Degory PRIEST b. Abt 1579 England d. 1 Jan 1621 Plymouth Colony: Gummer/Maurice/Proude/Keatinge History

Abt 1579 - 1621 (42 years)

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Name	Degory PRIEST
Birth	Abt 1579	England
Gender	Male
Reference Number	60
Reference Number	865248
Reference Number	885457
WWW	https://www.WikiTree.com/wiki/Priest-39
Death	1 Jan 1621	Plymouth Colony
Person ID	I199	Gummer
Last Modified	1 Aug 2024

Family Sarah ALLERTON, b. Abt 1584, East Bergholt, Suffolk, England d. Bef 24 Oct 1633, Plymouth, Plymouth Colony (Age < 49 years)

Marriage 4 Nov 1611 Leiden, Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden

Children

	1. Marah PRIEST, b. Abt 1612, Leiden, Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden d. Jul 1689, Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Age 77 years)
+	2. Sarah PRIEST, b. Abt 1615, Leiden, Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden d. Aft 1 Aug 1648, England (Age > 33 years)

Family ID F54 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 1 Aug 2024

Photos
Bradford's List

Mayflower Passenger List, William Bradford

what is the proof for the identification of his parents? The text in the narrative makes no reference to parents. Thanks.

Notes

[[Category:Mayflower Family Member]]
[[Category: Mayflower Compact Signatories]]
[[Category: Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth, Massachusetts]]
{{Mayflower Passenger}}
== Biography ==
"Moyses Fletcher, Thomas Williams, '''Digerie Preist,''' John Goodman, Edmond Margeson, Richard Britterige, Richard Clarke. All these dyed sone after their arivall, in the generall sicknes that befell. But Digerie Preist had his wife & children sent hither afterwards, she being Mr. Allertons sister. But the rest left no posteritie here."Bradford, William. ''Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation''' From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24950/24950-h/24950-h.htm#a1620 Project Gutenberg ebook]

=== Disputed Origins ===According to Anderson, in 1957 John G. Hunt published the 1582 baptism for a "Digorius Prust" in Hartland, Devonshire,Hunt, John G. "Origin of Digory Priest, Early Settler in Plymouth, New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11701/320/235996522 111:320 link at American Ancestors.] noting that there is nothing to connect this record with the Degory Priest of London, Leiden and Plymouth.
Some believe he was the son of [[Prust-1|Hugh Prust]] and [[Wood-2161|Agnes Wood]], baptized 4 Jun 1592 in Hartland, Devon, England, England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, ([https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JWDC-4RF FamilySearch]: 30 Dec 2014, Hugh Prust in entry for Degory Prust, 04 Jun 1592); citing Hartland, Devon, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0874366 IT 1. but no published research names any parents. Those parents, therefore, have been detached from this profile until solid evidence of his origins can be found.
According to Banks, the name of Digory Priest or Prust is common in Devon and Cornwall. A family with those names was found residing in Lezant, co. Cornwall. At the time of the Pilgrim emigration families of this name were living in the London parishes of All Hallows the Great, All Hallows on the Wall, St. Augustine, St. Dunstan-in-the-West and St. Margaret Patten.Banks, Charles Edward, ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers who came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and the "Little James" in 1623.'' (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1962), Online at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000007062395&view=1up&seq=87 HathiTrust], pages 75, 145.
=== Recent Research ===By Sue Allan, Caleb Johnson and Simon Neal. "Degory Priest, "Obstinate Brownist" of London: A Clue to the Origins of the Mayflower Passenger." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol 175 No 4. Fall 2021.
A record 4 October 1609 identifies "Three obstinate Brownistes sent in by two sev^rall warr^tes from my lo:the Bushoppe of London, wilfully refuseing to come to Church, are by order of Court kepte according to warranty . "Diggerie Priest" was one of the three. Then 11 October 1609 "Diggerie Preest an old prison^r sent in from the Bushope of London is nowe by warr^t from his lo: dd'"dd believed to be deliveredCites: Bridewell and Bethlem Minutes of the Court of Governors 15459-1689, BCB-05 (Nov 1604-July 1610. Images at Find my past , folio 386 (image 824 of 939 and folio 388 (image 826 of 939) The term old probably does not refer to age but the fact that he'd spent some time in custody.
Other records were identified for Priest families in the area, but nothing that positively sheds light on Degory's origins.
=== Birth ==='''Degory Priest''' was born about 1579. (He deposed his age was about forty in 1619),Dexter, Henry Martyn. ''The England and Holland of the Pilgrims.'' (Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and company, 1905). [https://archive.org/details/englandhollandof00dext/page/1281 p. 630] "Priest, Degory. M. From London. Hat-maker/ Bet/ tp Sar/ Vincent Oct 7, 1611, with wits. Sam. Fuller, Wm. Lisle, Rosam. Jepson and Jane Thickins. Mar. Nov. 4. Guar. Nov. 16, 1615, by bro.-in-law, Is. Allerton, and Rog. Wilson. Deposed with Sam. Lee to knowledge of Nich. Claverly Apr.__, 1619. Then 40. (Entry crossed out.)"Anderson, Robert Charles. ''The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633'', Vol. III, (Boston MA: NEHGS, 1995). Online at [http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/great-migration-begins-immigrants-to-ne-1620-1633-vols-i-iii/image/?volumeId=12107&pageName=1526&rId=235192004 American Ancestors][$] and [https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2496/42521_b158320-00214?pid=65007& Ancestry.com][$], Vol 3, page 1526. and he identified himself as of London in his 1611 betrothal and marriage in Leiden.''A genealogical profile of Degory Priest'' published online by Plymouth Ancestors, A collaboration between Plimoth Plantation and the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at [https://web.archive.org/web/20170607113146/https://plimoth.org/sites/default/files/media/pdf/priest_degory.pdf (PDF) Plimoth.org] (Link via Wayback Machine at Archive.org, capture date 07 Jun 2017).Townsend, Mrs. Charles Delmar, Wakefield, Robert C. S., FASG, and Margaret Harris Stover, ''Mayflower Families through Five Generations'', Vol. 8, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA., 2nd Ed., 2008. pp 1, 3. ("Silver Book" - not available online, except for page 1 at [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2728/rd/48509/1/1415585640 AmericanAncestors.org][$]). Since Degory Priest was one of the earliest to have arrived in Leiden, Caleb Johnson suspects that he may be from the Nottinghamshire/Yorkshire region, the Sandwich/Canterbury region, the London/Middlesex region, or the Norfolk region, as all of the early Separatists in Leiden appear to have come from one of these centers, and not from the Devonshire region discussed above in "Disputed Origins".Johnson, Caleb. ''Degory Priest'' at [http://mayflowerhistory.com/priest/ MayflowerHistory.com].

