On Board the Mayflower

On board the Mayflower there were 25 to 30 crew members and 102 passengers.  The church members numbered 41 and the others were passengers who had joined them on board in England.  These two groups apparently referred to themselves as "Saints" (the Puritan Separatists) and the "Strangers" (everyone else). It's not surprising that on the 66 day voyage they didn't always get along. Quarters were tight and the "Saints" prayed and sang hymns and held services and had little else to do.   The strangers didn't always appreciate their godliness (and no doubt "holier than thou" attitude) and made disparaging remarks.  The Saints of course were not going to put up with that having left their homes to find religious freedom.  The funny thing is, they wanted freedom to practice their faith, but didn't tolerate others freedom of religion. The strangers were comprised of individuals and families who were tradesmen looking for a fresh start in the New World.
For all of their apparent disdain of each other, both groups soon realized that to survive in this foreign environment they would have to work together.  Collectively, the entire group became known as the Pilgrims. 

The passenger list from the Mayflower was well documented by Gov. William Bradford.

Below is a list of Pilgrims which our family appears to be related to. The Mayflower passenger established descendant lines have been traced down to our family lines, but in order to prove it to the standards of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants we would have to find birth, death and marriage certificates.  I have provided these for the line going to William Brewster.  The paperwork has been submitted and we are currently awaiting a reply, which could still take another month or more.  Proving this one line took quite a bit of extra research and money so I am not anxious to prove the other lines.  I am satisfied that the other lines are correct based upon research conducted by numerous individuals across the US while working on their family trees, and historical documents I have located. 

Our family Mayflower passengers are shown below.  I have indicated which Family the line connects (A - Ayer) (S - Sawyer)


Church members
William Brewster (A)
Mary Brewster, wife of William (A)
Love Brewster, son of William (A)
Wrestling Brewster, son of William (A)


Strangers
John Alden (A)
William Mullins (A)
Alice Mullins, wife of William (A)
Priscilla Mullins, Daughter of William (A)
Joseph Mullins, Son of William (A)
John Tilley (S)
Joan Tilley, wife of John (S)
Elizabeth Tilley, daughter of John (S)
Edward Tilley, brother of John (S)
Anne Tilley, wife of Edward (S)
Humility Cooper, niece of Anne Tilley (S)
Henry Samson, nephew of Anne Tilley (S)
Richard Warren (S)
Stephen Hopkins (S)
Elizabeth Hopkins, wife of Stephen (S)
Constance Hopkins, daughter of Stephen (S)
Giles Hopkins, Son of Stephen (S)
Damaris Hopkins, Son of Stephen (S)
Oceanus Hopkins, Son of Stephen (S) 

John Howland (S)

Next up...The voyage and Land Ho!

Where to begin a blog?

Thanksgiving is only a few days away so it seems appropriate to begin with our Pilgrim forefathers. Perhaps, a brief history lesson would be appropriate. While this is common knowledge, revisiting with the family mindset gives it a new "shiny" relevance. With that in mind...

Around 1607, a group of "radical Puritans" who were members of the English Separatists Church left England to find a safe haven for their religious beliefs.  They journeyed to the Netherlands, which was relatively tolerant with lenient laws. They settled in Leiden and at this point there were approximately 100 members. They stayed here until the political climate began to shift in Europe around them.  They recognized that it was time to find a place of their own.  Their children were adopting the Dutch ways and language, and although they were separatists they firmly believed themselves to be Citizens of England and wanted to retain their heritage. They negotiated and obtained a land patent. The location chosen was north of the already established Jamestown.  They would be far enough away to do what they wanted, but close enough to ask for assistance if needed. 

It was decided that not all of the church members would undertake this first journey. Some would stay behind and maintain the church in Leiden until the settlement would be ready for the rest.  It was the youngest and strongest along with leaders who were chosen. Two ships were obtained with backing of a London Stock Company.  The Speedwell and the Mayflower.  The Speedwell was the smaller of the two vessels and brought the church members from Leiden to England where they joined with the Mayflower to prepare for the journey. 

The two ships sailed August 5, 1620. Unfortunately the Speedwell had numerous problems and both ships returned to port for repairs, cast off again and had to return a second time. The Speedwell was deemed  unseaworthy and some passengers and provisions were transferred to the Mayflower.  The remaining Speedwell passengers stayed behind in England, and eventually returned to Leiden. The Mayflower set out a second time on September 6, 1620. 

"When the Leiden Separatists (later known as "The Pilgrims") lived in the Dutch town of Leiden, they would have seen people skating on iced-over canals during the winter months.  Anthony Beerstraten created this painting, depicting the frozen town of Leiden, circa 1665.  Image online via Wikimedia Commons. "

Want to know know more about the Time in Leiden? Check this out http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-pilgrims-before-plymouth-111851259/


Next up... On Board the Mayflower

Let the Quest Begin...

The purpose of this blog is to share information, genealogy, history, and thoughts on our combined rich family trees.  Last summer I spent many hours researching our collective roots, discovering clues, stories and places related to all branches of our family. The amount of information is vast and keeping track of it all difficult. So I have established this blog, where I can share this wealth of knowledge and discovered treasures.  Inspired by our families love of movies, I chose the name The Grail Diary from the Indiana Jones movie franchise.  Henry Jones kept his Grail Diary for years recording his discoveries, musings, and no doubt, literary quotes.  I hope to make this OUR Grail Diary, filling it not only for our purposes, but for the enlightenment of future generations.  Let the Quest begin...