Author Archive
Word cloud of the top 100 surnames in the Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants database
We are extremely happy to announce that we have added our final volume to the Mayflower genealogies, and this database is now complete! This project started over a year ago, and our volunteers have invested over six thousand hours of work to scan and index this invaluable information.
Overall the Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants database contains 31 volumes, 10,155 pages, and over 575,000 searchable names. The word cloud image presented above, shows the 100 most common surnames found in the database.
Today’s addition, part three of Henry Samson volume 20, is the final part the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This addition adds 726 pages, over 16,000 records and over 50,000 searchable names related to the descendants of Henry Samson. This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records, and where available, the names of parents and spouses.
Henry Samson was about 16 when he arrived on the Mayflower. He was a cousin of, and in the company of, Edward Tilley and his family. Edward and Agnes Tilley died during the first winter, but Henry survived. In February of 1636 Henry married Anne Plummer. The two went on to have 9 children. Henry died in 1684, and he and Ann are buried in Cole’s Hill Burial Ground in Plymouth. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This update is made possible by the efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Nancy Borman, Patricia Collette, Fran Danico, Julie Esposito, Tami Jurgensen, Jan Lundquist, Julie Nathanson, Nell Nies, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
This database has been constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Postcard of the John Howland House, Plymouth, Massachusetts, circa 1910. Public Domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia.
We have added Part 3 the John Howland volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. Part 2 of the Howland volume was uploaded previously, so this update completes the Howland books. This update adds 475 pages, 11,400 records, and over 34,000 searchable names in the following volume:
- Howland, John (Vol. 23, part 3)
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
John Howland was about 28 when he traveled on Mayflower as a single man. During the voyage, he went on deck during a particularly bad storm and was swept overboard, but he managed to grab on to a rope and was saved. John married fellow passenger Elizabeth Tilley in 1624, and with her had 10 children. He died in Plymouth in 1673 at over 80 years of age. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses.
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Larry Akin, Nancy Borman, Pat Dalpiaz, Paul Levit, Julie Nathanson, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Postcard, Pilgrim exiles, Plymouth, Mass., between circa 1930 and circa 1945
Public Domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia.
We have added the Francis Cooke volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This update adds 490 pages, 9,600 records, and over 28,000 searchable names in the following volume:
- Cooke, Francis (Vol. 12)
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Francis Cooke was born around 1583. He married Hester Mahieu in 1603 and had 7 children. Francis took his oldest son John with him on Mayflower, while Hester and the other children followed them to America in 1623 on the ship Anne. Francis died in 1663 in Plymouth. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Nancy Borman, Nell Nies, Lisa Roberts, Nancy Washell, Ron Wilson, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth. Northrop, Henry Davenport, 1836-1909.
Public Domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia.
We have added the William Bradford volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This update adds 570 pages, 11,000 records, and over 32,000 searchable names in the following volume:
- Bradford, William (Vol. 22)
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
William Bradford was born in 1590 in Austerfield, England. He became interested in Separatist religious beliefs as a young man. William married Dorothy May in Amsterdam in 1613. They traveled on Mayflower together, leaving behind their son, John, who would join them on a later ship. Bradford served as Governor of Plymouth Colony for 31 terms, succeeding John Carver after his death in 1621. Bradford kept extensive journals relating the experience of the Pilgrims and had the most extensive library of first generation New Englanders. After Dorothy fell off the deck of Mayflower and drowned in the Provincetown Harbor, Bradford married Alice (Carpenter) Southworth in 1623, with whom he had 3 children. He died in 1657. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Jeanne Brown, Fran Danico, Kathleen Hash, Nell Nies, Margaret Parker, Rich Wood, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Canopy over Plymouth Rock, Cole’s Hill, Plymouth Rock Hotel, unknown date Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia.org.
We have added part two of the Henry Samson volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This addition adds 650 pages, 14,000 records and over 45,000 searchable names related to the descendants of Thomas Rogers.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
Henry Samson was about 16 when he arrived on the Mayflower. He was a cousin of, and in the company of, Edward Tilley and his family. Edward and Agnes Tilley died during the first winter, but Henry survived. In February of 1636 Henry married Anne Plummer. The two went on to have 9 children. Henry died in 1684, and he and Ann are buried in Cole’s Hill Burial Ground in Plymouth. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Nancy Borman, Jeanne Brown, Fran Danico, Margaret Parker, Charlie Watson, Ron Wilson, Rich Wood, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
New menu structure with the Search items expanded
There is a new structure to the menus on American Ancestors! There are now seven top level menu items to help you navigate more easily through the breadth of content and services available from NEHGS. Each of the menu items has a short description below it, and by hovering over it you can see the organization of the resources for each area.
