Possible Pilgrim Ancestry

I will begin this post with a major caveat; I have not gone through the process to prove my connection to these lines with the Mayflower Society in an official way. Furthermore, some lines are still in the preliminary research stages when new evidence could easily break the connection I believe is present. It is interesting that both of my grandmothers have significantly more Mayflower ancestors than my grandfathers.

Maternal Lines: Yates & Blake

John Alden - Yates - Elizabeth Alden - Mary Pabodie - Mercy Southworth - Alice Soule -Diman Perry - Abigail Perry - Betsy Judkins - Apphia Delphinia Cole - George Hayes - Eva Delphinia Hayes - Linona Alice Yates

William Mullins - Yates - Priscilla Mullins - Elizabeth Alden (See Above)

George Soule - Yates - John Soule - Moses Soule - Alice Soule (See above)

Edward Doty - Yates - Mary Doty - Mary Churchill - Mary Stevens - Eleazer Cole - Calvin Cole - Calvin Cole - Apphia Delphina Cole - George Hayes - Eva Delphinia Hayes - Linona Alice Yates

William Bradford - Blake - William Bradford - Hannah Bradford - Hezekiah Ripley - Joshua Ripley - Joshua Ripley - Nancy Ripley - Galen Blake - Charles G. Blake - Harriet Blake - Clayton L. Blake 

Paternal Lines: Cotton & Carter

Isaac Allerton - Cotton - Remember Allerton - Abigail Maverick - Martha Ward - Martha Tuthill (Tuttle) - Martha Haskell - Ruth Safford - Martha Haskell - Mary "Sally" Houghton - Florilla Dunham - Nina K. Ellingwood - Annie Florilla Gibbs - Fern Lyndell Cotton 

Stephen Hopkins - Cotton - Constance Hopkins - Elizabeth Snow - Eleazer Rogers - Experience Rogers - Deborah Totman - Asa Alden Barrows - Rachel Barrows - Asa Freeman Ellingwood - Nina K. Ellingwood (See Above) 

Thomas Rogers - Cotton - Joseph Rogers - Thomas Rogers - Eleazer Rogers (See Above) 

Richard Warren - Cotton - Ann Warren - Hannah Little - Mary Tilden - John Thomas - Mary Thomas - James Dunham - James Dunham - Florilla Dunham (See Above) 

James Chilton - Cotton - Isabella Chilton - Sarah Chandler - Moses Simmons (Simonson) - Moses Simmons - Patience Simmons - Moses Barrows - Deborah Totman (See Above) 

Mayflower Lines (Maybe)

I will begin this post with a major caveat; I have not gone through the process to prove my connection to these lines with the Mayflower Society in an official way. Furthermore, some lines are still in the preliminary research stages when new evidence could easily break the connection I believe is present. It is interesting that both of my grandmothers have significantly more Mayflower ancestors than my grandfathers.

Maternal Lines: Yates & Blake

John Alden - Yates - Elizabeth Alden - Mary Pabodie - Mercy Southworth - Alice Soule -Diman Perry - Abigail Perry - Betsy Judkins - Apphia Delphinia Cole - George Hayes - Eva Delphinia Hayes - Linona Alice Yates

William Mullins - Yates - Priscilla Mullins - Elizabeth Alden (See Above)

George Soule - Yates - John Soule - Moses Soule - Alice Soule (See above)

Edward Doty - Yates - Mary Doty - Mary Churchill - Mary Stevens - Eleazer Cole - Calvin Cole - Calvin Cole - Apphia Delphina Cole - George Hayes - Eva Delphinia Hayes - Linona Alice Yates

William Bradford - Blake - William Bradford - Hannah Bradford - Hezekiah Ripley - Joshua Ripley - Joshua Ripley - Nancy Ripley - Galen Blake - Charles G. Blake - Harriet Blake - Clayton L. Blake 

Paternal Lines: Cotton & Carter

Isaac Allerton - Cotton - Remember Allerton - Abigail Maverick - Martha Ward - Martha Tuthill (Tuttle) - Martha Haskell - Ruth Safford - Martha Haskell - Mary "Sally" Houghton - Florilla Dunham - Nina K. Ellingwood - Annie Florilla Gibbs - Fern Lyndell Cotton 

Stephen Hopkins - Cotton - Constance Hopkins - Elizabeth Snow - Eleazer Rogers - Experience Rogers - Deborah Totman - Asa Alden Barrows - Rachel Barrows - Asa Freeman Ellingwood - Nina K. Ellingwood (See Above) 

Thomas Rogers - Cotton - Joseph Rogers - Thomas Rogers - Eleazer Rogers (See Above) 

Richard Warren - Cotton - Ann Warren - Hannah Little - Mary Tilden - John Thomas - Mary Thomas - James Dunham - James Dunham - Florilla Dunham (See Above) 

James Chilton - Cotton - Isabella Chilton - Sarah Chandler - Moses Simmons (Simonson) - Moses Simmons - Patience Simmons - Moses Barrows - Deborah Totman (See Above) 

52 Ancestors #11 - Edward Doty

Edward Doty came on the Mayflower as a servant to Stephen Hopkins but he must have been close to the end of his indenture and likely an adult since he signed the Mayflower Compact. This means he was probably born around 1599. He died in Plymouth Colony on August 23, 1655.

