Ancestral Characters...

I enjoy watching programs like “Who Do You Think You Are” and Henry Louis Gates series “Finding Your Roots!”  I was bitten by the genealogy bug many years ago….probably even when I was a child because I loved listening to the stories of my grandparents and various other relatives.  The guests find that their family mysteries are seemingly solved with a short TV episode, although I must say they are missing out on all of the fun.

Genealogy is a journey!  There are a lot of interesting stops along the way, but always something new on the horizon.  There are even walls that may take years to tear down if ever.  Every few years there seems to be some new tools to add to the treasure chest.  Like those programs, I am picking and choosing some “interesting ancestors.”  My great great grandfather who had 17 children.  He was married to one sister, ran off with another sister and after she died, married a “widow” who turned out to be a divorcee.  In the early 1900’s, this was somewhat of a scandal.  Here are the blogs I wrote about George Christian Shawver:

George Christian Shawver - 1st Family

George Christian Shawver - 2nd Family

George Christian Shawver - 3rd Family

My 10th great grandfather has all of the credentials of a hero and significant figure in history.  He was the first man to navigate Boston harbor.  That probably doesn’t sound all that important to today’s generations but to someone in 1630 it was significant.  Ships could navigate in a safe passage in and out of Boston, which could arguably be called one of the most important cities in Colonial America.  He really was one of the more important people of his generation.

John Gallop - 10th Great Grandfather

John Gallop - The rest of the story

I have Mayflower ancestors that came on that first ship. Elizabeth Tilley was a teenager whose parents died during that first winter and she ended up marrying one the two bachelors who made the trip, namely John Howland.  There are a lot descendants who can claim ancestry to John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 1)

Then there is John Billington.  He was considered to be the troublemaker of the group causing constant tension among the passengers.  His two boys nearly blew up the ship during the journey playing with flint around gun powder.  John Billington also turned out to be the first man hung for murder in the new world.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 2)

William White was one of the nearly ⅓ of the passengers who died that first winter.  There is a lot to be admired anyone who undertook the journey on the Mayflower.  These people didn’t know what they would face and took the hazardous trip to be able to practice their religious beliefs without the interference of a government.  William White’s wife, Susanna ended up marrying the first governor of the colony, Edward Winslow..who turns out to be my 9th great grandfather’s older brother.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 3)  Kenelm was quite an interesting fellow as well…(Coffin Make in New England)

My father’s great grandfather (Washington Abraham Johnson) was a 1st cousin to Pres. Andrew Johnson which is interesting enough.  However, his younger brother Nicholas Johnson was interesting in his own way.  If you talk to his family members, Nicholas disappeared after the Civil War and ran off to California abandoning his wife and children as well as aged father.  I am not sure I will ever find what happened  to him. (Nicholas Johnson - Man of Mystery)

There are a lot more characters in my ancestry.  I had ancestors who were among the first settlers here and as far as I can find, I don’t have an ancestor who arrived any later than 1810.  I have been very lucky, I have known 3 great grandmothers, 2 grandmothers, 2 grandfathers, and a great grandfather.  Every one of these people have made me who I am.  I am not like most of those celebrities in those TV shows because I do know a lot about my history.  When I began doing research more formally, I did it with my mother. Mom was my best resource for stories about her family and many years ago she took the initiative on long ago conversation with her father in law to give us a great starting point on his family. We lost Mom back in 2005 - I know she is breaking down all those brick walls...sure wish she could tell me what she has learned. This is my favorite picture of my Mom...in her signature red, her favorite color.

A Few Scoundrels in the Family Tree

The other day my father and I were watching a program about Facts and Fiction about American History. The first two stories that they highlighted were very familiar to me....and I didn't even need to hear the stories to tell Dad jokingly...that they were about to air some of the family's dirty linen!

The point of the piece was about some of the misconceptions about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower.  They talked about the near death of one of the passengers when he got knocked off the ship during a storm.  He was fortunate that they had put the sails down to protect them from the storm.  John Howland was one of the two bachelors who was on board the Mayflower.  The program pointed out that if he had been killed there may never have been a Franklin Delano Roosevelt or George H. W. Bush or George W. Bush....and there never would have been my father which I obviously find a little more personally significant.

