Chilton's Children Family Association was formed in 2003
to perpetuate the memory of James Chilton.
James Chilton was born in England about 1556 and lived in Canterbury. He was the son of Lyonell Chylton and his first wife whose name is unknown. Lyonell's second wife, Isabell Furner, had two children, Thomas and Susanna Furner. Listed as a freeman of Canterbury in 1583, James Chilton was a tailor. He married before 1587 and his first seven children were born in Canterbury. The last three were born in Sandwich where the family had moved about 1600. Here, James and his family became part of the separatist movement that escaped to Leiden to escape persecution. James Chilton was the oldest passenger on the Mayflower, and a signer of the Mayflower Compact. Sadly James passed away aboard the Mayflower in December of 1620. His wife died soon after. His youngest daughter Mary, though, survived and married John Winslow. In 1650, Governor Bradford wrote that "James Chilton and his wife also died during the first infection, but their daughter Mary is still living and hath nine children; and one daughter is married and hath a child. So their increase is ten. In popular legend, James' daughter Mary was the first person to step out of the ship onto Plymouth Rock.
Two months after leaving England, and having weathered storms, gales, and near disasters at sea, The Mayflower sighted land on November 9, 1620.
