Staggs Family History

BIRTH: 30 AUG 1607, Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
DEATH: 21 DEC 1687, Swansea, Massachusetts, USA
FATHER: John Tilley (1571-1621)
MOTHER: Joan Hurst (1568-1621)
SPOUSE: John Howland (1602-1672)

When Elizabeth Tilley was born on August 30, 1607, in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, her father, John, was 35, and her mother, Joan, was 39. She married John Howland in 1623 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They had ten children in 24 years. She died on December 21, 1686, in Swansea, Massachusetts, having lived a long life of 80 years, and was buried in East Providence, Rhode Island.

Her story

Elizabeth Tilley was born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, and baptized on August 30, 1607. She was the daughter of John Tilley and Joan (Hurst) Tilley, both of whom were passengers aboard the Mayflower, the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620.

At the age of 13, Elizabeth sailed with her parents and uncle Edward Tilley to America. During the harsh first winter in Plymouth Colony, both her parents and uncle died, leaving her orphaned. She was likely taken in by the household of Governor John Carver, where John Howland, a fellow Mayflower passenger and Carver’s former servant, also resided.

Around 1624–1625, Elizabeth married John Howland, and together they had ten children: Desire, John, Hope, Elizabeth, Lydia, Hannah, Joseph, Jabez, Ruth, and Isaac. Their descendants became numerous and influential in New England, with millions of living descendants today.

Elizabeth lived through the formative years of Plymouth Colony, witnessing its growth from a fragile settlement to a stable community. She and John Howland eventually settled in Swansea, where she lived until her death on December 21, 1687, at the age of 80.

"It is my will and charge to all my Children that they walk in the
fear of the Lord and in Love and Peace toward each other."

Her will, written in 1686, confirms her age and names several of her children, providing valuable documentation for genealogists. Elizabeth Tilley is remembered as a resilient survivor of the Mayflower voyage and a founding matriarch of colonial America.

Legacy of Elizabeth Tilley

Parents

FATHER: John Tilley (1571-1621)

MOTHER: Joan Hurst (1568-1621)

Married

Married John Howland (1602-1672) 14 Aug 1623, at Plymouth

Children

• Desire Howland (1625-1683) married John Gorham Sr (1619-1676)
• John Howland (1627-1702) married Mary Lee (1632-1697)
• Hope Howland (1629-1684) married John Chipman (1621-1708)
• Elizabeth Howland (1631-1683) married Ephraim Hicks (1624-1691)
• Lydia Howland (1633-Aft. 1711) married James Brown (1623-1710)
• Hannah Howland (1637-1705) married Jonathan Bosworth (1636-1717)
• Joseph Howland (1640-1704) married Elizabeth Southworth (1642-1717)
• Jabez Howland (1644-1712) married Bethiah Thacher (1645-1725)
• Ruth Howland (1646-1679) married Thomas Cushman Jr (1637-1726)
• Isaac Howland (1649-1723) married Elisabeth Vaughan (1653-1727)

Documents

• Birth Records
  • England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 > Name: Elizabeth Tilly; Gender: Female; Baptism Date: 30 Aug 1607; Baptism Place: Henlow, Bedford, England; Father: John Tilly; Mother: Joan; FHL Film Number: Q942.565 B4E V. 26
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Elizabeth Tilley (dau of John), b. c1607
• Marriage records
  • U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 > Name: Elizabeth Howland; Maiden Name: Tilley; Gender: Female; Birth Year: 1607; Marriage Date: 14 Aug 1623; Marriage Place: New England, USA; Death Year: 1687; Spouse: John Howland
  • Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume IV > Howland Family > John Howland married 1623, Elizabeth Tilley
• Death records
  • Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume IV > Howland Family > Elizabeth Tilley, died 12 December 1687, in Swanzey, age 80, daughter of John Tilley, one of the Mayflower Pilgrams
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 > Name: Elizabeth Tilley; Record Type: Death; Death Date: 21 Dec 1687; Father: John Tilley; Spouse: John Howland
  • Maine, U.S., Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, 1780-1980 > Name: Elizabeth Tilley Howland; Age: 80; Birth Date: 1607; Death Date: 31 Dec 1687; Burial Date: 1687; Burial Place: Plymouth, Penobscot, Maine, USA
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Elizabeth Tilley, d. 21 Dec. 1687. Swansea
  • Find a Grave
  • Burial: Ancient Little Neck Cemetery, East Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA
• Other
  • The Great Migration Begins – John Howland > daughter of John Tilley
  • The women who came in the Mayflower, > Chapter III. Matrons and maidens who came in the Mayflower > pages 85-88 > Elizabeth Tilley
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Children of Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland
  • North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 > Children of Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland
  • Will of Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland
  • Founders and Patriots of America Index
  • History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters, Vol. II > Five Sister Ships of the Mayflower, 1620 > Howland
  • American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) > Name: Elizabeth Howland; Maiden Name: (Tilly); Gender: Female; Birth Date: 1607; Volume: 85; Page number: 292; Reference: Babcock Gen. By Steph. Babcock. New York, 1903. (30,640p.):40

Relation of Elizabeth Tilley to Steven Barry Staggs: 9th great-grandmother

Page last updated: November 24, 2025

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