John Howland was born about 1599 in Fenstanton, Huntindon England...and died on 23 Feb 1673 at Rocky Nook, Kingston, Plymouth Co., MA.  A photo of his grave can been found at Findagrave.com - John Howland.  He was married to another Mayflower Passenger, Elizabeth Tilley who lost her parents during the first harsh winter in Plymouth.  Elizabeth was born 30 Aug 1607 at Henlow, Bedfordshire, England and died on 31 Dec 1686 at Swansea, Bristol Co., MA.  Her grave can also be found at FindaGrave.com - Elizabeth Tilley.  I am descended from John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley through their daughter Desire Howland Gorham.

Desire Howland m. John Gorham
Elizabeth Gorham m. Joseph Hallett
Lois Hallett m. Henry Cobb
Eunice Cobb m. Benadam Gallup, Jr.
Nathan Gallup m. Sarah Giddings
Sarah Gallup m. Silas Gallup
Ebenezer Gallup m. Susan Harden
Silas Gallup m Phebe Montanye
Edith Gallup m. Orlando Gage
Ora Silas Gage m. Florence Christine Shawver
Helen Marian Gage m. Frank Stewart Johnson - my grandparents!

Now the other line that the program highlighted didn't really even tell the whole story.  During the voyage over,  the fourteen old Francis Billington caused some trouble.  He was shooting a musket off in the hold of the ship among barrels of gunpowder...in one spark, he could have set the entire ship on fire and the Mayflower descendants might never have happened.  Once they had landed in Plymouth, Francis and his brother went missing for several days and were brought back to the settlers by the Indians.  However, their exploits can be explained as teenage boys and everyone can understand that.  However their father was known as a "knave" and "foul mouthed miscreant" and within 10 years, his temper got the best of him.  He shot a fellow colonist and killed him and became the first man hung for murder in the New England...not quite what you want to be known for.  I am descended from John Billing through his son, Francis.

Francis Billington m. Christian Penn
Mary Billington m. Samuel Sabin
Mercy Sabin m. James Welch
Mercy Welch m. Thomas Spalding
Eunice Spalding m. John Baldwin
Elizabeth Baldwin m. Jesse Swan
Nathaniel Swan m. Harriet Shutter
Cynthia Swan m. Gilbert Gage
Orlando Gage m. Edith Gallup
Ora Silas Gage m. Florence Christine Shawver
Helen Marian Gage m. Frank Stewart Johnson - my grandparents!

I enjoy the scoundrels in my ancestry.  I find them interesting to research and fun to find new details.  My father enjoys a good story and always pokes a bit of fun at people who are inordinately of their ancestry. We have our share of famous and impressive antecedents, but we also have a few scoundrels in family tree that show themselves every once in a while.  So while I can admire what John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley personify as Mayflower ancestors...I still enjoy the good story of a problematic teenager and his criminal father!

Happy Thanksgiving

I didn't appreciate the significance of the history of Thanksgiving when I was young.  I knew the general stuff about the Pilgrims because we got to color pictures of them and talked about them in a general sense.  When I got older, teachers only seemed to want to spent a few minutes on the most general and unexciting of details.  History is a story that needs to be taught like a story and not a bunch of names and dates.  I didn't have an appreciation for significance of the Pilgrims and those other early settlers who arrived in the next ten years.  I didn't understand the deprivation that they suffered or the loss of people.  There were a lot of these new settlers who in a few months lost husbands, wives, and children to sickness in those first few months.  I'm not sure that most teachers really know that story to be fair...they probably received the same type of education that I did on the subject.

I've been researching my family's genealogy for 15 years.  During that time, I've come across mostly common people who have made their way in the world - each in their own unique way.  However, so much of my family comes from the New England area and I knew that it was likely that I had a few Mayflower ancestors.  Last year I wrote about these ancestors in:

• My Mayflower Ancestry - Pt 1 - My Gallup line tracing back to John Howland & Elizabeth Tilley.
• My Mayflower Ancestry - Pt 2 - My Swan line going back to John Billington.
• My Mayflower Ancestry - Pt 3 - My Allen line going back to William White and my Winslow line.

You might say that now when I sit down to our Thanksgiving table with family and friends that I have a new appreciation of who has come before me.  

I think that this was my second Thanksgiving ..as I am the toddler sitting in the high chair.  So much on the table is familiar from my childhood - from the candle holders, the china, salt and pepper shakers to the Turkey in the center.  As I place that Turkey on our table once again, I know that it has been our family since about 1948 and has been on every Thanksgiving table during my lifetime.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!