Women Of The Mayflower

My only Mayflower ancestor came over in 1629 ... on her last voyage. I think they broke the boat!

The Plimouth Plantation living historians do a strictly first person impression. They are very well trained, and it is almost impossible to catch them out of character ... though a lot of people try.

I gave one old lady a pleasant "Merry Christmas!" once, and only got a grumbled, dismissive "High Churchman!!!" in return (the Pilgrims didn't celebrate Christmas ... a reaction to the half-pagan 'party' atmosphere of 17th century English celebrations).

jno
Who is your Mayflower ancestor?
 
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Who is your Mayflower ancestor?
Richard Masterson. IIRC he had just married in Leyden in 1619, and his wife was expecting their first, so they didn't cross on Mayflower's first voyage. Finally came in 1629; their son, Nathaniel was next in my line. The Plymouth colonists proved too "Saintly" for Richard, so he moved to Boston. Nathaniel developed the same opinion of Bostonians, so he joined Sir Ferdinando Gorges' distinctly un-saintly new settlement of Agamenticus (now York), in Maine. There seems to be some speculation that Richard's father was the "Edmund Margesson" of the 1620 voyage (he didn't survive the first winter). So, maybe I did have a Mayflower first-comeoverer!

Egad! I still remember that clearly after almost 50 years ... and I couldn't tell you what I had for dinner last night!
 
It is endlessly fascinating. Our very deep history gives me chills. Predictably, my mother's line is Howland- predictably, knowing the family.

Bringing this back up, it's crazy, thinking what these people did. They came ashore- and that's it. The rest was up to them. I may be addicted to looking at the night sky, vast and cold, through New England pines. Then I can go back in the cabin. In the morning, get in the boat, find the darn car, drive to the store. The Pilgrims? Nothing. Trees and moss and rocks and wildlife no one had ever seen and the bay at their backs.

Who is your Mayflower ancestor?


Peter Browne? One of the most interesting! Goodness. And intrepid. He must have left his family behind for this chance to go somewhere different. You wonder what he would have thought, knowing how beloved his name now is.

Richard Masterson. IIRC he had just married in Leyden in 1619, and his wife was expecting their first, so they didn't cross on Mayflower's first voyage. Finally came in 1629; their son, Nathaniel was next in my line. The Plymouth colonists proved too "Saintly" for Richard, so he moved to Boston. Nathaniel developed the same opinion of Bostonians, so he joined Sir Ferdinando Gorges' distinctly un-saintly new settlement of Agamenticus (now York), in Maine. There seems to be some speculation that Richard's father was the "Edmund Margesson" of the 1620 voyage (he didn't survive the first winter). So, maybe I did have a Mayflower first-comeoverer!

Egad! I still remember that clearly after almost 50 years ... and I couldn't tell you what I had for dinner last night!


Well, in defense of memories, came across an article which must have been researched and written by one of us. The claim is, our memories are not, in fact, becoming poor. We merely have so much more to remember, unsurprisingly, it begins to apparently fall out of our ears somewhere. I'd source the article but.......

Don't you marvel at your ancestors, settling Maine, of all places? Lakes freeze over from what, October until April, mosquitos and black fly season, wildlife with very large teeth. We can love Maine, and carefully- without knowing what was there or having goodness, an ability to get oneself through a winter ( can you imagine the stacks of wood? ), what on earth did they do, centuries ago?
 
It is endlessly fascinating. Our very deep history gives me chills. Predictably, my mother's line is Howland- predictably, knowing the family.

Bringing this back up, it's crazy, thinking what these people did. They came ashore- and that's it. The rest was up to them. I may be addicted to looking at the night sky, vast and cold, through New England pines. Then I can go back in the cabin. In the morning, get in the boat, find the darn car, drive to the store. The Pilgrims? Nothing. Trees and moss and rocks and wildlife no one had ever seen and the bay at their backs.

I think it was the power of God that led them and gave them confidence.


Peter Browne? One of the most interesting! Goodness. And intrepid. He must have left his family behind for this chance to go somewhere different. You wonder what he would have thought, knowing how beloved his name now is.




Well, in defense of memories, came across an article which must have been researched and written by one of us. The claim is, our memories are not, in fact, becoming poor. We merely have so much more to remember, unsurprisingly, it begins to apparently fall out of our ears somewhere. I'd source the article but.......

