Past Owners of the Alden House

(Including the original Alden house in Plymouth and the first house in Duxbury)

OWNERS OF THE ALDEN HOUSES - circa 1622 to PRESENT
1622-1627	John Alden, ship’s cooper, and Priscilla Mullins and her family arrive in Plymouth. Priscilla’s family dies during the first winter, leaving her an orphan. She marries John Alden about 1622. They build their first home in Plymouth. In 1627 the debt to the Merchant Adventures is settled, with repayments extending into the 1640s, and John and Priscilla and their three children receive a land grant of 100 acres in Duxbury.
1627-ca.1672	John Alden, ship’s cooper, and Priscilla Mullins and her family arrive in Plymouth. Priscilla’s family dies during the first winter, leaving her an orphan. She marries John Alden about 1622. They build their first home in Plymouth, and another one in what becomes Duxbury, about 1628. Their third son, Jonathan, builds the first section of the present house after his marriage in 1672.
ca.1672-1687	Priscilla dies (year unknown). John perhaps moves into the new house, and dies in 1687, leaving the house to his son, Jonathan, who is living in it with his wife, Abigail Hallet Alden and their six children.
1687-1739	Jonathan and family live in house. Jonathan dies in 1697, his wife continuing to live in the house. In 1703, when the estate is settled, Jonathan’s oldest son, Colonel John becomes the owner. He lives in the with his wife Hannah Briggs of Scituate and their family.
1729-1796	Col. John dies in 1739, his wife Hannah soon after. Oldest son Samuel, living in England, becomes the owner while another son, Briggs Alden, continues to live in the house with his family. Samuel Alden dies in England in 1757 (age 44), leaving the house to his brother, Briggs.
Briggs Alden (left) and oldest son, Amherst Alden (right) (Click on photo to see an enlargement.)
Portraits
1796-1804	Briggs Alden dies at age 73, leaving house to his youngest son, Amherst (right). Briggs wife, Mercy and sister Edith remain in house and are provided for by Amherst who remains unmarried, dying in 1804 at age 45. House is left to Amherst’s older brother, Major Judah Alden. Mercy and Edith remain in the house until their deaths.
1804-1871	Judah’s sons, John (known as Storekeeper John) and his brother Briggs move into the house (date unknown); John with his wife, Mary (Windsor) Alden, - "Aunt Polly", and Briggs with his wife, Hannah (James) Alden. Judah Alden dies in 1845, leaving the house to "Storekeeper John" (Briggs having died in 1840), who lives in it until his death in 1871. He leaves house to wife, "Aunt Polly."
The portraits below are (left to right) Storekeeper John Alden, Aunt Polly (Windsor) Alden and John (Captain Jack) Alden (below). Storekeeper Johns portrait was received in 1998. (Click on photo to see an enlargement.)
1871-1882	Aunt Polly lives in the house with her two sons, John ("Captain Jack") and Henry. Their wives have died. Aunt Polly dies in 1882 at age 93. She divides the house between her two sons, Captain Jack and Henry who, with animosity, share house.
1882-1896	Jack (left) dies in 1887, having previously given his half to his son Frank. Frank sells this half to John T. Alden (right) in 1896 who rents it to Frank’s brother, John W. Alden. Henry dies in 1891, leaving his half to his son Henry B. Alden who immediately sold it to John W. Alden who now owns half and rents the other half. John W. Alden sells his half in 1896 to John T. Alden, making him the sole owner.
1896-present	The guardian for John T. Alden sells the house to the Alden Kindred of America in 1907. A cabin is built in the 1920’s by Charles Alden who gives tours. The furniture is owned by Charles whose heirs auction it off in 1955. In 1998, a timber frame "barn" is built to match the design of the house.