Pilgrim Hall Museum - Beyond the Pilgrim Story

Henry was baptized on January 15/25, 1604 in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England.
He was the son of James and Martha Cooper Sampson. He came to Plymouth on the Mayflower as a 16-year-old with his adult cousins, Edward and Ann Tilley.

Edward Tilley's older brother John is documented as a member of the Leiden English Separatist congregation. There is some reason, therefore, for believing that Edward Tilley and his family, including their ward Henry, were also members of that congregation.

The Tilleys died in Plymouth the first winter. We do not know whose household Henry lived after his aunt and uncle died but, in the 1627 Division of Cattle, he is listed among the Brewster family members.
At the age of 32, he married (on February 16, 1636 at Plymouth) Ann Plummer. Their 9 children were Stephen, John, Elizabeth, James, Hannah, an unnamed daughter, Mary, Dorcas and Caleb.
Henry was a farmer with land in Duxbury. He served on a large number of juries in the 1640s, 50s and 60s, which allowed him to interact with some of Plymouth Colony's leading citizens. He also served on several committees charged with verifying land boundaries.

Henry died January 3, 1685 at Duxbury having almost reached the age of 81. His wife, Ann, predeceased him.

Click here for Henry Sampson's will and inventory.