Throughout my childhood and teenage years I was under the impression that my ancestors had traveled to Plymouth on the Mayflower. Being young and naive, I had no reason to question my parents’ long-held beliefs. Given that my grandfather, Henry Hornblower II (1917–1985), founded Plimoth Plantation in 1947, no one ever questioned my Mayflower lineage. And with a last name like Hornblower, who would?
Around the time I started college my parents informed me that we did not in fact have any actual ancestors on the Mayflower. It was all hypothetical and nothing had been proven. Whoops! Trying to correct my lies, I started telling people the “truth” and have been since then. That is, until about a month ago, when Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press Chris Child stopped by my office with a packet of papers and a grin on his face. He told me, “I thought this might interest you. In my spare time I was able to find a direct connection between your great-grandmother Eleanor Greenwood and Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins.” I was in complete shock. My grandfather didn’t even know about this!
Chris adds: “When I first looked at the ancestry of Henry’s grandfather, the idea that he had no Mayflower ancestry did not seem surprising at all. Having worked with thousands of members over the years, finding an ancestor on the Mayflower or confirming or disproving a Mayflower tradition comes up with such frequency that I have developed an eye for surnames and locations that could likely go back to the Mayflower. By and large, as I looked over the Hornblower/Greenwood ancestors, nearly all of the colonial families went back to Massachusetts Bay rather than Plymouth. These included some of my own ancestors – Nathaniel Whiting and Hannah Dwight of Dedham, Massachusetts – and many other early families of Dedham, Watertown, and Concord, all areas that I generally do not consider ‘Mayflower country.’
“The only ancestor I found born beyond the Bourne Bridge was Henry’s great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother ‘Elizabeth Smith,’ wife of William Stratton of Athol, Massachusetts. Elizabeth and William married at Athol in 1780, and many online trees gave her birth in 1754 in Truro. However I could not find any Elizabeth Smith born in that year. As I researched this further, I realized she was actually the widow Elizabeth (Lombard) Smith, daughter of James and Thankful (Dyer) Lombard and widow of Moses Smith. James and Thankful were Truro natives and their first eight children were recorded there between 1754 and 1770 (Elizabeth being the eldest). In 1771, James Lombard purchased 112 acres of land in Athol and they had two more children there. Thus, this Cape Cod couple journeyed 175 miles inland to northern central Massachusetts in the late eighteenth century, to an area I generally have not associated with Mayflower descendants. The ancestry of James and Thankful is almost entirely in Plymouth and Barnstable Counties, and using the Mayflower Silver Book series, Thankful is nicely profiled as a fifth generation descendant of Stephen Hopkins through his son Giles, who also came on the ship. Thus Henry’s grandfather did have one Mayflower line, back twelve generations.”
Here is the line:
- Stephen Hopkins (c.1579–1644) = Mary (likely Kent alias Back) (bur. 1613)
- Giles Hopkins (bap.1607/8–1688-90) = Catherine Wheldon
- Caleb Hopkins (1650/51–bef. 1728) = Mary Williams
- Thankful Hopkins (1709–1783) = Ambrose Dyer (1709–1792)
- Thankful Dyer (1733–1818) = James Lombard (1731–1812)
- Elizabeth Lombard (1754–1821) = (2) William Stratton (c.1736–1805)
- Sally Stratton (1790–1843) = Levi Darby (1786–1873)
- Philander Darby (1816–1902) = Viola Dunn (1818–1891)
- Ella Viola Darby (1849–1924) = George Wade Cann (1849–1916)
- Mary Alberta Cann (1875–1963) = Levi Heywood Greenwood (1872–1930)
- Eleanor Greenwood (1896–1983) = Ralph Hornblower (1891–1960)
- Henry Hornblower II (1917–1985) = Dorothy Mortimer Shapard (1920–2002)
My family takes great pride in the work my grandfather accomplished to preserve the history and culture of the Pilgrims and the Native Wampanoag People. The story of their struggle to survive in a new world is fascinating and should be experienced more than once in a lifetime. I encourage everyone both young and old to visit Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Rock, and the Mayflower II whenever they get a chance.
