Mayflower Lynes
Mayflower Lynes
Society Of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Delaware
Editor: Harline Dennison
Volume 55
Spring 2013
www.mayflower
-de.org
[email protected]
GOVERNOR’S GREETINGS
For our Spring Reception we will visit the George Read House and Gardens
in old New Castle on Sunday, May 19, from 2 – 4 p.m. I hope all of you
will be able to come. The date of the house doesn’t go back to Pilgrim times
but seeing it promises to be a fascinating walk through the past from colonial
times to the Roaring ‘20s. The garden was installed by the second owner,
William Cooper, in 1847 and is still intact making it one of the oldest surviving gardens in the region. Trusting May 19 we will be a beautiful sunny and
warm day, we will have a reception in this lovely garden. If the day is not
suitable to be outside, there is a nice reception room in the house. It is important that we have an accurate count of those who can attend and those
who wish only to see the first floor. There are three floors and stairs are involved. If stairs are a problem for you, do come and you will have an enhanced tour of just the first floor.
Since Compact Day, Paige Sullivan resigned her position as Jr. Membership Secretary and Marshall Baker his position as Membership Chair because of personal schedule conflicts. Both made significant contributions to the
Society and we thank them for their many efforts. I am very pleased to tell you that Rachel Greene has agreed to
be our new Jr. Membership Secretary. She is new to the Board of Assistants and we are very pleased to have her.
Kai Lassen has agreed to wear two hats: one as Past Governor and one as Membership Chair. Kai has been our
“recruiter extraordinaire” and we are so grateful he is willing to continue.
We have a strong Board of Assistants and all our officers are “off and running”, executing their duties. Andy
Cottle, our Historian, has already brought in four new members whose names and profiles are on page 2. We welcome everyone of them and hope to see them at the Spring Reception. He is working on the backlog of applications to “clean them up” and get them enrolled into the society as soon as possible. We are very sad that Thomas
S. Stevens died on March 2. He had been active member of the Board for many years serving until 2011. He
served most recently as Counselor, Assistant General, and Deputy Governor which, during part of the time, he was
also responsible for Publications. We send our deepest sympathy to his wife, Marjorie, his sons, Thomas and John
- both members of our Society - and his other family members.
Barbara Welch, President
Spring Reception on
Sunday May 19, 2013
between 2 to 4 p.m.
at the
Read House and Gardens
in Old New Castle
The first hour will be a tour of the Read House. The second hour will be a reception with punch and
cookies in the gardens. PLEASE send your reservations to Barbara J. Wideman at 302 656-0553 or
[email protected] by May 13, 2013 because we need a count for the tour.
Mayflower Lynes
SOCIETY OF MAYFLOWER
DESCENDANTS
IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE
0FFICERS 2012 -2015
GOVERNOR
DEPUTY GOVERNOR
SECRETARY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
TREASURER
HISTORIAN
ELDER
CAPTAIN
SURGEON
COUNSELOR
JR MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
ASSISTANT
ASSISTANT
ASSISTANT
Barbara G. Welch
Gregory J. Weinig, Esq.
Kristin K. Jones
Barbara L. Wideman
Andrew W. Edmonds, Jr.
W. Andrew Cottle
Robert J. Hanson, Jr.
John L. Crossan
Samuel F. DuPont Bayard
David M. Bradford
J. Rachel Greene
Marshall E. Baker
Susan S. Bunting
Harline D. Dennison
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
EDUCATION
EVENTS
FINANCE
LIBRARY
MEMBERSHIP
PUBLICATIONS
Susan S. Bunting
Leslie K. Swanson
Marshall E. Baker
Elizabeth Ann Happoldt
John Kai Lassen
Harline D. Dennison
GENERAL SOCIETY
DEPUTY GOV. GENERAL
ASSISTANT GENERAL
Noel H. Kuhrt, Jr.
Robert J. Hanson, Jr.
NEW MEMBERS
John Llewellyn Stevens Gen# 85315 DE# 409 elect. 14Jan-2013 13th from John Howland
Lois Elaine (Blake) Schlegel Gen# 85316 DE# 410 elect.