===Life in Leiden===Degory Priest was a hatter/hat makerJohnson, Caleb. & Allan, Sue & Neal, Simon. ''The Origin and Parentage of Mayflower Passenger Isaac Allerton in East Bergholt, Suffolk'', [[Space:NEHGR|The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]] (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 2019) Vol. 173, Spring 2019, WN 691, pages 203-204 (not available online). when he became a citizen (burgess) of Leiden, on 16 Nov 1615 with guarantors being his future brother-in-law, [[Allerton-3|Isaac Allerton]], and his friend Roger Wilson.Dutch record at [https://www.erfgoedleiden.nl/collecties/personen/zoek-op-personen/deeds/b8acb326-b49d-466a-a65c-be5ce1dabaff?person=e7756b2c-1685-47b9-b407-1eccfb7c5465 Heritage Leiden and Environs]: Poorterboeken register, Type of reg.: Porter books, Date: 11/16/1615, Place: Leiden, Paid: 3.2, Poorter: Diggore Pryst (Priest) (hat maker), Origin: England, Witnesses (both stood surety): Rogier Wiltzon (boring worker) and Ysaac Allerton (tailor). Source: Register of gate registrations F, inventory #1267, page 91v., City: Leiden, Period: 1603-1638.

He is recorded in Leiden in the following documents:*In 1617, Degory had some kind of altercation with John Cripps, who was rumored to have been in an adulterous relationship. Degory had friends sign two separate affidavits relating to his dispute with Cripps, one of them stating that Degory hadn't hit Cripps but only "touched his jabot" (the frill on the front of his shirt). *On 18 Jan 1618, his brother-in-law, tailor Isaac Allerton, signed a statement regarding the estimated value of a crimson coat, and Degory signed the statement as a witness.*Nicholas Claverly, a tobacco-pipe maker, resided in a house owned by Degory Priest. On 9 Apr 1619, Degory Priest and Samuel Lee, both hatters, signed a certificate of good behavior on Nicholas' behalf. In that document, Priest's age was given as forty years.Dexter, Henry Martyn, ''The England and Holland of the Pilgrims''. Boston, New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Co. Online at [https://archive.org/details/englandhollandof00dext/page/1177 Archive.org], page 577. *On 3 May 1619, Degory Priest witnessed an affidavit signed by Richard Tyrill stating that Nicholas Claverly was not connected with the murder of Tyrill’s brother John Tyrill.Johnson, Caleb H., ''The Mayflower and Her Passengers.'' (Indiana: Xlibris Corp., 2006), p. 197-198 (not available online). Verified against hard copy of book on 6 Sep 2019 [[Thiessen-117|tt]].