Don't you marvel at your ancestors, settling Maine, of all places? Lakes freeze over from what, October until April, mosquitos and black fly season, wildlife with very large teeth. We can love Maine, and carefully- without knowing what was there or having goodness, an ability to get oneself through a winter ( can you imagine the stacks of wood? ), what on earth did they do, centuries ago?
 
Richard Masterson. IIRC he had just married in Leyden in 1619, and his wife was expecting their first, so they didn't cross on Mayflower's first voyage. Finally came in 1629; their son, Nathaniel was next in my line. The Plymouth colonists proved too "Saintly" for Richard, so he moved to Boston. Nathaniel developed the same opinion of Bostonians, so he joined Sir Ferdinando Gorges' distinctly un-saintly new settlement of Agamenticus (now York), in Maine. There seems to be some speculation that Richard's father was the "Edmund Margesson" of the 1620 voyage (he didn't survive the first winter). So, maybe I did have a Mayflower first-comeoverer!

Egad! I still remember that clearly after almost 50 years ... and I couldn't tell you what I had for dinner last night!
Thanks for sharing. my Mayflower ancestor is Peter Browne.
 
I am descendant of Richard Warren, one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. My ancestor Richard Church arrived at Mass. Bay Colony in 1630 and later married one of Warren's daughters in 1636 (her name was Elizabeth, she arrived with the rest of Warren's family in 1623 on the "Good Ship Anne"). Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren Church had 15 children during their lifetime together.

Richard Warren is listed briefly in Bradford's history of the Colony. Warren was a merchant from London that took the voyage on the Mayflower with the hopes of profiting from any financial gains the Colony might experience. He himself was not a member of the Pilgrim sect that was on board.

I have an old 50' spool of 16mm color movie film ( taken with one of the old Keystone windup cameras) of me and my family on board the Mayflower replica. Like about 1958. It is priceless. I was maybe one year old at the time. Amazing that the matching movie projector still works also.
 
I am descendant of Richard Warren, one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. My ancestor Richard Church arrived at Mass. Bay Colony in 1630 and later married one of Warren's daughters in 1636 (her name was Elizabeth, she arrived with the rest of Warren's family in 1623 on the "Good Ship Anne"). Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren Church had 15 children during their lifetime together.

Richard Warren is listed briefly in Bradford's history of the Colony. Warren was a merchant from London that took the voyage on the Mayflower with the hopes of profiting from any financial gains the Colony might experience. He himself was not a member of the Pilgrim sect that was on board.

I have an old 50' spool of 16mm color movie film ( taken with one of the old Keystone windup cameras) of me and my family on board the Mayflower replica. Like about 1958. It is priceless. I was maybe one year old at the time. Amazing that the matching movie projector still works also.


Fifteen! Goodness. How did they do that? How arduous it must have been! We have such ease, buying baby items, clothes, food and furniture. I know there's the old image where babies slept in drawers- but settlers had to make those, too, usually.

I did not know Warren was not part of the sect. Imagination can sketch him in better clothing, at least. :giggle: I've always thought it unfortunate our famous ' Pilgrim ' costume, so beloved by all of us it's iconic, was fairly ridiculed at ' home '. All the severe colors and very plain dresses I guess set the sect apart from others.
 
On the topic, without being much of an expert- while fashion was opulent for the upper classes it could not be, further down social scales. Still- frills, color and form could be followed- unless one might be in service. Even in those cases, as in ' The Young Housekeeper ', some ' pretty ' intruded.

pil 1630.JPG


pil 1630 2.JPG

Pairs, but still Europe. What was normal for non-elite

pil 1630 3.JPG
pil 1630 4.JPG


pil 1630.JPG

Upper classes

pil 1630 5.JPG
pil 1630 6.JPG
 
The Winthrop Society has a wealth of information about a lot of the families. There were many on board the Mayflower that weren't Pilgrims, Warren being one of them. He may have taken the voyage to escape creditors, or perhaps was taking a chance in establishing some type of profitable endeavor. From what I know, once the rest of his family arrived at Plymouth, he died a few years later, leaving his widowed wife and their children to fend for themselves. Warren's wife's name was Elizabeth and their daughter Elizabeth is the one that married Richard Church. I can't imagine having 15 children, that poor gal must have been worn out mentally and physically.
 
