Constant Southworth Ensign

  General Notes:

Other sources for Constant Sourthworth are:
~ James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, vol. 2, p. 434; vol. 4, p. 143.

~John Farmer, A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New-England , p. 269.

~Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620-1691, pp. 355-356.

~Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 p. 24.

~Susan E. Roser, Mayflower Increasings (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995), pgs. 6, 9.

Fredrick Lewis Weis, Standish of Stanidh Parish, Lancashire, England p. 65

  Noted events in his life and other information:

• Information: ⁴⁶⁶
Constant and Elizabeth lived in Duxbury. Among his responsibilities: Volunteer in the Pequot War 1637, Ensign 1646, Representative beginning in the year 1647 till 1669. Treasurer 1663-1679. Commissary General during King Philip's War.

• He emigrated Constant Southworth was on the third vessel, Ship Anne, to Plymouth colonly in 1623. ^16,133

His father, Edward, died in 1621, and his mother, a woman of great worth and ability, came over in the third vessel to Plymouth colony in 1623* to become the second wife of Governor William Bradford, whom she had formerly known.

* Other sources say that Alice came to New England and left her two sons in the care of relatives. Constant, came to New England with his aunt Julia Carpenter Morton in 1628. Thomas likely came shortly after.

• Dates & Events: ⁴⁴⁶
From The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33, Entry on Constant Southworth

His inventory on the ship Anne included "several sorts of books" valued at £4 15s. and "books, spoons & small things" valued at 10s.

His Will:
In his will, dated 20 February 1678[/9] and proved 7 June 1679, Constant Southworth Esq. of Duxbury bequeathed to "my dear and loving wife Elizabeth Southworth for and during the term of her natural life my dwelling house with the outhousing and mill belonging unto it and all my uplands and meadows" in Duxbury or Marshfield, along with £50 and some furniture; to "my son Edward Southworth after the decease of my aforesaid wife Elizabeth my aforesaid dwelling house with the outhousing and mill belonging to it and all my upland and meadows" in Duxbury and Marshfield, along with £12; to "my son Nathaniell Southworth the one half of my share of lands that lyeth near Taunton called by the name of the freemen's lands"; to "my three daughters Marcye Freeman, Allice Church and Mary Alden my other one-half of the freemen's land"; to "my daughter Elizabeth Southworth" moveables "provided that she do not marry Willam Vobbes," otherwise to have 5s.; to "my daughter Presilla Soutworth" moveables; to "my son Willam Southworth" moveables; to "my grandson Constant Freeman all those my lands and meadows that I have at a place commonly called Pawomett" in Eastham; to "my sons Edward and Nathaniell and daughters Elizabeth and Presilla equally all my part of the profits that shall or may arise by the fishing at the Cape"; wife Elizabeth to be sole executrix and residuary legatee, to be assisted by sons Edward and Nathaniel

• Background Information:
He was a silk worker in Leyden, one of the Pilgrim exiles who formed Rev. John Robinson's church. He was descended from the Southworths of Samlesbury Hall in Lancashire, where the family was established in the thirteenth century. His widow married Governor William Bradford, of Plymouth.

• Background Information. ⁶¹⁷
About 1628, the two Southworth sons of Mrs. Alice Bradford joined with the Bradford family. They were recieved by Governor Bradford as his own sons and their advanced studies were under his care.
~Governor William Bradford and his son, Major William Bradford, pg. 58

• Online Resources:
The Bridgewater Deed
History of Bridgewater

Constant married Elizabeth Collier, daughter of William Collier and Jane Clark, on 2 Nov 1637 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^157,202,446 (Elizabeth Collier was born in 1617-1619 in Southwark, Surreyshire, England, christened on 9 Mar 1619 in St. Olave, Southwark, England ^157,202,446 and died after 20 Feb 1678 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts ^157,202,446.)