Edward may have been married twice but nothing is known of his first wife, if indeed she existed. Her existence is implied by a comment made by William Bradford that Edward had a “second wife.” He married Faith Clarke, daughter of Thurston Clarke on January 6, 1634/5 in Plymouth. Faith outlived him and married John Phillips after Edward died. Faith was buried in Marshfield on December 21, 1675.

Edward was a planter.

He fought a duel shortly after his arrival. William Bradford recorded “ …the first duel fought in New England, upon a challenge at single combat with sword and dagger, between Edward Doty and Edward Leister, servants of Mr. Hopkins. Both being wounded, one in the hand, the other in the thigh, they are adjudged by the whole company to have their head and feet tied together, and so to lie for twenty-four hours, without meat or drink; which is begun to be inflicted, but within an hour, because of their great pains, at their own and their master’s humble request, upon promise of better carriage, they are released by the governor.”

The duel was just the first of Edward's trips to court. He was frequently in court for fighting, slandering, trespass, and debt. He was the defendant in three civil suits, all involving hogs.

On January 2, 1633/4, the Court settled a dispute between Edward Doty and his apprentice John Smith, reducing the time of apprenticeship from ten years to five.

On March 24, 1633/4, Edward Doty was fined for breaking the peace and drawing blood from Josias Cooke.

On March 28, 1634, Edward Doty won a suit against Francis Sprague.

On March 7, 1636/7, Edward Doty was found guilty of a “deceitful bargain” over a lot of land, and restored the lot to George Clarke. The controversy continued and George Clarke won damages from Doty in October 1637. The same day as that judgment, Doty was charged with assault and battery on Clarke and fined additional moneys.

He was sued and lost all four cases of debt and trespass between 1638 and 1651. He won a trespass suit against James Luxford on December 7, 1641.

On February 1, 1641/2, Edward Doty was charged with carelessly allowing cattle put in his hands to “break into men’s corn” endangering the cattle and other property. He was ordered to put his cattle in a “keep.”

Children of Edward & Faith (Clarke) Doty
  Edward was born about 1636; married Sarah Faunce.

John was born about 1638; married Elizabeth Cooke and second, Sarah (probably Rickard).

Thomas was born about 1640; married Mary Churchill and possibly another wife named Mary.

Samuel was born about 1642; married Jeane Harman

Desire was born about 1645; married three times. First marriage was to William Sherman, second was to Israel Holmes, and third was to Alexander Standish.

Elizabeth was born about 1646; married John Rowse

Isaac was born February 8, 1647/8; married Elizabeth England, widow.

Joseph was born April 30, 1651; married Deborah Ellis and Sarah Edwards, widow.

Mary was born about 1653; married Samuel Hatch in 1677 and Eleazer Churchill in 1685. 

Edward Doty

Mary Doty

Mary Churchill

Mary Stevens

Eleazer Cole

Calvin Cole

Calvin Cole

Apphia Delphinia Cole

George Hayes

Eva Delphinia Hayes

Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).

52 Ancestors - #2 Isaac Allerton

Isaac Allerton is one of those ancestors where you just don't know where to start to tell his stories. He is my 12th great-grandfather through my great-grandmother, Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton. He came on the Mayflower from Holland and was involved in so many things in the early days of the Plymouth colony. He has a wikipedia page and is well documented by a large number of sources. This post will cover the basics. 

In 1620, Isaac arrived in Plymouth but he would also live in Marblehead, Massachusetts, New Amsterdam (NY), and New Haven, Connecticut. As a merchant, he made frequent trips to England on both personal and colony business. Allerton was chosen as the assistant to Governor William Bradford and served for many years starting in January 1633/4. 

Based on his deposition in 1639, it is calculated that he was born about 1586 and he died in New Haven between the first and the twelfth of February 1658/9. He was in court on the first and his inventory was taken on the twelfth. 

