The Mayflower had 102 passengers. The first winter in the New World killed about half. So, you may ask, just how many descendants could there be. Estimates put it at around 35 million. That accounts for about 12% of the U.S. populations. Finding Your Mayflower Ancestors by Susan E. Roser can help you find out if you are one of those direct descendants.
Starting with a modest history and origin of the Mayflower pilgrims, Roser, follows with an expansive guide to researching family connections to these brave travelers. A key goal of the book is to help the reader successfully document their New England heritage with direct ties to the Pilgrims’ descendants. Resources examined in this book include, libraries, archives, record offices, and both historical as well as genealogical societies. Repositories include traditional research facilities, digital media, such as CDROMs, and Internet resources.
Table of Contents
Who Were the Pilgrims and Why Were They on the Mayflower?
England
- Religious Beliefs of the Separatists
- Scrooby — Where the Story Begins
- Fleeing England
Holland
- The Amsterdam & Leyeden Years
- Amsterdam
- Leyden
- Lifestyles Clash – And More
- Leaving Holland – Making Choices
New England
- The Voyage of the Mayflower
- The Mayflower Compact
- Passenger List & Those Who Left Descendants
- Passengers Who Left Known Descendants
Mayflower Research Tools & Resouces
- Printed Materials
- Family Genealogies
- MF and MFIPs
- Multi-Family Genealogies
- Town Histories
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Periodicals & Journals
- PERSI
- The Mayflower Descendant
- New England Historical & Genealogical Register
- The American Genealogist
- The Mayflower Quarterly
Primary Records
- Vital Records
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Probates and Deeds
- Probates
- Deeds (or Land Records)
CD-ROMs — What’s Available?
- Records on CD
- Massachusetts vital records
- Rhode Island vital records
- Census records
- Barnstable, Massachusetts Records
- Probate Records
- New England Historical & Genealogical Register
- Books on CD
- Massachusetts Probate Town & Vital Records
- Pilgrim Genealogies and Histories
- Early New England Settlers, 1600s–1800s
- Early Maine and New Hampshire Settlers
- Massachusetts Genealogical Records
Mayflower Research Repositories & Internet Resources Repositories
- Public Record Offices
- Restrictions
- Connecticut Department of Public Health
- Maine Office Registry of Vital Records & Statistics
- New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records
- Rhode Island Department of Health
- Vermont Department of Health
- Archives
- Connecticut State Library
- Rhode Island State Archives
- Libraries
- Allen County Public Library
- Family History Center
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
- Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants
- Mayflower Society Library
- Connecticut Historical Society Library
- Maine State Library
- Maine Historical Society Library
- Maine State Library
- Maine Historical Society
- The Sturgis Library
- New Hampshire State Library
- Rhode Island Historical Society Library
- Vermont Historical Society Library
- Genealogical & Historical Societies
- New England Historical Genealogical Society
- Connecticut Society of Genealogical, Inc.
- Maine Genealogical Society
- Maine Historical Society
- New Hampshire Society of Genealogists
- New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association
- New Hampshire Historical Society
- Rhode Island Historical Society
- Rhode Island Genealogical Society
- Newport Historical Society
- Vermont Historical Society
Internet Resources
- Mayflower WebSites
- The Mayflower Web Page
- The Pilgrims and Plymoth Colony: 1620
- The Pilgrim Society
- Plimoth Plantation
- Sail 1620
- The Plymouth Colony Archive Project
- Thru the Looking Glass
- William Bradford Website
- Database & Record Sites
- Ancestry.com
- New England Historic & Genealogical Society
- New England Genealogy
- Jane Devlin’s Site
- US GenWeb Archives
- Cape Cod Gravestones
- Ye Olde Burial Grounds, Plympton, MA
- The Tombstone Transcription Project
- New England History & Genealogy Free Books
- Mailing Lists
- Subscribing
- Rules & Etiquette
- Master List
General Society of Mayflower Descendants
- History of the Mayflower Society
- Mayflower Society House
- The Mayflower Society Today
- Historian General’s Office
- Mayflower Library
- The Computer Age
Membership Information
- Who Can Join?
- State Societies
- Whom to Contact
- Application & Membership Fees
- Junior Membership
Membership Benefits
- Remembering Your Ancestors
- Safekeeping of Your Research
- Fellowship with Mayflower Cousins
- The Mayflower Quarterly
- Five Generations Project
Documenting Your Line for Membership
- Application Procedure
- Approval Process
- Previously Approved Line
- Documentation Requirements
- Primary Sources
- Secondary Sources
- Unacceptable Sources
Research Tips
- Where to Begin?
- Educated Yourself
- Pre-1900 Dates
- Post-1900 Dates
- Can’t Find the Records?
Did You Know?
Old Style/New Style Dating
- Julian Calendar (old style)
- Gregorian Calendar (new style)
- Double Dating
- What Does it Mean to us Today?
Mayflower Family Associations
- Alden Kindred of America Inc.
- Allerton Family Association
- The Society of Descendants of Robert Bartlett of Plymouth, Mass.
- Billington Family Association
- The Governor William Bradford Compact
- Elder William Brewster Society
- Chilton’s Children
- Francis Cooke Society
- Delano Kindred
- The Pilgrim Edward Doty Society
- The Fuller Society
- Pilgrim John Howland Society
- The Thomas Rogers Society
- Soule Kindred of America
- Warren Cousins
- Winslow Family Association
Deoxyribonucleic Acid & Mayflower Research
- Chromosomes, Mitochondria…and DNA–101
- Mitochondria DNA Testing
- Y-Line Chromosome Testing
- The Benefits to Mayflower Research
Mayflower Research Library
- Early Historical Works
- Mourt’s Relation (1622)
- Good Newes From New England (1624)
- Three Visitors to Early Plymouth (1620s)
- New English Canaan
- New Englands Memorial
- Of Plimith Plantation, 1620–1647
- Transcribed Records
- Records of Plymouth Colony (PCR)
- Records of the Town of Plymouth, 1636–1783
- Plymouth Church Records, 1620–1859
- Plymouth Court Records, 1686–1859
- The Mayflower Reader
- Pilgrim Biographies & Histories
- The England and Holland of the Pilgrims
- English Ancestry & Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers
- Plymouth Colony, Its History & People, 1620–1691
- Times of Their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony
- A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony
- Saints and Strangers
- Debts Hopeful and Desperate
To order a copy, for yourself or as a gift, of Finding Your Mayflower Ancestors, please contact Family Roots Publishing; Item #HA09.