March 28, 2025
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on Mayflower descendants, focusing on family lines from Pilgrims John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Today I continue with my series “Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who,” covering the families of Marshfield, Massachusetts, settlers who married into Mayflower lines.
The subjects of today’s story descend from William Pabodie/Peabody and Elizabeth Alden. Elizabeth was born around 1623 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony. She is the daughter of Pilgrims John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden.
Below is a monument for Elizabeth (Alden) Pabodie, erected in 1882 and located at Old Commons Burial Ground in Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island.
The panel on the north side reads:
Elizabeth Pabodie, daughter of the Plymouth Pilgrims John Alden & Priscilla Mullin[s]. The first white woman born in New England.
The south side has a simple dedication date:
Erected June 1882.
The east side contains an epitaph:
A bud from Plymouth’s Mayflower sprung,
Transplanted here to live and bloom,
Her memory ever sweet and young,
The centuries guard within this tomb.
The panel on the west side reads:
Here lyeth the body
Of Elisabeth, the wife
Of William Pabodie,
Who died May ye 31st,
1717, and in the 94th
Year of her age.
On 26 December 1644, Elizabeth married William Pabodie in Duxbury, son of John and Isabel Pabodie. They had 13 children.
Below is the grave marker for William Padodie that sits next to his wife’s monument.
William’s grave marker reads:
Here lyeth buried ye body of William Pabodie who departed this life December ye 13th 1707 in ye 88 yeare of his age.
To recap: In part two of this series I introduced the lineage of Sarah Gifford Little (1819-1925). She married 1st Elisha James Sherman (1813-1849), son of Aaron and Lydia (Mitchel) Sherman, a descendant of Mayflower passengers Myles Standish, John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and Edward Doty. His forebears also include Marshfield settlers William Sherman, Thomas Bourn, and Thomas Chillingsworth. View lineage in part one.
Elisha’s connection with William and Elizabeth (Alden) Pabodie is through their daughter Mercy, who married John Simmons. View lineage in part one.
Sarah Gifford Little was one of the seven children born to Edward Preble and Edy (Rogers) Little of Marshfield.
After Mr. Sherman’s death Sarah married 2nd Howard Yarnall, son of Enoch and Hannah (Howard) Yarnall, on 14 July 1853.
Sarah descends from Mayflower passengers Richard Warren, Elizabeth Walker, John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and Edward Doty. She also descends from Marshfield settler Thomas Little, who married Ann/Anna Warren, daughter of Richard Warren.
Sarah’s connection with William and Elizabeth (Alden) Pabodie is through their daughter Martha, who married William Fobes. View her lineage in part two.
Included in my last post was this photo of Sarah from her 104th birthday. I also posted her obituary, which noted her work with the underground railroad in the Philadelphia area. She was a staunch abolitionist and devout Quaker.
This photo of Sarah has a handwritten note.
This note reads:
Her father and brother – Amos. R. Little – had Mayflower numbers.
Her birth is listed in Marshfield Vital Records – page 225.
These records are in a book published by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sherman.
You can also view Sarah’s birth record along with her six siblings on Family Search.
This note mentions her brother Amos Rogers Little (1825-1906) and his membership number to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (that would be 1215).
Amos’ obituary published in the Philadelphia Inquirer features his photograph. He died on 6 December 1906 in Philadelphia.
Amos was director of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and when his sister Sarah died, she was likely the oldest stockholder. He was also a director for the firm Bailey, Banks, & Biddle, and the National Bank.
Amos was a successful merchant in the dry goods business. He began his career working for Little & Stokes, which later became Amos R. Little Company. In his later life he enjoyed traveling and had a home in Atlantic City and often spent winters in Florida.
Amos married Anna Peterson (1825-1908), daughter of Quaker George and Jane Burr (Evans) Peterson. The couple had no children. However, Anna’s brother Richard Peterson, who married Amos’ sister Almira Little, has numerous descendants. These descendants will be discussed in a future blog article.
Below are photos of Sarah Gifford Little’s parents taken in their later years: Edward Preble (1791-1875) and Edy (Rogers) Little (1789-1852).
Edward P. Little was an influential figure and highly esteemed citizen. He was a United States Congressman, elected to represent Massachusetts’ 2nd District in the United States House of Representatives. He also served as a Member of the Massachusetts State House of Representatives, and was the Collector of Customs for Plymouth.
I found this witty anecdote in the newspaper on Edward P. Little when he was about to take his position to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This article reads:
Hon. Edward P. Little, the successor of Orwin Fowler, in the present Congress, is the son of Commodore Little, who was distinguished in the American Navy some fifty years ago. He spent the early part of his life in the naval service. He is a Quaker, and marched up the aisle of the House of Representatives with his hat on, to present his credentials and take – not his oath – his affirmation.
The Friends’ attitude towards egalitarianism is often demonstrated by their refusal to practice “hat honor,” meaning they refuse to take their hats off or bow to anyone regardless of title or rank.
Edward had a life experience that overshadowed all his achievements. In 1800, when he was nine years old, he accompanied his father Commodore George Little (1754-1809) at sea, at the suggestion of President John Adams.
Also on board that voyage, serving as Capt. Little’s first lieutenant, was Edward Preble, Revolutionary War naval hero whom Edward Preble Little is named after.
Edward Preble (1761-1807) is the fifth child of Brigadier General Jedidiah Preble and his second wife, Mehitable Roberts (Bangs) Preble.
Stay tuned for a sea adventure story of the Pilgrim scions!
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Note on the header image: “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor,” by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Related Articles:
- Lancaster County Quaker Abolitionists & the Underground Railroad (part 1)
- Lancaster County Quaker Abolitionists & the Underground Railroad (part 2)
- For St. Patrick’s Day: Honoring Capt. Jeremiah O’Brien
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 42 (part 1)
- Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who, Part 42 (part 2)
