November 25, 2013
Introduction: In this article—just in time for Thanksgiving—Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to trace ancestry all the way back to the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on board the Mayflower in 1620 for a fresh start in the New World. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.
Although endlessly rewarding, it is true that tracing ancestry is a time-consuming process requiring much patience—especially if one wishes to connect to the Mayflower passengers, those 102 Pilgrims who sailed from Leiden, Holland, in September 1620 bound for the New World—anchoring off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in November 1620.
Tragically, only half the Plymouth Rock settlers survived their first winter in the New World—and if any are your progenitors, you could conceivably be required to compile from 12-18 generations of documentary evidence to trace your Pilgrim ancestry and prove you are a descendant. Fortunately, there are many ways to research the Mayflower voyage and the Pilgrims, even if you can’t visit Leiden or Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts (although please put these stops on your genealogical travel shortlist).
I traveled to Leiden, Holland, several years ago to conduct first-hand research on my Mayflower Pilgrim ancestry, and found this Dutch marriage record for future Mayflower ship passengers Isaac Allerton and Mary Norris from 1611.
However, as I say, you don’t need to travel to research your Mayflower Pilgrim ancestry—you can do it from the comfort of your own home, relying on your computer and the Internet, using several helpful websites and having access to online historical newspapers.
Common genealogical advice suggests that you start your family history research with yourself and work backwards to prove ancestry. However, with Mayflower genealogy research, you might want to work “down the research ladder,” instead of up, as it could very well save you a few steps.
Approved List of Mayflower Passengers
Start at the top of your family tree by looking for surnames matching the list of passengers on the Mayflower, shown on the accepted list of eligible ancestors compiled by Pilgrim lineage societies, most notably the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.
| John Alden | Bartholomew Allerton | Isaac Allerton |
| Mary (Norris) Allerton | Mary Allerton | Remember Allerton |
| Elinor Billington | Francis Billington | John Billington |
| William Bradford | Love Brewster | Mary Brewster |
| William Brewster | Peter Browne | James Chilton |
| Mrs. James Chilton | Mary Chilton | Francis Cooke |
| John Cooke | Edward Doty | Francis Eaton |
| Samuel Eaton | Sarah Eaton | Moses Fletcher |
| Edward Fuller | Mrs. Edward Fuller | Samuel Fuller |
| Samuel Fuller (son of Edward) | Constance Hopkins | Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins |
| Giles Hopkins | Stephen Hopkins | John Howland |
| Richard More | Priscilla Mullins | William Mullins |
| Degory Priest | Joseph Rogers | Thomas Rogers |
| Henry Samson | George Soule | Myles Standish |
| Elizabeth Tilley | John Tilley | Joan (Hurst) Tilley |
| Richard Warren | Peregrine White | Resolved White |
| Susanna White | William White | Edward Winslow |
Publications by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants
And if that surname research strategy fails, research Mayflower descendants to the fifth generation to try and find a match to your family. Many publications exist, including the famous pink or gray Pilgrim lineage books published by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants—many of which are available at libraries. As accepted references, these Society publications allow you to bypass submitting proofs for any Mayflower descendant they’ve already established.
The silver books trace the first five generations of Mayflower descendants.
The smaller pink books are Mayflower Families in Progress (MFIP), and are produced as new information becomes available.
Newspaper Evidence for Peregrine (or Peregrin) White and His Descendants
An extraordinary amount of newspaper articles and obituaries mentioning Mayflower ancestry exist in GenealogyBank’s historical newspaper archives.
Although not my Mayflower ancestor, I’m fascinated by Peregrine White. He was the son of William and Susanna White, who crossed the ocean on the Mayflower with his older brother Resolved. Susanna was pregnant with Peregrine during the Atlantic crossing, and he became the first Plymouth Colony baby of English ancestry when he was born on 20 November 1620 on board the Mayflower in Provincetown Harbor. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_White.)
After William White died—as so many did, during the Colony’s first winter—Susanna married widower Edward Winslow, of whom much is written. After reaching manhood, Peregrine married Sarah Bassett, and if you are one of their descendants, you have a multitude of cousins.