14-Jan-2013 10th from Richard Warren
Barbara Anne Edmonds Gen# 85317 DE# 411 elect. 14Jan-2013 14th from R. Warren
Ellen Virginia Whitford Gen# 85462 DE# 412 18-Mar
-2013 11th from John Billington
COMPLETED VOYAGES
Thomas Schellenger Stevens II Died March 3,
2013, General # 65269, DE # 319, Elected July 22,
1998, Descended 12th from Howland. Tom of Wilmington, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey, passed
away on March 3, 2013. Tom enjoyed his heritage and
fondly contributed his time and talents to The Mayflower
Society and the Sons of the American Revolution. He was
an active member of Delaware's Society of Mayflower
Descendants for 14 years where he held the offices of
Counsellor, Deputy Governor, Assistant General, and
Publications Chair.
Compact Day Luncheon
November 19, 2012
Mayflower Lynes
George & Kristin Jones
Past Governor Kai Lassen & Governor Barbara Welch
Susan Bunting
Marlene & John Koutoufaris, Nancy Lefevre
Noel Kuhrtz
Bruce Campbell MacGunnigle
Governor General
COMPACT DAY LUNCHEON
November 17, 2012
Alexandra Victoria Davis
Linda Keeler & Ralph Thompson
Madeline Elizabeth Davis & Laura Lassen Fox
Kai Lassen, Bruce & Kate MacGunnigle
Richard & Margaret Glover, Margaret Stewart,
Marion Stewart, Deny & Willgoose
Mayflower Lynes
SOCIETY REPORTS
SECRETARY:
I began my first term as Secretary by attending the Board of
Assistants meeting on January 19, 2013. Officers and Committee Chairs provided reports. Governor Welch presented
topics about several Board initiatives to be developed during
the first year of her term. Kristin Jones - Secretary
HISTORIAN:
Count Them – 15 Ancestors and More! I only have one.
I go back to Governor William Bradford through two lines,
but he is my only Mayflower passenger. Amy Dill of Camden, DE, however, descends from 15 different individuals
who landed at Plymouth in December, 1620.
Amy descends from Isaac Allerton and his wife Mary
(Norris) Allerton. Amy’s lines also come down from the
three Tilleys: John Tilley, Joan (Hurst) Tilley, and Elizabeth
Tilley. About two and a half years after they all arrived on
these shores, Elizabeth Tilley married John Howland, so that
makes six passengers, so far. By the way, Amy’s middle
name is Howland, so that line is honored by Amy’s life. William Mullins and his daughter, Priscilla, are counted among
Amy’s antecedents, and so, Amy also claims John Alden
with whom Priscilla “intermarried.” A cornerstone individual, William Brewster and his wife Mary (for whom we do not
have a maiden name), count among Amy Dill’s great, great
grandparents. Amy also descends from George Soule, Francis
Cooke and his son, John Cooke, and from Richard Warren.
That makes 15. … And, because she descends from more
than one child of some of these passengers, Amy has 19
provable lines of descent.
game of marbles—"knicker" is derived from the Old Dutch
"Knikker" and translates to "marbles"); hopfrog (leap frog);
lummelen (keep away); skipped rope (jump rope) ; and stickball.”
Junior Member Info from The Mayflower Quarterly Sept
2013 Vol. 78 No. 3 Elizabeth Tilley p 209
Footnote: Cato, Jeremy. “What Games Did the Children
of the Mayflower Play?” EHow. Demand Media, Inc.
2012.
HOW DOES DELAWARE COMPARE?
The largest state society of Mayflower Descendants, as one
would guess, is in Massachusetts with 3,392; the smallest is
in West Virginia (60). Delaware is twelfth in size with 165,
surpassing Louisiana (149), New Mexico (147), and Arkansas (141). It would be interesting to know how the numbers
compare if viewed per capita—number of active Mayflower
descendants compared with state population. The smallest
state, physically—Rhode Island, has 440 active Mayflower
descendants, but certainly they have a large general population.
