James Chilton is not one of the most famous passengers of the Mayflower. His name is not used alongside that of Bradford, Brewster or Standish in the stories told and retold. In fact he did not even make it to Plymouth – he died onboard the Mayflower while docked off the coast of what is now Massachusetts before they arrived at their final destination of Plymouth. Yet a thrill has gone through many family genealogists when they discover him in their family tree – a genuine Mayflower Pilgrim!
With the recent publication of In Search of Mayflower Pilgrim James Chilton they can be thrilled again to realize that they have an ancestor worthy of his own biography. Sue Allan has written numerous concise books on various Pilgrims, and related topics, and has proved herself one of the foremost scholars of the Pilgrims alive today, often uncovering original records which have escaped the notice of previous researchers.
She has now turned her attention to Chilton, and has done an admirable job presenting his story and tracing the twists and turns of his life. She traces down new documents, explores possible theories, and enlivens the sometimes sparse records available about Chilton, by adding context of what they likely meant, and the color of what was going on in that time and place in history. She also includes plentiful illustrations from the period, and modern photographs of relevant sites.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in digging into the life of this oft-forgotten Pilgrim father, whether a Chilton descendant, or just someone interested in understanding the varied backgrounds from which the Pilgrims fathers sprang.
In Search of Mayflower Pilgrim James Chilton of Canterbury by Sue Allan (2024) is available for purchase here.
Thanks to Sue Allan for providing me with a copy of her book to write this review.