One of your relatives is their grandson George Young (1689-1771), son of their daughter Sarah White (1663-1755) and Thomas Young (1663-1732).
George Young’s lineage was noted in this 1771 obituary.
Being such a small colony of settlers, the Mayflower Pilgrim’s children intermarried. As reported in this 1821 newspaper article, John Alden was a descendant of his grandfather by the same name—and also of Peregrine White, via his grandmother. He is thought to have married twice, first to Lydia Lazell and later to Rebecca Weston, although neither of his wives are mentioned in this obituary. Note how many of John Alden’s descendants were living when he died at the ripe old age of 103.
Elder James White, who founded the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan, was another direct descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims. His religious affiliation and his Mayflower ancestry were reported in this 1881 newspaper obituary.
Reporting Trend in Pilgrim Descendants’ Obituaries
Do you notice a trend in these obituaries? The importance of being a descendant of a Mayflower passenger tends to overshadow all other aspects of an individual’s life!
For example, Ellen Gould Harmon was the spouse of Elder James White—and her obituary from 1915 makes more notice of his roots than her own.
Are You My Mayflower Cousin?
Although I have not located Peregrine White ancestry in my own family tree, if you trace to any of the following Mayflower passengers, then you and I are cousins:
- William Brewster and Mary (maiden name unknown)
- Giles Hopkins and Catherine Whelden
- Stephen Hopkins and Mary (maiden name unknown)
- John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley
We are in good company. By 1909, one writer’s conservative estimate calculated that by the 10th generation, any of the Mayflower passengers could have had at least 3,500,000 descendants! Since most Mayflower descendants are now of the 13th, 14th, 15th or 16th generation, that number has skyrocketed.
The rising number of Mayflower Pilgrim descendants is reported in this 1909 newspaper article.
If you think you are a descendant of the Mayflower passengers, this article from the New England Historic Genealogical Society may be of interest, “The Society of Mayflower Descendants: Who they are, where to find them, how to apply”.
Learn more about the people on the Mayflower passenger list and how to research your Mayflower genealogy using GenealogyBank. Or search our ship passenger records to start tracing your family history on the Mayflower and other passenger ships from 1704-1984.
Have you traced your ancestry back to one of the Mayflower ship passengers? If so, please tell us about it in the comments section. We’d love to know who your Mayflower ancestors are.
Interesting article and according to your ancestry we are distant cousins. I have built on another relatives genealogy work and am descended from- William and Mary Brewster, Thomas Rogers thru son Joseph who was a child on the Mayflower and Stephen and Mary Hopkins thru Giles and Catherine Weldon.
I find it amazing that out of 51 Pilgrims Millions of people can claim this ancestry.
Nice to meet you and Happy Thanksgiving.
I am a descendant of John Howland and elizabeth Tillry through their daughter Desire Howland. This is so cool! I found out through BYUs Relative Finder.
Me too!
I also am related through john Howland Elizabeth Tilley daughter, Desire.
Hello! I am also a great granddaughter of Catherine Wheldon and Giles Hopkins! There are others (at least 21 lines) I am still working on. One of my cousins belongs to the Jamestown Society, and through her I’ve been able to achieve a length line of mayflower relatives. It’s great to be able to say hello to you all ❤️
I have traced back to Stephen Hopkins and Constance Hopkins. I think there are other Mayflower ancestors in my genealogy as well.
I am a descendant of Edward and Samuell Fuller. So excited to just discovering this.
Hi Paige,
I also descend through Edward and Samuell Fuller. My line goes through the Blackfords eventually. I can’t recall who was in-between. Does you line include the Blackfords?
Hello Paige & Camilla,
I am descendant of Edward & Samuel Fuller. My line goes from Samuel Fuller marrying The Reverend John Lothrops daughter, Jane. Her brother Samuel Lothrop is my 9th Great Uncle & 9th Great grandfather. A descendant of his Eunice Lothrop married into the Rappleye Family that migrated in 1624, they are my maternal side, the Fullers my paternal side. Both of my Grandmothers share THE Reverend John Lothrop as their 9th Great Grandfather. Lothrops migrated, I think 1633.