===Marriage===Degory Priest of London married [[Allerton-21|Sarah (Allerton) Vincent]], widow of [[Vincent-207|Jan/John Vincent]] and sister of [[Allerton-3|Isaac Allerton]], in Leiden on 4 Nov 1611, their banns having been published on 8, 15 and 22 Oct 1611. They apparently had a double marriage, with Sarah's brother Isaac marrying [[Norris-75|Mary Norris]] on that same day, before the same officials, their banns being published on the same days.
The translation of their Dutch marriage record (see image below) is as follows::Degory Priest, unmarried man, from London, in England, accompanied by William Lisle and [[Fuller-48|Samuel Fuller]], his acquaintances, with Sarah Vincent, also from London, in England. widow of John Vincent, accompanied by [[White-11605|Jane Thickins]] and Rosamond Jepson, her acquaintances. They were married before William Cornelison Tybault and Jacob Paedts, sheriffs, this 4th November, 1611."The Mayflower Marriage Records at Leyden and Amsterdam," published in the ''Mayflower Descendant'' (Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- ). Online database: [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB407/i/12206/129/0 AmericanAncestors.org][$], Vol 7, 1905, pages 129-130.{{Image|file=Granny_s_pictures-140.jpg|align=c|size=m|caption=Marriage 4 Nov 1611 at Leiden - Diggorne Preest and Sarah VincentDutch record at [https://www.erfgoedleiden.nl/collecties/personen/zoek-op-personen/registers/be1ba111-4eee-f2bf-f1fc-c7c96debd171 Heritage Leiden and Environs]: Marriage Court B., Jul 1611-Apr 1633, Municipality of Leiden, Baptismal, marriage & burial register, Archive #1004, Inventory #198, Folio B-004: Groom: Diggorne Preest, Place of birth: London, Bride: Sarah Vincent (Allerton), Place of birth: London, Wid. of Jan Vincent; Witnesses groom: William Leesle, Samuel Fuller; Witnesses bride: Jannetgen Diggens, Casemijn Gipsijn; maiden name bride: Allerton.}}

===''Mayflower'' Passenger and Death===In 1620, Degory Priest came to Plymouth alone aboard the ''Mayflower'', his wife, Sarah, and two daughters, Mary and Sarah, remained in Leiden, with the intent that he would send for them once the colony was better established. He was a signatory to the [[:Space:Mayflower Compact|Mayflower Compact]] on 11 Nov 1620, with his signature written as “Digery Priest".The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, ''The Pilgrims'' at [https://web.archive.org/web/20210614164212/https://www.themayflowersociety.org/the-pilgrims/the-pilgrims TheMayflowerSociety.org].
January 1, 1621 [1620/1] "Monday, the people at Plymouth go betimes to work, [M] and the year begins with the death of Degory Priest."Prince, Thomas. A Chronological History of New-England: In the Form of Annals, Being a Summary and Exact Account ... (Boston: Antiquarian Bookstore, 1852) [https://archive.org/details/achronologicalh01pringoog/page/n228 p. 182] He died a victim of the general sickness that killed nearly half of the passengers on the ''Mayflower'',Bradford, William. ''History of Plymouth Plantation'', (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1856). Online at [https://archive.org/details/historyplymouth00bradgoog/page/n484 Archive.org], pages 449, 454. his date of death was recorded as 1 Jan 1620/1. He was probably buried sometime in Jan 1621 in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cole%27s_Hill Cole's Hill] Burial Ground in Plymouth, most likely in an unmarked grave, as was the custom that first winter. Along with many others who died in the winter of 1620-1621, his name is memorialized on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb, located on Cole's Hill in Plymouth.Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 6 Sep 2019), memorial page for Degory Priest (11 Aug 1582–1 Jan 1621), {{FindAGrave|12508363}}, citing Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by ReLyRoTh (contributor 46556292): photo of monument.
After the death of Degory Priest, Sarah married, as her third husband, [[Godbertson-1|Godbert Godbertson]]Roser, Susan E., ''Mayflower Increasings From the Files of George Ernest Bowman'', 2nd Ed., Genealogical Publishing, Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 2001. Online at [https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/48108/MayflowerIncreasings-000990-86/202012?#?imageId=MayflowerIncreasings-000989-85 Ancestry.com], pages 85-86. on 13 Nov 1621 in Leiden, their betrothal having been recorded there on 25 Oct 1621. They had a son, [[Godbertson-2|Samuel]], born about 1622 in Leiden. Godbert (aka Cuthbert Cuthbertson), also a hat-maker, brought Sarah and her children to Plymouth on the ship ''Anne'' in 1623 and they were assigned land in the 1623 Plymouth division of land, with 6 “akers” for “Cudbart Cudbartsone” – one acre for the deceased Priest and one each for his wife Sarah, her second husband Godbert Godbertson and their three children.Anderson, Robert Charles. ''The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633'', (Boston MA: NEHGS, 1995). Online at [https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2496/42521_b158319-00000?#?imageId=42521_b158319-00101 Ancestry.com][$]: Godbertson, Vol II, pages 776-778. In the 1627 Plymouth cattle division, "Marra Priest" and "Sarah Priest" were the tenth and eleventh people in the second company, listed after their mother and stepfather. Both Godbert and Sarah died in the Plymouth epidemic of 1633 sometime in that fall, with their estate inventories being taken on 24 Oct 1633. Their burial places are unknown.