I am descendant of Richard Warren, one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. My ancestor Richard Church arrived at Mass. Bay Colony in 1630 and later married one of Warren's daughters in 1636 (her name was Elizabeth, she arrived with the rest of Warren's family in 1623 on the "Good Ship Anne"). Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren Church had 15 children during their lifetime together.

Richard Warren is listed briefly in Bradford's history of the Colony. Warren was a merchant from London that took the voyage on the Mayflower with the hopes of profiting from any financial gains the Colony might experience. He himself was not a member of the Pilgrim sect that was on board.

I have an old 50' spool of 16mm color movie film ( taken with one of the old Keystone windup cameras) of me and my family on board the Mayflower replica. Like about 1958. It is priceless. I was maybe one year old at the time. Amazing that the matching movie projector still works also.

I can't help but ask if and how you're related to one of the greatest Patriots of the Revolution, Dr. Joseph Warren; and also one of the greatest poltroons and traitors, Dr. Benjamin Church?
 
The Winthrop Society has a wealth of information about a lot of the families. There were many on board the Mayflower that weren't Pilgrims, Warren being one of them. He may have taken the voyage to escape creditors, or perhaps was taking a chance in establishing some type of profitable endeavor. From what I know, once the rest of his family arrived at Plymouth, he died a few years later, leaving his widowed wife and their children to fend for themselves. Warren's wife's name was Elizabeth and their daughter Elizabeth is the one that married Richard Church. I can't imagine having 15 children, that poor gal must have been worn out mentally and physically.
I understand that my ancestor, Peter Browne, was not a Pilgrim. His reasons for leaving England were not for religious freedom, apparently. I wonder why he did leave.
 
Dr. Joseph Warren is indeed descendant of Richard Warren. Dr. Warren was a member of the church that the lanterns were put up in the night before April 19 1775. I think the church still has his name plate on the pew his family used. On my mother's side of the family, I am descendant of Israel Stone, who was a private in Captain Thomas Eustis's company of the 7th Worcester County Volunteer Militia. He signed up the day after Lexington/Concord and served as a volunteer for many months. He also served in other militia units of Worcester County. I know there was another guy on my mother's side that was at Breed's Hill along with Dr. Warren. I'd have to pull out all my DAR records to be able to elaborate.

I may be related to Benjamin Church but doubt it. The Church family on my father's side all resided in Conn. during the Revolutionary time frame. My direct descendant was Willard Church (sixth generation from Richard). He served in the 4th Conn., and was part of the Continental Line for almost 4 years. That regiment served under Anthony Wayne for a while.
 
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Dr. Joseph Warren is indeed descendant of Richard Warren. Dr. Warren was a member of the church that the lanterns were put up in the night before April 19 1775. I think the church still has his name plate on the pew his family used. On my mother's side of the family, I am descendant of Israel Stone, who was a private in Captain Thomas Eustis's company of the 7th Worcester County Volunteer Militia. He signed up the day after Lexington/Concord and served as a volunteer for many months. He also served in other militia units of Worcester County. I know there was another guy on my mother's side that was at Breed's Hill along with Dr. Warren. I'd have to pull out all my DAR records to be able to elaborate.

I may be related to Benjamin Church but doubt it. The Church family on my father's side all resided in Conn. during the Revolutionary time frame. My direct descendant was Willard Church (sixth generation from Richard). He served in the 4th Conn., and was part of the Continental Line for almost 4 years. That regiment served under Anthony Wayne for a while.


You know, growing up, had an unusual amount of elderly relatives- knew great grandmothers, great great aunts and had a ' missing generation ', twice. You know- where a parent died and grandparents had huge influence raising children. People born in 1880 were well known to me. Their memories were of people born in 1850, 1840 and earlier. Seems crazy, thinking of it now. Goodness- one great grandmother was born in 1863, in DC, smack in the middle of the war, in the middle of a political family. That family fought for the Wrong George some years earlier. She helped raise my mother. History is passed down.

