Christian (Penn) Billington (abt. 1607 - abt. 1684)

Born about 1607 in England

Wife of Francis Eaton — married about 1625 in Plymouth Colony

Wife of Francis Billington — married Jul 1634 in Plymouth, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died about 1684 at about age 77 in Middleborough, Plymouth Colony

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Christian (Penn) Billington was related to a passenger on the Mayflower. Join: Mayflower Project Discuss: mayflower

Biography

Disputed Origins

No sources have been provided that indicate her parents were George Penn and Elizabeth Brinksworth. They are being disconnected from this profile, should a source be provided for this relationship they can be easily reattached. George Penn and William Penn, the Quaker, were related to each other. At this time Christian is not proven to be from the same family.

LIfe

Christian Penn arrived on the ship Anne in 1623. She was given one acre in the 1623 land division, the list indicating her arrival with the group of Anne passengers.^[1] She came as the maid of Mrs. Alice Southworth who married William Bradford in August soon after the July arrival. Anne and Bradford had been fond of each other years before.^[2]

Christian married first, as his third wife, ca. 1624/5 Pilgrim Francis Eaton. Francis' first wife was Sarah, and his second wife Dorothy, both of whom died at Plymouth.^[3]

"ffrancis Eaton, Christian Eaton his wife, Samuel Eaton and Rahell Eaton" were part of lot 10 during the 1627 cattle division, their share being a heifer "of the last yeare called the white belyd heyfer" and two she goats.^[1]

Francis died in 1633. 25 Nov 1633 "It was ordered: That whereas Franc[i]s Eaton, carpenter, late of Plymouth, deceased, died indebted far more than the estate of the said Franc[i]s would make good, insomuch as Christian, his late wife, durst not administer, it was ordered, that Mr. Thomas Prence & Mr. John Doane, in the behalf of the Court, should enter upon the estate, according to the inventory brought in upon oath the day of this present, that the creditors might have so far as the estate will make good, & the widow be freed & acquitted from any claim or demands of all or any his creditors whatsoever"^[4]

July 1634, "Francis Billington and Christian Eaton widdow wer maried"^[5][6]

Christian Billington and her husband, Francis, sold, 4 Nov 1639, her widows one third rights in the land that had belonged to Francis Eaton, to Jonathan and Love Brewster.^[7] 5 Jan 1640/1 the court ordered them to give the Brewster's possesion of the land and Jonathna was to pay in corne the remainder owed.^[8]

20 July 1666, Francis Billington of New Plymouth, planter, for 30s sold to William Crow of Plymouth, a piece of land that Francis formerly lived on. Both Christian and Francis signed the Deed.^[9]

Christian Billingtonn died about 1684.^[10][11] 1 Mar 1703/4 Isaac Billington in a petition stated that he cared for his aged parents seven years. This implies that Christian and Francis, who died in 1684, died about the same time.

Children of Christian and Francis Eaton:^[3][12]

1. Rachel Eaton b Plymouth c. 1625; mar Joseph Ramsden
2. Benjamin Eaton, b March 1627/8. Apprenticed on 11 Feb 1635/6 to Bridget Fuller; mar Sarah Hoskins
3. Child Eaton, b say 1630, an idiot, living 1651.

Children of Christian and John Billington, all probably born in Plymouth:^[13]

1. Elizabeth Billington, b. 10 July 1635. "Memorand, the xviij day of Aprill, 1642: that Francis Billington and Christian, his wyfe, have put Elizabeth, their daughter, apprentis to John Barnes and Mary, his wyfe to dwell wth them and to do their service untill shee shall accomplish the age of twenty years, (shee being now seaven yeares of age the xth of July next,) the said John Barnes & Mary, his wyfe, finding her meate, drink, & cloathes during the said terme. ^[14]
2. Joseph Billington b. before Feb 1636/7 (ae 6 or 7 in Jan 1642/3 when he was bound out.)
3. Martha Billington b. c 1638 (ae 5 in 14 Jan 1642/3 when bound out.)
4. Mary Billington b. c 1640 (under 5 in Jan 1642/3 when she was bound out.)
5. Isaac Billington b. c 1644
6. Child Billington, b before 1651 (Bradford counted 8 living children in 1651) (Mayflower Families does not list this child.)
7. Rebecca Billington b. 8 June 1647
8. Dorcas Billington b. c 1650
9. Mercy Billington b. 25 Feb 1651/2

