Samuel Eaton: Mayflower passenger

“The names of those which came over first, in the year 1620, and were by the blessing of God the first beginners and in a sort the foundation of all the Plantations and Colonies in new England; and their families… “Francis Eaton and Sarah his wife, and Samuel their son, a young child.” William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647, ed. Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 441-3.

Samuel Eaton & the 1627 Division of Cattle

Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, &c., Vol. I 1627-1651 tells of the 1627 division of cattle: “At a publicque court held the 22th of May it was concluded by the whole Companie, that the cattell wch were the Companies, to wit, the Cowes and the Goates should be equally devided to all the psonts of the same company … & so the lotts fell as followeth, thirteene psonts being pportioned to one lot… “The tenth lot fell to ffrancis Eaton & those Joyned wth him his 2) wife Christian Eaton 3) Samuell Eaton 4) Rahell Eaton 5) Stephen Tracie 6) Triphosa Tracie 7) Sarah Tracie 8) Rebecka Tracie 9) Ralph Wallen 10) Joyce Wallen 11) Sarah Morton 12) Edward Fludd 12) Robert Hilton Bartlet 13) Tho: Prence. To this lott ffell an heyfer of the last yeare called the white belyd heyfer & two shee goats.

Samuel’s apprenticeship

13 August 1636: “Samuell Eaton, the sonne of Fr. Eaton, late of Plym, deceased, by the consent and approbacion of Christian, his mother in law, hath bownd himselfe apprentize to John Cooke the younger for & during the full terme of seaven yeares, to begin at the first of October next ensuing; and at the expiracionof the said terme, he, the said John, to give him one compleate sute of appell, besides two other, one for ordinary weare, & the other for the Sabbath; also, twelve bushells of Indian corne, and one heyfer of a twelve-moneth old, & the advantage of the spring to yt prnt.” Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 1, p. 43

View the full list of documents here