The point of this comparison is that we would like to have as
many descendants with us as possible, here in Delaware. If
you know of someone who is a descendant, but is not a member, have them contact Andrew Cottle, Historian email:
[email protected], or telephone: 302 366-8001, or Kai
Lassen, Membership Chairperson email: [email protected],
or telephone 302-540-5030. Either Andy or Kai will be happy to assist that individual in exploring her or his line of descent.
LET FREEDOM RING 2013!
Two of Past Governor Kai Lassen's children, Christian Lassen and Laura Lassen Fox, descend from 15 passengers
with a total of 23 currently proven lines : John Alden (2),
Isaac Allerton, Mary Norris Allerton, Mary Allerton, Francis
Cooke (2), Stephen Hopkins (3), Constance Hopkins, Priscilla Mullins (2), William Mullins (2), Degory Priest, Joseph
Rogers, Thomas Rogers, George Soule, Myles Standish (2)
and Richard Warren (3). They have a line from John Howland, which includes lines from John and Elizabeth Tilley and
several others currently pending recognition, which should
bring the proven lines from different passengers to 20 and
their total Mayflower lines to 28.
Andrew Cottle • Historian
Congressional Resolution Number 25 declares that the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
should be observed each year by the ringing of bells throughout the United States at the hour of two o'clock eastern daylight time in the afternoon of the 4th day of July. In Delaware
this celebration begins at 1:30 pm in Immanuel Episcopal
Church on the Green in historic New Castle. This year leaders of Let Freedom Ring are past Delaware Mayflower governors Kim Burdick, Noel Kuhrt and prospective member
Brian Roberts who each cordially invite all Mayflower Descendants to join the public in this patriotic remembrance of
the first ringing of the Liberty Bell that day in 1776. Junior
Members who are present may participate in ringing of the
bell.
JUNIOR TRIVIA:
GSMD MISSION STATEMENT
"Not much is knows about the activities that occupied the
children during the voyage of the Mayflower, but beyond
those chores that were assigned, adolescents, such as Elizabeth Tilley, may have held the additional responsibility of
playing with the younger children. Games typically played in
the 17th Century England are similar to today's games and
included: naughts and crosses (the modern game of tic-tactoe); draughts (or checkers); knickers (or the basic modern
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, GSMD,
tells the story of the Pilgrims journey on the Mayflower in
1620, bringing with them principles of civil and religious
liberty to America as memorialized in The Mayflower Compact – why they were important, how they have shaped America, and what it means today – so that all generations will
understand the Pilgrims place in history and be inspired by
what they learn.
Mayflower Lynes
I must admit I am a bit obsessive about trying to identify the person in this picture; but my story does show it is possible to go
beyond the basics if you have the time, the energy, and sometimes
the money.
NOTE - Ann got into our Society through the Daggett family. She
is still trying to identify the rest of people in the pictures. They
show a rare look at pre-Civil War middle class Charlestonians.
BOOK REVIEW from General Society
Strangers and Pilgrims, Travellers and Sojourners – Leiden and
the Foundations of Plymouth Plantation by Jeremy Dupertuis
Bangs
At last! Jeremy Bangs’ long awaited comprehensive history of the
Pilgrims, Strangers and Pilgrims, Travellers and Sojourners - Leiden and the Foundations of Plymouth Plantation has finally been
published.
His previously published Pilgrim books include Seventeenthcentury Town Records of Scituate, Massachusetts; Indian Deeds,
Land Transactions in Plymouth Colony, 1620-1621; and Pilgrim
Edward Winslow: New England’s First International Diplomat, A
Documentary Biography.
GENEALOGICAL CORNER
Beyond the Basics - Ann Happoldt
Look at this picture. Is this fireman a descendant of the
Pilgrims? Who is he? Usually we stick to the basics birth, death, and marriage records; but sometimes genealogy can take you off in a different direction.
Several years ago my sister dumped old tintypes, etc. in
my lap. Our grandmother always said she did not know
who the people were. Who puts strangers on the mantle?
They had to be family or friends. Knowing more about
genealogy, I decided to try to identify these people. I
started with the Delaware Public Archives. They referred
me to Young's Studio in Dover to preserve the images.
