He was born to strict separatist parents, and fled to Holland as a young man, to avoid religious persecution, where he worked as a fustian worker.
She was as radical as Pontus was: coming from a prominent family of separatists, she was arrested multiple times for her religious views, which made her hatred of the Church of England grow even stronger.
When the Mayflower departed Holland in July 1620, the Pontus family did not accompany their fellow Pilgrims, but stayed behind in Leyden.
He received multiple land grants from the governor of the colony, William Bradford, for repairing the Herring Weir for the town.
On 4 September 1638, Pontus served on the jury that convicted Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings of the highway robbery and murder of Penowanyanquis.