I didn’t find my first Mayflower Ancestor until I was 65. I have since found another one. Most of my mother’s ancestors were in Essex County before they moved to the Concord NH area.
Growing up in Pembroke, MA I had always been told we had no connection to the Mayflower; that all our Keen family was from Maine. About 1995 I stumbled across a history of the Keen family that traced back to Richard Warren. One of his granddaughters married my Keen ancestor who had come to this country in 1638. Since then I proved this lineage and have joined GSMD and have at least six other lines to the Mayflower. I wish I had known all this when I lived in MA!
My hometown, Warren OH, was named for the surveyor, Moses Warren, Jr. In trying to find out more about him, I researched his genealogy. There were two unrelated Warrens on the Mayflower. He was descended from both.
I am a Keen whose line traces through Richard Warren. Would love to connect!
Richard Warren 1578-1628
maternal grandfather of wife of 8th great-granduncle
Anna Warren 1612-1675
Daughter of Richard Warren
Abigail Little 1635-1657
Daughter of Anna Warren
Josiah Keen Sr. 1620-1710
Husband of Abigail Little
John Keen 1578-1649
Father of Josiah Keen Sr.
John Keene 1621-1665
Son of John Keen
Jane Keen 1662-1737
Daughter of John Keene
William Keen Judge 3 1686-1754
Son of Jane Keen
William Keen Esquire 4 1712-1775
Son of William Keen Judge 3
William Keen 1739-1786
Son of William Keen Esquire 4
Samuel Kean 1772-1822
Son of William Keen
Hannah Kean 1817-NaN
Daughter of Samuel Kean
Benjamin Stokes 1849-1931
Son of Hannah Kean
Nelson Feltham Stokes 1898-1978
Son of Benjamin Stokes
Kenneth Wesley Stokes 1922-2002
Son of Nelson Feltham Stokes
I didn’t find my Mayflower Ancestor until I was 75! Mainly because I wasn’t looking! Had no idea I would have a connection even though I knew many of my ancestors were living in Plymouth County from very early on. Came across the connection to Richard Warren my accident and now I’m officially a Mayflower descendant! BTW I’ve been doing genealogy research for over 30 years.
thanks for your story! I’m related to Stephen, Giles and Caleb through my father’s mother, Abbie M. Nickerson (8X granddaughter of William Nickerson of Cape Cod)
Hi Nancy, I’ve got an Elwell (Elizabeth S.) and two Nickersons (who married one another). Elizabeth was from Belchertown, MA, and the Nickersons from Plymouth, MA (originally Nova Scotia). Do you have any of these? I know very little about Elizabeth.
-Wayne Jordan
I don’t know of Elizabeth… but there were Nickersons in Nova Scotia… 2 Nickerson brothers from Cape Cod went to NS with a band of Wampanoags… these two brothers are in my family tree as well, but not direct ancestors.
Hello Nancy. My name is Jan Corley and Stephen Hopkins is my 11th gg through his son, Giles. I live in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada and would love to connect. I can be found on Facebook.
Hi Henry, I read with interest your blog post about finding your Mayflower line. Congrats! I’m also a descendent of Stephen Hopkins (mother’s side). (But through wife Elizabeth and child Damaris) however the reason I’m replying is about your Dedham family. Nathaniel Whiting and Hannah Dwight are also one of my ancestors – from my father’s side. I would love to find information about the Whitings – My Whiting branch ended up in Rochester Mn (Nathaniel, Samuel, Josiah, Caleb (Rev War Capt), Timothy, Amos, Timothy, Elbert, my grandmother, etc). Where might I find information about Nathaniel Whiting and Hannah Dwight beginnings?
Oh – also meant to mention – The Fairbanks family of Dedham. Joshua Fairbanks daughter Dorcas married Timothy Whiting….in my tree. Would love to learn more.