Young's scanned them into the computer, flipped some
and enhanced details. They then printed out copies. The
fireman came out so clearly that I could read his company and other identification. I contacted the current
Charleston, S. C. fire company. They referred me to Daniel Crooks, author of Charleston is Burning.
Dr. Bangs has spent years researching in the Leiden Regional
Archives. Fluent in Dutch and early Dutch script, he has read all
the city records from c. 1475 through 1630, and the city treasurer’s accounts 1608-1630, as well as all real estate records. Some
of the many additional records read are archives of other Leiden
and Amsterdam church congregations, and all 24 volumes of the
Plymouth Colony Records - 12 of which are unpublished. The
bibliography comprises 107 pages. Who can be more qualified
than he to “set the record straight?” Now we of the 21st century
can come closer to understanding the Who, What, When, Where
and Why? of the Pilgrim Separatists. We learn how their belief in
predestination ruled their lives.
The book is well organized and well annotated. There are seven
progressive thematic sections. Each chapter is written to “stand
on its own.” Maps show known Pilgrim home towns in England
and home locations in Leiden. The two-column 56-page comprehensive index includes all names (complete), places, ships and
subjects making the book an excellent usable reference source.
Strangers and Pilgrims, Travellers and Sojourners – Leiden
and the Foundations of Plymouth Plantation by Jeremy DuperI tracked him down through his publisher, and we had tuis Bangs, published and distributed by The General Society of
several conversations. Atlantic Bookstore ordered his Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 2009. 928
book for me. It turns out I had a very rare photo! I read pages, illustrated maps.
the book and discovered Thomas W. Daggett, my great
uncle, was a member of the Charleston Fire Company. In
1852, he fell off a tall ladder, but a telegraph wire broke
his fall and probably saved his life! A check of the 1850
and 1860 censuses showed he was one of five brothers.
Plymouth Rock
The 1870 census listed only one brother. Is this a picture
of Thomas or one of his siblings? Or is it S. G. Sapdy,
my great, great, grandfather? These men served in the
same Confederate regiment. Dannie told me most of the
police and firemen were also in the militia. They enlisted
as soon as the Civil War broke out.
Mayflower Lynes
DELAWARE SOCIETY
Marshall Baker Retires from Membership Chair
Without fanfare, Marshall Baker resigned as chair of the Membership Committee at the Board of Assistants meeting on Jan.
19. Well, there should be some fanfare. Marshall has been the
face of the Delaware Society of Mayflower Descendants to the
general public for a number of years. He has served ably in the
position. He has met with people, telephoned them, done volumes of correspondence through surface mail and email, and
discharged all these duties with a smiling, comfortable demeanor. What a guy! Many of us will miss his help with ushering
new descendants into the society, and through his first-name
acquaintance with so many of the long-time members. It is
great that Marshall is going to continue to assist with financial
matters. (Kai Lassen will assume Membership Chair duties.)
Page Sullivan resigns from the position of Junior Membership Secretary. J Rachel Greene will assume Junior Membership Secretary duties. Thank you for a job well done.
David Bradford is a guest on “Off the Grid” Radio
Our member, David Bradford, was a guest of Bill Heid on Off
the Grid Radio on November 20, 2012. In this hour long episode called The Pilgrims You Never Knew, Mr. Bradford
covered the following topics: The Pilgrims did not land in
America first; Why these men and women left Holland; Where
they were really planning to go; What necessitated the Mayflower Compact; and more. You can hear the of this full radio
discussion or print out the transcript for easy reading by logging on to: http.//www.offthegridnews.com/2012/11/21/thepilgrims-you-never-knew-with-David-Bradford-episode-130/.
You can contact David Bradford for more information.
CALL FOR AN ACCOUNTANT
The DE society needs to conduct an audit of its financial
records for the years 2013 and 2014. If you have an interest
and are willing to volunteer your time as an auditor for the
Society’s books, please submit your name to Governor
Welch at 302 235-7554 or [email protected].
CALL FOR A WEBMASTER
The Society is in the process of redesigning and making our
current website more efficient. If you are interested, or
know of an interested person who might serve as webmaster and/or who would provide recommendations for updating our site, please submit your name to Governor Welch at
302 235–7554 or any Board of Assistants member. Visit our
existing website at: www:Mayflower-de.org.
