Thursday, November 15, 2012

Our Mayflower Story

Mantel Left by midgefrazel
Mantel Left, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Forefathers

My husband and I are both descendants of some of the people who arrived in America on the ship the Mayflower in 1620. As life-long New Englanders, we weren't surprised to discover that we are related (cousins) by having common ancestors. However, finding out the connections needed to prove that we are descended from those people is quite a journey in itself.
As a genealogist, proving my lines of descent is an everyday job. As a small child, we celebrated this holiday with my maternal grandparents. When I was about six years old, I remember the grownups raising their glasses to "our pilgrim ancestors". I knew what an ancestor was but I didn't know they were Pilgrims! I asked which Pilgrims and they didn't know. But, I do know now.

In my great grandfather, Charles E. Stewart, scrapbook journal, I found this newspaper clipping. I knew then, I should start with my 3rd great grandparents Issac Denison and Levina Fish and work my way backwards in time. My grandmother's connection was more difficult. It meant I was going to have to know more about my French ancestors and that I was going to need a lot of help. So far, this was the most challenging.

My husband's line was not as clear. One photograph in his family states they are descendants of Myles Standish but I have yet to prove that. But, along the way, I discovered one line where people were connected to Aldens and Soule. It still was hard to prove but we did it!

This week, I will show you where I found some of the memorial gravestones of some of our Mayflower passengers.  

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been really fortunate that most of my Mayflower and Plymouth County lines in general were clear-cut and well-documented. It was nice to have my pick of lines to submit to the GSMD when I joined.

There are a few where I have my suspicions, but nothing concrete. Brick wall ancestors there. ;)

I love the mantel piece you have! It is beautiful.

Midge Frazel said...

Jay Lucas, historian of the Massachusetts Mayflower Society, told me that many people I have in my tree at Ancestry that are "related" to the descendants of Thomas Perkins are Mayflower descendants. I am not descended from that son of David Perkins. My ancestor, David's son, Isaac went to RI to be a blacksmith.