When I was 10 and reading the Courtship of Miles Standish for school, in frustration I threw the book down and told my grandmother, I didn’t believe he even existed. My grandmother looked down her Roman nose, and said, Not only did he exist, but he was my direct ancestor.
It took approximately 50 years before I established through genealogy that she was quite right. Sometimes the family stories are true.
my grandfather was into genealogy, so I new about William Nickerson… then I started researching the Mayflower families, and traced our lines back to Hopkins and Brewster, I am now looking at Cooke and Warren, but haven’t made these connections directly yet, even though we have those last names in our family tree. They all lived on Cape Cod, so many of their families married into the same families back and forth for generations! I love that history!
I Have the Cooke family in my tree and the trace back to England at one time but beyond that they have a royal background. I don’t have my books right in front of me but I traced out every line I could and ended up clear back to a Pipin family member with a DOB about 600 AD as the fartherest back I have gone so far. What fun!
My ancestor from the Mayflower is James Chilton. My mother documented this and enrolled me in the Maflower Society. In our family there is also a relative named Thankful.
We had a woman in her 90s join the New Hampshire Mayflower Society. She was so excited she took out a LIFE membership. That’s one happy lady! Congratulations on your Mayflower line, and please post it in the Visitor Center at Plimoth Plantation. It’s part of the story.
Congratulations ! I remember the days I found out about my Mayflower ancestors…just would like to add some advice…please go through all of those names that lead you back there and get to “know” each and every one…where they lived, what records they are mentioned in, their kids, birthplace etc. etc. so they become a whole person to you…then if you are lucky enough to find their grave go and visit it…it is so rewarding to complete their whole picture…
I stumbled onto my only Mayflower line when I found a deed linking my Abigail (Ford) Perry not only to her husband Joseph Perry of Owls Head (now in Maine) but also to her parents, William and Hannah (Truant) Ford of Marshfield, MA. The line led in short order back to Richard Warren. It was just blind luck.
My discovery was at least somewhat accidental. I hit a brick wall at my g-g-g-grandfather, David Vickery who migrated to IL from Rennselaer Co., NY. A family tree sent by a distant relative from New York showed that David’s father was Caleb Vickery, who was descended from Benjamin Vickery who lived in Rennselaer Co. The county genealogy site links Benjamin for Stephen Hopkins. My line is as follows:
Stephen Hopkins
Constanta (or Constance) Hopkins Snow
Mary Snow Paine
Dorcas Paine Vickery
Ichabod Vickery
Benjamin Vickery
Caleb Vickery
David Vickery
Gilbert Vickery
Benjamin Patterson Vickery, Sr.
Gilbert Levi Vickery
Robert L. Vickery
Me
I also descend from Caleb Vickery through his daughter Irena who married Jacob Van der Karr, and their daughter Angelica who married Charles Milleman. But to prove that for the Mayflower Society? I can’t prove Angelica was their daughter, although I have her marriage record to Charles Milleman in Will Co. IL. Very frustrating.
Hi, Kendall! Would you could you e-mail me if your Hannah Truant is the younger sister of my Mary Truant, who married Richard Childs, Chris’ and my ancestors? If I could figure out who Jane Perry was, wife of Morris Truant, is this the Mayflower connection? Or do I have it wrong. I grovel for your help … Thanks a bunch!
I am also a descendant of Nathaniel Whiting and Hannah Dwight, as well as the Fairbanks and Coolidge families through Dorcas and other Fairbanks. I’m happy to correspond with other Whiting/Dwight/Fairbanks/Coolidge descendants. Do we have a Mayflower line, Chris?
I don’t think Whiting/Fairbanks has a Mayflower line – that I can unearth. Would love to find one though. Would seem totally feasible with the group being so close in geography and time. I’d love to hear about your Whiting family, Sharri. I’m a great-great-granddaughter to Timothy Adam Whiting from Rochester, Mn.
