Friday, January 21, 2022

Update on our Mayflower connection

In a previous post - https://descenddance.blogspot.com/2018/01/mayflower.html - I outlined our Mayflower ancestry through my mother's maternal line. John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley are my 8th great grandparents. 

I knew there were other Mayflower passengers in my family tree, but have not been able to confirm. Then, along came this information from Matt, my cousin and fellow family researcher... Not only am I descended directly from John Howland on my mother's side, but am connected to him through marriage on my FATHER's side!!! Already I knew that my mother's and father's ancestors crossed paths and bloodlines several times in colonial days. (This topic will be another whole blog post in itself).

From Matt:

So, these are the most evident connections to the Mayflower, although I assume that there are likely to be several more within the groups these ancestors moved within.

First an Indirect Connection but Interesting (A Connection to the Direct Connection)
John Howland - his grandson Charles Dickinson married Phillip [sic] Green,* daughter of Major John Greene of Rhode Island and sister of Richard Greene (1660-1811) who married Elinor Sayles (1664-1714) their daughter Mary Greene (1706-1757) married Captain John Godfrey (1704-1756) who was the father of Captain Samuel Godfrey (1743-1831). So this connection is not direct. But:

Second the Direct Connection
Stephen Hopkins - his grandaughter Waitstill Snow married Joseph Sabin. Waitstill and Joseph's great-granddaughter was Patience Sabin (1751-1786) married Captain Samuel Godfrey (1743-1831) on 30 July 1769 in Providence, RI. Their daughter Elizabeth (Betsy) Godfrey (1779-1864) married Thomas Whitfield (1780-1830), and their daughter Sarah Gale (Sally) Whitfield (1811-1882) married John L. Abbott (1810-1898 in New York City on 11 Oct 1836. Of course, their son was Whitfield Barry Abbott (1844-1889).

This has given me a lot to chew on! I had Stephen Hopkins in my tree many years ago - I even bought a book about him - but deleted him when some of the genealogical evidence seemed sketchy. 

I will give it a second look.

*Phillip - could be Phillis or Phillipa.