Mayflower Families: Edward Doty

2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony. Commemorative publications, programs, and tours are planned in the US, the UK, and the Netherlands by various organizations, including the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Plymouth 400, Inc.

In preparation for the festivities, we will be blogging about our resources for different Mayflower families throughout the year. This week we’ll explore the descendants of Plymouth Colony’s resident troublemaker, Edward Doty!

Edward Doty is believed to have been born sometime between 1597-1602. He married Faith Clarke on 06 January 1635 in Plymouth. Edward died on 23 August 1655.

Doty arrived at Plymouth as a servant to Stephen Hopkins. He was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. Edward participated in Plymouth Colony’s first duel against fellow Hopkins servant Edward Leister in June 1621. His name appears in several court records for disagreements with his neighbors. 

The first generation of Edward Doty descendants:

1. Edward, born ca. 1636 in Plymouth, married Sarah Faunce on 25 February 1662 in Plymouth.
2. John, born ca. 1638 in Plymouth, married Elizabeth Cooke ca. 1668 in Plymouth, married Sarah Jones on 22 November 1694 in Plymouth.
3. Thomas, born ca. 1640 in Plymouth, married Mary Churchill ca. 1675 in Plymouth.
4. Samuel, born ca. 1642 in Plymouth, married Jeane Harman on 13 November 1678, in Piscataway, New Jersey.
5. Desire, born ca. 1645 in Plymouth, married William Sherman on 25 December 1667 in Marshfield, married Israel Holmes on 24 November 1681 in Marshfield, married Alexander Standish ca. 1689.
6. Elizabeth, born ca. 1646 in Plymouth, married John Rowse on 13 January 1674 in Marshfield, married William Carver on 28 January 1718 in Marshfield. 
7. Isaac, born 08 February 1648 in Plymouth, married Elizabeth England ca. 1673 
8. Joseph, b. 30 April 1651 in Plymouth, married Deborah Ellis ca. 1674, married Sarah (Woodin) Edwards on 05 March 1711 in Rochester. 
9. Mary, born ca. 1653 in Plymouth, married Samuel Hatch on 10 July 1677

Want to learn more about Edward Doty’s descendants? Stop by the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center and browse through volume 11 of Mayflower Families through five generations (SC 929.2 May).

• Hill, Peter B. Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed at Plymouth, Mass. December 1620, Volume 11, Parts 1 and 2: Edward Doty. Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1996.

Weblinks:

• American Ancestors, Edward Doty biography
• Caleb Johnson’s Mayflower History
• Pilgrim Edward Doty Society
• Pilgrim Hall Museum, Beyond the Pilgrim Story
• Plimoth Plantation, genealogical profile of Edward Doty
• Find A Grave memorial: Edward Doty, Sr.

(posted by Cristina)