the London courts, proved fruitless in an attempt to identify him."

He was not of the Leiden, Holland, Pilgrims, but joined them in Southampton, England to sail on the Mayflower.

Richard Warren received his acres in the Division of Land in 1623. In the 1627 Division of Lands and Cattle, in May of 1627, "RICHARD WARREN of the Mayflower" was given "one of the black heifers, 2 she-goats, and a grant of 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land" [2] at the Eel River (Plymouth, Massachusetts). The Warren house built in that year (1627) stood at the same location as the present house; it was re-built about 1700, at the head of Clifford Road, with its back to the sea, and later owned by Charles Strickland (in 1976).

Ancestry of Richard Warren

Warren's ancestry is unknown, despite some published sources suggesting that he was a descendant of royalty. There is also dispute over his wife's maiden surname, but in 2002, Edward Davies located the will of Augustine Walker, who seems likely to have been her father.

The will of Augustine Walker mentioned had stated the following....dated April 1613, he mentions "my daughter Elizabeth Warren wife of Richard Warren", and "her three children Mary, Ann and Sarah."

We know that the Mayflower passenger's first three children were named Mary, Ann, and Sarah (in that birth order).

http://mayflowerhistory.com/warren

Marriage & Family

Although most sources agree that his wife's name was Elizabeth, there is some dispute as to what her maiden surname was. One reference indicates her maiden name was Elizabeth Walker, and that she was baptised 1583 in Baldock, Hertfordshire, England, died October 2, 1673. She and his first five children, all daughters, came to America in the ship Anne in 1623. Once in America, they then had two sons before Richard's untimely death in 1628.

All of Richard Warren's children survived to adulthood, married, and also had large families. It is claimed that Warren has the largest posterity of any pilgrim, numbering 14 million, the Mayflower passenger with more descendants than any other passenger.


Children


Offspring of Richard Warren and Elizabeth Walker (1583-1673)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Mary Warren (1610-1683) 1610 Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England 27 March 1683 Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Robert Bartlett (1603-1688)
Anna Warren (1612-1675) 1612 Sussex Square, London, Middlesex, England 19 February 1675 Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Thomas Little (1608-1672)
Sarah Warren (c1613-1696) 1613 England 25 July 1696 Massachusetts John Cooke (1607-1695)
Elizabeth Warren (1616-1670) 17 January 1616 Reusel-de Mierden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands 9 March 1670 Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States Richard Church (1608-1668)
Abigail Warren (c1618-1693) 1618 St. Andrews, Enfield, Greater London, England, United Kingdom 3 January 1692 Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States Anthony Snow (1616-1692)
Nathaniel Warren (c1625-1667) January 1625 Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 21 October 1667 Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States Sarah Walker (1622-1700)
Joseph Warren (1627-1689) 1627 Plymouth Colony, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts 4 May 1689 Plymouth Colony, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Priscilla Faunce (1634-1707)


Richard Warren image

There is no known image of Richard Warren. Although internet family trees often portray an image of William Brewster, that has been renamed, then carelessly copied and re-copied amongst many family trees. In fact, that image was attached to this profile until removed.

Famous Descendants

Among his descendants are: Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, astronaut Alan Shepard, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, actor Richard Gere, actress Joanne Woodward, writers Henry David Thoreau and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lavinia Warren (the wife of "General Tom Thumb"), aviator Amelia Earhart, actor Orson Welles, United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, the Wright Brothers, Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, chef Julia Child, Irish President Erskine Hamilton Childers, inventor Lee DeForest, and many more.


Vital Records

Pilgrim Monument

Nmff1

National Monument to the Forefathers, commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims, (including this person) who came to Plymouth Colony in 1620 on the Mayflower. Dedicated on August 1, 1889, it is thought to be the world's largest solid granite monument. Located on an 11 acre hilltop site on Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1650 Bradford Journal

Record by William Bradford (1590-1657) - list of Mayflower passengers:

"Mr. Richard Warren, but his wife and children were left behind and came afterwards."


"Mr. Richard Warren lived some 4 or 5 years, and had his wife come over to him, by whom he had 2 sons before died; and one of them is married, and hath 2 children. So his increase is 4 but he had 5 daughters more come over with his wife, who are all married & living & have many children."

References







Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General
  • There is no record of Ricard Warren's place of birth.

He is said to be “of London” but may have been born in the Hertford area of England (where he was married), likely around 1585.

https://themayflowersociety.org/passenger-profile/passenger-profiles/the-warren-family/

Ω Birth
₪ Wedding

https://themayflowersociety.org/passenger-profile/passenger-profiles/the-warren-family/

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