Timothy N Whiting m. Dorcas Fairbanks and they moved from MA to New York State and then to MN/WI. Among their children were Ellis Fairbanks Whiting (the father of Timothy Adam Whiting) and Ellis’ brother Timothy Newell Whiting. Timothy Newell was the father of Welcome Wilmarth Whiting and the grandfather of Almur Stiles Whiting, my grandfather. I think, then, that Welcome Wilmarth Whiting and Timothy Adam Whiting were first cousins. I have dates/places on all of this and would love to share info.
Sharri clearmont-property@yahoo.com
Hi Sharri, We connect lastly at the Timothy/Dorcas Whiting generation. My great great grandfather – Timothy Adam Whiting had Amos as his father and Timothy/Dorcas as his grandparents. Ellis is a sibling of Amos, my GGGgrandfather.
Got it. Thanks for the clarification. There were a lot of Timothys. Please let me know if you unearth anything new about the family and I’ll do the same.
Hi Sharri – Nathaniel Whiting & Hannah Dwight of Dedham were common ancestors Henry and I shared that I discovered while looking for a Mayflower ancestor, but no they are not Mayflower passengers. My own Mayflower line is with John Billington through a completely different branch of my family.
I want to second the idea of visiting Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower replica. they are both outstanding examples of historic interpretation done very, very well. I’ve visited a lot of historic sites and done a lot of family history research, but these were some of the best sites I have ever visited. The interpreters at Plimoth Plantation, the Wampanoag village there, and at the Mayflower replica were all outstanding.
I couldn’t agree more. I grew up on Cape Cod, but left in my early 20s. Didn’t have any real interest in genealogy back then, although I was always told that I had Mayflower ancestors (which I do) I’ve been to Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II, but never went to the museum in Plymouth that holds my ancestor’s cradle (Peregrine White). Now that I’m old and hundreds of miles away, how I wish I had taken advantage of all that genealogical treasure!
My story is similar. Family story about being a descendant of Bradford. Took me years to figure out we weren’t but found MANY others from the Mayflower. I could be a “cousin” as we have a Samuel Dwight who married Jane Bulkeley in Concord, MA. Would love more information on the Dwight’s. Their daughter Elizabeth married Joseph Waters through whom I joined the DAR. Elizabeth and Joseph had a grandson named Dwight Waters.
I am also member of GSMD, and Alden Kindred. Gramma was probably wrong about Bradford. Little did she know she had Warren, Doty, Cooke and Howland in her background. Grandpa was the one going back to Alden.
I never thought I’d connect to the Mayflower either but I found my Powell’s connect to the Hallett, Feake, Fones and Winthrop’s and that was exciting as I love history.
Chris Child and I are related but not from the Mayflower, from the Winthrop Fleet (through “Child”). I have never discovered how Thomas Wight came to the New Country in 1635 or 6. Was anyone on a boat with him? Or know of anything?
Congratulations on your recent find. I’m writing for another reason, as I am a bit familiar with your name. Several years ago, your cousin, Janet (in Hawaii) wrote me in response to something I posted in my blog. She and I are connected through the Lowrey line. She mentioned her great-grandparents as well as your surname. The next time I come to NEHGS, I will introduce myself.
Hi cousin! I’m also a Stephen Hopkins descendant through his son Giles, but then we diverge — His daughter Deborah Hopkins is my next link. Hope you join the General Society of Mayflower Descendants!
I am also a member of the Mayflower Society through Stephen Hopkins, Giles, Deborah. I had the name Deborah Hopkins for years as an ancestor and only made the connection to the Mayflower in 2012.
I found my link by tracing the descendents of John Alden. Fifth generation Mercy Alden to Burrill, Burrill to Nottage. My grandmother was Mabel Nottage. I found the Alden generation document on line at http://www.alden.org/aldengen Well documented although Mayflower Society told me I needed more proof. I don’t know what more they need but it satisfied me.
I had hoped to find a Mayflower ancestor when I began looking into my genealogy, but the only connection I could find was with Francis Sprague, who was a Pilgrim, but who missed the boat and didn’t arrive until 1623. Then a cousin and I had two male descendants of our Kinyon/Kenyon take DNA tests. The bad news was that my great-great-grandfather was illegitimate, but the good news was that he was descended from Richard Warren.