From the database perspective, all links related to search of any kind of database can be found under the Search heading. As shown in the image above, once you hover over Search, you can then select from the sub-menus to get to directly to what you need. The key items included are:
- Search All Databases – the standard Advanced Search page to search across over 450 databases
- Category searches – the recently announced category specific search pages, are available for a tailored search experience to each category of databases; such as Vital Records
- Browse Databases A to Z – previously on a separate menu, the database lets you find a specific database to use for your research
- Special Interest Databases –the externally provided searchable databases, made available to NEGHS members
- Articles Guides and Study projects – provides access to the ongoing study projects that are used to create unique searchable databases and publications
- Library Catalog – lets you search through the entire NEHGS library catalog
- Digital Book and Manuscript Collection – the place to search through our digital collections from the NEHGS Library and the Jewish Heritage Center.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to us at webmaster@nehgs.org.
Embarkation of the Pilgrims, by Robert W. Weir. Protestant pilgrims are shown on the deck of the ship Speedwell before their departure for the New World from Delft Haven, Holland, on July 22, 1620. William Brewster is holding the Bible. Public Domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia.
We have added the William Brewster volumes to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This set of volumes comes from the Mayflower Families in Progress; also known as the “Pink Books”. This update adds 640 pages, 10,000 records, and over 28,000 searchable names related to the descendants of William Brewster, organized into the following volumes:
- Brewster, William (MFIP, Jonathan)
- Brewster, William (MFIP, Love)
- Brewster, William (MFIP, Patience)
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
William Brewster was born around 1566. He was an Elder and teacher of the church in Leiden, and he continued his leadership in Plymouth. William was involved with printing religious materials in Leiden, which forced him to go into hiding from English authorities before the departure of Mayflower. He was the highest ranking Separatist church official to voyage on Mayflower. William married a woman named Mary around 1592, with whom he had 5 surviving children. Two of their children were Mayflower passengers, while the elder three joined the family in America later. He died in Duxbury in 1644.This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Nell Nies, Margaret Parker, Karen and Ray Ristic, Ron Wilson, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Search Results page with new View Image link highlighted
We have just released a new View Image link on the Search Results page. As shown in the image above, you can click the View Image link to go directly to the Image Display page. Several people have requested this time saving option, and we are happy to release it today. If you click on the name information you will continue to go to the Record display. from Search Results. Also, if the search result is for an index-only database this link does not appear.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to us at webmaster@nehgs.org.
New record display page with record text and image thumbnail
We are excited to deliver another enhancement to the search experience today: The Record Display page. When you select a record from your search results, you automatically get the new page, as shown above.
At the top of the page you see all the indexed text from the record you requested on the left side, and large thumbnail of the image for that page on the right. In cases where there is no image text available, there is placeholder noting that there is no image available for that database (see below).
Here are some are the key benefits of the new record display:
- Transcript and image – can be viewed at the same time,and on one screen
- View button – displays the full screen image with the ability zoom in and out, print and download
- “Also on this page” – when other records exist on the page, they are listed on the right and you can navigate to one just by clicking on it
- Comments and Questions at top right – if you want to contact NEHGS about the record, just enter a comment in the box and press “send”
- Citation information – available to view or copy just below the transcript and image
- Database description and search tips – available on the same page
We hope you enjoy this new streamlined way to view your search results. Please address any feedback or comments to webmaster@nehgs.org. We love to hear from you!
Sample record display page when no image is available
The Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, 1620. Painted by Peter Frederick Rothermel, engraved by J. Andrews. Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia.org.
We have added the Thomas Rogers volume to the searchable database of authenticated Mayflower Pilgrim genealogies, Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. This addition adds 430 pages, 6,000 records and over 18,000 searchable names related to the descendants of Thomas Rogers.
This database is being constructed from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) very well-known series of books Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 which document the first generation of descendants of the Pilgrims. Through our partnership with GSMD, American Ancestors is delivering this database with a full index of the fifth-generation descendants, and their children, coupled with the page images for those people.
When Thomas Rogers was about 48 he arrived on the Mayflower from Leiden with his son Joseph, who was about 17. Thomas died during the first winter in Plymouth. His son Joseph survived and had a family. Thomas’s son John came to Plymouth later, possibly along with two of his daughters. This biography is also available on our Mayflower 2020 site here.
This database index includes birth, baptism, marriage, death, and deed records for these individuals, and where available, the names of parents and spouses. We thank our volunteers for all their efforts in bringing this newly searchable data to you!
This update is made possible by the invaluable efforts of our growing team of volunteers, including; Diane Arbuckle, Jan Lundquist, Patricia Dalpiaz, Nell Nies, and David Anderson. We genuinely appreciate their dedication. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Bianca Renzoni, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator bianca.renzoni@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.