Gen Research: Mayflower Descendants

Welcome to this weeks SCDL Tree Talk Tuesday. As I write this post it is the end of November, the weather has turned colder, the leaves have fallen from the tree and it also means that we will gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. While thinking on that subject and genealogy I was reminded of blog post that was shared a while back and I wanted to share it again for Thanksgiving with some updated information. Enjoy!


 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

To join the General Mayflower Society it is much like joining any other lineage society (i.e. D.A.R., Colonial Dames, S.A.R.), your first step is to begin the process of filling out a family tree showing your direct line to your Mayflower Ancestor. The Stark County District Library has many resources that can help in your search. The following is a link to the Genealogy Resources of  Mayflower Descendants.

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!