After attending the annual meeting of the Illinois Mayflower Society last weekend and listening to some of my favorite podcasts talk about the sailing of the Mayflower and their first Thanksgiving 400 years ago in 1621 I thought I’d do a quick post on our known Mayflower ancestors, starting with the Mayflower Compact.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience.
IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.
https://themayflowersociety.org/history/the-mayflower-compact/
All of these ancestors are on Mom’s side of the family, as 99% of Dad’s family came over from Germany after the Civil War.
I’ve done prior posts on the passengers that I have proven lineage to via the Mayflower Society but will just do a short recap here today. Please view my prior posts and everything under the tag “Mayflower” for Historical Time Frame to see those details.
When the group came over, they were grouped as the “Saints” who came over for religious reasons and the “Strangers” who were recruited by the London Merchant Adventure. – See this passenger list
Elizabeth Tilley and her parents John and Joan were among the “Saints”. That’s three passengers in the “Saints” category
John Howland, eventual husband of Elizabeth Tilley, and George Soule came over as servants. John Howland was a servant to John Carver and George Soule was a servant to Edward Winslow. That’s two that are probably in the “Saints” category by default of their position.
Francis Billington along with his parents, John and Elinore Billington was part of the “Strangers” group. The Billington family was pretty well known for being the troublemakers of the group. There are a lot of stories of their supposed misdeeds.
Francis Eaton with his wife Sarah and son Samuel were also among the “Strangers”. Francis is believed to be the carpenter in the colony and it is likely that he was in the employ of the London Merchant Adventure and was the Mayflower ship’s carpenter.
Billington and Eaton families add 6 passengers I have direct relationship to in the “Strangers” category and these two families intermarried.
I know in prior posts I hadn’t detailed all of the family members in my tally, and as I do that I have 6 “Strangers”, 3 “Saints”, and 2 servants of “Saints. The diversity of that is interesting and combine that with the fact that the Pilgrims had a long treaty with the Wampanoag that constituted the only treaty in the history of the United States that lasted through the lifetimes of the signers. I think that speaks volumes to how different groups and perspectives can learn to work together. Without all of these groups working together, the Mayflower passengers would never have made it as a settlement and we wouldn’t have this interesting history to share.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cory and Nicole Family History 