My husband and I traveled to Plymouth last year and I felt a connection. We had a real enjoyable and fruitful time while there. I am from 2 passengers on the Mayflower—William Bradford and Francis Cooke. I am so thankful to my ancestors for inhabiting this great land! Every descendant should visit Plymouth if possible.
I find it interesting that Stephen Hopkins actually went to Bermuda and then Jamestown before Plymouth. There is a man who leads a once a year cruise from Boston to Bermuda with another Stephen Hopkins Society. They gave a plaque to the town of Hamilton. Wish I could recall his and his book’s name.
Hopkins led a mutiny after being shipwrecked, and was saved from execution by pleading for his family. Instead he was sent back to England and then was on the Mayflower. The shipwreck was the source of Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest.”
I traced my husbands line to the Mayflower via great granddaughter of Priscilla Alden,Sarah Alden Brett (Britt)
I am waiting to hear back from the General Society of Mayflower Descendents. I have a family line that goes up through John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. The Massachusetts Society has found no errors, and indeed found a link to Richard Warren and Francis Cooke in this line as well. Its funny as in our family, we always heard we were on the early ships, but never the Mayflower. I am hoping to know with certainty soon!
Hello, cousin Richard. Guess I should get a move on and apply to the Mayflower Society, too. Most of my kin went from Boston (1634) to Fairfield, Conn. (1639) Have not yet been to Plimoth, interesting to see mention on the website of a “Gorham Sampler’. Part of my family tree, something that ancient still surviving… I MUST go to see it. Have enough data to join the DAR except a documented proof that Mary Gorham (my line from Howland/Tilley) lost her husband John Sherwood who died on a British prison ship. His name is missing from the monument, somehow. But this wouldn’t be as much fun if it was easy….
WOW!! I am also descended from Stephen Hopkins…………did you know he was at Jamestown VA from 1610 to 1614? He was a liason of sorts between the colonists and the local Native Americans. He went back to England in 1614 when his wife died; and then was asked if he would like to return to the colony since he did such an excellent job there. He then boarded the Mayflower and obviously did not make it back to Jamestown! I believe he was the only person to be in both Jamestown and Plymouth. So glad you found him!!
Henry, you couldn’t ask for a better Mayflower ancestor than Stephen Hopkins. Congrats to you, sir!
I was delighted to read of the Hornblower Pilgrim ancestor, newly discovered. In the 1970s, I enjoyed driving your grandfather, Harry Hornblower, from his office in downtown Boston to Plimoth Plantation, where we were both members of the Board of Governors. En route, he would talk about maps and Native American artifacts he had found on what was to become Plimoth Plantation grounds, and I always learned something from him. His enthusiasm for these things and his love of history were a delight…. As someone with Irish and German roots, I was delighted to discover several years ago that my husband is a descendant of Pilgrim Edward Doty, who was an indentured servant to Stephen Hopkins, your ancestor. How I wish I could have shared this with Harry!
Congratulations on finding a Mayflower line! I only found mine a little over two years ago; so far I’ve proven Soule and Cooke, still working on Warren and White. However, I’m really interested in your Ambrose and Thankful Dyer. Do they descend from William (1609 – 1672) and Mary Barrett Dyer (1612 – 1660)? If so we are cousins, as they are my 9th great-grandparents. Mary, a Society of Friends martyr, was hanged on Boston Common in 1660 for “civil disobedience” in preaching her Quaker beliefs. Her statue stands outside the Statehouse.
I have found I am related to at least 2, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley Howland’s daughter, Desire, married John Gorham. They had 11 children! John Sherwood m. Mary Gorham, he died on a British prison ship. Need proof of that to join DAR. Any cousins in this conversation?
I am working on my fathers side and I am back to my Great Great Grandfather William Holmes Chambers Bartlett I have a ancestry account and did the DNA on my Brother, it tells us that we are linked to John Bartlett of Mass but yet we still are having a hard time linking us. If there is something I am doing that’s not right anyone help would be great.
