The General Society of Mayflower Descendants
A Lineage Society to Honor the Memory of Pilgrims
Oct 3, 2009
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants was chartered in 1897 to honor the memory of those who made that perilous voyage. The members, all descendants of the Pilgrims who arrived in the new world on the Mayflower in 1620 at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, felt that a national society should be established to honor those ancestors.
There were only 102 courageous individuals who made the journey on that little ship. Half of those original settlers died during their first winter in America; the rest were indebted to native inhabitants who befriended them and helped the colony succeed. Americans take great pride in those early settlers who set out across the ocean in search of religious freedom, and the Mayflower Society celebrates their perseverance and ingenuity in making a home in such an alien place.
Mayflower Descendants
While 41 men signed the Mayflower Compact, not all survived or left descendants. Therefore, prospective members must prove their descent from one of the following passengers who are known to have descendants. Members may prove their descent from more than one Pilgrim.
- John Alden
- Isaac Allerton
- Mary (Norris) Allerton
- John Billington
- William Bradford
- William Brewster
- Peter Browne
- James Chilton
- Francis Cooke
- Edward Doty
- Francis Eaton
- Moses Fletcher
- Edward Fuller
- Samuel Fuller
- Stephen Hopkins
- Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins
- John Howland
- Richard More
- William Mullins
- Degory Priest
- Thomas Rogers
- Henry Samson
- George Soule
- Myles Standish
- John Tilley
- Joan (Hurst) Tilley
- Richard Warren
- William White
- Edward Winslow
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants not only honors the Pilgrims, it is dedicated to educating people about the role they played in the early history and development of the American colonies. There are Mayflower societies in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Canada, as well as members living in many other countries.
Joining the Society
Many people today do not realize that they are descended from the Mayflower Pilgrims. Even though the Pilgrims were few in number, their descendants now number in the millions. Those interested in the history of the U.S., and especially in genealogy, should consider investigating further. If a potential member has heard family stories about a particular Mayflower passenger, and has already done some genealogy, books such as Mayflower families through five generations, by Lucy Mary Kellogg, will provide a lot of helpful information. The Mayflower Society website also offers information and the opportunity to fill out a preliminary review form to determine what documentation is needed.
Potential members may also wish to read copies of the Mayflower Quarterly, available in many public library genealogy collections. It includes articles about the Pilgrims and their experiences, researched genealogies of Mayflower families, and current news of the Society’s events and members.
The Society has a museum, the Mayflower Society House, in Plymouth, Mass, just around the corner from Plymouth Rock. An adjoining building houses the society library, which is open to members and non-members alike. The house, an eighteenth century home built by Edward Winslow, is sited on property overlooking a harbor where a reproduction of The Mayflower is moored.
Those interested in U.S. lineage societies may wish to join others, such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, the National Society United States Daughters of 1812, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, or the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
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