Francis Eaton (Mayflower passenger)

Francis Eaton (c. 1596 – 1633) was a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620, and one of the original settlers of Plymouth Colony.

Eaton, a house carpenter, joined the Leiden contingent of Pilgrims sailing to the New World. He was accompanied by his wife, Sarah (believed to be her first name, with an unknown maiden name), and their infant son Samuel. Sarah died during the first winter, leaving Francis a widower with a young child.

Eaton remarried sometime before 1624 to a woman named Dorothy, whose surname is unknown. Dorothy had arrived on the Anne in 1623. Together they had three children: Abigail, Nathaniel, and a child whose name and gender are not known, but who died young.

Francis Eaton was active in the defense of the colony and participated in military exercises. He died in 1633, leaving his wife and children. His son Samuel became a prominent figure in Plymouth Colony.