A portion of this article is attributed to an earlier FamilySearch article.
In September of 1620, 102 passengers — men, women, and children — and a crew of approximately 30 left England aboard the Mayflower. While nearly half of the passengers who arrived on the shores of Massachusetts died during the first winter, 26 Mayflower families are known to have left descendants. An estimated 35 million people can trace their ancestry to the Mayflower.
Are you a descendant of one of these Mayflower passengers? Use our Mayflower Descendant Search to find out!
Mayflower Passenger List
View the original list of passengers from the handwritten manuscript of Gov. William Bradford, written up about 1651 (file link is to the State Library of Massachusetts). For a complete list of all Mayflower passengers, along with a link to each for further information, visit https://mayflowerhistory.com/mayflower-passenger-list/ .
Who Were the 102 Passengers on the Mayflower?
The 102 passengers on the Mayflower included Separatists seeking religious freedom, families and individuals recruited by London merchants, indentured servants, and Mayflower sailors contracted to stay a year in New Plymouth.
Separatists, or “Pilgrims”
The Separatist passengers of the Mayflower were members of the English Separatist Church, a Puritan faction, who sought religious freedom in America.
The congregation could freely practice their religion in Holland, where they had been located for 10 years. However, the group sought to settle in America to preserve their English language and heritage while still enjoying religious freedom.
Famous Separatist Mayflower passengers include William Bradford, who led the congregation on the Mayflower and eventually became governor of Plymouth Colony, and William Brewster, who served as a religious leader in the colony.
Non-Separatists, or “Strangers”
The “strangers,” as they are sometimes called, included English families and individuals who were recruited by London merchants to help establish the Colony of Virginia. These individuals outnumbered the group of Separatists. Myles Standish was one non-Separatist known for his service as military adviser to Plymouth Colony (as well as for the famous love story captured in this poem).
Because the Separatists were financially strapped, they found a group of merchants who were willing to back their venture to America. The London Merchant Adventurers, a company of merchants looking to invest their money, agreed to fund the voyage in exchange for the colonists’ labor and partnered ownership of all goods generated during the first seven years in America. These merchants recruited the additional, non-Separatist families and individuals.
Indentured Servants and Wards
Both the Separatists and non-Separatists traveled with indentured servants. Sometimes the servitude was more of an apprenticeship, meaning that the servant would help the employer with a trade or profession in exchange for the employer’s instruction.
However, most of the indentured servants provided service in exchange for clothing, food, and lodging. In addition, some of the passengers labeled as servants would more accurately be described as wards under a guardianship agreement with the passenger.
One example was the More children—Ellen, Jasper, Richard, and Mary—who were all under the age of 8 when they boarded the Mayflower. The young children were taken in by three families aboard the Mayflower.
Contracted Mayflower Sailors
The Mayflower sailors were those who were contracted by the London Merchant Adventurers company to help establish the colony for one year. Once the contract ended, the sailors could return home, although all the surviving Mayflower sailors chose to stay.
Mayflower Crew
Although not usually included on Mayflower passenger lists, the Mayflower also carried around 30 crew members, led by Captain Christopher Jones.
Although the Mayflower sailors can be classified as Mayflower crew, these individuals are typically labeled as passengers because of their contractual obligation to stay in the colony for a year.
Mayflower Passengers Who Had Descendants
Only a portion of the Mayflower passengers are known to have living descendants. Modern Mayflower descendants can typically trace their lineage to one or more of the following individuals and couples.
Mayflower Passengers with Known Descendants
If you would like to see if you are a descendant of a Mayflower passenger, simply sign in to your FamilySearch account. (If you don’t have one, it is free and easy to create one!) Then click the link of the passenger’s name, and in the top right corner of the person’s profile page, select View My Relationship.
Are you a descendant of one of these Mayflower passengers?
– Barbara Tubbs, Communications, Granite FamilySearch Center