John Alden Wrongly Accused! A Tale of the Fur Trade

May 20-22, 2022 -- A 17th Century Encampment! 

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2022, the New Plimmoth Gard is proud to present a weekend of living history focused on the colonial fur trade, and an event which took place in 1634 between members of Plymouth Colony and Piscataqua Colony (Portsmouth NH), when a dispute over the trading rights led to an incident that left two men dead, and John Alden falsely accused of murder.   

Main Event: The lawn of the Hedge House in downtown Plymouth will be the setting for the 17th century encampment featuring members of both the New Plimmoth Gard and the Piscataqua Company, as well as craftspeople demonstrating a variety of 17th century arts including blacksmithing, period clothing construction, and more.   

The public is invited into the encampment on Saturday, May 21, from 10am-5pm, and again on Sunday, May 22, from 10am-2pm. Visitors will be able to wander throughout the encampment, and engage with the reenactors as they portray members of  the Plymouth and Piscataqua colonies. Throughout both days there will be multiple demonstrations of 17th century military arts, including musket, pike and sword. There will be activities for children to participate in, as well as craftspeople demonstrating 17th century techniques and displaying wares. There will be a focus on the fur trade, its importance to the colonists, and portrayals of the dispute that took place in 1634.  

The New Plimmoth Gard is proud to partner with the Plymouth Antiquarian Society, Pilgrim Hall Museum, the Pilgrim John Howland Society, Pilgrim Progress, the Alden Kindred and the Piscataqua Company reenactment group. 

We are also very grateful to our major sponsors:

Tech Etch

Tiny & Sons Glass

The Plymouth Antiquarian Society

See the full list of events below.  

Friday, May 20 - Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court Street, Plymouth MA 

7:00pm Lecture – Plymouth Colony and the Fur Trade – Dr. Walter Powell 

Seating is limited and will be on a first-come first-seated basis. Admission is free.   

Saturday, May 21 – 1809 Hedge House, 126 Water Street, Plymouth MA 

10:00am – 5:00pm - 17th Century Encampment on the Hedge House lawn. Admission is free. 

10:00 Gates Open 

10:30 Musket Drill 

11:00 Children’s sword play with a soldier 

12:00 John Alden arrested and detained – the story of the Kennebec killings 

1:00 Military Arts of the 17th Century 

2:00 Children’s sword play with a soldier 

3:00 17th Century Craft Demonstration 

4:00 John Alden arrested and detained – the story of the Kennebec killings 

5:00 Camp closes 

Saturday, May 21 -- 1809 Hedge House, 126 Water Street, Plymouth MA 

10:00am - 5:00pm - Entry by guided tour.  Admission is $6 adult, $3 child and free to Plymouth residents.

Saturday, May 21-- Jabez Howland House, 33 Sandwich Street, Plymouth MA 

11:30am and 2:30pm – Talks on the fur trade and the role of the shallop Elizabeth Tilley. Admission is free.  

Saturday, May 21 -- Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court Street, Plymouth MA 

12:00pm – 5:00pm – Mayflower Beer Garden on the Museum grounds. $5 Admission fee.  

Saturday, May 21 -- 1677 Harlow Old Fort House, 119 Sandwich Street, Plymouth 

10:00am - 2:00pm - Entry by guided tour.  Admission is free. 

Sunday, May 22 – 1809 Hedge House, 126 Water Street, Plymouth MA 

10:00am – 2:00pm - 17th Century Encampment on the Hedge House lawn. Admission is free. 

10:00 Gates Open 

10:30 Musket Drill 

11:00 Children’s sword play with a soldier 

12:00 John Alden arrested and detained – the story of the Kennebec killings 

1:00 Military Arts of the 17th Century 

2:00 Camp closes 

Sunday, May 22 -- 1809 Hedge House, 126 Water Street, Plymouth MA  

10:00am - 5:00pm - Entry by guided tour.  Admission is $6 adult, $3 child and free to Plymouth residents.

Historical Account: 

Trading with the native people for fur was by far the most lucrative business of the English settlers of New England. Plymouth Colony had an exclusive ‘patent’ on the fur trade along the Kennebec River near modern Augusta, Maine. But in 1634 a rival fur trader named John Hocking from the Piscataqua settlement sailed upriver beyond the Plymouth trading post to challenge that patent. Despite demands to stop, Hocking resisted, killing Plymouth trader Moses Talbot before he was also killed. 