I too was amazed at my ancestry back to Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins (via my mother’s side). My family had no idea of their Mayflower connection. Their focus was on the long history of our Stoughton side (paternal), so my grandfather had no idea that his grandmother on his mother’s side was a Doten. Consequently I never knew that I was related to Frances Cooke, Edward Doty, and Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins. Amazing! Especially considering that I wasn’t particularly interested in American history growing up.
Good Afternoon Cousins and Friends. I have DNA links to several Mayflower Passengers and Crew members. My DNA links go back to William Hilton- born in England in 1488. William Hilton is also linked to William the Conqueror and to HYLTON CASTLE in Durham Co., England. I have many Family Finder links to families re FAMILY TREE DNA. Stephen Hopkins, Edward Doty, The Cookes and others mentioned here including the Bradfords are just some of the links of mine to the Mayflower and Massachusetts History. Thank you all for all the info and for letting us know of the many connections to all of us. Sincere Best Wishes, Paul Morris Hilton, New Brunswick, Canada.
while not a proven relative of Hopkins, Edward Doty,is my 7th great grandfather. Edward was indentured to the Hopkins family in exchange for his spot on the mayflower. the Doty family is well documented, and Edward was quite a character. due to primogenitor laws, there was nothing for him in England, so he struck out for better prospects. judging from the number of Dotys today (my mother was a Doty) he did pretty well.
MY great grand mothers maiden name was Snow and I have been trying to get a direct link back to Stephen Snow who married Hopkins daughter but, there is a break in the line and I am unable to get that 1 link or person. I have traced from her towards him & from him towards her and just need that 1 link to break the wall. Thought I could do it before my mom passed. So far nothing. Congrates that you were able to find your link.
My husbands direct line is Stephen Hopkins through his daughter, Constance Hopkins, with Stephen’s first wife, Mary. Constance married Nicholas Snow. Their son is John Snow, etc. The Mayflower society doesn’t have a connected line through Constance to Stephen and would require some connections there. I plan to do that research in the near future. Hope this helps fill in your missing link.
Hello cousins! Chris Child was also who helped my to identify several Mayflower ancestors including Stephen Hopkins. I recently submitted my application for Myles Standish to Mayflower Society, and am now working on my application to Jamestown Society for Stephen. I also have Samson, Mullins, Alden, Brewster, Howland, Warren, Tilley and Priest. My maternal grandfather was from Nova Scotia; the second highest percent of Mayflower descendants (per Chris C.).
Caleb Johnson wrote “Here Shall I Die Ashore” about Stephen Hopkins, think that is the book another cousin was referring to. My Hopkins line is Stephen, Giles, Stephen, Judah and then Mercy who marries John Lewes/Lewis.
I am also a Hopkins descendant, through his daughter Damaris. My membership in the Mayflower Society is through Edward Doty, but I also have a line to Stephen Hopkins through Doty’s son, who married Elizabeth Cooke, Stephen Hopkins’ grandaughter (Elizabeth was also the granddaughter of passenger Francis Cooke. I have a database of Hopkins descendants, which I maintain in excel format. Most of the data in the database comes from the Pilgrim Hopkins Society, and seems to jive with official Mayflower Society records, at least in the early generations. Based on what you have discovered, it turns out that your grandfather and I are 10th cousins, which of course doesn’t make us much more closely related than two random strangers, but it’s fun to know anyway. You may also be interested to know that your grandfather was a 4th cousin, 6 times removed, of Robert Treat Paine, who signed the Declaration of Independence. He had the same 4th cousin relationship with Samuel Hedge, who was killed in the French and Indian War in 1760, and with Henry Trowbridge, who was killed at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 during the Revolution. Finally, he was a 7th cousin, 3 times removed, of William H. Maxim, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. William was my great grandfather’s brother. Hope this is of some interest to you.
Steve McLane
Congratulations to everyone who finally discovers a Mayflower passenger or a DAR-eligible patriot in their ancestry! I’ve spent decades doing research, often next to lovely people searching diligently for a breakthrough.