===Children===#[[Priest-116|Marah]], aka Mary, was born about 1612 and married [[Pratt-629|Phineas Pratt]] between about 1630 and 1633 and they had eight children. She arrived in Plymouth aboard the ''Anne'' in 1623, and moved to Charlestown about 1646, dying there between Mar 1686/7 and Jul 1689.#[[Priest-38|Sarah]] was born about 1614 and married [[Coombs-58|John Coombs]] by about 1632 and they had two sons. She arrived in Plymouth aboard the ''Anne'' in 1623 and returned to England by Oct 1646, and never returned, perhaps dying there or on the voyage, before 1 Aug 1648. Sarah left her two sons, [[Coombs-45|John]] and [[Coombs-366|Francis Coombs]], in Plymouth, in the care of [[Spooner-8|William Spooner]], who had agreed to their maintenance.

===Notable Descendant===Degory Priest is a direct ancestor of United States President [[Roosevelt-1|Franklin D. Roosevelt]].The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, ''Notable Descendants'' at [https://web.archive.org/web/20210731092816/https://www.themayflowersociety.org/the-pilgrims/notable-descendants TheMayflowerSociety.org]. (Link via Wayback Machine, capture date 31 Jul 2021.)

== Sources ==

See also:* Anderson, Robert Charles. ''The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony, 1620-1633.'' (Boston, MA:New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006). Online at [https://mayflower.americanancestors.org/degory-priest-biography American Ancestors.org (free)] (reprint of info in GMB).* Bowman, George Ernest, ''The Mayflower Compact and its Signers'', (Boston: MA Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1920). Online at [https://archive.org/details/mayflowercompact00bow/page/n15 Archive.org], page 16.
* {{FindAGrave|12523436|sameas=no}} of daughter Sarah Priest Coombs.* Macdonough, Rodney. ''The Macdonough-Hackstaff Ancestry'', (Press of S. Usher, Boston, 1901). Online at [https://archive.org/stream/macdonoughhacks00macdgoog#page/n545/mode/1up Archive.org], page 458-461.* Rapaport, Diane. "Ebenezer Perry, Son of John and Mercy (Swan) Perry of Cambridge, MA: Correcting Mayflower Families and Identifying a New Line of Descent from the Fifth Generation of Degory Priest," published in the ''Mayflower Descendant'' (Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- ). Online at [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB407/i/30243/21/0 AmericanAncestors.org][$], Vol. 59, 2010, pages 21-31.* Rixford, Elizabeth. ''Families Directly Descended from All the Royal Families in Europe (495 to 1932) and Mayflower Descendants''. Burlington VT: Free Press Printing, 1932. Online at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062952932&view=1up&seq=51 HathiTrust.org], page 23: signed Mayflower Compact.* Stearns, Ezra S., ''Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire''. (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) at [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfoI0UIOCKQC&pg=PA891 GoogleBooks], page 891. * Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691.'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 1986), pages 341-342, 409, 411-413, 417 (not available online).*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degory_Priest Wikipedia]: Degory Priest.*Bradford, William, 1590-1657. ''Of Plimoth Plantation: manuscript, 1630-1650. [https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/208249 State Library of Massachusetts] "List of Mayflower Passengers." In Bradford's Hand.NOTE: [$] denotes a subscription website - the links may not work without a subscription.*[[Space:Mayflower, First Sickness and Cole's Hill Burial Ground|Mayflower, First Sickness and Cole's Hill Burial Ground]]

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