We grew up just knowing the family, that's all. There's a good amount of history, I know now, shot through. Then? Just knew them as people in the tree- it's not like today, where one is required to carry one's laminated card to prove a thing. Trust the old folks- I can still look a Ancestry and see where trees have run amuck. There are names, not necessarily well known, in the tree I removed from view. Why? Was not prepared for the negative input from strangers. It is unlikely I would defend who we are, had no idea this was a ' thing ' and declined sending away for whatever laminated card confirms one's DNA. :giggle: Had one person write to ensure I knew a name in our tree was not THE family well known to be related to royalty. Ha! I said Thank You. Then put in my store-bought teeth. It is all so crazy to me. We are who we are. That's America.
 
Dr. Joseph Warren is indeed descendant of Richard Warren. Dr. Warren was a member of the church that the lanterns were put up in the night before April 19 1775. I think the church still has his name plate on the pew his family used. On my mother's side of the family, I am descendant of Israel Stone, who was a private in Captain Thomas Eustis's company of the 7th Worcester County Volunteer Militia. He signed up the day after Lexington/Concord and served as a volunteer for many months. He also served in other militia units of Worcester County. I know there was another guy on my mother's side that was at Breed's Hill along with Dr. Warren. I'd have to pull out all my DAR records to be able to elaborate...
Old North Church.JPG


I last visited Old North Church in April, 1996; the back view above was to show where a window had once been that is now bricked up that figured in its Revolutionary history. I can't vouch for pew markings, but at that time in a case along the wall near one of the entrances was displayed a non-regulation type sword that was said to have belonged to Col. Robert Gould Shaw of Glory fame. One of what was said to have been the pair of lanterns hung in the steeple by the vestryman at Revere's behest is now displayed in the Concord Museum in nearby Concord, where against prohibitions on photos I took the rather blurry one of it below.

Paul Revere Lantern.JPG
 
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OMG I remember my G Grandmother so well. She's the one that got me interested in history when I was a child. She passed away in 1968 at the age of 92. I was 11 years old then. Her father was JP Church, the guy in my avatar, that's her ink pen arrow pointing at him. Her mind/memory was sharp as a whip and she would tell me stories about her family that I still fondly remember. She insisted we go to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas which we did. It was so hot out that day that I got sick and puked up the can of orange soda I had just finished drinking. As a result, we left before the re-enactment concluded. And yes she had false teeth also. She used to pull out her dentures so I could look at them and marvel.
 
OMG I remember my G Grandmother so well. She's the one that got me interested in history when I was a child. She passed away in 1968 at the age of 92. I was 11 years old then. Her father was JP Church, the guy in my avatar, that's her ink pen arrow pointing at him. Her mind/memory was sharp as a whip and she would tell me stories about her family that I still fondly remember. She insisted we go to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas which we did. It was so hot out that day that I got sick and puked up the can of orange soda I had just finished drinking. As a result, we left before the re-enactment concluded. And yes she had false teeth also. She used to pull out her dentures so I could look at them and marvel.

My mother served that function for me, and she agreed to drive all the way from a suburb of Dallas where we lived to Gettysburg then backtrack to Northern Virginia and the Centennial reenactment at Manassas. I too remember the beastly 100+ degree heat with no clouds and little shade (we had bleacher seats) but was fortunate not to have had your experience. That was my introduction to reenacting, and when I had the chance to participate during the Bicentennial in 1976 I took it!
 
You know, growing up, had an unusual amount of elderly relatives- knew great grandmothers, great great aunts and had a ' missing generation ', twice. You know- where a parent died and grandparents had huge influence raising children. People born in 1880 were well known to me. Their memories were of people born in 1850, 1840 and earlier. Seems crazy, thinking of it now. Goodness- one great grandmother was born in 1863, in DC, smack in the middle of the war, in the middle of a political family. That family fought for the Wrong George some years earlier. She helped raise my mother. History is passed down.

We grew up just knowing the family, that's all. There's a good amount of history, I know now, shot through. Then? Just knew them as people in the tree- it's not like today, where one is required to carry one's laminated card to prove a thing. Trust the old folks- I can still look a Ancestry and see where trees have run amuck. There are names, not necessarily well known, in the tree I removed from view. Why? Was not prepared for the negative input from strangers. It is unlikely I would defend who we are, had no idea this was a ' thing ' and declined sending away for whatever laminated card confirms one's DNA. :giggle: Had one person write to ensure I knew a name in our tree was not THE family well known to be related to royalty. Ha! I said Thank You. Then put in my store-bought teeth. It is all so crazy to me. We are who we are. That's America.
I hope you keep a record of these stories.
 
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