There appears to be some question as to who Desire, the wife of Samuel, was. She appears to have been mixed up with the family of her son-in-law, Samuel Gray. I give a few of the interesting items that have appeared in relation to this question:
WILMINGTON, N.C., Nov. 17, 1860.
Editors N.E. H. & G. Register: When at the North, in the early part of the fall, I visited the ancient burying-ground at Barrington, R.I., on the point of land opposite Warren. On one of the gravestones is the following inscription:
"Mrs Desire Kent, Wife of Mr Samuel Kent, of Barrington was the first English woman's Gran daughter on New England. Died Feby 8 AD. 1762 aged about 94 years."
And on another, next to the above, is this inscription:
"Ensign SAMUEL KENT, who died 1737 aged 70."
You will of course understand that this Mrs. Desire Kent was the granddaughter of Mary Chilton. She was the daughter of Edward Gray, who married the daughter of John Winslow (brother of Edward), who married Mary Chilton. You are also aware that much controversy has arisen as to who was the first person that landed from the "Mayflower" on Plymouth Rock.
Now, I have never understood that the descendants of Mary Chilton claimed that she was the first person who landed, but the first woman of the "Mayflower's" passengers. And this is no unreasonable supposition, to say nothing of tradition. I find the question was fairly argued in favor of the claims of Mary Chilton of having been the first woman who stepped upon the rock in Russell's "Pilgrim Memorials," third edition, 1860; and the inscription on Mrs. Desire Kent's tombstone, made, I suppose, very soon after her death, certainly strengthens the position there assumed. As a descendant of Mary Chilton, through the Mrs. Kent referred to, I feel a personal interest in the matter, therefore send you this memorandum.
A . A. B.
KENT. IN THE REGISTER, Vol, xv., p. 12, a correspondent states that Desire Kent (widow of Samuel) was the granddaughter of Mary Chilton (who married John Winslow) and daughter of Edward Gray. This statement must be wrong, for according to good authority Desire (the daughter of Edward Gray) married Nathaniel Southworth, and furthermore the age as given makes it evident on comparing with the records that it is not the same individual. I have obtained a record elsewhere of the death of Desire Kent stating that she died Feb. 8, 1763, aged 90 years, lacking a few days. This record I consider as giving the age more exact than the inscription on the gravestone as quoted by your correspondent. My reasons for writing are: 1. To correct the statement made. 2. Because I am somewhat interested to know who were the parents of the said Desire Kent, and I thought if you would print a few lines calling for information some one might respond who possessed the desired knowledge.
GEORGE W. CH ASE.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.
The following are from the Boston "Evening Transcript":
Who was Desire Kent, widow of Samuel Kent, who died Feb. 8, 1762-3? Her gravestone in Barrington, R.I., states that she was the "First Englishwoman's granddaughter on New England," whatever that may mean. She is said to have been the granddaughter of Mary Chilton, but that cannot be. I think that she was the daughter of Thomas Cushman and Ruth Howland of Plymouth.
C. V. C .
C. V. C. thinks that Desire Kent was the daughter of Thomas Cushman and Ruth Howland. According to the Cushman genealogy that cannot be, since they had but one child, Robert, born Oct. 4, 1664. By his second wife, Abigail Fuller, he had four sons. I am a descendant in the seventh generation from Thomas, the father of this Thomas Cushman.