Staggs Family History

BIRTH: 15 JAN 1604, Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
DEATH:  24 DEC 1684, Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
FATHER: James Sampson
MOTHER: Martha Cooper
SPOUSE: Ann Plummer (1615-1684)

Henry Samson was born on January 15, 1604, in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, the son of Martha and James. He married Ann Plummer on February 6, 1635. They had nine children in 28 years. He died on December 24, 1684, in Duxbury, Massachusetts, having lived a long life of 80 years, and was buried in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

His story

Born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, and baptized on 15 January 1604, Henry Samson was a boy of just sixteen when he boarded the Mayflower in 1620. He traveled not with his parents, but under the care of his aunt and uncle, Ann (Cooper) Tilley and Edward Tilley, alongside his cousin Humility Cooper. The voyage was perilous, and the first winter in Plymouth proved deadly—both Edward and Ann perished, leaving Henry and Humility orphaned in a harsh and unfamiliar land.

Henry survived, likely taken in by other families such as the Brewsters, with whom he appears in the 1627 cattle division. He received one acre in the 1623 land division, a modest but meaningful sign of his place in the colony.

In 1635, Henry married Ann Plummer, and together they raised a large family in Duxbury, including Elizabeth Samson (1638–1711), who married Robert Sprout, and Stephen, James, John, Hannah, Caleb, Dorcas, and Mary.

Henry’s life was marked by quiet civic service. He served on grand juries, worked as a constable, tax collector, surveyor, and juror, and even volunteered in the Pequot War, demonstrating his commitment to the colony’s defense. Though he signed documents with a mark, his estate inventory included a library valued at £4 10s, suggesting intellectual engagement and a measure of prosperity.

He died on 24 December 1684 in Duxbury, aged 80, and was buried in Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth. His name is memorialized on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb, a quiet tribute to a man who endured hardship, built a family, and helped shape the foundations of New England.

Henry Samson’s story is one of resilience and contribution. Though not a leader or signer of the Mayflower Compact, his life reflects the strength of those who survived and served. His descendants, including daughter Elizabeth and granddaughter Mercy Sprout, carried forward his legacy into the fabric of American history.

Legacy of Henry Samson

Parents

Father: James Sampson

Mother: Martha Cooper

Married

Married Ann Plummer (1615-1684) on February 6, 1635, in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Children

• Elizabeth Samson, born probably at Duxbury, circa 1638; died after 23 November 1711; married circa 1661, Robert Sprout and had eight children: Mercy, Elizabeth, Mary, Robert, Anna, James, Ebenezer and Hannah Sprout.
• Hannah Samson, born probably at Duxbury, circa 1642; died after 23 January 1681 and probably the Hanna Holmes who died at Pembroke 9 January 1715; married at Duxbury, 20 March 1665/66, Josiah Holmes and had six children: Hannah, Dorcas, Josiah, Mary, John and William Holmes.
• Daughter, born between 1636 and 1656, name unknown; married John Hanmore and had one child: John Hanmore.
• John Samson, born at Duxbury, date unknown; died between 27 May 1702 and 10 January 1715/16. Married Sarah Pease (1641-1737)
• Mary Samson, born at Duxbury, date unknown; died before 1686; married before 24 December 1684, John Summers/Somers and had no children.
• Dorcas Samson, born at Duxbury, before 1660; died before 29 July 1695; married before 24 December 1684, Thomas Bonney and had three children: Ebenezer, Elizabeth and Mercy Bonney.
• James Samson, born at Duxbury, date unknown; died at Dartmouth, between 10 January 1715/16 and 7 July 1718; married before 21 May 1679, Hannah ( ) Wait and had eight children: James, Henry, Joseph, Anna, Penelope, Susannah and Priscilla Samson.
• Stephen Samson, born date unknown; died before 31 January 1714/15; married before 1686, Elizabeth ( ) and had eight children: Benjamin, John, Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, Dorcas and Abigail Samson.
• Caleb Samson, born at Duxbury, probably circa 1658; died between 9 July 1744 and 3 March 1747; married 1) before 1686, Mercy³ Standish (Alexander², Myles¹) and had nine children: David, Lora, Rachel, Priscilla, Caleb, Joshua, Ruth, Jerusha and Sarah Samson. Caleb married 2) at Duxbury, 30 January 1728/29, Rebecca (Bartlett)(Bradford) Stanford and had no children.

Documents

• Birth Records
  • England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975: Name: Henry Sampson; Gender: Male; Baptism Date: 15 Jan 1604; Baptism Place: Henlow,Bedford,England; Father: James Sampson; FHL Film Number: Q942.565 B4E V. 26
  • Find a Grave Birth Date: 15 Jan 1604
• Marriage records
  • U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900: Name: Henry Samson; Gender: Male; Birth Place: En; Spouse Name: Ann Plummer; Spouse Birth Year: 1620; Marriage Year: 1635; Marriage State: MA; Number Pages: 1
  • U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 > Name: Henry Sampson;
    Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 6 Feb 1635; Marriage Place: New England, USA; Death Year: 1684; Spouse: Ann Anne Sampson
  • Mayflower Marriages > Henry Samson and Ann Plummer. 6 Feb. 1635
  • Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume V > List of Mayflower Passengers > Henry Samson
• Death records
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 > Duxbury > Vital Record Transcripts > Name: Henry Sampson; Record Type: Death; Death Date: 24 Dec 1684; Death Place: Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Henry Samson, d. 24 Dec. 1684, Duxbury
  • Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume V > List of Mayflower Passengers > Henry Samson
  • Find a Grave Death Date: 24 Dec 1684
  • Burial: Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
• Other
  • Mayflower Passengers in December 1620 > Passengers with decedents
  • The Passengers of the Mayflower in 1620
  • U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s > Name: Henry Samson; Arrival Year: 1620; Arrival Place: Plymouth, Massachusetts; Primary Immigrant: Samson, Henry; Source Publication Code: 3515; Source Bibliography: JESSUP, EDMUND F. “Passengers on the Mayflower.” In The Mayflower Quarterly, vol. 50:4 (Nov. 1984), pp. 170-171.
  • Mayflower Increasings > Henry Samson
  • New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 > Henry Samson
  • North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 > The Sampson Family > First Generation
  • History and genealogy of the Mayflower planters and first comers to ye olde colonie > Vol. I. The Mayflower passengers and Planters > Henery Samson
  • History of the early settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts >
    Family register > Henry Samson
  • The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgram Fathers > Henry Sampson
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Children of Henry Samson and Ann Plummer
  • Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 > Henry Sampson
  • American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) > Name: Henry Samson; Birth Date: 1600-1609; Volume: 152; Page number: 373; Reference: A Recd. of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of A Commonwealth and the Founding of A Nation. Ed. By Ezra S. Stearns. New York, 1908. (4v.): 961

Relation of Henry Samson to Steven Barry Staggs: 11th great-grandfather

Page last updated November 30, 2025

Search the Staggs Family History site

Search