My maternal Grandmother is a descendant of Mayflower passenger William Brewster. My Grandmothers never knew they were related.
I am related to Elizabeth & John Tilley, their dau. Desire, her son, James.Gorham, his dau. Experience Gorham Lothrop, her dau. Lydia Lothrop Bacon, her son, Ebenezer, his son, Ebenezer, his dau. Margaret Bacon Lewis whose son John Bacon Lewis continued the adventurous spirit & came to California in 1849. He stayed in San Francisco until 1857 when he & his wife moved to Petaluma, Sonoma, CA where the family resided until 2000 & separated to other parts of CA.
Barbara,
You have many cousins related to the same ancestors. Hope you are enjoying this 400 year anniversary of the sailing.
Mary
Hi!
I am related to
John Tilley, his wife Joan Hurst Tilley (12th great grandparents);
Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland (11th great grandparents);
Richard Warren (12th great uncle); Henry Samson (1st cousin 12xR);
Edward Winslow (2nd cousin 11xR);
William Mullins (2nd cousin 11xR) and his daughter Priscilla Mullins (3rd cousin 11xR who later married John Alden); and
William Bradford (2nd cousin 12xR and his 2nd wife, Alice Carpenter, is my 10th great aunt).
So fun to have these connections… many relatives among their descendents. Makes history come alive.
I am related to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins.
I am a descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins…. my Revolutionary War ancestor, Robert Lenthal Eells, married my Alden line ancestor Ruth Copeland. Sorry we are not cousins but I know many, many people who are Hopkins and Tilley descendants like you! Just attended the Maine Mayflower Society meeting last Saturday and it was great- we had an interpreter from Plimoth to speak with us in character, Elizabeth Tilley. I am so looking forward to the celebrations in 2020 for the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims voyage!!
@pat claus, i too am a descendant of John Alden as well as William Bradford. My dad (now deceased) and brother are both named John Alden
A cousin of my husband traced her (and my husband’s) ancestry to Gov Bradford’s son. One of our ancestors married the son. Do you have info re the son?
/
I am descended from William Bradford, b. 1624, son of Governor William Bradford, b. 1589.
Pat,
Thank you for the comment you posted many years ago. We may be cousins. I haven’t established it yet, but there’s a good chance I have Alden and Mullins roots.
Mary
I found out from my sister that my family are descendants of William Brewster, Myles Standish and John Alden. My family consists of Miller, Jhart, Winterson, Collins, Sisler and MacGrath. And Triller.
At least according to family lore I am descended from William and Mary Brewster. I have yet to verify it and join the Mayflower Society.
Pat,
I am also a descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins! It is so amazing to find out our roots!
Thank you for sharing all of the Mayflower connections! And for those who don’t share my Pilgrim ancestry, perhaps we are related in other ways.
My best wishes for a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
I am a descendant of Isaac Allerton through his daughter Remember. I have loved reading the Mayflower articles available on GenealogyBank.com and was thrilled to see the marriage record of Isaac and Mary Norris that you discovered in Leiden. Thank you so much for sharing that record and your knowledge on the blog!
Julie,
Very happy that the Isaac Allerton and Mary Norris marriage record was a welcome addition to your family research, and thank you also for the nice comments.
One of the reasons I pursued this line, is that I have an ancestor named Isaac Allerton, but the proof connecting him to his ancestor is missing!
Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy your holidays.
Mary
To Allerton Descendants: My husband John Shiels (1942-2018) was adopted at birth but was a direct (DNA) biological descendant of Isaac Allerton and Mary Norris by way of their daughter Remember who married Moses Maverick. I have more information about the Allerton Family I am wiling to share.
