The Minor Family of Somerset

William Bradford's list of passengers ont he Mayflower include
s the family ofWilliam Mullins (The Mayflower Descendant, vol
. 1:9)
Mr William Mullines, and his wife; and 2 children Joseph and Pri
scila and servant Robert Carter]
The fate of this family is given in Bradford's list of Increasin
gs and Decreasings (The Mayflower Descendant, vol 1:13)
Mr. Molines, and his wife, his sone,and his servant dyed the fi
rst winter. Only his daughter Priscila survived,and married wi
th John Alden, who are both living (in 1650) and have 11 (sic)c
hildren.
The nuncupative (oral) will of William Mullins probably writte
n21 February 1621, the Day of his death, and copied 2 april 162
1 (reprinted here from the Mayflower Descendant, vol. 1:231-232)
:
In the name of God Amen:I comit my soule to God that gave it a
nd my bodie to the earth from whenceit came. Alsoe, I give m
y goodes as as followeth That Forty poundes in the hand of Goodm
an Woodes. I give my wife tenn poundes, my sonne Joseph tenn po
undes, my daughter Priscilla tenn poundes, and my eldest sonne t
enn poundes.Alsoe I give to my eldest sonne all my debts, bond
s, bills (onelye yt fortypoundes excepted in the handes of Good
man Wood) given as aforesaid wth all the stock in his owne hande
s. To my eldest daughter I gve tenn shillings to bepaied out o
f my sonnes stock. Furthermore that goodoes I have in Virgini
aas followeth. To my wife Alice halfe my goodes and to Joseph a
nd Priscilla the other halfe equallie to be devided betweene the
m. I also have xx dozen ofshoes. and thirteen paire of boote
s wch I give into the Companies handes forforty poundes at seav
en years and if they like them at that rate. If it bethought t
o deare as my Overssers shall think good. And if they like the
m at that rate at the divident I shall have myne shares whereo
f I give as followeth twoe to my wife, twoe to my sonne William
, twoe to my sonne Joseph, twoeto my daughter Priscilla, and on
e to the Companie. Allsoe, if my sonne William will come to Vir
ginia I give him my share of land furdermore I give to mytwoe O
verseers Mr. John Carver and Mr. Williamson, twentye shillings a
pieceto see this my will performed desiringe them that he woul
d have an eye overmy wife and children and be as fathers and fr
iends to them; Allsoe to have aspeciall eye to my man Robert wh
ich has not so approved himselfe as I would he should have done.
This is a Coppye of Mr. Mullens his Will of all partuclards he h
athe given. In witnes whereof I have sett my hande. John Carve
r, Giles Heale, Christopher Joanes.
The will was carried back to England for probate by the Mayflowe
r on her return voyage (ibid.)
In the month of July Annon Domini 1621. On the 23d Day issue
d a commission to Sarah Blunden, formerly Mullins, natural and l
egitimate daughter of William Mullins, late of Dorking inthe Co
unty of Surrey, but deceased in parts beyond the seas, seized et
c, for administering the goods, rights and credits of the said d
eceased because in that will he named no executor. In due fo
r etc. swears.
Mullins will wasdiscovered in the late 19th century by Henry F
. Waters and published as prtof his series, Genealogical Gleani
ngs in England, in New England Historical and Genealogical REgis
ter, vol. 42:62-63. The will proves that William died before hi
s wife, son and servant, who are all mentioned in the instrument
, and that Alice and Joseph were still alove when the Mayflowe
r sailed , or elseGove Carver would have annexed a statement re
garding the deaths of two legatees. The date of the copy of th
e will also proves that the Mayfloer did notleave New England u
ntil after 2 April 1621. The probate record proves that Willia
m Mullins resided at Dorking co. Surrey.
In 1612 William Mullins boughta holding in Dorking with a hous
e and an acre and a half of land and outbuildings between Wes
t Street and Back Lane (now C