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Pulsifer, David (ed.). Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England: Deeds, &c., 1620-1651. Book of Indian records for their lands (Boston: Press of W. White, 1861) 1623 Vol 12. p. 6, Vol. 12 1627 p. 12
2. ↑ Noyes, Ethel J. R. C. The women of the Mayflower and women of Plymouth colony Memorial Press, Plymouth, Mass, 1921. p127 Note: I have not found anything about the author or evidence of citations. The Forward is written by Anne Rogers Minor, President General, Daughters of the American Revolution.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004). pp 56-58 (Billington) and; 187-189, (Eaton).
4. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet. Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England : printed by order of the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Court Orders Volume I 1633-1640.(Boston : Press of W. White, 1855) pp 19, 20
5. ↑ Bowman, George Earnest. "Plymouth Colony Vital Records." From the first two volumes of the court orders p. 68 The Mayflower Descendant. 13:83 (1911) Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
6. ↑ Shurtleff: Records ... New Plymouth Vol 1 p. 31,
7. ↑ Pulsifer, David (ed)Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England. Vol. 12 (1861) Deeds, &c. Vol. 1 1620-1651 & Book of Indian Records for their lands. ( printed by order of the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by New Plymouth Colony) , p. 48
8. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England. Vol. 2 (1855) Court Orders 1641-1651. (Reprint New York: AMS, 1968) p. 6
9. ↑ Plymouth Colony Deeds. The Mayflower Descendant 43: 68. (1993). Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
10. ↑ "The Mayflower Genealogies" The Mayflower Descendant 2: 115 (1900) Text: "Francis Billington. Son of John and Eleanor. Born about 1607. Died at Middleborough, 13 December, 1684. He married at Plymouth, in July, 1634, Christian (Penn) Eaton (widow of Francis Eaton), who died at Middleborough, about 1684." Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
11. ↑ "The Mayflower Genealogies" The Mayflower Descendant 2: 116/7 (1900) Text: Eaton --"... He married, third, at Plymouth, in 1624 or 1625, Christian Penn. who died at Middleborough about 1684. She had married, second, Francis Billington." Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
12. ↑ Van Antwerp, Lee Douglas and Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations : Volume 9, Francis Eaton, (Plymouth:GSMD, 1996), Vol. 9, pp. 3-4 #1
    "FRANCIS¹ EATON ... see also: Louise Walsh Throop, "Francis Eaton of the Mayflower (1596-1633) who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in December 1620. Generations 1-7." (Sunol, California, 2023, see lulu.com
    Children (EATON) one by first wife; 3 by third wife:
    

    i SAMUEL² b. England ca. 1620
    

    ii RACHEL b. Plymouth ca. 1625 (deposition)
    

    iii BENJAMIN b. Plymouth March 1627/8
    

    iv child b. Plymouth after 22 May 1627; an idiot living 1651; n.f.r. ..."

13. ↑ Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Increasings (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Publishing co. 1989, 1995)
14. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England', Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., 12 volumes in 10 (Boston 1855-1861) Volume 1.p. 38 Vol II

See Also:

• Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Marriages: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1990) p. 162 Accessed at Ancestry ($) Text: "Francis Eaton and 3rd Christian ( ), c 1624/25. Christian ( ) Eaton and 2nd Francis Billington, July 1634 (PCR 1:31)" Footnotes: Text His third wife has been identified as Christian Penn.
• Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.
• The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). featured name.subscription site
• FindAGrave.com - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=34795930 NO STONE, BURIAL UNKNOWN
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anne_and_the_Little_James

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