Hi Carol
My name is Adrian John Allerton. I live in Torbay, not far from Plymouth but i hail from Manchester. My grandmother told my father that we had connections and relatives in the USA. I was intrigued to be told by my father that a long time ago a delegation came across from America and visited her in Manchester. They requested passport’s which they said they would return but never did? Its all quite confusing. I am curious and wondered if there was any way i could find out if I am related to any of the Allerton’s aboard the Mayflower.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Kind regards.
Adrian.
My husband is also a descendent of Rebecca Maverick daughter of Remember Allerton Maverick, daughter of Issac & Mary Allerton. It was awesome when I found this connection and told him of this. Going back to make this connection was a very hard job to confirm lots of time on the computer researching and following name after name, story after story. Once started it was hard to stop researching. I made copies of everything I found on this family. The only way to keep the line correct.
Thank you for more information on the family.
Valencia,
Congratulations on establishing this link to the Mayflower passengers.
Mary
Happy 392th Thanksgiving & Thank you for your Blog from a William Brewster, (at least three lines) Thomas & Joseph Rogers, Henry Samson, James & Mary Chilton descendant. Ray Raser Co-Editor CAMayflower Quarterly, Governor San Diego Colony Mayflower Descendants
Thank you for your Thanksgiving greeting! Hope yours was as special as ours was, spent with family. So happy that you enjoyed this article.
Mary
Was excited to see your blog. I just made connection from Mary Allerton through the Cushman families of Isaac, Isaac and Sarah, who married Benjamin Spooner then through Spooners to Harriet Spooner who married Emory B.F. Draper who is my Great grandfather. Is there someway to get a copy of the marriage certificate? Thanks for your information. Lloyd
To Mr. Lloyd Draper
Are you referring to the Benjamin Spooner ca. 1714-1740, son of Rosamond Hammond and John Spooner (son of John S. Spooner)?
I am descended from him, but info about him, perhaps because he died young, is a weak link in my Preliminary Review I’ve just filed with the Gen Soc. of Mayflower descendants.
We just discovered my husbands link to Isaac Allerton through the Cushman line too. We are fairly certain of the link but have been struggling to verify that Asenith Cushman (daughter of Allerton Cushman Jr and Alethea Soule) is the same that married Joseph Downer IV
We need to verify that Cushman Downer was their child to complete the lineage.
Lloyd,
Congratulations on finding your connection to the Allertons.
An easy way to save the image is to save the article in portable document format. Go to the bottom of the blog, and select PDF next to PRINT. After clicking on it, you will be presented with a SAVE, or a SAVE AS PDF option and can then proceed to save it to your computer.
To extract the image from the article, right-click the image and select Save As (on a MAC use Ctrl+Click as a substitute for right-clicking.) Take the opportunity to add an appropriate name such as “Allerton-Norris Leiden marriage from Mary Harrell-Sesniak and GenealogyBank blog of 2013-11-25.”
Although the name is long, I recommend adding a similar notation so the attribution is retained.
Hope this helps!
Mary
HI,
I am descended from George Soule, Edward, Ann and Samuel Fuller. And probably Francis Eaton and William Brewster, and a few others but can’t prove those. Also Henry Howland, brother of John Howland of the Mayflower.
It gets really complicated the first 4 generations from the Mayflower as there weren’t that many people to marry… cousins got married and the names were so overused… 🙂
anyway, I’m having lots of fun trying to make the “links” viable and real… sometimes there are wishful thinking people who claim some links that are just “wrong”.
Have fun.
Bob,
It certainly is fun tracking down the Mayflower connections. I recommend spending time with the pink and silver books, as well as contacting the various Mayflower groups to see if they can help you with your proofs.
Mary
Bob,
My husband is related to George Soule as well… so you are probably a cousin. Would you like to exchange information? The Soule line is through his mother..
Barbara Elio
Well, i have found that George Soule was the father-in-law of my 8th great uncle, Francis West. But so far, I haven’t found a Mayflower ancestor.
Bonnie, at the time of your writing this, I had just discovered my connection to George Soule through Patience Soule (Soule, Haskell, Drinkwater, Bayes, Semple, and me). I’m a direct descendant and was completely shocked. I’m Canadian and didn’t realize there was a Canadian contingent of the Mayflower Society. I’m avidly on the trail. Spent August in the New England researching this interesting aspect of my family history.
