Was John Langmire from Southampton? Tracing the history of individual who sailed for America on the Mayflower

We know about Alden from William Bradford’s chronicle “Of Plimouth Plantation” which says Alden was recruited at Southampton as a cooper.

We have evidence from Court Leet and God’s House documents that a George Alden lived near the Bargate and is believed to have been John Alden’s father.

In America, Mayflower descendents have traced their family histories and formed societies linked to particular surnames.

However, about half of the people who arrived on the Mayflower died in the first winter and their ancestry has been overlooked.

One such person was John Langmire who, William Bradford tells us, was Christopher Martin’s servant who died in the first winter.

American researchers suggest that Langmire may have been from Essex like Martin or linked to the Langmire families of Shropshire or Worcestershire. In neither case have they found any evidence.

One researcher has suggested that he came from Southampton, a suggestion that may have some credence.

According to the records of God’s House in Southampton, kept at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library, on October 10, 1589, a Christopher Langmire took the lease of property in Southampton High Street for 40 years and paid rates in 1592. This lease was renewed for another 40 years in 1611 but ended in 1639.

So between 1589 and 1639 a Christopher Langmire was resident in Southampton.

Between 1600 and 1607 Christopher Langmire, a tailor and churchwarden of All Saints parish acted as surety for loans taken out by other tradesmen in the town.

In 1607 he was called before the Mayor as he had acted as surety for an unpaid loan made to John Dowse who had died and he had to pay the creditor.

In October of 1606 a complaint by the wife of John Clarke, a tailor, was heard in front of the Mayor to the effect that Christopher Langmire’s son had not been paying 4 pence a week to support his illegitimate child “begotten upon the boddie of the daughter of the said Clarke’s wife”.

In February of 1623 a Stephen Langmire gave evidence as town Beadle before the Justice of the Peace in a case of theft and in 1627 he gave a written statement to the Mayor regarding a bribery case involving goods taken at sea.

Apprenticeship records show that Stephen Langmire, a tailor, had taken an apprentice on three occasions in 1621, 1624 and 1627.

Given the dates of these events it is probable that Stephen was Christopher’s son and in all probability he was the father of the illegitimate child born to the daughter of John Clarke’s wife.

The gender of the child is unknown but had it been a boy it would probably have been named John after the mother’s stepfather and as it was Langmire’s child we have a John Langmire in Southampton at the right time and the right age. Although a few years younger than Alden it is probable that they knew each other.

Obviously this is all conjecture but it is perfectly plausible. There is a very strong case that Langmire came from Southampton.

In the summer of 1620 Christopher Martin was in Southampton with John Carver, who had with him his servant, John Howland. They were making purchases for the journey to America.

Christopher Martin was a vain and arrogant man and it is likely he arrived in Southampton alone and recruiting a servant locally would enable him to save face. Taking the base born Langmire boy to America would be convenient for everyone.

Being illegitimate he would face a difficult life, would have no inheritance rights and would be an encumbrance to both families if he remained in Southampton.

The age of the child by 1620 would fit with the age of John Langmire the servant to Christopher Martin and for the boy the opportunity to travel to America and put behind him what would be a very difficult life was an attractive proposition.

Read more about The Mayflower in Godfrey Collyer’s book SeeSouthampton: The Mayflower in Southampton. available from October Books, Made in Here, St Michael’s Church, Tudor House and Seacity Museum.

Godfrey Collyer is a tour guide with SeeSouthampton.co.uk .