The General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants—commonly called the Mayflower Society—is a hereditary organization of individuals who have documented their descent from at least one of the 102 passengers who arrived on the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...

'' in 1620 at what is now

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth ( ; historically also spelled as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklor ...

. The Society was founded at Plymouth in 1897.

Organization

A primary goal of the Society is to educate the public about the role of the Pilgrims in the early history of what would later become the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

. There are Mayflower societies in all 50

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Today, it is estimated that up to tens of millions of

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

have at least one ancestor who was among this group of early settlers. Any person able to document their descent from one or more of the ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims is eligible to apply for membership in the Mayflower Society. The General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants is listed as an approved lineage society with the

Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America The Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America ("HSC") is a non-profit organization, founded in 2002, which conveys the public interface for over 300 lineage societies. HSC's primary mission is to facilitate and increase the comm ...

List of Pilgrims with known descendants

The Pilgrims by Florence Earle Coates Thomas Whitney Surette 1900

This is a list of ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims who are known to have living descendants: *

John Alden John Alden ( – September 12, 1687) was an English politician, settler, and cooper, best known for being a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth ...

* Priscilla (Mullins) Alden * Bartholomew Allerton *

Isaac Allerton Isaac Allerton Sr. (c. 1586 – 1658/9), and his family, were passengers in 1620 on the historic voyage of the ship '' Mayflower''. Allerton was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact. In Plymouth Colony he was active in colony governmental affa ...

* Mary (Norris) Allerton * Mary (Allerton) Cushman * Remember (Allerton) Maverick * Elinor Billington * Francis Billington * John Billington * William Bradford * Love Brewster * Mary Brewster * William Brewster * Peter Browne * James Chilton * Mrs. Chilton (wife of James) * Mary (Chilton) Winslow *

Francis Cooke Francis Cooke (c.1583 – April 7, 1663) was a Leiden Separatist, who went to America in 1620 on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'', which arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was a founding member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a signer of ...

* John Cooke *

Edward Doty Edward Doty (August 23, 1655) was a passenger on the 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' to North America; he was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. Early life Doty came from England, but from where in Suffolk, England 1598. According ...

* Francis Eaton * Samuel Eaton * Sarah Eaton * Moses Fletcher * Edward Fuller * Mrs. Fuller (wife of Edward) * Samuel Fuller (son of Edward) *

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and actor. He was known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made outside t ...

(brother of Edward) * Constance (Hopkins) Snow * Giles Hopkins * Stephen Hopkins * Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins *

John Howland John Howland (February 23, 1673) was an English indentured servant who accompanied the English Separatists and other passengers when they left England on the to settle in Plymouth Colony. In later years, he was an executive assistant and pers ...

Richard More Richard Edwardes More (3 January 1879 – 24 November 1936) was an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, he played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Middlesex, amongst others, and later playe ...

* William Mullins * Degory Priest * Joseph Rogers * Thomas Rogers * Henry Samson * George Soule *

Myles Standish Myles Standish ( – October 3, 1656) was an English military officer and colonist. He was hired as military adviser for Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, United States by the Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony), Pilgrims. Standish accompan ...

* Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland * John Tilley * Joan (Hurst) Tilley *

Richard Warren Richard Warren () was one of the passengers on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'' and a signer of the Mayflower Compact. Early life Richard Warren married Elizabeth Walker, at Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, on 14 April 1610. Elizabeth Walker was ...

Peregrine White Peregrine White ( ) was the first boy born on the Pilgrim ship the ''Mayflower'' in the harbour of Massachusetts, the second baby born on the ''Mayflower''s historic voyage, and the first known English child born to the Pilgrims in America. ...

Resolved White Resolved White (c. 1615 – after September 19, 1687) was a passenger on the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower''. In 1620, he accompanied his parents, Pilgrims William and Susanna White, on the journey. He married Judith Vassall, daughter of William Vassa ...

* Susanna (Jackson) White Winslow * William White *

Edward Winslow Edward Winslow (18 October 15958 May 1655) was a English Separatist, Separatist and New England political leader who traveled on the ''Mayflower'' in 1620. He was one of several senior leaders on the ship and also later at Plymouth Colony. Both ...

Notable members

* Sarah Gertrude Banks, American physician and activist * Ada Brown, American judge *

Anna Matilda Larrabee Anna Matilda Larrabee (, Appelman; August 13, 1842 – December 30, 1931) was an American social leader. Married to Iowa List of governors of Iowa, Governor William Larrabee (Iowa politician), William Larrabee, she served as the First lady, First ...

, American social leader *

Harriet Wright O'Leary Harriet Wright O'Leary (December 7, 1916 – December 22, 1999) was an American teacher and politician. She was the first woman to serve on the tribal council of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the first woman to vie for the position as Princ ...

(1916–1999) first woman elected to serve on the Choctaw National Council and one-time governor of the Oklahoma Mayflower Society chapter. * Edith Scott Magna, American civic leader *

Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. ( ; born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger; October 15, 1917 – February 28, 2007) was an American historian, social critic, and public intellectual. The son of the influential historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. and a ...

, American intellectual

Museum

In 1941 the Society purchased the Edward Winslow House in

. The mansion home was originally built in 1754 by the great-grandson of

, third Governor of Plymouth Colony. The Society operates the home as the Mayflower House Museum, an 18th-century

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...

with period decorations and furnishings. The offices and library of the General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants are located behind the mansion.

Notes

External links