Mayflower Pilgrim, Purrscilla Mullins Alden

...She, the Puritan girl,
in the solitude of the forest,
Making the humble house
and the modest apparel of homespun
Beautiful with her beauty,
and rich with the wealth of her being !...

The Courtship of Miles Standish

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Alden and Priscilla Mullins
One of the earliest romances in the American colonies
by David Johnson

Immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1858 poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish, John Alden's marriage to Priscilla Mullins was one the earliest romances in the American colonies. While the story is not verifiable, many experts do believe it in fact happened.

Alden and Mullins arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. Shortly thereafter, Standish, "a blunt old captain, a man not of words but of actions," according to Longfellow, took a liking to Mullins, "the loveliest maiden of Plymouth."

However, although Standish was fearless in battle, he was too shy to confront Mullins directly, so he sent his young friend, Alden. The soft-spoken Alden was "Fair-haired, azure-eyed, with delicate Saxon complexion/Having the dew of his youth, and the beauty thereof. . ."

After Alden had pleaded Standish's case, Mullins said, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?" It was clear that Alden and Mullins were in love, but the couple was afraid of offending Standish. When they received word that the captain had been killed fighting Indians, Alden and Mullins agreed to marry. At the end of the wedding, Standish, who had not been killed after all, appeared, and seeing what had transpired, gave the newlyweds his blessing and asked their forgiveness for his previous behavior.

Alden and Mullins had 11 children and were among the founders of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts.


Thanksgiving is approaching and Raspberry again humored me, helping me set the stage for the festivities. We'll have at least 15 for dinner and more hopefully will drop in for delicious pies and desserts after their own celebrations. Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday and as a proud descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, through their son David Alden, I felt the need to honor them.

Raspberry was rewarded with a bit of butter, but these hat wearing photo shoots are a breeze with her, she is never offended.


For the Record,
This day came in dark and gloomy with warm temperatures and showers predicted.