Birth: John Carver’s date of birth is unknown (but see below).
Death: He died in April 1621. His wife died “within five or six weeks after
him.”
Ship: Mayflower, 1620
Life in England: Charles Banks identified John Carver as identical with the son of Robert
Carver baptized on September 9, 1565, at Doncaster,Yorkshire.This location would
place him near the homes of John Robinson and William Brewster and others of the
early Separatist church.The identification remains unproved.
Life in Holland: The Carvers were in Leiden by May 22, 1615, when Catherine Carver was a
witness at a betrothal. John Carver was one of the men who acted for the
colonists in England between 1617 and 1620, negotiating with investors and
buying provisions.
Life in New England: John Carver traveled aboard the Mayflower with his wife; two children
under his care, Desire Minter and Jasper Moore; two manservants, John Howland
and Roger Wilder; an unnamed maidservant; and a servant boy, William Latham.
Carver was in the first group that explored Cape Cod in November, 1620. He was
chosen governor of the colony for the first year and negotiated the treaty with
Massasoit. In April, while planting seed, he came out of the field “complaining
greatly of his head” and died several days later. His wife died several weeks
after that.
Family: John Carver married Catherine (White) Leggatt sometime after 1599.There
were no recorded children.