I’ve often felt guilty, because I grew up knowing that my father’s mother and my father’s father’s mother both were DAR members, and that I had Mayflower descent through James Chilton, possibly his mysterious wife, daughter Mary Chilton, and John Cooke. Both women were active genealogists. But it was only my great grandmother who had the Mayflower lines. Not my grandmother. She never quite “equalled” her mother-in-law during her lifetime.
But thanks to the fabulous Gary Boyd Roberts, I found Mayflower lines for her! I was a participant at the very first Come Home to New England at NEHGS in 1985. I showed him the 1906 death certificate for Mary Jane Betts of Eagle, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The lovely handwriting gave her mother’s name, which looked to me to be “Lucina Eiver” with a clear dot over the second letter. Gary looked at it, proclaimed that the surname was “Ewer” and said it might lead me to very early Massachusetts. It took a lot more work, but I found my grandmother could have impressed her mother-in-law with descents from Isaac Allerton, Mary Norris Allerton, their daughter Mary Allerton, and Richard Warren. It is a bittersweet discovery, because she died about 5 years before I found it.
Another cousin here. Are all you other cousins aware that before he came on the Mayflower, Hopkins spent some time in Jamestown? He didn’t come on the first boat, but on a resupply ship that came in 1609. They were shipwrecked and ended up in Bermuda. Quite a few adventures before they got to Jamestown. Not sure how long he stayed there, but he went back to England before long. The story of the shipwreck was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest.” Hopkins is the only Mayflower passenger who had also been at Jamestown.
Sorry, I hadn’t read all the comments, so my info is not new.
Yet another cousin here! My grandmother’s maiden name was Hopkins. Stephen Hopkins is my 9th Greatgrandfather.
so sorry…typo…meant..11th!!! Great grandfather!!!
Susan, so glad you have made the Hopkins connection, which makes us cousins (Stephen was my 9th great grandfather.
What an interesting read of all these descndents of the Mayflower. My daughter-in-law descends from John Alden and we are documenting her line back to Elizabeth Alden who I understand was the first white child born in Plymouth. Reading thses comments I am reminded of how small our world is and want to give three examples of the serendepidous nature of geneology research.
Many years ago in 1955 I had a Kathy Bauman in my first grade classroom in Independence, OH. Kathy, about 15 years later was runner up to Miss America. She and I have always been in touch but fast forward to 2014 and I get a call from her mother to help her file her family tree in the Independence bicentenial celebration papers.. Kathy had done an immense amount of work on the tree so we were in touch as I wanted to be sure she was credited with the work. Turns out Kathy had traced her family back to the famous Websters and ultimately to Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower! She may also be related to my daughter-in-law through William Bradford. Kathy lives in CA and after her movie and TV career began designing fashion purses and sells them to Hollywood stars. You will find them on her website and you can buy one too if you have that kind of money to spare. They are quite beautiful.
I was asked to write a chapter for the new Independence History book as part of their bicentenial celebration and discovered that one of my daughter-in-laws distant Alden cousins Silence Alden, had married Zepheniah Hathaway and they were very early -1816 settlers- of Independence, Ohio . I also learned that their children and grandchildren attended Hiram College where James Garfield was a professor. Garfiled’s father was an early settler in Independence as well ,but later moved to a neighboring town. One of the Hathaway daughters married a Pettibone and her son was a student of James Garfield as well as his comrade in arms during the Civil War. Her son gave the eulogy for James Garfield when his body was brought back to Ohio with a stop at Hiram College where he was so beloved. Much more about the Hathaway family and their influence on Cleveland and its suburban area-Hathaway Brown School for girls-charitable and benevolent organizations and city government etc. -was discovered when doing the research for this chapter. For years we have driven on Pettibone Rd.,and Hathaway Road never knowing their connection to the Alden family. Out of this has come a committee working on getting Tinkers Creek Cemetery listed as a national historic site and to beautify the cemetery where many Alden family members are buried. The cemetery now lies in the Village of Valley View which broke off from Independence and is now some what within the borders of the Cuyahoga National Park. We are sure vistors to the park will enjoy learning about the Mayflower descedants buried there as well as the other early settlers from the east.