I am a descendent of George Soule and Sarah Drinkwater, “an American” as it is written in an old family letter; does this mean she was a Native American? I met a man whose name was Soule, a clammer in Oyster Bay, Washington who talked of his direct lineage to George Soule of the Mayflower. We celebrated our common relations long into the night around a campfire at the edge of Willapa Bay and an ancient forest!
I am a descendent of George Soule on my mother’s mother’s side and I have a West connection as well.
Hi Bob – I too am related to the Fullers!
What is your connection?
my ancestor is Joshua Robinson whose mother Ruth Fuller was the daughter of Sgt Samuel Fuller the son of Lt Samuel Fuller the son of Dr Matthew Fuller the son of Edward and Ann Fuller.
George Soule is my 10th great grandfather
and Stephen Hopkins is my 11th great-uncle, Constance and Giles Hopkins my 11th 1st cousins once removed.
I was curious about the first person in my family to step foot in America, thanks to the tv series “Who do you think you are” and “Finding your Roots”. With the help of online databases, I was shocked to discover my roots go waaaay back – both to Jamestown Colony (William Powell and Temperance Flowerdew) and the Mayflower (John Alden, Issac Allerton, William Brewster, Edward Fuller and Richard Warren).
I wished I had paid more attention to American history in high school. And I am learning all about the English Civil war(s).
Lina,
Thank you so much for sharing, and best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving.
I think all genealogists relate to your comment about wishing we’d paid more attention in history class — but as you discovered, it’s never too late to start finding your family’s place in history.
Mary
I am a decendent of Peregrin White, He was my 8th great grandfather on my fathers side, (George W Young 1901 to 2000), the direct decendent of Sarah White and Thomas Young. I am curious as to how much information exists about Sarah and Thomas and the decendents from them. My father was born in Arkansas and moved his family to the bay area of northern California in the mid 40’s, where I was born in 1946 he passed at age 99 in 2000. I currently live in northern Cal, just 120 miles north of our original home site. I had no clue as to who I was until after the deaths of my parents, my first introduction to Ancestry.com was exciting beyond my wildest dreams and then I went to Europe, on line, and found ancestors on my fathers side, of grandfathers Young, Yonge etc. back to the year 1325 My mom was also the decendent of very early pilgrims sur names Savage/Glotfellty who settled in the north west parts of Pennsylvania and southern Maryland, the Savage side of which may have been here even before the Mayflower, as they came from the Virginia area. Wow, Who knew? Very exciting stuff!
Sandy,
What an exciting genealogical journey. Peregrine White is widely followed. You may wish to research him in the many books published on the Mayflower passengers.
Mary
Hello Sandy, I believe we are related through Peregrine White. I found out after my Grandfathers death through a published book by Roscoe White called White Family Records; Descendants of Peregrine White, son of William and Susanna (Fuller) White, 1620 to 1939. My grandfather, James Russell Jenkins and my Great grandmother, Marella Bernice (Bush) Jenkins were listed. If I am reading it correctly, then I am a 12th lineal descendant. I am utterly amazed and shocked. I have recently submitted my descendant list to The Mayflower Society. I am eagerly awaiting their findings.
