Who you got on the Mayflower?

[Jeff Westover]

This year marks a milestone in the observance of the Mayflower. I'm guessing that around Thanksgiving we're going to be hearing a lot more about that.

Do you have ancestors on the Mayflower?

Most people don't know but many people celebrate this. I'm curious to know about who your Mayflower ancestors might be and what you can tell me about them?

 

[Dudley]

My family arrived in Chicago via Baltimore in 1894.

 

[ponytramp]

They actually created a specialty license plate to commemorate the event.

 

[MerryCarey]

We came a little later than the Mayflower. I believe my dad's mother's family came over from England on the Ark and/or the Dove in the 1630s. My mom's dad's family came over from Germany in the 1700s.

 

[Jeff Westover]

We came a little later than the Mayflower. I believe my dad's mother's family came over from England on the Ark and/or the Dove in the 1630s. My mom's dad's family came over from Germany in the 1700s.

Most of mine came from the 1630s as well, as that was the period of the Great Migration.

I think if folks really investigated it they might be surprised.

Millions, for example, are descended from John and Priscilla Alden (me included) of Longfellow fame (The Courtship of Miles Standish).

Priscilla Alden came over as Priscilla Mullins, the sought-after daughter of William Mullins, who died that first winter of 1621. I claim all the Mullins in my lines.

Resolved White and his wife and family are also in my direct lines.

Edward Winslow, the man who wrote the famous letter from which the story of the first Thanksgiving was rooted and who was governor as well as several other things related to the original Colony, was a great uncle.

Through my Mother's line we're related to John Howland, another influencial man of the Colony of Plymouth.

If you've got an account at FamilySearch.org there's a great site called RelativeFinder.org that helps make these connections.

 

[MerryCarey]

Most of mine came from the 1630s as well, as that was the period of the Great Migration.

I think if folks really investigated it they might be surprised.

Millions, for example, are descended from John and Priscilla Alden (me included) of Longfellow fame (The Courtship of Miles Standish).

Priscilla Alden came over as Priscilla Mullins, the sought-after daughter of William Mullins, who died that first winter of 1621. I claim all the Mullins in my lines.

Resolved White and his wife and family are also in my direct lines.

Edward Winslow, the man who wrote the famous letter from which the story of the first Thanksgiving was rooted and who was governor as well as several other things related to the original Colony, was a great uncle.

Through my Mother's line we're related to John Howland, another influencial man of the Colony of Plymouth.

If you've got an account at FamilySearch.org there's a great site called RelativeFinder.org that helps make these connections.

Impressive, Jeff! Your folks were already here to say "welcome" to mine!

 

[Jeff Westover]

Impressive, Jeff! Your folks were already here to say "welcome" to mine!

That's not a far fetched notion, considering how small the world was then.

I've only known this the past couple of years but I think it is pretty exciting that we can find all this information out now with just a little effort.

 

[MerryCarey]

That's not a far fetched notion, considering how small the world was then.

I've only known this the past couple of years but I think it is pretty exciting that we can find all this information out now with just a little effort.

What I know is from family documents. Someday when I'm retired maybe I'll delve further into the family tree with online tools, and decipher the entries in the family Bibles I inherited.

 

[KimB]

Our family historian, Dr. Greg McHone did much research and writing about this. I have relatives that came from England before the Mayflower and also relatives that came from France before the Mayflower. My French relatives migrated to Canada and my English relatives lived in Connecticut for a couple hundred years before settling in Vermont.

My Dutch and Irish ancestors came much later, in the 1800s.

 

[Dudley]

What I know is from family documents. Someday when I'm retired maybe I'll delve further into the family tree with online tools, and decipher the entries in the family Bibles I inherited.

Don't wait too long. You'll find once you get going how great it is to "interview" living relatives.

 

[MerryCarey]

Don't wait too long. You'll find once you get going how great it is to "interview" living relatives.

My family is all gone except for one aunt and cousins who aren’t in touch. It’s okay—-my fam weren’t the type to open up in interviews anyway.