The precarious health situation of those times is seen in Isaac's life story. He was married three times because his first two wives died fairly young and he lost two children in 1620. His first wife, Mary Norris died, along with many others, during the first winter in Plymouth. Isaac married Fear Brewster, daughter of Pilgrim William Brewster, but she died within a few years in 1634. His third wife was the widow, Joanna Swinnerton and they married by 1644. 

With his first wife, Isaac had five children but only three survived.
1. Bartholomew b. abt. 1613. He returned to England and became a minister. 
2. Remember b. abt 1615; married Moses Maverick, son of Rev. John Maverick. 
3. Mary b. abt 1617; married Thomas Cushman, son of Robert Cushman. Interesting to note that she was the last of the Mayflower passengers to die - November 28, 1699. 
4. Child, buried in Leiden, Holland, February 5, 1620.
5. Son, stillborn aboard the Mayflower, December 22, 1620 in Plymouth Harbor.

With his second wife, Isaac had two children, one of whom has no further record so was possibly another early death. 
6. Sarah, b. abt. 1626, nfr.
7. Isaac b. abt. 1630; married twice, 1st to Elizabeth, 2nd in Virginia to Elizabeth (Willoughby) (Overzee) Colclough, daughter of Thomas Willoughby and widow of Simon Overzee and George Colclough. 

Isaac's sister, Sarah Allerton was married three times; 1st to John Vincent, 2nd to Degory Priest (Pilgrim), and third to Godbert Godbertson. 

The Great Migration summary of Isaac Allerton by Robert Charles Anderson notes that he was "one of the busiest and most complicated men in early New England..." and "records for Allerton may be found in virtually every colony on the Atlantic seaboard, and in the Caribbean, including Newfoundland, New Netherland, New Sweden, Virginia, Barbadoes, and Curaçao. 

Isaac Allerton
Remember Allerton
Abigail Maverick
Martha Ward
Martha Tuthill (Tuttle)
Ruth Safford
Martha Haskell
Mary "Sally" Houghton
Florilla Dunham
Nina King Ellingwood
Annie Florilla Gibbs
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother


Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999.

Cold & Confused - A Deadly Combination

On December 8, 1661, a coroner's jury was impanelled to "view the dead body of Thirston Clarke, Senior, of Duxburrow." Thirston (Thurston) had come to an unfortunate end. According to the court record, he was found on a place called the "Longe Point" that belonged to Joseph Andrews. His body was ice-covered and the cause of death was determined to be exposure to the elements. The facts seem to be that he was returning home from Plymouth to Duxbury and was close to home when his tracks in the snow indicate he became confused and wandered about aimlessly before succumbing to the effects of the cold temperatures and icy waters. His belongings were scattered a over a short distance and before discovering his body, searchers found his basket, his cap, staff, and one mitten, each one closer to the body than the previous object. Mr. Clark was approximately 71 years old.

Thurston Clark was from Ipswich, England and emigrated in 1634 on the Francis. He settled first in Plymouth and in 1652, moved to Duxbury. He was survived by his wife, Faith, and three children.
His daughter, Faith, married Mayflower passenger, Edward Doty on January 6, 1634/5. After his death, she married John Phillips on March 14, 1666/7. He was predeceased by three daughters who died in England, Frances, Mary, and Abigail. He and Faith had two sons, Thurston, and Henry, who were not mentally capable of caring for themselves. These two sons were reliant on others in the town to care of them after the parents died.

Thurston (Tristan) Clark was my 11th great-grandfather
Faith Clark & Edward Doty
Mary Doty
Mary Churchill
Mary Stevens
Eleazer Cole
Calvin Cole
Calvin Cole
Apphia Cole
George Hayes
Eva Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Josiah Winslow - Governor of Plymouth Colony

My mother's ancestry goes back to the Winslow family who were some of the earliest settlers of Plymouth. Edward and Gilbert were passengers on the Mayflower, brother John came on the Fortune in 1621 and the two younger Winslows, Josiah and Kenelm came about 1631. My family descends from Kenelm so this Josiah is my first cousin, 11 times removed.


Josiah Winslow, shown here was the 13th Governor of Plymouth Colony, serving from 1673 to 1680. He was born in 1628 to Edward Winslow and Penelope Pelham (daughter of Herbert Pelham, the first treasurer of Harvard College). Josiah was the first governor of Plymouth born in the New World. By the time he took office, the colony was well established and no longer reliant on Native Americans to teach the colonists survival skills. The expanding British settlements of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were expanding and putting pressure of the lands of the Native Americans. Chief of the Wampanoag, Metacom (or King Philip) and Josiah did not have a good relationship and this contributed to the outbreak of King Philip's War. Josiah's half-brother was Peregrine White, the first English child born in New England.