Lastly, as president of Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Society I and members are working with Ohio Genealogical Society to offer a cemetery preservation workshop in the spring and have chosen Westview Cemetery in Brunswick, Medina Co., OH as the location. In doing some research on the Brunswick Historicl Society website i discovered a complete history of my high school music teacher’s Chidsey family and then remembered there was a Chidsey in my duaghter-in-law’s Alden family. Sure enough my daughter-in-law turned out to be a 6th cousin 3x removed of my music teacher. My daughter-in-law grew up in New York and had no idea she had so many relatives through her Alden connection in this area.
My mother always told us to be kind to everyone-they may turn out to be a distant cousin-was she right?
Mary Maher Boehlein, Ph.D.
Hello,
I am very interested in your article especially “Turns out Kathy had traced her family back to the famous Websters and ultimately to Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower!”
He was my 11X great grandfather? if I counted right. Could you please explain how Stephen Hopkins was related to the Websters and what Webster families?
Thanking you in advance.
I am a Webster (in Rochester, NY) and I know my family has been traced to Edward Doty. I’d love to learn how the Websters and Dotys are connected!
I know how Mr. Doty got to America…there is an article on him in MayflowerHistory. I will search further to see if I can help with the connection.
I am trying to prove a Mayflower connection through James Hopkins of Hampden, Maine (1797-1873) and his first wife, Abigail Bass (or Barss). James is the fifth generation from Giles Hopkins, through Isaac (1712-1774) and Isaac Jr. (1752-1831) of Hampden. If anyone has information on this Hampden, Maine line of Hopkins, I’d love to share data!
Hi all — I don’t know if this conversation is still going, but I’ll try. I think my ancestor on the Mayflower is (Gov) William Bradford, as follows:
William Bradford
(Maj) William Bradford
Mercy Bradford
Abiel Steele
Thankful Webster
Abiel Blanchard
Webster Blanchard
Psalter Sylvester Blanchard
Achsah Matilda Blanchard
Thomas James Green
George Moore Green
me (Rebecca Dare)
The hangup (according to Washington State Mayflower Society) is Thankful Webster, married to William Blanchard. They said there’s no proof that Abiel Steele and John Webster had a daughter Thankful — but I find her name connected to them almost everywhere I look. Do any of you have any information for me
Thanks, Rebecca
Hello! Henry, Hopefully you will see this as were distant (5th) cousins.
William James Hornblower was my 4th Great Grandfather our common ancestor.
He brought his family from London to NYC in 1831 aboard the Ship Andes.
You are a descendant from his son, Edward Thomas Hornblower, as I am a descendant from his other son, William Edward Hornblower.
I do hope you will leave a reply. I had started my Genealogy research in Nov. 2008.
Henry Shapard Hornblower (1980 – )
5th cousin
Henry “Hank” Shapard Hornblower III (1944 – 2019)
Father of Henry Shapard Hornblower
Henry “Harry” Hornblower II (1917 – 1985)
Father of Henry “Hank” Shapard Hornblower III
Ralph Hornblower (1891 – 1960)
Father of Henry “Harry” Hornblower II
Henry Hornblower (1863 – 1941)
Father of Ralph Hornblower
Edward Thomas “Teddy” Hornblower (1828 – 1901)
Father of Henry Hornblower
William James Hornblower (1796 – 1871)
Father of Edward Thomas “Teddy” Hornblower
William Edward Hornblower (1819 – 1906)
Son of William James Hornblower
William Matthew Hornblower (1858 – 1944)
Son of William Edward Hornblower
Edna Mae Hornblower (1889 – 1957)
Daughter of William Matthew Hornblower
Genevieve Marie Stout (1912 – 1949)
Daughter of Edna Mae Hornblower
Janet Louise Shaner (1941 – )
Daughter of Genevieve Marie Stout
Richard C Scott Jr
You are the son of Janet Louise Shaner