The authorities imprisoned John Alden who was aboard the Plymouth vessel, even though he had not been present during the violence. It was only through the intervention of William Bradford that Alden was eventually released. 

Come to learn more about why the fur trade was so important to Plymouth, and why William Bradford called this incident “one of the saddest things that befell them since they came”.  

William Bradford's Account:  William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647, ed. Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 264-5. 

"I am now to enter upon one of the saddest things that befell them since they came; but before I begin, it will be needful to premise such part of their Patent as gives them right and privilege at Kennebec ... "Now it so fell out that one Hocking, belonging to the Plantation of Piscataqua, went with a bark and commodities to trade in that river [the Kennebec], and would needs press into their limits. And not only so, but would needs go up the river above their house, towards the falls of the river, and intercept the trade that should come to them. He that was chief of the place [John Howland] forbade them, and prayed him that he would not offer them that injury nor go about to infringe their liberties which had cost them so dear. But he [Hocking] answered he would go up and trade there in despite of them and lie there as long as he pleased. The other [Howland] told him he must then be forced to remove him from thence or make seizure of him if he could. He [Hocking] bid him do his worst, and so went up and anchored there. The other took a boat and some men and went up to him, when he saw his time, and again entreated him to depart by what persuasion he could. But all in vain; he could get nothing of him but ill words. So he considered that now was the season for trade to come down, and if he should suffer him to lie and take it from them, all their former charge would be lost and they had better throw up all. So consulting with his men, who were willing thereto, he resolved to put him from his anchors and let him drive down the river with the stream, but commanded the men that none should shoot a shot upon any occasion except he commanded them. He spoke to him again, but all in vain. Then he sent a couple in a canoe to cut his cable, the which one of them performs, but Hocking takes up a piece which he had laid ready, and as the bark sheered by the canoe he shot him [Moses Talbot] close under her side, in the head (as I take it) so he fell down dead instantly. One of his fellows which loved him well could not hold, but with a musket shot Hocking, who fell down dead and never spake word. This was the truth of the thing ..." "The bruit of this was quickly carried all about, and that in the worst manner, and came into the Bay to their neighbors there ... But they were so prepossessed with this matter and affected with the same as they committed Mr. Alden [John Alden] to prison, who was in the bark, and had been at Kennebec, but was no actor in the business but went to carry them supply." 

From the Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 2, p. 10-11. 

An even more detailed account of the Maine incident is given in a 1634 deposition: "This deponent saieth that upon the day of APrill John Hocking Riding at ankor w'th in our limitts above the howse mr John Howland went up to him w'th our barke and charged the said Hocking to waye his Ankcors and depart who answered hee would not w'th foule speeches demaunding whie he spake not to them that sent him fourth: answere was mad by John Howland that the last yeare a boat was sent haveing no other busines to know whether it was theire mind that hee should thus wrong vs in our trade who returned answer they sent him not thether and therfore mr Howland tould him that hee would not now suffer him ther to ride, John Hocking demaunded what he would doe whether he would shout ; mr Howland answered no but he would put him from thence John Hocking said and swore he would not shoot but swore if we came abord him he would send us thus passing by him we came to an ankcor sumthing nere his barke mr Howland bid three of his men goe cutt his Cable whose names weare John Irish Thomas Savory and William Rennoles who p'rsently cut one but were put by the other by the strength of the streme mr Howland seeing they could not well bring the Cannow to the other cable caled them abord and bad Moses Talbott go w'th them who accordingly went very reddyly & brought the Canow to Hockings cable he being upon the deck came w'th a carbine & a pistole in his hand & pr'sently pr'sented his peece at Thomas Savory but the canow w'th the tide was put nere the bow of the barke w'ch Hocking seeing pr'sently put his peece almost to Moyses Talbotts head, w'ch mr Howland seeing called to him desiering him not to shut his man but take himselfe for his mark saying his men did but that w'ch hee commaunded them and therfore desiered him not to hurt any of them if any wrong was don it was himselfe that did it and therfore caled againe to him to take him for his marke saying he stod very fayer but Hocking would not heare nor looke toward our barke but pr'sently shooteth Moyses In the head, and pr'sently tooke up his pistell in his hand but the lord stayed him from doing any further hurt by a shot from our barke himselfe was presently strooke dead being shott neare the same place in the head wher he had murderously shot Moyses."