Christine Crossan Publishes Article in The Mayflower
Quarterly The title of the article is Delaware State Society Describes Membership Application Archive Project, The
Mayflower Quarterly Sept. 2012, Vol. 78, N0.3, p. 290.
Last Call to Retrieve Documents
Your source documents used on your Mayflower application
are about to be destroyed. If you want them returned contact
Barbara Wideman at 302 656-0533 [email protected].
.
LINEAGE ORGANIZATIONS
THE SWEDISH COLONIAL SOCIETY
The Swedish Colonial Society is America’s
oldest organization dedicated to the study
and preservation of New Sweden history. In addition to collecting and publishing research on Swedes and Finns in
America, the Society maintains parks, monuments, and memorials of historic sites. A unique aspect of the group is its
connection to Sweden's Royal Family and the Swedish government. In 1906, Dr. Amandus Johnson returned from study
in Europe with a wealth of material concerning New Sweden,
and determined that the history of the settlement be recorded.
Early membership roles in the group were filled with the
names of many of Philadelphia and Wilmington’s leading
families, scholars, and industrialists. By 1926, Amandus
Johnson had gathered funds from across the country for what
would become the American Swedish Historical Museum, a
national museum dedicated to the achievements of Swedish
immigrants. Today, the Society is primarily devoted to research and historic preservation. With the increased interest
in colonial history, membership has grown and now totals
roughly 1,000 people from across the United States and an
ever-increasing number of foreign countries. Over the past
century, the Society's research has become the foundation for
the study of New Sweden Colony, and the group remains the
foremost forum on the subject. Recently, they have become
involved with the Gloria Dei Records Project, an effort to
assemble, translate, and publish all of the colonial records of
the church. The records constitute the major "missing link" in
chronicling the history of Swedish settlement and culture on
the Delaware River, spanning from the 1640s, when the first
Swedish church was founded at Tinicum Island, to 1787. The
Society is also involved with genealogical research, and reserves a genealogist within the organization to study New
Sweden family history and the ancestry of members applying
for Forefather Member status. The Craig Collection, a complete library of genealogical books and lineage papers relating to the families of New Sweden, is also maintained by the
Society. The Society has two types of membership: 1) Active
Membership - available to any and all parties interested in the
history of New Sweden and of the early Swedes and Finns in
America; and 2) Forefather Membership - awarded to active
members who can prove descent from Swedish or Finnish
colonists in the United States between 1638 and 1783.
Above information was gathered from Wikipedia and the
The Swedish Colonial Society, Philadelphia,
PA
www.ColonialSwedes.org. & Delaware Swedish Colonial
Society www.delawareswedes.org.
Mayflower Lynes
2013 MAYFLOWER SCHOLARSHIP
The Society of Daughters of
Holland Dames
“GO DUTCH” The Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, founded in 1895,
perpetuates and preserves the memory of
the principles and virtues of Dutch ancestors, collects and preserves genealogical and historical documents, encourages historical research relating to the Dutch in America, and establishes memorials in tribute to early Dutch ancestors.
In 1624, the Dutch founded New Amsterdam, which later, in
1674, was renamed by the English to New York (City). The
impact of the early Dutch culture on the United States is profound: bringing to America concepts of individual liberty and
enterprise, enlightened thought, liberty of conscience in religion, and multi-cultural tolerance.
Some of the family names of the earliest Dutch settlors were:
Bogardus, Jans, Loockerman, Melyn, Schuyler, Van Buren,
Van Cortlandt, Van Rensselaer, Van Schaick, Wesselse, to
name a few.
Prospective members must prove that they are descended from
an ancestor who was born prior to the Treaty of Westminster of
1674 or whose ancestor resided in New Netherland prior to the
Treaty of Westminster or whose ancestor was a Director General of New Netherland, a member of the Council of the Director General of New Netherland, a member of a governmental
or religious body of New Netherland, a patron or freeholder of
New Netherland, a commissioner in New Netherland either of
Indian Affairs, Boundaries, or Treaties, or a commissioned
officer, soldier, or sailor who served in defense of New Netherland. Honorary members include members of the royal family
of the Netherlands.
