Alice Carpenter and her sisters (Agnes, Juliana, Mary and
Priscilla) were part of the Leiden Separatist community. Alice married Edward
Southworth; they had two sons, Constant and Thomas.
After Edward Southworth died, Alice Carpenter Southworth sailed to Plymouth on
the Anne in 1623. Shortly after her arrival, she married Plymouth Governor
William Bradford. The marriage of William Bradford and Alice Carpenter
Southworth was noted in a letter written by Emmanuel Altham to his brother Sir Edward
Altham in September, 1623 :
"Upon the occasion of the Governor's marriage, since I came, Massasoit was sent for
to the wedding, where came with him his wife, the queen, although he hath five wives. With
him came four other kings and about six score men with their bows and arrows - where, when
they came to our town, we saluted them with the shooting off of many muskets and training
our men. And so all the bows and arrows was brought into the Governor's house, and he
brought the Governor three or four bucks and a turkey. And so we had very good pastime in
seeing them dance, which is in such manner, with such a noise that you would wonder...
"And now to say somewhat of the great cheer we had at the Governor's marriage. We had
about twelve pasty venisons, besides others, pieces of roasted venison and other such good
cheer in such quantity that I could wish you some of our share. For here we have the best
grapes that ever you say - and the biggest, and divers sorts of plums and nuts which our
business will not suffer us to look for."
Sidney V. James, Jr., editor, Three Visitors to Early Plymouth
(Plymouth, Mass. : Plimoth Plantation, 1963), p. 29-30.
Constant and Thomas Southworth came to Plymouth sometime after
1627, they probably lived with their mother and stepfather. Alice and William
Bradford had three children : William, Mercy and Joseph. William Bradford died in
1657, Alice died in 1670. Her death was noted in the Records of Plymouth
Colony :
"On the 26th day of March, 1670, Mistris Allice Bradford, Seni'r, changed this life
for the better, haueing attained to fourscore years of age, or therabouts. Shee was a
godly matron, and much loued while shee liued, and lamented, tho aged, when shee died, and
was honorabley enterred on the 29th day of the month aforsaid, att New Plymouth."
Before her death, Alice Carpenter Southworth Bradford wrote a will. Click HERE for that will as well as for the
inventory of her estate at the time of her death. |
