As we gather together on Thanksgiving the talk often times turns to our families and traditions. How many of us, in listening to the family stories, have discovered that we have descended from those who celebrated the first Thanksgiving?
If you are one of these individuals did you know that there is a lineage society that you can join? The General Society of the Mayflower Descendants, was organized in Plymouth, Massachusetts on January 12, 1897. It is a national organization of descendants of the passengers who arrived on the Mayflower to New England in November of 1620. Of the 102 individuals that were on board there were 26 heads of families. Their names are as follows;
John Alden
Priscilla Mullins Alden Bartholomew Allerton Isaac Allerton Mary Allerton Mary (Norris) Allerton Remember Allerton Elinor Billington Francis Billington John BillingtonWilliam Bradford Love Brewster Mary Brewster William Brewster |
Peter Brown James Chilton
Mary Chilton Susanna Chilton Francis Cooke John CookeEdward Doty Francis Eaton Samuel Eaton Sara Eaton Moses Fletcher |
Edward Fuller Mrs. Edward Fuller
Samuel Fuller Samuel Fuller Jr. Constance Hopkins Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins Giles Hopkins Stephen Hopkins Elizabeth Tilley Howland John HowlandRichard Moore William Mullins Degory Priest |
Joseph Rogers
Thomas Rogers Henry Samson George Soule Myles Standish Joan (Hurst) Tilley John Tilley Richard Warren Peregrine White Resolved White Susanna White Winslow William White Edward Winslow |
The next step in the process is to contact the Ohio Mayflower Society and request a preliminary application. This will give you the information about membership, fees, dues and instructions for filling in the names of your direct ancestors to your Mayflower ancestor. At this point no documentation is needed (although, it doesn't hurt to have it ready when you are doing your initial search so you don't have to go back an get it later). The state historian will then read over your synopsis and determine what documentation is needed. Typically you will need only documentation up to the last person who in your tree that is already in the society.
Once the State Historian has determined the documentation that is needed. He/She will give you the official papers that you will record all the generations on and attached the documentation. This paperwork will then be submitted to the state for election into the society.
For information about the Mayflower and/or the Lineage Society click on any of the links below or stop into the Genealogy Department. We have a collection of books dedicated to Mayflower people.
Ohio Mayflower Descendants
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants
Plimoth Plantation
Mayflower Genealogy Books @SCDL
Happy Thanksgiving!
