Birth: Henry Samson was baptized in Henlow, Bedfordshire on
January 15, 1603/4.
Death: He died in Duxbury between December 24, 1684, and
March 5, 1684/5.
Ship: Mayflower, 1620
Life in England: Henry was the oldest son of James and
Martha (Cooper) Samson and one of nine children born to them. His father
died in 1638, and his mother sometime after. He was the only one of the
children to emigrate to America.
Life in New England: Henry Samson came to New England with
relations. Bradford’s list of passengers included “Edward Tilley and
Anne his wife, and two children that were their cousins, Henry Sampson
and Humility Cooper.” “Cousin” in this case meant a collateral relation.
Edward Tilley’s wife was Ann (or Agnes) Cooper, and Henry’s mother was
Martha (Cooper) Samson, her sister. Humility’s father, Robert Cooper,
was their brother. The Tilleys died during the first winter. Another
family would have taken in Henry, but the specifics are unknown. He
became a freeman of Plymouth in 1635/6, and served on various juries as
well as being a constable and tax collector. He moved to Duxbury by
1639.
Family: Henry Samson married Anne Plummer on February 6,
1635/6, in Plymouth and had nine children. She died between December 24,
1668, and December 24, 1684.
Children of Henry and Anne Samson:
- Stephen was born about 1638. He married Elizabeth _____ by 1686 and
had eight children. He died before January 31, 1714/5, in Duxbury.
- John was born about 1640. He died unmarried between 1702 and 1712.
- Elizabeth was born about 1642. She married Robert Sprout by 1662 and
had eight children. She died after November 23, 1711.
- James was born about 1644. He married Hannah (_____) Wait by 1679
and had seven children. He died between January 10, 1715/6, and July 7,
1718.
- Hannah was born about 1646. She married Josiah Holmes on March 20,
1665/6, in Duxbury and had six children. She was still living on January
23, 1681.
- A daughter was born about 1648. She married John Hanmore by 1682 and
had two sons.
- Mary was born about 1650. She married John Summers by 1684, but had
no recorded children. She died before 1686.
- Dorcas was born about 1652. She married Thomas Bonney by 1684 and
had three children. She died before July 29, 1695.
- Caleb was born about 1654. He married (1) Mercy Standish by 1686 and
had nine children. She died between May 17, 1722, and January 30,
1728/9. He married (2) Rebecca (Bartlett) (Bradford) Stanford on January
30, 1728/9, in Duxbury. He died after July 9, 1744.