A few facts about John Alden

A few facts about John Alden, who came over to North America on the Mayflower:

• He was hired as the ship’s cooper, a job for maintaining and repairing the ship’s barrels. 
• He was initially a member of the ship’s crew rather than a settler.
• He was a signatory of The Mayflower Compact, signed while on the ship November 1620.
• He was at the time of his death the last surviving signer of The Mayflower Compact.
• Since The Mayflower Compact was not only a political covenant, but also a religious one, unto which the signers promised “all due Submission and Obedience” it seems that from that time Alden would have been considered a part of the group.
• After signing The Mayflower Compact, John Alden either did not throw away his 1611 translation (if he brought it with him initially beginning as a “non-Pilgrim”), or, as a Pilgrim he ordered a 1611 translation and had it shipped over to him (if he did not bring it with him). I do not find this to be a huge smoking gun for either side in the Bible versions debate. However, it does seem to take some of the edge off the claim that the separatists passionately hated the King James Bible.