John Eaton

John Eaton

• Birth: Circa 1570 - of Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
• Death: after 1602 - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Eaton-699

John Eaton of Bristol has been identified as the father of Mayflower passenger Francis Eaton.[1] He married Dorothy Smith in 1594 and had five known children by her. Other than the marriage record and the baptisms of their children, nothing further is known of them.

Birth

Born: About 1570, presumably in Bristol, England.

The date is a rough estimate based on his marriage in 1594. The place is presumed as this is where he was married and had children.

Marriage and Children

Married: Dorothy Smith on 14 October 1594 at St Thomas parish in Bristol, Gloucestershire England.[1] Children: of John Eaton and Dorothy Smith:[1] During an illness in March 1603/4 all the children of the Eaton family died, except for Francis.

Francis' brother Samuel was among those who died, and Francis' eldest son was named Samuel.[1]

All records found at St. Thomas parish in Bristol, co. Bristol, England.

1. John Eaton. Baptized 26 July 1595 at St Thomas parish. He was buried 29 July 1595.
2. Francis Eaton. Baptized 11 September 1596 at St Thomas parish. He was the Mayflower passenger. He married three times. He died in 1633 in Plymouth Colony.
3. Jane Eaton. Baptized 20 January 1598/9 at St Thomas parish. She was buried 6 March 1603/4.
4. Samuel Eaton. Baptized 8 November 1600 at St Thomas parish. He was buried 27 March 1603/4.
5. Welthian Eaton. Born say 1602. She was buried 20 March 1603/4 at St Thomas parish.

There are no records of John Eaton in St. Thomas parish after the birth of his children. No burial records or wills have been found of him or his wife. The will of Christopher Cary in 1615 mentions "house carpenter" Francis Eaton holding a lease in the parish of St. Philip's, Bristol.[2] Neil D. Thompson has identified this Francis Eaton as being the same as the Mayflower passenger. It is possible that John Eaton and his wife moved from St. Thomas parish to St. Philip's parish following the tragedy that claimed the lives of four of their five children in 1604. There is a gap in the St. Philip's parish records from 1611 to 1621 and it is very possible that John and Dorothy Eaton died there in this time.[1]

From http://genforum.genealogy.com/eaton/messages/5645.html Re: Re. Francis Eaton Mayflower Date: May 14, 2002

The ancestry of Francis Eaton of the Mayflower is known for only one generation. His ancestry was published by Neil D. Thompson in The American Genealogist July 1997 vol. 72 pg 301-304.

John Eaton m. Oct. 14 1594 Dorothy Smith at the parish of St. Thomas, Bristol, co. Gloucester. This couple had 5 children baptized at St. Thomas including Francis Eaton (bp Sept. 11, 1596), believed to be Francis Eaton of the Mayflower. The evidence is highly suggestive but not 100% conclusive. For now, it is the accepted ancestry.

Nothing else is known.

As a note, I have contacted Neil D. Thompson on behalf of the Eaton Family Association and he has agreed to allow the EFA to reproduce his article in full on our web site (hopefully soon).

If you have any evidence beyond John Eaton/Dorothy Smith I would be interested in seeing it, but I believe all web pedigrees beyond this one generation are in error and without evidence.

Notes

• Birthplace also seen as Chepstow, Monmouth, Wales; Eyton Hall, Corsham, Wiltshire, England

References

• Thompson, Neil D., "The Origin and Parentage of Francis Eaton of the Mayflower. in The American Genealogist. (July/October, 1972): pages 301-304. AmericanAncestors.org < link >