John Alden
Alden, John (1599?–1687), one of the Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony. He was a cooper (maker of barrels) from Southampton, England, and came to America on the Mayflower in 1620. He was a signer of the Mayflower Compact. In 1623 he married Priscilla Mullens. (The poet Longfellow's account of Myles Standish as Alden's rival for Priscilla's hand is not factual.)
In 1627 Alden received a grant of land at Duxbury. By 1632 he had settled there near his friend Standish. Alden held a number of public offices, including governor's assistant in Plymouth Colony (1633–41, 1650–86), deputy from Duxbury (1641–49), and deputy governor (1664–65, 1677).