The Society has published, “Researching Your Dutch Ancestors: A Practical Guide” and sells the book, Dutch Colonial
Homes in America.
In 2011, the Holland Dames restored the New York Historical
Society’s Library’s stained glass window, The Arrival of the
Halve Maen, 1609. In 2012, The Holland Dames funded the
restoration of the stained glass window of Peter Stuyvesant in
the historic St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery. In 2013, the Holland Dames joins the St. Nicholas Society in the Paas Ball and
presentation of debutantes.
For information about membership in the Society of Daughters
of Holland Dames, see the website, www.hollanddames.org, or
call Leslie Swanson at 443-926-6558. Gentlemen can find information about the Holland Society of New York at:
www.hollandsociety.com
Leslie Swanson
Mayflower Trivia: You can find a list of notable
Mayflower descendants at Sail1620.org - Pennsylvania Society website.
Good news for Mayflower parents, grandparents and even
great-grandparents of graduating seniors. The General
Society of Mayflower Descendants announces an expansion of scholarship awards for 2013.
For its first two years, the Mayflower Society offered a
single $5000 scholarship available to graduating seniors
with documented Mayflower ancestors who are active
members of the GSMD. This year the GSMD Executive
Committee has authorized three scholarships to assist deserving direct descendants of GSMD members. The firstplace award has been increased to $7500, while the new
second and third place awards will be $2000 and $500,
respectively.
To qualify for Mayflower Scholarships, an applicant must
be a graduating senior who is either a current member of
GSMD or a direct descendant (child, grandchild, and great
-grandchild) of an active GSMD member whose documentation of Mayflower ancestry would currently be accepted by the Society.
Though not an absolute requirement, recipients Mayflower Society Scholarships will most often be in the upper 10
percent of their class and score in the 75th percentile or
higher on the SAT or ACT.
All materials needed to apply for 2013 Mayflower Scholarships are available for download on the GSMD website
www.themayflowersociety.com. Deadline for submission of the application is April 15, 2013.
If you have any questions of the 2013 Mayflower Scholarships, contact the Scholarship Committee at [email protected].
The New Netherland Institute
The New Netherland Institute works to increase awareness
and raise funds for the Netherland Project, which works to
complete the transcription, translation, and publication of
all Dutch documents in New Youk repositories relating to
the 17th century colony of New Netherland. The New
Netherland Project’s Library has extensive holdings of
New Netherland materials. Dr. Charles Gehring, the New
Netherland Project's renowned scholar, historian and translator of Dutch Archives, Director of the New Netherland
Research Center, spoke in February 2013 at the Chase
Center on the Riverfront, as part of the Kalmar Nyckel
Foundation's 2013 Lecture Series. Dr. Gehring's topic of
discussion was, "Delaware's First Corporate Takeover: The
Dutch and the Swedes in a 17th Century Battle for Business".
For further information see the New Netherlands Institute’s website: www.nnp.org or contact New Netherland
Project Board Member, Leslie Swanson, 443-926-6558.
Gentlemen can find information about the Holland Society
of New York at: www.holandsociety.com. Leslie Swanson
Mayflower Lynes
THE SPRING RECEPTION
ANNUAL COMPACT DAY
Sunday May 19, 2013
LUNCHEON
between 2 to 4 p.m.
SATURDAY
at the Read House and Gardens
in Old New Castle
GSMD HISTORIC SITES TOUR
OF PILGRIM SITES IN ENGLAND
AND HOLLAND
May 18—31, 2013
Tour itinerary can be located at:
www.Washington.org/gsmd.pdf
Society of Mayflower Descendants
In the State of Delaware
Barbara Wideman
600-35 Wildel Avenue
New Castle, DE 19720-6114
Visit us at: www:Mayflower-de.org
November 23, 2013
Vicmead Hunt Club
GENERAL BOARD OF ASSISTANTS MEETING
New Orleans, Louisiana
September 13, 14, 15, 2013
The Louisiana Society is hosting the meeting of the
General Board of Assistants at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis Street, New Orleans, LA
70140. .
FIRST CLASS