It is my understanding that it was recently proven that Sarah White was Sarah Jackson White and not Sarah Fuller White. I believe it’s true and wonder if it changes your lineage. My White family is a line for numerous Patriots for my Daughters of the American Revolution membership and I’ve hit a couple of stumbling blocks along the way. Knowing Sarah’s true lineage will help a lot but I’m still stumbling on a few others in the White line – name Daniel White all the way to William T. White. If you have information on the White line that you will share, I’d appreciate it. You can email me at dee@deeeva.com
Dee Eva
650-619-2999
Sandy, I am also a descendant of Peregrine White, I seen where your mother was a Glotfellty , my mother was a Clodfelter & that is the way her surname is spelled here in N,C. & thru her is how I go back to Peregrine & Sarah Bassett. When her ancestors arrived in Pa. 1743 their name was spelled Glattfelder & that is the way my 4th GGgrandfather spelled his name – Felix Glattfelder – when he came to NC in 1762, now called Old Salem. The spelling changed here in NC around 1800 to Clodfelter. The Glattfelder family just had their 113th reunion in York, Pa. I have seen our name spelled over 7 different ways & Glotfellty is one of them, so I’m pretty sure we both are Glattfelders on our mom’s side of our familys. Vance
Hi Vance,
I, too, am descended from Felix Glattfelder through son Jacob-daughter Elizabeth Weir-daughter Mary Ann Siceloff-daughter Sarah Eller- daughter Esther Eads- daughter Ruth Holloway- me.
I have tried to connect to Peregrine White through his son Jonathan.’s daughter, Mary. I thought she had a son Jonathan who was mentioned in her father’s will calling him Jonathan Dell. But, Mary’s marriage to James Russell in 1729 and children are all that is found. Except for a record in Yarmouth of Jonathan Dell born 1719 to Mary White. She supposedly married Henry Dill and had Jonathan. Can’t find evidence of this. A lot of people are trying to find the same thing and as no one has, it seems we can’t connect to the Mayflower White line through the dills.
What is your mom’s Clodfelter lineage to Peregrine? Maybe I can connect through that line.
Thanks’
Lynn
Hello, I too am a descendent of Peregrine White. He is my 9th great grandfather on my fathers side. My father was a direct decedent of Daniel Peregrine White, Sarah’s brother.
HELLO TRACIE,
WE ARE OF THE FAMILY “TRACY” AND TRACE OUR LINE BACK TO PEREGRINE WHITE. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY TREE OR EVIDENCE OF THE CONNECTIONS?
BEST REGARDS,
NINA
My grandfather was John Alexander Young I have a letter from him before he passed in 1960 stating his family came to North America on the Mayflower and they lived in New Jersey till the RUMPUS which we assume was the American Revolution. He stated they came to Canada and settled in a small south western town called Clearville but later move to Croton .Neither town really exists now as these small rural towns have disappeared. I have Young names back to William Amos Young but I am having trouble after him. I don’t see any Young on the Mayflower so wher did Thomas Young come from who married Sarah White daughter of Peregrine White and Sarah Basset Any name will help me Thank you
Carol Cryderman- Childs UE
Carol,
Thank you for your comments. I love the reference to the Rumpus. Please contact a chapter of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to see if they have the documentation you are looking for.
Mary
Hi,Sandy!
My grandfather is a Young from Arkansas that moved to California. Id love to connect and learn from your research on the Youngs in England. My email is lstoeber@mailbox.org. Do you have a tree on Ancestry?
Your information is a great help. I started my family tree and could go no further back than Ellis Island. So I started to work on my husbands. His grandmother was Florence Alvord and if I am accurate, through Ruth Norcott, there is relation to multiple Mayflower passengers. I was more excited I think than he was! Remembering grade school and our study of the Mayflower and Pilgrims. Imagine being a descendant! You would have been a celebrity! Anyway, I am afraid to tell the rest of the family until I am sure. Some of the information and references you provided will make me feel more confident with my findings.
Bonnie,
I was reviewing old comments and came across yours. Hopefully by now you have established multiple connections to the Mayflower passengers — just in time to celebrate the 400 year anniversary of the sailing.
Mary
Norcott is a name in my son’s family. My Grandmother was a Mayflower Maiden (Brooklyn descendent organization), but I don’t know who our relative was.
Hope you found what you were seeking!
God bless
Bonnie,
Wonderful to hear that my article helped with your husband’s research, and I sincerely hope you’ll be able to discover more of your own.
