| Notes |
- For close to 400 years the origins of Mary, wife of the 1620 Mayflower passenger George Soule, mother of nine known children, remains unknown. She likely was born in England in the early 1600s and died, per son John, in December 1676 at Duxbury, Mass., but son John did not provide her age at death.
Mary's surname has historically been written as Bucket, based on a singular record in 1623, with some writers writing her maiden name as Becket, but whether either was her maiden name remains unconfirmed. The most recent scholarly treatment regarding Mary's possible origins was published in the December 2013 issue of the Mayflower Descendant by Caleb Johnson, a noted Mayflower pilgrim researcher. While Mr. Johnson's research uncovered a potential promising lead, no concrete conclusion can yet be drawn as to Mary's origins.
Mary arrived at Plymouth in 1623 aboard the Ann, the third ship to bring groups of Pilgrim families to Plymouth. Whether she knew her eventual husband, George Soule, in England prior to George sailing in 1620 on the Mayflower is unknown. She is not considered to have been an indentured servant upon arrival as she is not shown in Plymouth's initial 1623 division of land as attached to a specific person or family. In the latter division she was allotted one acre of land "next to John Rogers" who is otherwise shown as having been allotted two acres at a different location than Mary.
George Soule and wife Mary had nine known children, eight of which were born by 1650. This is reflected in the 1650 Journal of William Bradford by the entry "George Soule is still living and hath 8 children." The ninth child, Benjamin, was born approximately one year later in 1651, but died unmarried in 1676 at Pawtucket, RI, a combatant and casualty of the King Philip's War with the Massaquoit Indians.
On May 22, 1627 the Division of Cattle was recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records. This division was essentially a complete census of 1627 Plymouth. At the date of division Zachariah was George and Mary's only living child.
The known children of George Soule and wife Mary, the exact order unknown but likely:
• i. Zachariah Soule, b. before May 22, 1627, d. before Dec. 11, 1663 as a combatant in the French & Indian War; on the latter date his estate was inventoried at Duxbury, Mass. by John Alden and Constant Southworth with the estate falling to his brother John after settlement. He m. in 1646 a wife named Margaret whose identity has never been uncovered. No known children have been identified and the widow is believed to have remarried and moved from Duxbury.
• ii. John Soule, b. circa 1632 (deposed Mar. 8, 1705/6 at aged "about seventy-four years"), d. intestate at Middleborough, Mass. before Nov. 9, 1707, the date his 2nd wife attested to his estate inventory; m. 1) by about 1656 Rebecca Simonson, daughter of Moses Simonson, by whom he had eight known children; m. 2) by 1679 Esther (Delano) Samson, daughter of Philip Delano and widow of Samuel Samson, by whom he had three children.
• iii. Nathaniel Soule, b. circa 1637, d. intestate at Dartmouth, Mass. prior to Oct. 12, 1699, the date of his estate inventory; m. a wife named Rose by whom he had at least four children.
• iv. George Soule, Jr., b. circa 1639 (deposed Mar. 1, 1672/3 "aged 34 years or thereabouts"), d. testate at Dartmouth, Mass. May 12, 1704; m. an unidentified wife named Deborah, who d. at Dartmouth in Feb. 1709/10. Eight known children of the family.
• v. Susanna Soule, b. circa 1642, d. Jan. 2, 1715/16 at North Kingstown (q.v. N. Kingston), Rhode Island; m. Francis West, s. of Matthew, who d. at N. Kingstown Jan. 2, 1695/96. Nine children of the family.
• vi. Mary Soule, b. circa 1644, was living on Mar. 26, 1720 at Duxbury, Mass.; m. John Peterson, who d. testate at Duxbury between Apr. 29, 1718 (date of will) and Mar. 26, 1720 (date of estate inventory). Purportedly nine children of the family.
• vii. Elizabeth Soule, b. circa 1646, d. circa 1700 at Woodbridge, New Jersey; m. July 23, 1667, Francis Walker, who d. circa 1702 at Woodbridge. Purportedly four children of the family.
• viii. Patience Soule, b. circa 1648, d. Mar. 11, 1705/6 at Middleborough, Mass.; m. in Jan. 1666/7, John Haskell, who d. May 15, 1706 at Middleborough. Eight children recorded at Middleborough.
• ix. Benjamin Soule, b. circa 1651, d. unmarried Mar. 26, 1676 at Pawtucket, Rhode Island a combatant in King Phillips War against the Massaquoit Indians.
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Abt 1602 - 1676 (~ 74 years)
