Mayflower Reunions

+2 votes
255 views

Greetings,

Are there ever any Mayflower descendant Reunions?

in The Tree House by Martha Garrett G2G6 Mach 3 (31.9k points)
Might be a good idea to change your question to the standard font so that more folks can read it without problems.
Thanks. It is a little easier to read now.

2 Answers

+4 votes
by Lucy Selvaggio-Diaz G2G6 Pilot (905k points)
+4 votes
The brief response with a link to the Mayflower Society of Descendants webpage may not be helpful to those who are not already members of that society.  I am assuming the questioner is not asking if the MFSD holds reunions.  It is a non profit with chapters usually called state societies which hold two meetings a year, while the national society holds one meeting each year around the country, with every third year in Plymouth.  But I think the better answer is that besides the MFSD, there are also family societies, that are affiliated with but not part of MFSD.  In other words, if you are a Howland descendant, as I am, you can join the Howland society, and they hold an annual meeting which might be called a "reunion".  The advantage to a family like those on the Mayflower is that we have a large pool of known descendants, and a number of professional genealogists working on these families. So we have a core group of Howland descendants who can do more than just have an annual picnic.  We can fund projects which keep improving the knowledge of our ancestors.  Example;  The Howland society has purchased the home property of John Howland in Rocky Nook, and has been doing archeological digs there.   So we know where the hearth was, and where the entrance way was.  It was a great thrill to walk there with a group of Howland descendants, none of whom I'd ever seen before, and cross the threshold of our mutual distant ancestor's home.  I don't know if all the MPs who left descendants have a family society, but most do.  Many of them hold their meetings in summer or early fall, the latter to coincide with when the MFSD holds their congress in Plymouth, every third year.   Names to look for:  The Warren Cousins, The Pilgrim John Howland Society, The Elder William Brewster Society, Soule Kindred in America, Alden Kindred of America... the list is much longer than this.
by Carolyn Adams G2G6 Mach 9 (96.1k points)
edited by Carolyn Adams
Carol, your answer and information on this question are quite accurate and very well put. I do have one comment/correction. The Society is referred to as GSMD and the State Societies are made up of Colonies. The family societies are a separate entity that are affiliated with the GSMD. I apologize if I stepped on any toes, I just want to keep the terminology straight for those who are tracing their Mayflower Ancestry. Thanks Carol, good info!
Yes, MFSD is my own acronym, as I find GSMD is not understood outside of the membership.  But I have to correct you, as not all state societies have colonies, and not all state societies are states.  Canada has a society, and I think Europe has one also.  But that is all very inside baseball, and we are trying to appeal to Mayflower Descendants who may not yet be members of the society.  There are many people who join the family societies but do not belong to the general society.   It sometimes has to do with cost.  So we want to be welcoming to everyone.

There is also a very active Soule Kindred, who have a meeting once a year.

I stand corrected, thank you. Just out of curiosity, who are your Mayflower ancestors? I have five: Fuller, Hopkins, Howland, Samson and Rogers. Fun to know if we are related thru any of them. Who's your primary? Mine is Thomas Rogers.
According to GSMD I have John Howland, John Tilley, Joan Hurst Tilley, and George Soule.  A genealogist for the GMSD got me in with Soule, but    I later disproved the line, so I am now Soule-less.  I  also have Warren and Edward Fuller that I hope to get supplements in for.  One is easier to prove the other, and the Fuller line may need DNA evidence to document.  Primary was John Howland.
Love the soule-less pun Carolyn. I'm Mayflower accepted Soule, does that make me hard soled.
Oh, so cute Anne! But my Mayflower is Fuller than your's (haha). My roots with Carol are more twisted than a wild rose!
Well looks like our roots are well connected! Do you have a Rebecca Dyer b. 28 Aug 1746 in Truro? She married Jonathan Paine
No, no Dyer connection.  I really like the relationship finder on wikitree. While we are probably 12th or more cousins on the Mayflower lines, one of your closest connections is 9th cousins through not just Henry Adams but Ensign Edward.  With 23 other known connections.  Which makes us average Americans with a lot of yankee in us.
Wow, that 9th cousin thing is pretty cool. My Dyer family makes me a Royal pain, and I love it!

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