Mary
I discovered your blog of November 25, 2013 on Genealogy Bank while researching Stephen Hopkins. The blog starts out with the article titled: “New Discovery about Mayflower Pilgrim Stephen Hopkins” The blog refers to the dilemma that Hopkins had getting supplies to Jamestown and that soon after he finally arrived with supplies the colony was evacuated back to England. Can you lead me to the reference for that? I live near Jamestown and have not heard that. I’m research Stephen Hopkins for more Mayflower connections and Jamestown Society. One brick wall for 6-7 connection…need one birth record for Silvanus Whiting (Whitten) son of Asa and Lydiah Cooke of Mayflower lineage. Thanks, Judith Letchworth
My 11th GG was Stephen Hopkins and my 10th would be Constance Hopkins. 🙂 Hello to all my long lost relatives!
Hi relative of Stephen and Mary Hopkins! My 11th great-grandparents also!
Hi Judith,
Glad you enjoyed my Mayflower blog.
The article titled “New Discovery about Mayflower Pilgrim Stephen Hopkins” was not in my article, but was posted in a companion blog by Thomas Jay Kemp on 7 November 2014. Follow this link to read it:
https://blog.genealogybank.com/new-discovery-about-mayflower-pilgrim-stephen-hopkins.html
Good luck with finding the birth record of Sylvanus Whiting. I wasn’t able to find anything in the newspapers, but recommend you visit the National Archives to see if they have any clues.
Mary
In researching my husbands family I found out the line goes back to William Holmes who came here from England in 1632. His oldest son was John who was born 1638 in Plymouth Colony. John’s oldest son was Joseph who married Mary Brewster. My father-in-law gave us a book titled “The Giles Memorial” and in it was preserved “The Holmes of Marshfield”. I have been researching my parents ancestry as well as the Holmes and have enjoyed and been amazed at the discoveries. It’s been wonderful.
Elaine,
So nice to hear about your research. It’s thrilling to make these Mayflower connections.
Mary
HI Elaine So Are Joseph’s Descendants Mayflower Descendants?? How is his wife Mary Brewster connected to William and Mary Brewster???
Hello, cousin! I am a descendent of Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance. My line runs through Shelburne County, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, I cannot find proof for one ancestor. I can find proof he existed but not of his parentage. He’s the son of Nathan Snow and his wife Mary aka Polly. It’s been a decade. I am related to two of his offspring and can prove to his parents and the generations after him. Maddening!
Bonnie,
Very exciting to hear about your Hopkins connection, but sorry to hear that the proof of parentage can not be established. I have a similar issue with one of my lines. Hope you find the proof you are looking for.
Mary
Hi. I also am descended from Stephen Hopkins and Nathan Snow.
please contact me at sallynickersonmuseum@gmail.com or drop off a letter at General Delivery Barrington, N.S. BOW 1EO
THANKS BONNIE. From Sally.
You will find your answer in “Some Descendants of Peter Mallory” by Ambassador Lester DeWitt Mallory. His Mallory ancestor married Jane Snow and he goes into some detail on Jane’s life as a young girl. At one point his Mallory relation and mine lived in the same building in Redondo Beach Ca… Before moving North and eventually to British Columbia where his neice Leanne Mallory is a professor. There was a stop in Washington state prior to BC. My Mallory line also made a set of in BC…..and, like Lester’s Mallorys they originated in ct. Also, Constance Hopkins descendant also connected with the Mallorys. I am descended from Stephen Hopkins , Francis Cooke and Edward Doty. Damaris Hopkins married Jacob Cooke and a descendant married Elizabeth Doty. See Zenas Lazell of sunflower society.
Mallory, My niece through marriage . she married my nephew Michael Pietzke. They live in Oregon. Her name is Elisabeth Doty. Thought you might like to hear this.
I have 2 daughters who are descendants of Edward Doty on their father’s side.
Janice Lynne Mason
Elizabeth Rosseel Mason
I descend from William/Mary Brewster and Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower 1620.
Ermine,
Congratulations on this exciting ancestry!
Mary
I am related to George Soule ,his daughter married a Weston who came on a later ship. My great grandmother was a Weston. I want to share this information with my near relatives at Thanksgiving.
I’d also like to try and join the Mayflower society, I live in Washington state.
thanks for all your sharing and information